On Sunday 8 September, the Auckland Town Hall will fill with hundreds of instrumentalists and community singers performing together at Auckland Philharmonia’s ‘Community Bash’. This free music-making initiative will offer much more than a fun opportunity for Aucklanders to connect with others through music; the additional benefits associated with taking part in this type of event include improved wellbeing and sense of belonging in the community.
Community Bash will bring together musicians of all ages and skill levels from across Tāmaki Makaurau to perform alongside the orchestra’s professional players, culminating in a final joint public performance. Formerly called Community Play In, all are welcome to join in and sign up to participate in the music-making or simply listen to wonderful live music at the finale later in the afternoon.
As well as being a fun and enjoyable experience, attending or taking part in this event may also be beneficial for your wellbeing. This link between music and improved wellbeing was supported by an Arts Council UK study that found that taking part in creative activities is “associated with increased positive emotions such as optimism, hope and enjoyment."1 Simply listening to music can also improve your wellbeing and reduce anxiety, particularly among adults.2
Performing music also has physical health benefits. A 2019 study by the University of Auckland found that playing a musical instrument and singing are beneficial for brain heath, general fitness and maintaining cardiac function.3
Many have experienced that feeling of belonging that arises when you are part of an audience from all walks of life in the concert hall, with over 70 professional musicians unifying as one orchestra on stage, collectively experiencing a performance that will never be repeated the same again. This feeling of togetherness and collective unity is part of what makes live music experiences so special.
This link between the shared experience of listening to music with others and a sense of togetherness has been supported by a Creative Waikato Toi Waikato study that established,
"Residents who attend or create artistic, cultural or creative events or activities at least once a month report feeling more connected to culture and community, to land and place, and self.”4
Performers on stage also often feel this connectivity due to the hormonal impact of this collective activity. An increased sense of togetherness is frequently experienced by instrumentalists and singers when they perform together due to a change in their oxytocin levels (the bonding hormone). 5
If you’re interested in joining this year’s Community Bash, all are welcome to sign up to take part – even if you haven’t picked up your violin for years or have never sung in a choir before. It’s a chance to have-a-go, join the fun, and connect with other Aucklanders in a free afternoon of spectacular music-making in the Auckland Town Hall. Sign up prior to the event here to receive the music in advance and get stuck in!
This year’s orchestral repertoire goes on a musical journey through the solar system with two pieces from Holst’s famous work, The Planets. With special arrangements provided for beginner, intermediate and advanced players, anyone can join in to sing or play in this huge orchestra of over 300 Aucklanders.
It’s also free entry (and no tickets are required) to watch the epic final performance later in the afternoon. Come along and hear the sounds of this fantastic community initiative that connects Aucklanders with music, each other, and themselves.
Community Bash is delivered thanks to the support of Four Winds Foundation, Auckland Live, the Maurice Paykel Charitable Trust, New Zealand Community Trust (NZCT) and the orchestra’s core funders Auckland Council, Creative NZ and Foundation North. This initiative is one of the many free or low-cost events that the orchestra offers through the Auckland Philharmonia’s Learn & Participate programme. This music education programme provides concerts and experiences that bring together the orchestra’s professional musicians with communities, schools, and individuals across Tāmaki Makaurau. Find out more about upcoming Learn & Participate events and programmes here.