What does account for long term involvement in music groups? And what can social movement theory contribute to our understanding of participation in non-contentious forms of collective action? The talk will address these issues drawing upon a survey of one thousand members of brass bands from the Trentino region of Northern Italy. Potential explanatory factors for the persistence of motivations to participate in the bands’ activities include the transformative effect of music-making over individuals, the styles of governance prevailing in each band, and the networks in which band members are involved.