From Peripheral Participation to Musical Identity: Mentorship and Peer Learning in an Informal Popular Music Band in Kisumu County, Kenya

Abstract

This study examines how mentorship and peer learning shape the learning experiences of musicians in a selected popular music band in Kisumu County, Kenya. While informal music learning remains an important pathway through which many musicians acquire musical knowledge and skills, little is known about how mentorship and peer interactions happen within urban Kenyan popular music bands. Guided by Situated Learning Theory, the study adopted a qualitative case study design. The study collected data through semi-structured interviews, a focus group discussion, and five non-participant observations involving members of a selected popular music band. The findings reveal that mentorship was informal, distributed, and embedded in everyday musical practice, with more experienced members providing guidance through observation, demonstration, correction, and interaction during rehearsals and performances. Peer learning provided a reciprocal process through which members exchanged ideas, solved musical challenges and shared responsibility for ensemble development. The findings further show that musicians described a shift from limited or peripheral participation to increasingly active contribution, accompanied by the development of confidence, belonging, and musical identity. The study concludes that mentorship and reciprocal peer learning are important components of informal music learning, musical development and identity formation within the band. It contributes to scholarship on informal music education by showing how mentorship and reciprocal peer learning support learning, participation, and identity development within a community of practice in an urban music context. The study recommends greater recognition of informal mentorship and peer-learning approaches in music education policy and practice.