Peaces of music: understanding the varieties of peace that music-making can foster

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article offers a new conceptual and theoretical model for researching music-based peacebuilding, an emerging interdisciplinary field that is characterised by heterogeneity of practices, concepts, and analytical approaches. Drawing upon findings from a scoping study of 62 peer-reviewed English language publications that describe music-based peacebuilding practices, it presents a typology of six varieties of peace that this work can foster. Each peace is constituted by a combination of four key variables in approaches to practice and implementation: intergroup encounter; intentional engagement with the extant conflict or politics that drive the need for peace-promoting work; sociality and opportunities for independent social interactions and affective ties; and the projection of the peace message to an external audience. The typology brings needed coherence to this diverse field, providing a nuanced framework for articulating the peacebuilding potential of music and for engaging critically with the possibilities, limitations, and complexities of creative contributions to peacebuilding.