Tips & Tricks

What Are the Top Music Group Activities for Adults?

Think back to all the family hangouts, parties, and workplace team-building events you’ve attended. Was music involved? If you’re like many people, your answer is yes. Making or listening to music is an all-encompassing experience that elevates the psychological, physical, emotional, and social aspects of our being. It promotes better social skills, facilitates adult learning, improves emotional well-being, relieves stress, and more! As such, it’s normal to want to participate in music activities regularly.

There’s no shortage of learning or social music activities for adults. In this post, we explore some fun group activities that can facilitate better social interactions and help improve your music skills.

Why are music group activities a good idea?

Music group activities can provide enriching experiences and improve your quality of life by helping you progress in your musical journey and develop new friendships. Through group activities, you can develop better listening skills, learn how to coordinate with other music enthusiasts, get valuable feedback on your musical skills, and create social bonds. Here’s a deeper look at the benefits of music group activities:

Increased social connections

Music group activities are an excellent opportunity to make new friends and strengthen existing relationships. They create a sort of identity fusion — a feeling of oneness — and promote a sense of belonging, making you feel closer to those you experience them with.

Music activities can also forge strong family connections and help parents and their kids relate better by building a sense of togetherness and paving the way for open communication. Plus, these activities are often fun and create positive experiences for everyone, encouraging more participation in family group activities. The more time you spend together as a family, the stronger your emotional ties and relationships. Some activities to consider for friend or family bonding include:

Music games like music bingo, music trivia, and musical chairs
Family or friends karaoke
Dance parties
Listening parties
Sing-alongs

More musical knowledge or skill

Want to progress in your musical journey? Music group activities can help. Playing or making music with other people can improve both verbal and non-verbal communication skills as well as teach you how to adapt to other players’ cues. You can also get valuable feedback on your playing skills and tips to help you become a better musician.

However, group activities don’t only benefit aspiring professional musicians. If you’re in it for fun or as a hobby, you can gain a lot of musical knowledge, too, allowing you to appreciate music even more. You’ll likely be exposed to new music, explore genres you’ve never given a chance, interact with new musical instruments, etc.

Improved mental health

Group activities or meditation can be therapeutic by promoting emotional regulation. Music has been known to help with stress and anxiety management, and can even help you communicate feelings that you can’t express verbally, preventing you from bottling up your emotions.

Different types of music group activities for adults

As mentioned earlier, there’s no shortage of music group activities for adults. Whether you enjoy going out and interacting with people in person or staying at home and interacting with them online, there are options for you. Here are some activities worth considering:

Instrumental bands or ensembles

Joining a band or ensemble allows you to enjoy the social benefits of music — it can improve your communication and social skills, help you enjoy diverse music tastes, and facilitate teamwork and collaboration, skills you can transfer to your everyday life.

Depending on your preference for creative control and resources, you can either join existing bands or ensembles or create your own. Creating may be a great way to go if you have sufficient resources to find group members and enjoy having creative freedom.

There are numerous band and ensemble choices, including jazz bands, rock bands, and orchestras. Consider your preferences and the type of music you want to play before joining or forming one. Also, consider your goals: Do you want to play locally, produce your own albums, play cover songs, or just make music as a hobby? Let your individual goals determine which type of band or ensemble you join or form.

Another consideration to make is the type of commitment required to maintain your group. Only join one after ensuring you can fit its time commitment into your schedule. Assessing these factors can prevent conflict and promote long-lasting partnerships.

Choirs and vocal groups

If you enjoy singing, choirs and vocal groups are the perfect options for you. Vocal group activities can help you sharpen your music reading and harmony singing skills, keep your voice in good shape, and make new friends. As an added perk, you don’t need to buy or own an instrument in order to join one of these groups.

Depending on your preference for small or large groups and skill levels, you can join different types of choirs, including church choirs, barbershop music groups, chamber choirs, and community choirs. If you prefer small groups, a barbershop choir may be a good idea. And, if you enjoy performing complex pieces and are highly skilled, a chamber choir may be a suitable choice.

As with bands and ensembles, consider your goals and the type of commitment required to ensure you join the right choir or vocal group. Also, consider their focus genres to ensure they align with your preferences.

Jam session groups

If you’re not looking for a traditional music group, consider joining a jam session group. They’re informal, so you don’t have to worry about time commitments, structured practice sessions, or strict rules — all you do is meet to jam, often for fun.

You can organize jam sessions at local music shops, music schools, or even on online jamming platforms. Just find like-minded music enthusiasts and let the music flow out of you.

Online music forums

Online music forums are communities of music enthusiasts on the web. If you’re looking for activities you can participate in from the comfort of your home, this is definitely where you should look.

Online music communities like Trala are great for music education, exploration, and improvement. You get to connect with people over your shared love for music, share ideas on how to improve your skills, and even form music groups from your connections.

With Trala, don’t just get lessons from world-class teachers — you get access to over 400,000 musicians who can help you grow in your musical journey. You can play with other students via live stream or join the Trala community on Discord to chat with fellow learners and share ideas.

Music classes and workshops

Workshops and virtual music lessons are great opportunities to meet other music lovers while also advancing your music skills in a structured environment. If you’re interested in learning to play an instrument from professional instructors, Trala’s music lessons are an ideal option for you. You’re matched with a teacher who aligns with your needs, and you get to learn everything from how to read sheet music and play your instrument to how to improvise and compose your own pieces.

You can also attend music workshops in your local area to gain specific music skills and meet music enthusiasts near you. Depending on your preferences, you can choose seminars on songwriting composition, body percussion, or music theory.

How to easily find and get involved with more music activities

Ready to delve into any of the activities discussed above but don’t know where to start? Here are some tips to guide you:

Use the right online platforms and resources

Online platforms are excellent places to meet and interact with other music enthusiasts. So, don’t overlook them in your search for music group activities.

Look for a platform with interactive tools to enhance engagement, video capabilities to allow you to collaborate with others, and high-quality audio transmission to maintain the integrity of your music. Some options worth considering include Facebook Groups, Meetup, and Trala.

Trala is an excellent option for anyone looking to advance in their musical journey, combining top-quality online lessons with free learning resources. As a student, you get access to paid courses to improve your music skills and free community gathering options to meet and interact with other learners and participate in group activities.

Find local music opportunities

If you’re looking for in-person music group activities, explore your local area to find other music enthusiasts. Local music shops, schools, and community centers are great places to start, as they often know of or host music activities. If you have the skills, volunteer at these places to meet more people.

Attend open mic nights

Music events like local concerts and open mic nights attract many music lovers, making them great places to meet musicians and find potential bands or groups. They also provide excellent opportunities to practice your music skills and overcome performance anxiety or stage fright.

Start your own music activity

You don’t have to wait for others to plan music group activities. Be proactive and start your own. Here are some tips to help you get started:

Define your focus: Do you want to start a group that focuses on the therapeutic benefits of music, recreational music-making, or skill development?
Choose a meeting format: Do you want to meet online or in person?
Recruit group members: Advertise your group on social media; online music platforms; and local community centers, schools, or music shops.
Choose music team-building activities: Select activities that align with your focus and members’ preferences.
Determine a rehearsal schedule: Consider team members’ commitments and create a schedule everyone can keep.
Establish rehearsal guidelines: Ensure all members understand group expectations regarding behavior, participation, and attendance. This is especially vital if you want to focus on formal activities, like holding music workshops or performing professionally as a band.

Talk with local music or record shops

This is a great way to get more involved in the community and learn about ongoing or upcoming events in music circles. Local music or record shops often have connections with local artists and music schools, and as such, they may have information on music group activities — some even sponsor these activities. Plus, many have bulletin boards where event planners post announcements about music activities.

Network in your musical social circles

If you’re a music enthusiast, it’s more than likely you have friends or are part of circles that enjoy everything music-related. Get the word out that you’re interested in joining or forming activity groups. Chances are, you’ll get more than a few recommendations.

Start building social connections through music group activities today

Music group activities for adults can improve your social skills, mental health, and musical skills. Depending on your goals and preferences, you can choose from a wide range of activities and groups, including musical games, ensembles, online music forums, and music lessons like Trala’s.

With Trala, you can take music lessons from leading instructors and access community options like live streams and a free Discord chat room, making it easier for you to join or create music group activities. Further, you’re matched with professional music instructors who are ready to help you advance in your musical journey. Talk about convenience!

Ready to amp up your social connections through music group activities? Get started with Trala today!