Musicking, Consciousness, and Peacebuilding

In this article, we engage three fields of study — peacebuilding, musicking, and consciousness — in order to examine potential contributions of these diverse disciplinary perspectives, considered in conjunction, to our understanding of how musicking might contribute to peacebuilding. We first introduce a new, inclusive theory of peacebuilding which links broader concepts from peace studies to specific kinds of changes in awareness. Following that, we present representative examples of research in peacebuilding practice where musicking has been successfully incorporated. Based primarily on 4E and autopoietic theory, we next examine empathy and identity, considered as two specific aspects of consciousness connected to realizing interdependent relationships. Finally, based on these premises, we argue that musical behaviours are ideally suited to fostering the kinds of changes in our consciousness and relationships conducive to peacebuilding.