Published online by Cambridge University Press: 18 December 2008
Progress is a two-edged sword; for some it releases new and enriching opportunities, while for others it cuts away hope. We are all too familiar with the effects of mass unemployment, deadening the spirit and damaging the self-respect of so many people – particularly the young. Curiously, society's institutions of government and education appear reluctant tograsp a particular nettle – the by now pressing need to reappraise the concepts of ‘work’ and ‘leisure’. Even so, some enterprising young people, in various parts of the country, have shown considerable initiative in developing community music workshops where they meet to play rock music. For them this is an important work activity, even if it is not one that brings conventional monetary rewards. This article introduces three of these workshops, and examines the motivation of those who organize them.