Under Construction @ Keele 2016 Volume 1 Issue 1 | Page 38

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Music vs. Knitting for Enhanced Wellbeing
Liyanage Nellinne Antoinette Perera
(MRes Music, Keele University)
There is increasing evidence in literature that engaging in creative and
meaningful leisure activities can enhance mental health, wellbeing and
quality of life. In the present day society where people are engrossed in
demanding technical roles (mainly in front of computers for long hours of
the day) health and wellbeing is a topic that is popularly discussed.
Doctors and therapists encourage individuals to engage in various
creative and leisure activities such as sports, music, theatre, photography
and crafting for a healthy and happy life. Musical engagement is popular
amongst all ages as an educational method and a leisure activity. On the
other hand, creative arts particularly hand-knitting also provide similar
psychological and social benefits that enhance well-being. This paper will
outline the basis for the comparison of music and hand-knitting and
discuss the similarities and differences between the two leisure activities
for improved wellbeing and quality of life.

Keywords: Knitting, Music, Wellbeing, Social benefits, Leisure activities

Engaging in creative activities as a part of every-day-life benefits individuals.
Psychological and social benefits of this include improved health, well-being, quality
of life and emotions. Past research has explored the effect of creative arts, of which
music and hand crafts are popular activities, on improved well-being in general
terms.1 With the exception of Alexandra Lamont’s conference paper entitled ‘Why
not Knitting – amateur music making across lifespan’ (2012), no research compares
Music and hand-knitting specifically.2 This inspired the current research to compare
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1

For research that has explored this in the context of music and wellbeing see: B. A. Bailey and J. W.
Davidson, ‘Effects of group singing and performance for marginalized and middle-class singers,’
Psychology of music 33.3 (2005): 269-303; P. Laukka, ‘Uses of music and psychological well-being
among the elderly,’ Journal of Happiness Studies 8.2 (2007): 215-241; S. Clift and G. Hancox, ‘The
significance of choral singing for sustaining psychological wellbeing: Findings from a survey of
choristers in England, Australia and Germany,’ Music Performance Research 3.1 (2010): 79-96. For
research on this is reference to knitting and wellbeing, see: F. Reynolds, ‘Taking up arts and crafts in
later life: a qualitative study of the experiential factors that encourage participation in creative
activities,’ The British Journal of Occupational Therapy 72.9 (2009): 393-400; J. Leckey, ‘The
therapeutic effectiveness of creative activities on mental well!being: a systematic review of the
literature,’ Journal of psychiatric and mental health nursing 18.6 (2011): 501-509; B. Corkhill,
Therapeutic knitting study day manuscript: Knitting to facilitate change (Conference Paper) (2012).
2
A. Lamont, Why not knitting? Amateur music-making across the life span: Paper presented at the
12th ICMPC, Thessaloniki, Greece, (August, 2012).