This case study, published in Frontiers in Psychology in March 2026 by Prof Liesl van der Merwe and Dr Debra Joubert, explores the experiences of gratitude during musicking in a community orchestra. Drawing on interviews with 13 orchestra members aged 10 to 79 from diverse cultural backgrounds in South Africa, the study examined how gratitude is experienced and sustained through making music together.
Three themes emerged from the findings. The first theme explored how gratitude is experienced across different ages and cultures within the orchestra. Although participants expressed gratitude in different ways, gratitude was valued across generations and cultural groups and was closely connected to relationships, spirituality, and community.
The second theme revealed a triadic view of gratitude, showing that gratitude arises when people recognise benevolent intentions, appreciate the benefits they receive, and acknowledge the roles of both benefactors and beneficiaries within the orchestra community. Participants expressed gratitude for the beauty of the orchestral sound, supportive relationships, opportunities for growth, personal and collective achievements, enhanced well-being, and meaningful spiritual experiences.
The third theme identified three upward cycles that help explain how gratitude functions within the orchestra: cycles of appreciation, reciprocity, and broaden-and-build. The cycle of appreciation showed that gratitude fosters a sense of belonging, belonging generates further gratitude, and together they contribute to happiness. The cycle of reciprocity demonstrated that happy and grateful people are more likely to give back, support others, and strengthen the community, which in turn deepens their sense of belonging. The broaden-and-build cycle illustrated how positive emotions associated with gratitude help musicians perform better, create meaningful musical experiences, and develop personal and social resources that contribute to flourishing.
The study argues that gratitude is not simply an individual emotion but a powerful social process that strengthens relationships, promotes well-being, encourages prosocial behaviour, and helps diverse music communities thrive. By nurturing gratitude, community orchestras can create upward spirals of appreciation, reciprocity, and flourishing that benefit both individuals and the collective musical experience.
=====
Van der Merwe, L. & Joubert, D. 2026. Exploring experiences of gratitude during musicking in a community orchestra: an intrinsic case study. Frontiers in Psychology, 17:1717657. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1717657
