ABSTRACT
One of the main findings, as well as focus, of this research is that for music to play a role of any significance within social work, one needs to be able to develop a dual and balanced – artistic as well social – accompaniment for those participating in such social music programmes. The role of the mentorship framework provided by the music trainers and educators surrounding the young musicians is of the utmost importance. A dual accompaniment by (1) talented artistic and musical trainers and (2) social and community workers who can offer a closely followed social and psychological accompaniment is needed. This can then encourage the youth to stay with the music training process and not give up, because such training demands discipline, effort and concentration, as well as a degree of constraint and confinement. This chapter describes such teaming up of mentors and how the participants in the social music projects studied in Kinshasa experienced this, sharing the strengths and weaknesses of the support they received.
