Music has been identified as a significant factor in the development of adolescents' identity and a means of fulfilling their fundamental psychological needs (Evans & McPherson, 2017). Karkou and Joseph (2017) note that individuals’ musical identities are in a state of constant negotiation and flux, defining this condition as “movement identities” (p. 232). The individual’s interaction with the social environment results in the reconstruction and redefinition of their musical identity. In particular, during adolescence, as Marcia (2002) states, individuals enter a process of exploration of multiple musical roles without commitment, a condition he also defines as an identity moratorium. The examination of the experiences that shape the musical identities of adolescent students is essential in the context of music education because it provides valuable information regarding the conditions or situations that maximize their motivation for lifelong participation in musical practice (Papazachariou-Christoforou, 2021) and reveals the ingredients that strengthen their musical identity. 

This proposal concerns the presentation of part of a larger research process that examined the construction process of a musical identity in an adolescent student from Cyprus, who participated in various musical learning contexts during the research period (Argyrou, 2023). The following questions guided the research: 

1. How does the student describe the process of the formation of his musical identity?

2. What factors contributed to the formation of his musical identity?

The investigation was conducted by collecting multidimensional qualitative data (observations, interviews, informal conversations, and reflection diary) over 6 months for the specific case of the student, which was then analyzed thematically. 

The findings showed that the student considered his first musical experiences in his family environment to be extremely important for the development of his relationship with music. In addition to his family context, his musical identity was shaped through his interaction with other people (teachers, friends, classmates), and in different musical contexts, giving him the opportunity to explore a diversity of musical roles and to identify with new musical genres. It became clear that the student was able to utilize each musical learning context in a different way to enrich and strengthen his musical identity. Exciting is the finding from the research data that the student had different musical identities, characteristics of which he chose to use depending on the context in which he was. The student pointed out that the positive experiences he had during his musical appearances at various events, as well as the autonomy he was given in collective, informal musical collaborations, were the most essential ingredients that made him feel like a true musician.

• Meaningful musical experiences
• Music psychology and identities

Nikolas Argyrou is a Doctoral student in Education Sciences at Mary Immaculate College under the supervision of Dr. Maria Varvarigou. He graduated with honors with a master’s degree in music education from the European University of Cyprus (M. Mus. Music Pedagogy - Summa Cum Laude), a music degree from the European University of Cyprus (B. Mus - Summa Cum Laude), the Hellenic Conservatory in guitar performance and advanced theory, with a grade of "Excellent Unanimously”. Since 2017, he has been teaching modern guitar, vocal, and electric bass lessons in conservatories. In 2022 he started his collaboration with the European University of Cyprus, where he coordinates the music club. He is also an external collaborator at the Institute of Psychotherapy for Professional and Personal Development (IPSEPA), where he engages in musical activities in assisted living residences that cater to individuals with disabilities. He is an active member of the Youth Peace Ambassadors Network (YPAN). He has participated in various European conferences through the Erasmus+ program, focusing on topics of music, music pedagogy, and psychology. 

Maria Papazachariou-Christoforou, Ph.D., is Assistant Professor in Music Education and Pedagogy at the Department of Education Sciences, European University Cyprus. Her research focuses in the sociological dimensions of music pedagogy and musical identities, early childhood music education, musical parenting, and informal music learning practices. She is the founder and director of the LifeLong Music Engagement Research Unit, SosciEAtH, serves on the board of the EuNetMERYC, and she is a member of the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Music in Early Childhood (Intellect). She has expertise in Edwin Gordon's Music Learning Theory and is an active member of the GIML. Her research activities include collaboration with other academic institutions through the Erasmus+ programme and other initiatives. Dr. Papazachariou-Christoforou has presented research papers at numerous international conferences and has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings.