Pandemic Disruptions: Emerging Themes and Stories Among Music Ecosystems

COVID-19 disrupted our lives, in-person events, creative networks, and the ability to fully thrive in music communities around the world. Researchers had already identified that local music ecosystems were under stress due to structural and economic challenges. This study analyzes beliefs and local transformations after the first year of the current pandemic based on the stories from 128 subjects-music community participants, change agents, and local leaders around the world-who participated in twenty-six focus group panel sessions during a three-day virtual conference in April 2021 and nine separate and specific geographic focus group sessions, recorded March through September 2021. Through these recorded conversations, we gathered insights into their differing challenges, transformations, and emerging music organizations. These documented discussions generated real-time rich qualitative research about changes around the world. Through qualitative analysis of the resulting data, we identified themes, differing regional models, and areas for future research. We also created a video archive to support comparative research for anyone looking to gain insights into our transforming current music environments.