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Preface
This is a collation of published articles from IOrbitnews.com on the column Music
Psychology. Prof. Jose Maria G. Pelayo III started publishing articles in 2016. All Music
Psychology articles were collected and cited according to date published.
Dedication
Prof. JPelayo would like to dedicate this collation to his children, Jose Juancho S.
Pelayo and Mikaela Sasha L. Pelayo.
Acknowledgements
Prof. JPelayo would like to acknowledge the efforts of his research assistants
namely Aliza A. Garrido, Karm Jeet Dela Torre and Larrey Y. Ordonez.
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
2
The Magical Influence of Music
6
Music Celebration in UP Clark
7
Music Preferences of Different Personalities
8
Music Genre and Personality
9
Good Music and Good Food
10
All That Jazz (and other Textures)
11
Behind The Music – Music Box II
12
Research on Instrumental Piano Music
13
Hums and Strums – The Guitar
14
Research in the Psychology of Music
16
Exploring the origins of Smooth Jazz
19
A Study on the Influence of Rock Music on Adolescents
20
Music Inspired by Nature and the Avant Garde
22
The Rock Stars of the 17th Century
23
Misinterpreted Song Connotations
23
Femur of a Cave Bear – Oldest Musical Instrument
25
Methods of Using Music for Therapy
26
Binaural Beats: An Investigation on Creativity Enhancement
29
The Story of Christmas Carols
32
Music for Motor and Impulse Disorders
32
Green Music
34
Updates on the Effects of Music according to Research
35
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ACAPagibig Music Celebration 2018 ―Embracing the True Meaning of Love‖
36
Acoustic Storytelling
37
The Power of Acoustic Storytelling
39
Music That Reduces Anxiety
39
The Role of Music in Worship
41
Construct of Temple Music for Praise and Worship
42
The Piano: Ebony and Ivory
44
Nursery Rhymes and their True Stories
46
Music and Your Relationship with God
48
Method in Musical Composition
50
Music the Healer
52
The Role of Music in Early Childhood Development
54
King David and Music in Ancient Israel
56
Benefits of Learning to Play a Musical Instrument
59
Music Preferences of Different Personalities
61
Pentecostal Church and Worship Music
64
The Sound of Silence
66
Music Psychology Research and Therapy with Autism
67
Music and Romantic Relationships
69
Music Therapy in Depression and Anxiety
71
Mozart Sonatas – Food for the Brain
72
Music Therapy with the Elderly
74
Music and the Corpus Callosum
75
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Synesthesia: How Music Looks Like
77
Music Therapy and Neuroplasticity
78
Worship Explosion 2018 ‗The Plug‘
80
Effects of Music Training and Therapy on Dyslexic Individuals
82
A Report on Social and Emotional Dynamics of Individuals
84
with Musical Intelligence and Musical Training
Effects of Music on Cell Viability and Cell Mobility
90
Music and Politics: The Voice of the People
92
Music‘s Influence on the Autonomic Nervous System
94
Implementing Music Therapy on Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
96
Music and Holism: An Experimental Phenomenon
98
Music Selectivity in Neurons
99
Sonata for Two Pianos in D major (K448) and Epilepsy
101
Updates on the associations between music education, intelligence
102
and spelling ability
Music, Sex and Orgasm
103
Deaf People and Music
106
Relationship between Music, Movement and Mood
107
What Does Honeymoon Really Mean? With or without Music
111
Different Tastes in Music Affect Relationships and Reveal
their Intellectual Limits with their Partners
113
Stories Behing the Ciello suites: Johan Sebastian Bach
115
Hear me out just for once : The Ear
119
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Does Music Make You Handsome?
122
Music therapy and Cancer
124
Music Psychology Research in Angeles City:
126
A Pilot Project that should be established
Harana and Kundiman: Filipino Music
127
Making Music and Making Love
129
Music and Social Media
131
Benefits of Music Therapy
132
Sex and Music
133
Music and Eating Choices
134
Recent Developments on Related Studies of the
135
―Mozart Effect‖ Phenomenon on Social Learning Behavior
Music Expresses What We Cannot Explain In Words
137
Music‘s Influence on Body, Mind and Soul
138
Music for your Heart
141
Music for Anti- Aging Treatment
142
Music Therapy on Mental Health
143
The four ‗M‘ theory for treating depression (Part 1/4)
145
The Four ‗M‘ Theory for Treating Depression (Part 2/4)
146
The Four ‗M‘ Theory for Treating Depression (Part 3/4)
148
The Four ‗M‘ Theory for Treating Depression (Part 4/4)
149
Music Psychology Center in Angeles City
151
Importance of Music in Religion
153
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The Magical Influence of Music
November 10, 2016
Music has been used for numerous purposes hitherto and the
beginnings of this practice are still vague and uncertain.
It has been used for relaxation, meditation, inspiration and spiritual
ceremonies. Many Music Psychologists believe that music has a profound influence
on the physiological, psychological and emotional aspects in our lives and therefore
can be utilized in dealing with situations that may improve mental, emotional and
even physical problems of individuals.
According to the study of Nusbaum and Silvia (2010), 90% of
individuals exposed to music may have, in one point or another in their lives, felt a
magical experience when listening deep to music. Individuals who are high in
―openness to experience‖ in the Big Five Personality Traits are most likely to
experience goosebumps when exposed to music. This explains the tingling
sensation when indulged in playing and listening to music. Many phenomena are
explained during this state, as individuals tend to be in an elevated feeling when
listening to music, somewhat like a hypnotic and serene atmosphere.
Another study from Bradt & Dileo (2009) discovered that music can
help in treatment with coronary heart disease by decreasing anxiety and stress.
Over 1,000 patients with heart disease were exposed to music resulting to decrease
in heart rate and blood pressure.
Music has also been a catalyst for emotions just by mere listening, all
of us experience that in our daily lives but there is a study Logeswaran et al. (2009)
that is quite interesting. The study found that participants who were exposed to
happy music perceived neutral faces happier and when exposed to sad music,
changed their perception of a neutral face to a sad face. The study suggested that it
would only take as little as a 15 second exposure to music for its influence on your
perception to take effect. On the other hand, there is a cathartic effect on sad music
as according to a study by Kawakami et al. (2013), whose results discovered that
because of the blend and combination of emotions, surprisingly sad music now
inspires and is enjoyable. Obviously there are positive and negative emotions in sad
music but it seems that the combination of these emotions and melody and rhythm
makes it more complex in nature and may have different effects to individuals.
To some extent, like my previous research studies, music has
significant effects with individuals of special needs such as autism. Celeste
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Sanchez, the first recognized music therapist in the Philippines has been advocating
music therapy for decades. Her work and achievements with music therapy are
widely recognized and appreciated here and in other countries as well. We made a
study on Music Therapy with autistic children and results were astonishing, but that
is another story.
Music Celebration in UP Clark
November 14, 2016
On November 15, 2016, ―Yo! Sa UP 2016‖ will be celebrating its 28th
Anniversary at the Lewis Grand Hotel with the theme ―Rebolusyon!‖ which is
focused on the stand of UP students regarding some of the most pressing issues in
the country expressed through a dance routine.
The music celebration will include best male dancers showdown, best
female dancers showdown and the Dance Competition proper. It is open to all
organizations in UP Clark who would like to express their opinions and ideologies in a
dance routine.
According to the organizers of the event, ―Yo! Sa UP‖ started in 1988
with the purpose of uniting the students through music and dancing. Since then it has
been held with different themes that were applicable at that time, concerning social,
political and economic issues.
Previous themes were: 2012- Vidyo! Games: Extreme Control, 2013 –
FilipinYO!: Ating Balikan, Sayaw ng Kasaysayan, 2014 – Knock YO! Out: Throw ‗em
hard, Strike ‗em all!, 2015 – YO! In Control.
Music celebrations are often used to express ideas, unite people for a
cause, celebrate a victory or occasion and thus making these significant events or
opinions more meaningful and colorful. This is the aim of the organizers in order to
cultivate camaraderie among the students and build a productive manifestation of
their opinions about current issues in our country.
Organizers are from the UP Tau Gamma Phi/ Tau Gamma Sigma: Janina
Coronel, Nina Macalino, Carmel Gerong, Kathleen Gonzales, Janine Catanghal, Jan
Antonette Magpayo, Angeli Macapagal, Mico Guadalupe, Johnsi Roque, Rodde
Robles, Cristoffer Iverson Nunag and Matthew Fernandez.
Celebrate Music! Celebrate Life!
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Syrigos,(2013) “Music Preferences of Different Personalities”
November 15, 2016
Adolescents spend a significant amount of time listening to music. In line
with this, adolescents have favorite singers, musical groups or bands, more often they
have a comparable taste in music as their friends. Social acceptance is always
important with adolescents, and their company and friends can influence the type of
music adolescents listen to.
Music is an outlet for adolescents and a method for them to express
emotions they are uncomfortable with. Adolescents may choose their music by
musicians they identify with. There are instances wherein adolescents use music to
rebel against their parents and formulate their own identity.
Although this leads to generational conflicts, it also paves a way for a
productive development.
There are examples of music that may have lyrics or words that promote
violence. This type of music is the subject of parental criticism, so adolescents may be
prohibited from being exposed to it. In some studies, listening to this type of music may
be an outlet that allows adolescents to release and express their anger or frustration
with no physical violence involved. The measurement to whether the music is a good
or bad influence mainly depends on how adolescents are affected in ideology or
behavior.
Adolescents who become more violent or plan violent acts should not
listen to this type of music.
Forms of music like metal, punk, rock and rap, are associated more with
antisocial behavior. Other genres that are associated with less involvement in violence
and crime are classical, jazz, folk music, pop and country.
Music can be a way to escape overwhelming problems that you
experience, although it may not be as effective when you are feeling depressed.
Choosing music rather than movies or books may make you more
depressed. A study by University of Pittsburg researchers discovered that adolescents
who listen to music more may have higher levels of depression. Adolescents who are
exposed to depressing music five to six hours a day may be at risk of depression.
Many adolescents are involved in not just listening to music but also
playing music. Being in a band or a group can result to positive benefits with music
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instead of just listening to it. Parents encourage adolescents to engage in positive
activities, and one of them is learning to play music. Learning to play a musical
instrument is beneficial to your brain and will also provide a life of entertainment and
enjoyment.
Music Genre and Personality
November 26, 2016
Although many individuals are exposed to different types of music, there
will still emerge a preferred style that will always be on top of other music genres.
Examples are rock, blues, classical, jazz or pop. You will feel at home when you
listen to your favored music genre. It is your sanctuary when listening to this type of
music.
Many studies have claimed that our music genre (which we always listen
to) will determine certain aspects in your personality. Like for example if your
preferred genre is jazz, you will have similar ideologies and behavior with people who
listen to the same type of music. This claim is very interesting since it shows
emphasis on the influence music genre to our personality.
A study conducted by the Professor Adrian North of Heriot-Watt
University, UK tackled on Genre and Personality. The study used five personality
traits for the test: openness to experience, extraversion, agreeableness,
conscientiousness and emotional stability. Since the study was the first to show a
connection of personality to the individual‘s preferred style of music, the results of the
study were stimulating to psychologists, musicologists and music psychologists.
The study involved over 35,000 volunteers from around the world to rate
over 100 musical styles. Classical music fans have high self-esteem, are creative,
introvert and at ease. Blues fans have high self-esteem, are creative, outgoing,
gentle and at ease. Jazz fans have high self-esteem, are creative, outgoing and at
ease. Rap fans have high self-esteem and are outgoing. Opera fans have high selfesteem, are creative and gentle. Country and western fans are hardworking and
outgoing. Reggae fans have high self-esteem, are creative, not hardworking,
outgoing, gentle and at ease. Indie fans have low self-esteem, are creative, not hard
working, and not gentle.
Rock/heavy metal fans have low self-esteem, are creative, not hardworking, not outgoing, gentle, and at ease. Chart pop fans have high self-esteem, are
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hardworking, outgoing and gentle, but are not creative and not at ease. Soul fans
have high self-esteem, are creative, outgoing, gentle, and at ease.
More research studies similar to this should be conducted in order to
attain reliability of the results. So now the question is… What music genre do you
listen to?
Good Music and Good Food
November 29, 2016
―We use music to attract customers in our restaurant… Most of them
come in and ask first if there is live music in our establishment… That is why I think it
is important to have good music here,‖ says Chey Evidente owner of Steak Street
located at Marisol Subdivision, Angeles City.
As a musician herself, she started managing the restaurant in 2012 and
wanted to have good music and good food.
According to Chey, there was a time when she had no live music for
more than a week and customers were not as much as when they had live music.
She estimated a 30% increase of customers when there was live music compared to
no music in their restaurant. ―Customers would tend to stay for a little more when
there is live music after eating,‖ Chey says.
Acoustic music is what they prefer in the restaurant because the owner
would want people to relax, be able to talk to friends, and personally is not in favor of
loud music. She wants the ambience to be soothing while customers are eating, thus,
acoustic music is the preferred genre for the place.
Interesting insights from Chey were also discussed about the effect of
music to her. She is a singer and music somehow creates a positive perspective in
her life. She claims that music puts her in a good mood all the time and it is sort of a
refuge from stress and frustrations.
Her music genres are varied, like jazz, pop, acoustic and also 70s and
80s music. Music makes her feel young and claims that musicians look younger than
they really are. Memories come back when a certain type of music is heard, it helps
in reminiscing the good times. According to her, music soothes her soul, lifts her spirit
and helps her enjoy life.
Steak Street has good music and good food, so if you want to relax and
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dine at the same time, you should visit the restaurant and experience acoustic music
while enjoying a delicious meal.
All That Jazz (and other Textures)
December 14, 2016
The Jazz Grill, located at the del Rosario Compound, Balibago, Angeles
City owned by Conrado ―Titus‖ del Rosario, offers a unique music experience
every Thursday. The musicians are all instrumentalists and promote improvisation
based mainstream jazz.
―We would like to give people an alternative musical experience and not
just the usual contemporary music that you hear everywhere else all the time – that
is why I chose jazz music,‖ says Titus.
It started last year and from then on created a following of jazz fans.
According to Titus, ever since they tarted the project, the crowd adjusted to jazz
music unlike other music establishments who play music that their customers want.
―In the Jazz Grill, Music is the boss,‖ he says.
Titus admits it is difficult to introduce anything that is new or not common
to people. He says, ―Just like an old German saying -When the peasant does not
know it, he won‘t eat it – And my message is – Come on people, open your ear and
mind to new possibilities.‖
Performing alternately every Thursday are KapaMu (Kapampangan
Musicians) Jazz Collective and The Tale of North Jazz Band – all members are all
jazz instrumentalists. Titus plays the alto saxophone and studied Music Composition
in the U.P. College of Music and the Berlin University of the Arts.
―The music we play is not the typical lounge jazz. The instrumentalists
are emphasized and we have no permanent vocalist. I am very impressed with other
bands who can play and sing a wide range of songs, but as I have said I want to
introduce something different in the music culture here in Angeles City. This is just
one project and I am planning on other projects in the future.‖
According to Titus, Music is really closest to Nature not in its melodies –
not in its rhythms – but in its textures.
―I am now focused on my SUNLAG ensemble, which plays mostly self
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made bamboo instruments. The music it plays is inspired by Nature, Asian Music
and the European Avant Garde. So we play a lot of texture type music which is
something more advanced and beyond Jazz‖. He also would want to set up a
classical music scene in Angeles City, hopefully in the near future.
But for now, the Jazz Grill is one of the places wherein you could unwind,
enjoy jazz music and open your mind to new possibilities. Jazz up your Thursday
nights.
Behind The Music – MusicBox II
January 2, 2017
During the 1980s, famous music establishments were prominent in the
nightlife of most partygoers. To name a few are Faces, Rumors, Kudos in Metro
Manila and CalJam in Olongapo. These were places where people would go to and
have a good time with all the flashing disco lights and heart pounding dance music.
According to General Manager of MusicBox II, Mr. John Gomez –
Music Box II started in 1980 with owners Mr. Lin and Pinky Gomez. They were one
of the pioneers to supply most music establishments – professional audio equipment
and sound system.
―Owners of these famous music establishments in the 1980s usually
come here to Pampanga to visit our store and purchase professional audio
equipment. We started with brands like JBL then branched out to Crown, Shure,
SoundCraft and DBX, mostly American brands, then eventually we had European
brands like Behringer, AKG and for a time an Asian brand ProAudio.‖
John started to manage MusicBox II in the year 2000, which is located
in MacArthur Highway, Dau, Mabalacat, Pampanga. It is safe to say that his
experience in the professional audio business would be considered as one of the
most updated, quality-conscious and diverse knowledge on sound equipment and
sound quality that professional musicians and sound engineers are after.
―MusicBox II has been supplying to music productions nationwide
that handle famous music artists, composers, musical directors, sound engineers
and performers like Louie Ocampo, Regine Velasquez, Kuh Ledesma, Martin
Nievera, Gary Valenciano and Lea Salonga – most of the sound engineers of these
artists are direct contacts of MusicBox II. We perfected speaker enclosures that
were considered road-worthy or tour-grade material that both sound engineers and
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famous artists would use in their concerts. Our products ensure reliability and quality
of sound,‖ says John.
―The best way to describe the perfect sound is to produce an
amplified quality sound that is closest to the source‖. – This is the quality that
MusicBox II will supply to your performance -John added.
Music will always exist in the nightlife and in entertainment – the quality
of music will always depend on the talent and musical knowledge of the musicians
and performers plus the quality of professional audio equipment – Behind the Music
– with MusicBox II.
Post navigation
Research on Instrumental Piano Music
July 21, 2017
This study determined the insights and opinions of individuals with no formal
musical training and how it may affect their mood, emotions, feelings, imagination,
attitude, perception in life and personality. The researcher conducted this study in
order to discover if this type of music could be a basis for meditation, relaxation, used
for studying, reviewing, contemplation or other purposes.
The study used Poemusic, an album by Korean pianist Yiruma. There were
26 participants in the study. Based on the results of the study, 84% will recommend
instrumental piano music to others, specially their loved ones as cited in our
discussion after answering the questionnaire. During the discussion, 3 males and 1
female even cited that it was their first time to listen to this type of music but will still
recommend it to their friends and family. The researcher may infer that this type of
music could be accepted by even first time listeners and also to adolescents since
the average of the respondents of the study is 15.8 years old.
The respondents were also asked to write a short story while listening to this
music. The stories were also very interesting as they have different views about the
music they were hearing. During the discussion, some have cited that the music
triggered their imagination compared to just writing a short story without listening to
music.
Respondents claimed that the music was pleasant, relaxing, nice to hear,
amazing, beautiful, peaceful, calming, soothing, sad and lonely. It made them reflect,
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unwind stress, reminiscing memories, relieve emotional pain, mood became good,
changes the mood, refreshing, opens and clears the mind.
Others said it pushed them to have a deeper relationship with God, helped
them think of solutions to their problems, realized the bad and good things they have
done, made them cry and regret things they failed to do. One said, ―I can feel it in
my heart, It makes me feel that in any problem there is a solution, life must go on and
we must be strong.‖ The music made them feel better, just like floating on air.
Based on the questionairre, most of the respondents stated that they
became sensitive and emotional: ―I feel I‘m in heaven and would love to hear this
music everytime I wake up‖. They would love to listen to this music when in a
stressful mood: ―I listen to this in my room to comfort me, I would like to hear this
music in times when I‘m feeling down, I am able to escape from reality, helps me to
become more positive, makes me feel that God will always guide you‖.
One said the music made her close her eyes and smile and feel the emotion.
They also cited that this will be effective after a long stressful day during relaxation
and would want to listen to it on their free time, when they are alone, listen to this
when broken hearted. ―I feel I‘m in a different place where nobody can see, know or
feel.‖ Most of them agreed that piano music can heal the pain in your heart, helps my
personality and may make you feel better.
In line with the results of the study, we may infer that piano insrtumental
music has a positive effect on their mood, emotions, feelings, imagination, attitude,
perception in life and personality. This may serve as a reference to future research
studies and experimental or alternative methods of establishing a conducive postive
environment.
SOURCE:
Pelayo, Jose Maria G. III, 2013. Insights and Opinions of Students on Instrumental
Music
Hums and Strums – The Guitar
July 27, 2017
The Guitar, classified as a six-string instrument, is very popular
specifically the acoustic guitar, which is used in various methods of playing. It is
commonly played with the left hand for the chords and right hand for plucking or
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strumming.
Some consider the guitar is a type of chordophone, traditionally
constructed from wood with nylon or steel strings and distinguished from other
chordophones by its nature and tuning.
The modern guitar was based by the gittern, the vihuela, the four-course
Renaissance guitar, and the five-course baroque guitar, all of which attributed to the
construction of the modern six-string instrument.
The main types of modern acoustic guitar are the classical guitar (nylon
string guitar), the steel-string acoustic guitar, and the archtop guitar. Vibration is the
root of the tone of the guitar strings, which is amplified by the body of the guitar that
serves as a resonating tool to produce the sound of every string. The classical guitar
is often played as a solo instrument using a comprehensive fingerpicking technique.
The Guitar is a very popular instrument that is commonly used by many
musicians. This study focused on the factors that made the guitar more appealing to
the youth in comparison to other instruments.
A semi structured, open ended questionnaire was used to collect the
data essential for this study. Fifty male and 50 female college students were
interviewed in this study. The data was thematically coded to acquire the results and
conclusions. Purposive sampling was used in this research study and the average age
of both male and female respondents is 19 years old. The results suggested that the
guitar was more appealing to their generation, affordable to purchase and had a
distinct image as a musician and songwriter. The study focused on acoustic guitar
players and composers
This study would be a basis for the acknowledgement, subliminally or
consciously, why the guitar was and is a preferred musical instrument compared to
others. This may guide musicians, parents, and educators that the youth have an
interest in music and specifically the use of the guitar. This study will only limit the
scope on the use of guitar, specifically acoustic guitar, and all the aspects of singing,
songwriting, and the use of the instrument as an expression of their emotions.
According to a study published in Psychology of Music, a woman is more
likely to give her number to a guy carrying a guitar case than a man holding a gym
bag.
For the experiment, an attractive man approached 300 women and after
complimenting them, asked for their phone numbers. He did this in three different
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scenarios: holding a guitar case, toting a sports bag, or not carrying anything at all.
Over a third of the women gave their digits when the guy was carrying the guitar case,
14 percent responded positively when he was empty handed, and only 9 percent
shared their number when a gym bag was in sight. Women associate musical talent
with a genetic advantage and intellectual ability. Plus, there‘s the coolness and fun
factor. ―Music induces a positive effect, and this positive effect primes receptivity to a
courtship request -‖says Nicolas Guéguen, study author and researcher at the
University of South Brittany in France
Although more studies should be conducted to further strengthen the
conclusion, the researchers‘ purpose was to determine a foundation in order to have a
basis for this type or nature of research that hopefully would be investigated in the
future. Findings of the study
1. The guitar is popular to the youth
2. The guitar is more affordable
3. The guitar (as stated on the Literature Review) had a very big impact
on the opposite sex
4. The guitar is handy
5. The guitar can be played solo or with a group
6. The most interesting is that only males see a guitar as a female‘s
body curves.
Many musicians, just like the respondents have a certain artistic
dexterity that may serve as an outlet of their feelings and emotions. Such as listening
to music and remembering certain situations in their life. The researchers
acknowledge the fact that further studies or research should be conducted in order to
solidify and enhance the results of this study.
SOURCE: Pelayo, J. M. III G. (2015) ―Guitar as the Preferred Musical Instrument‖
Research in the Psychology of Music
August 4, 2017
Research in the Psychology of Music uses psychological theories and
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methods to interpret and understand musical sounds, musical behaviors, and the
effects of music. The subject is strongly inter-disciplinary, and generally combines
empirical data collection, through observation, experiments, surveys or otherwise,
with theoretical innovation. The scope of research ranges from fundamental
questions related to music perception and cognition to applications of music
psychology in everyday life. The breadth of research is reflected in the discovery of
new concepts and ideas in cognitive enhancement with the use of music as a
medium.
Examples of research areas:
Music in the workplace
Teaching and learning of expressive music performance
Music perception in hearing impaired listeners
Dropping in and dropping out – exploring experiences of lapsed and
partial arts engagement
Earworms (tunes that stick in our heads) as we age
Demystifying music review
Music to support sleep
Space and embodiment in headphone listening
Cross-modal perception of music
Expressive nonverbal communication in ensemble performance
Perception of hierarchical structures in tonal and atonal music
Connectionist modelling of rhythm perception
Perception and semiotics of music in film
Music and paranormal phenomena
Experimental studies of sight-reading
the perception of electroacoustic music
Musical performance and bodily movement
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Expressive performance in young cellists
Music and synaesthesia
Music and consciousness
Broadly conceived, research in the Psychology of Music is concerned with
understanding the psychological processes involved in listening to music, playing
music, and composing and improvising music, using empirical, theoretical and
computational methods. Psychologists, computer scientists and musicologists all
make contributions to this highly interdisciplinary research domain, and their research
encompasses experimental work on music perception and cognition, computer
modelling of human musical capacities, the social psychology of music, emotion and
meaning in music, psychological processes in music therapy, the developmental
psychology of music, music and consciousness, music and embodiment, and the
neuroecience of music.
One specific example of research areas is the research study of Gavin
Ryan Shafron from the University of California in 2010 – Music has been used for
thousands of years as a means of emotional expression. The goals of this paper are
to (a) review current literature on how music induces emotion (b) explore the
mechanisms of how this happens both physiologically and psychologically and (c) to
look at the role of desired effect and musical preference to move towards a general
conclusion of what drives listeners‘ musical choices. This paper approaches this by
looking at structural theories of music including those of Krumhansl (1997) that music
has inherent qualities that instill specific responses in the listener. The paper then
continues by addressing a Jungian perspective often employed in music therapy.
Here, music is used to express what is otherwise inexpressible. The
Behavioral Perspective section postulates that music can prime listeners by making
them predisposed through associations to feel positive or negative emotions. This
theory is carried over to an analysis of music and consumerism where emotional
priming can serve as a bridge to an association with a product.
The Physiological Effects section explores research on music‘s somatic
connection indicating that pleasant music reduces stress and may decrease the
body‘s post-stress responses. The Music and Performance section analyzes the
Mozart effect and its potential relationship to the arousal and mood hypothesis,
stating that the improved spatial IQ scores recorded in the Mozart effect may have
more to do with the arousal generated by all classical music rather than Mozart‘s
music itself.
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The paper concludes with an analysis of what drives listeners and the
Arnett (1991a; 1991b; 1992) heavy metal studies, which show that music is the way
adolescents deal with emotional upheaval and how music can be used as a means of
achieving catharsis.
Music is a coping mechanism, and unfortunately not all coping
mechanisms are good. For instance, using venting and rumination as coping
mechanisms relate positively to depression and other mood disorders. Using
distraction and positive reappraisal (or ―looking on the bright side‖), meanwhile, is
negatively correlated with depression.
So the next time you have a bad day and curl up in bed with the soft
sounds of Mozart or the energetic sounds of Metallica, think to yourself, why am I
listening to this music? When I‘m done listening to it, will I feel better? Or worse?
Exploring the origins of Smooth Jazz
August 12, 2017
Combining elements of Funk, R&B, Rock, Pop, and yes, Jazz – Smooth
Jazz – was wildly popular as a commercial subgenre of jazz. Smooth jazz artists also
could be found in adult contemporary radio and is called smooth because of its
downtempo melody that carries the song.
First emerging in the 1960s, smooth jazz works well as background music
and wasn‘t necessarily as complex or innovative as traditional jazz music.
Nevertheless, top jazz artists rose to prominence in the late 1980s before peaking in
the 1990s and early 2000s. Though smooth, contemporary jazz isn‘t as big as it once
was – its impact can‘t be disputed and many famous jazz artists are considered to be
some of the best musicians of modern time.
Smooth Jazz is an outgrowth of fusion, one that emphasizes its polished
side. Generally, smooth jazz relies on rhythms and grooves instead of improvisation.
There are layers of synthesizers, lite-funk rhythms, lite-funk bass, elastic guitars, and
either trumpets, alto, or soprano saxophones. The music isn‘t cerebral, like hard bop,
nor is it gritty and funky like soul-jazz or groove it is unobtrusive, slick, and highly
polished, where the overall sound matters more than the individual parts.
Jazz – the origin of Smooth Jazz
Jazz music was very much a continuation of blues music, except that it
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took advantage of the instruments of the marching band. The jazz musician was
basically ―singing‖ just like the blues singers even though he was playing an
instrument instead of using his vocals. The kind of dynamics and of improvisation
was identical. The call-and-response structure was replicated in the dialogue
between solo instrument and ensemble. Compared with European music, that for
centuries had ―trained‖ the voice to sound as perfect as the instruments – jazz
music moved in the opposite direction when it trained the instruments to sound as
emotional as the human voice of the blues.
Jazz eventually spread to every corner of the world. In fact, jazz was one
of the first musical genres to owe its diffusion to a whole new world of communication
of information. The birth of jazz music parallels a revolution in music ―media‖.
The primacy of Improvisation
It is somewhat unfairly claimed that the essence of jazz music is its
improvisation. Jazz music is supposed to be the way it is played – not the way it is
composed. There is little in jazz music to support this viewpoint. Many jazz musicians
chose to compose and not only to improvise. Improvisation on other people‘s material
was, in fact, more common when the musicians were using ―inferior‖ material. The
more sophisticated the music is – the less improvisation there seems to be.
Their improvisation was a way to transform it into great music. Whenever
jazz musicians started composing their own material, the role of improvisation
changed: it became part of the compositional method. Jazz music explored new ways
to use melody, rhythm and harmony and to create ―sound‖. If one views jazz
improvisation as simply a new form of composition, then the jazz musician is less of
an improviser and more of a composer of sound.
The dichotomy between jazz music and Euro-centric music is rather blurred.
Jazz musicians began to compose their own material because improvising on other
people‘s material was neither fun nor as rewarding as improvising on one‘s own material.
Even in its most extreme ―free‖ genre, one can find a kind of jazz ―composition‖: the
set of rules on how to create the sound desired by the ―composer‖.
The focus on the performer in jazz was real – but perhaps it simply
masquerade the rise of a different kind of composer.
A Study on the Influence of Rock Music on Adolescents
September 19, 2017
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This was a qualitative research study that determined the influence of rock
music on adolescents by gathering empirical data and thematic coding analysis. The
participants are all college students with a total of 30 respondents. Twelve (12) males
and eighteen (18) females were involved in this study. Average age of males is 18.75
and females 20.73.
Rock music is very popular especially with the youth. The researchers
have identified salient themes and common ideologies of adolescents about rock
music. All of them listen to rock music and somehow use this genre of music to
stimulate or release their anxiety as stated in the results.
The researchers may infer that music has effects on the individuals‘
personality, actions, decisions, and even cognitive enhancement. This study focused
on the influence of rock music on their lives.Many studies have been done about rock
music but insufficient data has been concluded on the effects of rock music. The
researchers acknowledge the fact that this study is purely descriptive and does not
assess, evaluate or correlate the data gathered.
Four major themes emerged in the study: Energized, Enthusiastic,
Emotional and Displacement of Aggression. More males (28%) are drawn to rock
music and consider it as a stimulant as opposed to females (10%). The difference
may appear insignificant and further studies could support this finding.
Music is something that every person has his or her own preference.
Different people have different tastes, and various types of music have many ways of
leaving an impact on someone. It can be relaxing, disturbing, soothing, energizing,
and many more.
Among the respondents who all listen to rock music, majority of both
males and females (66.67%) are willing to expose their children to rock music at an
early age. This statement is true for both males and females despite the differences
in ages and reasons for listening to rock music. In terms of age, the average age for
males is 18.75 and females 20.73. The findings show that females are older; yet,
willing to expose their future children to rock music.
The researchers determined that even though males (28%) felt more
energized than females (10%), both male and females were willing to expose their
future sons and daughters to rock music at an early age.
According to the study of Davis 2005, understanding how students make
music in non-school settings can inform teaching practice in schools, making
teaching more relevant to students‘ musical perspectives. This research study
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examined the musical processes of a three-member rock band, their roles within the
group, and considered how they constructed musical meaning. The most salient
findings that emerged from this study lie at the intersection of musical growth,
musical enculturation, and musical meaning. Collaborative composing was facilitated
by shared musical tastes and grounded in friendship and commitment to music
making. Engagement and investment in the music prompted meaningful musical
experiences for group members. Ownership, agency, relevance, and personal
expression fuse at the core of the value they place on this musical and social
experience. Implications for the instrumental music classroom are also shared.
Rock music is most popular to the adolescents and has a reputation of
being their outlet to social, economic, psychological and emotional issues in their
lives. This is a phenomenon that must be investigated and cultured in order to use
this medium of music to enhance and develop morals of our adolescents.
Music Inspired by Nature and the Avant Garde
October 13, 2017
SUNLAG (Kapampangan: to give light, to spread brightness, to shine.)
The Sunlag Ensemble, based in Angeles City, Pampanga, aims to create
a music which veers away from Filipino Mainstream Music including Rock, Folk,
Jazz, Pop with Ethnic Hybrids. The ensemble performs on self-made instruments
based on traditional native instruments of the Philippines and Southeast Asia. The
music played by SUNLAG is inspired by Nature, Asian Traditional Music and the
European Avant Garde in its textures, colours and compositional processes, inviting
the listener to temporarily leave their well-travelled musical paths and explore new
musical ones which results into an expanded consciousness and experience. Future
projects will include collaborations with other creative disciplines like Literature,
Theatre, Dance and Film.
A lecture was conducted last Sept 25, 2017 about Traditional Music and
Modern Composition in Asia and then join in Round-table discussion about ―Defining
the ―Asian style‖ in new music‖, ―Traditional performers as composers‖ and ―The
question of appropriation‖ Speakers: Sam Ang Sam (Cambodia) Conrado del Rosario
(Philippines) Anant Narkkong (Thailand) at the UP College of Music-Diliman in the first
day of the Maceda Centennial International Symposium. Then ConradoTitus Del Rosario
conducted our Angeles based SUNLAG Ensemble in a performance at the Philippine
International Convention Center PICC last September 26, 2017 at 10 am
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during the Jose Maceda Centenial International Symposium.
The Rock Stars of the 17th Century
October 30, 2017
Classical Music is infrequently heard in contemporary music, but the
circumstance that it has surpassed a pronounced deal of time and endured extinction
suggests that any intricate structure of any form of art is destined to elucidate a
specific meaning and purpose rather than just to amuse and entertain. The notes and
dynamics of classical music is not always welcome to the mediocre ear and will not
be considered appealing by majority, let us not forget that during these times when
classical composers were creating complex and innovative patterns of sound,17th
Century, most of the world was not as developed creatively and profoundly as their
musical brains were. Introducing the geniuses of classical music and the rock stars of
the 16th Century:
Source:http://historylists.org/people/top-10-most-famous-classical-musiccomposers.html
Misinterpreted Song Connotations
November 5, 2017
Songs that acquired their implications perverted and misconstrued—and
the original intentions put forth by the artists who wrote them.
1. ―Closing Time‖ // Semisonic
Semisonic frontman Dan Wilson predicted the second life of the band‘s
only big hit; in 2010, Wilson told The Hollywood Reporter, ―I really thought that that
was the greatest destiny for ‗Closing Time,‘ that it would be used by all the
bartenders.‖ But when Wilson penned lyrics like ―Time for you to go out to the
places you will be from,‖ the song‘s focus was more an emphasis on the miracle of
childbirth than an ode to kicking late-night barflies to the curb.
In 2010, Wilson admitted to American Songwriter that he had babies on
his mind partway through writing Semisonic‘s gangbuster breakout hit, stating, ―My
wife and I were expecting our first kid very soon after I wrote that song. I had birth on
the brain, I was struck by what a funny pun it was to be bounced from the womb.‖
2. ―Imagine‖ // John Lennon
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When Rolling Stone named the former Beatle‘s ubiquitous hit the third
greatest song of all time, Lennon‘s hallmark lyrics were described as ―22 lines of
graceful, plain-spoken faith in the power of a world, united in purpose, to repair and
change itself.‖ But the feel-good sentiments behind the song Jimmy Carter once said
was ―used almost equally with national anthems‖ have some serious Communist
underpinnings.
Lennon called the song ―virtually the Communist manifesto,‖ and once the
song became a hit, went on record saying, ―Because it‘s sugarcoated it‘s accepted.
Now I understand what you have to do—put your message across with a little honey.‖
3. ―Just Like Heaven‖ // The Cure
Entertainment Weekly recognized The Cure‘s synth-slathered love song
as the 25th Greatest Love Song of All Time, but also questioned, ―Just what is this
scream/laugh/hug inducing trick?‖ Turns out, the lyric that threw most fans of The
Cure for a loop just refers to a sudden shortness of breath.
The only thing that might be more oblique than the lyrics to what Smith
told Blender is ―the best pop song The Cure have ever done‖ is Smith‘s explanation
for the love song‘s cryptically esoteric poetry. In the same 2003 interview with
Blender, Smith said ―Just Like Heaven,‖ inspired by a trip with his girlfriend to
Beachy Head in southern England, was ―about hyperventilating—kissing and falling
to the floor.‖
Smith‘s dissection of the song‘s opening lines (―Show me, show me,
show me how you do that trick‖) is less obvious. According to the singer, the line is
equal parts a reference to his affinity for performing magic tricks in his youth and
―about a seduction trick, from much later in my life.‖
4. ―Summer of ‘69‖ // Bryan Adams
Born in the winter of 1959, Bryan Adams would‘ve only been 10 during the
eponymous summer of one of his best-known hits, released in 1985. But ―Summer
of ‘69‖ isn‘t so much Adams waxing nostalgic over the dog days of 1969 as much as
it is a reference to the sexual position of the same name. In 2008, Adams told CBS
News that ―a lot of people think it‘s about the year, but actually it‘s more about
making love in the summertime. It‘s using ‘69 as a sexual reference.‖
Parts of the song are still steeped in hints of truth, though: Adams has gone
on record saying that he picked up his second-ever electric guitar at a pawn shop, and
that his fingers indeed bled while he was ―totally submersed in practicing.‖
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Other facts are indisputably wrong; Adams‘ first band, Shock, formed when the singer
was 16, and ―Summer of ‘69‖ co-writer Jim Vallance stands by the song as a wistful
trip in the wayback machine.
5. ―The One I Love‖ // R.E.M.
When the Georgia natives unleashed their first Top-10 single in concert,
R.E.M. guitar-slinger Peter Buck felt baffled by audiences‘ romantic reactions. Said Buck:
―I‘d look into the audience and there would be couples kissing.Yet the verse is …
savagely anti-love … People told me that was ‗their song.‘ That was your song?‖
Singer Michael Stipe echoed Buck‘s emotions in a 1992 interview with Q
magazine, admitting that he almost didn‘t even record the song, calling it ―too
brutal‖ and ―really violent and awful.‖ After five years of ―The One I Love‖ going
out to loved ones as dedications over the radio waves, Stipe took a complacent
stance on his song‘s misconstrued fate, saying, ―It‘s probably better that they think
it‘s a love song at this point.‖
Source: Erik Van Rheenen January 5, 2016 mentalfloss.com
Femur of a Cave Bear – Oldest Musical Instrument
November 21, 2017
Between at least 60,000 and 30,000 years ago, ancient humans experienced
a type of ‗cultural explosion‘ – they started creating art in the form of paintings on cave
walls, jewelry and ornaments, and to bury their dead ceremonially. If we assume that
these new forms of behavior reflect the emergence of intentionality, then music as we
know it must also have emerged at least during this period.
Evolutionary scientists believe that a musical culture would have helped
prehistoric human species to survive because the music coordinates emotions, helps
important messages to be communicated, motivates people to identify with a group,
and motivates individuals to support other group members.
The oldest musical instrument ever discovered is believed to be the Divje
Babe flute, discovered in a cave in Slovenia in 1995, though this has been disputed.
The item is a fragment of the femur of a cave bear, which has been dated at 60,00043,000 years old, which had been pierced with spaced holes. Scientists who could
not accept the possibility that Neanderthals were playing music rejected the claim
and said that the perfectly spaced and neatly carved holes are in fact the result of the
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bone fragment having been chewed by an animal. However, a general consensus
that the Divje Babe flute is actually a musical instrument has been growing as the
view of the Neanderthals from subhuman brutes to more sophisticated humans is
changing.
In 2008, another discovery was made – a bone flute in the HohleFels cave
near Ulm in Germany dating back 43,000 years. The five-holed flute has a V-shaped
mouthpiece and is made from a vulture wing bone. It was one of several similar
instruments found in the area, with others dating back to 35,000 years ago and made
from mammoth ivory. The mammoth-ivory flutes would have been especially
challenging to make. Using only stone tools, the flute maker would have had to split a
section of curved ivory along its natural grain. The two halves would then have been
hollowed out, carved, and fitted together with an airtight seal.
The cave in southern Germany contains early evidence for the occupation
of Europe by Homo sapiens and on announcing the discovery, scientists suggested
that the ―finds demonstrate the presence of a well-established musical tradition at
the time when modern humans colonized Europe‖. They suggested that music may
have helped to maintain bonds between larger groups of humans, and that this may
have helped the species to expand both in numbers and in geographical range.
Those who have rejected the finding of the Divje Babe flute have claimed
that music played a role in the maintenance of larger social networks which may have
given modern humans the edge over the Neanderthals. However, looking at the
images of the Divje Babe flute, which dates back to the time of the Neanderthals, it
seems quite ridiculous to assume that it was made by the tooth holes of carnivores.
The origin of music itself is very difficult to determine because in all
probability, it is likely to have begun with singing and clapping or beating the hands
on different surfaces, for which there is no of course no archaeological record.
Source: Dr. John IoannisSyrigos, 2013
Methods of Using Music for Therapy
November 29, 2017
For most people, music is an important part of daily life. Some rely on
music to get them through the morning commute, while others turn up a favorite
playlist to stay pumped during a workout. Many folks even have the stereo on when
they‘re cooking a meal, taking a shower, or folding the laundry.
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Music is often linked to mood. A certain song can make us feel happy,
sad, energetic, or relaxed. Because music can have such an impact on a person‘s
mindset and well-being, it should come as no surprise that music therapy has been
studied for use in managing numerous medical conditions. All forms of music may
have therapeutic effects, although music from one‘s own culture may be most
effective. In Chinese medical theory, the five internal organ and meridian systems are
believed to have corresponding musical tones, which are used to encourage healing.
Types of music differ in the types of neurological stimulation they evoke.
For example, classical music has been found to cause comfort and relaxation while
rock music may lead to discomfort. Music may achieve its therapeutic effects in part
by elevating the pain threshold.
Music may be used with guided imagery to produce altered states of
consciousness that help uncover hidden emotional responses and stimulate creative
insights. Music may also be used in the classroom to aid children in the development
of reading and language skills. Receptive methods involve listening to and
responding to live or recorded music. Discussion of their responses is believed to
help people express themselves in socially accepted ways and to examine personal
issues. There is strong scientific evidence supporting the use of music therapy for
mood enhancement and anxiety/stress relief, according to Natural Standard
research.
In general, musical therapy utilizes the power of music to interact with
human emotions and affect wellbeing, although there are several different types
recognized in the world today. There are various different psychological theories for
musical therapy, which define the different types as we know them.
Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music
Helen Lindquist Bonny was a music therapist who developed an approach
to music therapy that involves guided imagery with music.
Mental imagery is used to aid patients with physiological and
psychological issues they may be experiencing. The patient is asked to focus on an
image, using this as a starting point to think and discuss any related problems. Bonny
added music to this technique, helping patients to heal and find solutions with
increased awareness.
In this application, music is thought to be a co-therapist, due to the
significant role it plays in the therapy. The music choice is an important consideration
for the therapist to make, with the individual patient and the goals for the session
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influencing the selection.
Dalcroze Eurhythmics
Also known as the Dalcroze Method, this is a method used to teach music
to students and can be used as a form of therapy.
It was developed by Émile Jaques-Dalcroze and focuses on rhythm,
structure and movement expression in the learning process. This type of musical
therapy is thought to greatly improve physical awareness, which helps patients with
motor difficulties significantly.
Kodaly
ZoltánKodály is considered to be the inspiration for the development of
this philosophy of music therapy. It uses a base of rhythm, notation, sequence and
movement to aid in the learning and healing of the patient.
It has been observed that this method helps to improve intonation, rhythm
and music literacy and has also had a positive impact on perceptual function, concept
formation, motor skills and learning performance in a therapeutic setting.
Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT)
NMT is a model of music therapy that is based on neuroscience,
specifically the perception and production of music and its influence on the function of
the brain and behaviors.
Music therapy does not improve autism symptoms in children, say
researchers.
It uses the difference between the brain with and without music and
manipulates this to instigate changes in the brain to affect the patient, even outside
the realm of music.
Specialists of this type of musical therapy claim that the brains changes
and develops as a direct consequence of engaging with music. This can be beneficial
to train motor responses, like tapping a foot to music, and to develop related motor
skills.
Nordoff-Robbins
Paul Nordoff and Clive Robbins partnered together for nearly two decades
to investigate the place of music in therapy, with a particular interest for disabled
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children.
They piloted projects with children affected by autism, mental disorders,
emotional disturbances, developmental delays and other learning difficulties, using
music as the means of therapy. Their work was recognized by relevant health bodies,
particularly for a 5-year study entitled ―Music Therapy Project for Psychotic Children
Under Sever at the Day Care Unit.‖ They also published several books, explaining
the theory and instructing how music can be used for children‘s therapy.
The core aspect of the Nordoff-Robbins approach assumes everyone can
find meaning and benefit from music and focuses on music creation with the help of a
therapist. This technique is widely practiced throughout the world today and can
accommodate patients of all experience and ability levels.
Orff-Schulwerk
The Orff-Schulwerk approach to music therapy was developed by
Gertrude Orff to help children with developmental delays and disabilities, following
the realization that medicine alone was not sufficient.
This places an emphasis on education (―schulwerk‖ translates from
German to ―schoolwork‖) and uses music to improve the learning ability of children.
It also places significance on humanistic psychology and employs music as a means
to improve interaction between the patient and other people.
Binaural Beats: An Investigation on Creativity Enhancement
December 4, 2017
Creativity is an important skill in the human cognitive construct, it is useful
in art and science and essential in day-to-day life. Unfortunately, however, research
into creativity is rather cluttered and mechanistic models about how creativity might
work are not available. It is thus not surprising that there is no single, widely accepted
definition of creativity. What can be said, though, is that many cognitive processes
seem to be involved, and that sub-functions underlying creativity depend on both
state and trait characteristics. Of all the processes involved in creativity, Guilford
(1950, 1967) identifies divergent and convergent thinking as its two main ingredients.
Together with insight (a possible sub-component of convergent thinking), these are
nowadays still considered the most important processes in creativity.
Both divergent and convergent thinking have been assumed to be
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influenced by positive mood but the mechanism underlying this impact remains
unclear. Based on the observation that schizophrenic patients, who suffer from an
overdose of the neurotransmitter dopamine, sometimes exhibit extraordinary creative
performances, some researchers have assumed a strong link between creativity and
dopamine. Indeed, positive-going mood is accompanied by phasic changes in the
production and availability of dopamine in the mesolimbic and nigrostriatal systems of
the brain, which again is likely to facilitate cognitive search operations and related
processes underlying creative behavior. If so, factors or techniques that are likely to
modulate dopamine production or transmission could be suspected to have an
impact on cognitive operations underlying creativity.
One phenomenon that has been suspected to propagate creativity is
known under the name of ―binaural beats‖, an auditory illusion that can be
considered a kind of cognitive or neural entrainment. This phenomenon has
encouraged sweeping claims about mind enhancement, and some websites even
went as far as calling the illusion a ―digital drug‖. While binaural beats indeed seem
to exert some effect on cognitive functioning and mood and on neural firing patterns
in the brain, it is as yet unclear how they do so. The binaural-beat illusion arises
when two tones of a slightly different frequency are each presented to different ears.
For instance, when a tone of 335 Hz is presented to the right ear and a tone of 345
Hz to the left ear, this results in a subjectively perceived binaural beat of 10 Hz.
Hence, instead of hearing two different tones, most individuals will hear just one tone
that fluctuates in frequency or loudness: a beat.
How exactly the brain produces the perception of these beats is unclear,
but the reticular activation system and the inferior colliculus seem to play a role. In
animals, binaural-beat producing stimulus conditions have been shown to produce
particular neural patterns of phase locking, or synchronization, beginning in the
auditory system and propagating to the inferior colliculus. Even though the neural
response to objectively presented beats is stronger, binaural beats seem to elicit
similar neural responses in both humans and, suggesting that the illusion arises
through pathways normally associated with binaural sound detection. As in humans
binaural beats have been found to affect cognitive functioning and moodand
responses to binaural beats are detectable in the human EEG, it can be assumed
that neuronal phase locking spreads from the auditory system and the inferior
colliculus over the cortex. A spreading pattern of neuronal activation and
synchronization might affect short- and long-distance communication in the brain,
processes which depend on neuronal synchronization and, presumably, on particular
neurotransmitter systems, thus affecting cognitive processing.
If binaural beats affect cognition through neural synchronization, it is
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possible that the frequency of the beat matters. For instance, short-range
communication within brain areas is often associated with neural synchronization in
the gamma frequency, while long-range communication is associated with neuronal
phase locking in the slower frequency bands. Moreover, a variety of frequency bands
have been considered to represent the ―messenger frequency‖ of cognitive-control
signals. For instance, synchronization in the gamma frequency range seems to play a
role in the top-down control of memory retrieval, which should be relevant for many
creativity tasks. Also of interest, phase locking in the alpha band has been associated
with lower cortical arousal in general and enhanced top-down control in creativityrelated performance in particular. Especially divergent thinking seems to be
associated with alpha wave synchronization. It could therefore be reasoned that
inducing a state of lower cortical arousal by presenting people with alpha frequency
binaural beats temporarily increases their performance on a divergent thinking task.
Given that the available evidence highlights the alpha and gamma bands as possible
messenger frequencies of control signals in creativity-related tasks, researchers
investigated whether binaural beats presented at these two frequencies might affect
performance in convergent- and divergent-thinking tasks—as compared to a control
condition.
Source: Reedijk, S., Bolders, A., and Hommel, B. (2013)
The Story of Christmas Carols
December 11, 2017
Carols were first sung in Europe thousands of years ago, but these were
not Christmas Carols. They were pagan songs, sung at the Winter Solstice
celebrations as people danced round stone circles (The word carol originally meant
to dance to something). The Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year, usually
taking place around the 22nd December. The word Carol actually means dance or a
song of praise and joy! Carols used to be written and sung during all four seasons,
but only the tradition of singing them at Christmas has really survived.
Early Christians took over the pagan solstice celebrations for Christmas and
gave people Christian songs to sing instead of pagan ones. In 129, a Roman Bishop said
that a song called ―Angel‘s Hymn‖ should be sung at a Christmas service in Rome.
Another famous early Christmas Hymn was written in 760, by Comas of Jerusalem, for
the Greek Orthodox Church. Soon after this many composers all over Europe started to
write ‗Christmas carols‘. However, not many people liked them as they were all written
and sung in Latin, a language that the normal people couldn‘t
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understand. By the time of the Middles Ages (the 1200s), most people had lost
interest in celebrating Christmas altogether.
This was changed by St. Francis of Assisi when, in 1223, he started his
Nativity Plays in Italy. The people in the plays sang songs or ‗canticles‘ that told the
story during the plays. Sometimes, the choruses of these new carols were in Latin;
but normally they were all in a language that the people watching the play could
understand and join in! The new carols spread to France, Spain, Germany and other
European countries.
The earliest carol, like this, was written in 1410. Sadly only a very small
fragment of it still exists. The carol was about Mary and Jesus meeting different
people in Bethlehem. Most Carols from this time and the Elizabethan period are
untrue stories, very loosely based on the Christmas story, about the holy family and
were seen as entertaining rather than religious songs. They were usually sung in
homes rather than in churches! Traveling singers or Minstrels started singing these
carols and the words were changed for the local people wherever they were
traveling. One carols that changed like this is ‗I Saw Three Ships‘.
Before carol singing in public became popular, there were sometimes
official carol singers called ‗Waits‘. These were bands of people led by important
local leaders (such as council leaders) who had the only power in the towns and
villages to take money from the public (if others did this, they were sometimes
charged as beggars!). They were called ‗Waits‘ because they only sang on
Christmas Eve (This was sometimes known as ‗watchnight‘ or ‗waitnight‘ because
of the shepherds were watching their sheep when the angels appeared to them.),
when the Christmas celebrations began.
Also, at this time, many orchestras and choirs were being set up in the
cities of England and people wanted Christmas songs to sing, so carols once again
became popular. Many new carols, such as ‗Good King Wenceslas‘, were also
written in the Victorian period.
So what is your favorite Christmas Carol? Does it bring back childhood
memories?
Source: Cooper, James (2017)
Music for Motor and Impulse Disorders
December 21, 2017
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We see the coercive power of music if it is of excessive volume, or has an
overwhelming beat, at rock concerts where thousands of people, as one, may be
taken over, engulfed or entrained by the music, just as the beat of war drums can
incite extreme martial excitement and solidarity. (There is now, indeed, a whole genre
of modern dance music called ‗Trance,‘ designed to have such an effect.) Mickey
Hart and others have written eloquently of the power of drumming in cultures all over
the world, and here it is especially the dynamic power of rhythm that is pre-eminent.
This motor power of rhythm may be especially strong in various forms of
motor and impulse disorder—and music can indeed be therapeutic here. Thus,
patients with Parkinson‘s disease, in whom movements tend to be incontinently fast
or slow or sometimes frozen, may overcome these disorders of timing when they are
exposed to the regular tempo and rhythm of music. The eminent (and now
parkinsonian) composer Lukas Foss, for example, whom I saw recently, may
festinate or rocket almost uncontrollably to his piano, but once he is there, can play a
Chopin nocturne with exquisite control and timing and grace—only to festinate or
freeze once more as soon as the music ends.
Music is profoundly important to those with motor disorders, though the
music must be of the ‗right‘ kind—suggestive, but not peremptory—or things may go
wrong. For one of my deeply parkinsonian post-encephalitic patients, Frances D.,
music was as powerful as any drug. One minute I would see her compressed,
clenched and blocked, or else jerking, ticking and jabbering—like a sort of human
time bomb. The next minute, if we played music for her, all of these explosive–
obstructive phenomena would disappear, replaced by a blissful ease and flow of
movement, as Mrs. D., suddenly freed of her automatisms, would smilingly ‗conduct‘
the music, or rise and dance to it. But it was necessary—for her—that the music be
legato; for staccato, percussive music might have a bizarre counter-effect, causing
her to jump and jerk helplessly with the beat, like a mechanical doll or marionette.
People with Tourette‘s syndrome—including many I know who are
professional musicians—may become composed, tic-free, when they listen to or
perform music; but they may also be driven by certain kinds of music into an
uncontrollable ticking that is entrained with the beat.
The stirring or animating power of music entails emotional no less than
motor arousal. We turn to music,we need it, because of its ability to move us, to
induce feelings and moods, states of mind. Therapeutically, this power can be very
striking in people with autism or frontal lobe syndromes, who may otherwise have
little access to strong emotional states. And the evocative power of music can also be
of immense value in people with Alzheimer‘s disease or other dementias, who may
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have become unable to understand or respond to language, but can still be
profoundly moved—and often regain their cognitive focus, at least for a while—when
exposed to music, especially familiar music that may evoke for them memories of
earlier events, encounters or states of mind that cannot be called up in any other
way. Music may bring them back briefly to a time when the world was much richer for
them.
SOURCE: Sacks, O. (2006) ―Brain‖ Volume 129, Issue 10
Green Music
January 4, 2018
Research has shown that any sound has the ability to stimulate plant
growth. In one study, plants that were exposed to sounds for six hours a day showed
more growth than plants in a soundless control group. However, that same research
showed that while music helped plants grow, it wasn‘t more effective than nonmusical sounds. In other words, plants don‘t distinguish between music and other
sounds.
However, music does help plants grow The exact cause of music‘s effect
on plants is unclear. It is thought that plants may have ―mechanoreceptors‖ that
respond to pressure. Sound waves are made up of compressed air molecules. In
humans, mechanoreceptors in the ears are able to detect and distinguish sound
waves in the form of pressure as each wave strikes the inner ear. If plants have
similar receptors, they too could respond to the changes in sound waves, such as
those from music.
Plants also seem to listen to the vibrations of one another. Plants that are
near other plants tend to grow faster and healthier than those grown in isolation.
Research suggests that plants may ―talk‖ to one another via vibrations, and these
communications let a plant know when it is safe to grow. Other research indicates
that vibration from sounds such as music can turn genes on and off, indicating that
plants may ―listen‖ to their surroundings to know when to express certain genes. If
scientists can gain a better understanding of this phenomenon, it is likely that sounds
such as music could be used to promote growth.
Other evolutionary considerations may have caused plants to develop the
ability to sense sound waves. Studies indicate that plants can feel the vibrations of
insects eating leaves, and that plants may communicate danger to other plants. The
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other plants then know to ready their defenses, or even stop growing until it is safe.
There is also evidence that plants have evolved to respond to vibrations, such as
those caused by the wind. When plants sense the constant vibration caused by the
wind, they may know not to grow quite as tall. Being shorter may save them from
being snapped or bent by strong winds. More research in this area may guide
scientists design sounds and music that may help plants ward off or prepare for
possible harm.
SOURCE: Michelle, M. 2017
Updates on the Effects of Music according to Research
January 19, 2018
Music is more complex and beautiful than one can ever imagine, and it
can physically affect your body when listening to it. It doesn‘t just alter your
physiology, but it can cure emotional distress, amplify moods, and even help treat
diseases as well. It is one of the few activities that involves using the majority, and
sometimes whole, of your brain. Moreover, it doesn‘t discriminate to culture, and has
surprising benefits.
The chills and shivers you get when listening to a song you really like are
actually caused by the release of dopamine in your body. Scientists ran experiments
by monitoring brain activity and found that music caused dopamine peaks and
emotional arousal. This release of dopamine is connected to why people place such
a high emphasis on music‘s ability to manipulate our emotions. Music can quite
literally alter the chemical balances in your brain.
The effect of music is so powerful, it doesn‘t only affect your dopamine
levels, but your heartbeat as well. Our body reacts to the sounds we hear: if a person
is listening to hardstyle or psy trance, their heartbeat will involuntarily speed up; if
they are listening to minimal house, their body relaxes accordingly.
Some studies are suggesting that music is as addictive as sex and drugs.
The researchers found the release of dopamine both in anticipation of the music, and
in hearing the music much like the effects of drug withdrawal and fixes. Ever had that
itchy feeling when you can‘t wait to hear a song because your phone is dead, and
when you finally hear it, you feel a wave of pleasure just wash over you? That‘s all
chemicals working in your brain.
Many doctors are now prescribing music to help treat patients with
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diseases like Parkinson‘s, Alzheimer‘s, and people with anxiety and depression. It
was found that it can help overcome bradykinesia (difficulty initiating movement, often
coupled with Parkinson‘s) by stimulating brain neurons to translate the music into
movement, and allowing patients to retain control of their bodies. It has also been
found to help restore the loss of language in patients with aphasia (impaired speech)
that results after severe head trauma or strokes.
Music has been found to have overall positive effects on pain
management. It can reduce chronic pain like arthritis by about 21%, and depression
over to 25%, according to studies found in the UK Journal of Advanced Nursing.
Music therapy is being increasingly used in hospitals instead of medication during
childbirth to decrease postoperative pain and complement the use of anesthesia
during surgery.
As a fatigue fighter, dance music can be a great way to find some extra
energy. It can effectively eliminate exercise-induced fatigue and fatigue symptoms
caused by monotonous work. A report in the Journal of Neuroscience of Behavior
and Physiology concluded that a person‘s ability to recognize images, including
letters and numbers, is faster when music is playing in the background.
Listening to happy or sad music can affect how you interpret a neutral
facial expression. Studies showed that after hearing a short piece of music,
participants were more likely to match the perceived facial expression with the tone of
music. Moreover, we can understand the emotions of a piece of music without
actually feeling them, which explains why some of us find sad music enjoyable,
instead of depressing.
SOURCE: El-Asmar, T. (2018) EDM.com
ACAPagibig Music Celebration 2018 “Embracing the True Meaning of Love”
February 5, 2018
This coming February 14, 2018, the Assessment, Counseling, Alumni and
Placement (ACAP) Center in Systems Plus College Foundation, Balibago, Angeles
City will be having its 1st Valentine Music Celebration. The occasion will present
students from different colleges to render their favorite acoustic love songs, some
special numbers from invited singers and musicians, and a program for students to
enable them to embrace the true meaning of love.
The objective of the event is to orient about the different languages of
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love, to elucidate the different kinds of love, to present the several meanings of love
and to value the true essence of love. This include topics like:
1. Love is unconditional
2. Love is not a word but an action
3. Love means respect, trust and understanding
4. Love is God and several more…
The ACAP Center (formerly Guidance and Testing Center) was formed
last August 2017 with the mission of holistic education through creative, innovative
and dynamic psychological approaches. During the launch of the ACAP Center,
strategic programs were added to its artillery for dynamic interventions that would
prove to be more efficient compared to traditional approaches in education. One of
the principles of the ACAP Center is that music, art and research are essential for
holistic education and must be utilized to its maximum potential.
Acoustic Storytelling
March 28, 2018
Every Saturday Night for the month of April, CaffeRistretto, located at
Oceana Commercial Complex, MacArthur Highway, Balibago (0.21 mi), Angeles City
will be having ―Acoustic Storytelling‖ starting 8 in the evening. This concept was a
product of mixing music and stories together that will both soothe your soul and calm
your mind. Songs that you may not commonly hear are mostly included in this
concept. Instrumental acoustic songs are also included. The genres of songs vary
from folk, jazz, pop and classical. The songs from the 60‘s, 70‘s and 80‘s are mostly
the composition of the performance.
―Acoustic Storytelling‖ is a mixture of elucidating a feeling, enhancing
relaxation and expressing a story in which many songs in the present have not been
executing. As you listen to these type of songs, you will enjoy a calm atmosphere, a
subtle melody and a texture of different feelings and ideas.
I hear the drizzle of the rain
Like a memory it falls
Soft and warm continuing
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Tapping on my roof and walls
And from the shelter of my mind
Through the window of my eyes
I gaze beyond the rain-drenched streets
To England where my heart lies
My mind‘s distracted and diffused
My thoughts are many miles away
And kiss you when you start your day
And a song I was writing is left undone
I don‘t know why I spend my time
Writing songs I can‘t believe
With words that tear and strain to rhyme
And so you see I have come to doubt
All that I once held as true
I stand alone without beliefs
The only truth I know is you
And as I watch the drops of rain
Weave their weary paths and die
I know that I am like the rain
There but for the grace of you go I
Kathy‘s Song – Simon and Garfunkel
Come and witness ―Acoustic Storytelling‖ every Saturday at
CaffeRistretto with Prof. JPelayo solo acoustic guitar. Celebrate Music! Celebrate
Love! Celebrate Life!
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The Power of Acoustic Storytelling
May 1, 2018
Music is an art form universally recognized for its mood-altering qualities
and its ability to effect behavior. Neurologists have discovered that music activates
many unexpected areas of the brain like emotion and memory. And they also tell us
―the brain‘s wiring emphatically relies on emotion over intellect in decision-making.‖
If you want to appeal to the subconscious and compel people to act, you
have to form an emotional connection. Music is a powerful, invisible tool in achieving
that goal. It‘s an intricate expression of controllable elements that helps influence the
way people interpret your message. From retail stores to TV commercials, it‘s used to
affect our emotions – and ultimately to guide our decisions.
Music gives you the opportunity to tell your story in a different way. It plays
a crucial role in content marketing by influencing the amount of consideration
audiences give your message. It increases the value of your content by steering
storylines, driving audience engagement, and increasing retention – making your
story not only more interesting, but impactful.
Acoustic Storytelling engages in both creativity and imagination while
listening to soothing sounds and creating a story in their minds. Music Psychologists
believe that storytelling should be persuasive and engaging — influencing audiences
enough to not only remember your story, but to see themselves in it, and encourage
them to act in the storyline.
SOURCE: Ashley Wentz Feb 13, 2013
Music That Reduces Anxiety
May 31, 2018
Listening to music is a universally accessible path to unwind, increase
productivity and fall asleep when we‘re overly stimulated. British ambient band,
Marconi Union, incorporated scientific theory to unlock ―the world‘s most relaxing
song.‖
Similar to the collaboration between a music composer and filmmaker, the
band worked closely with sound therapists during the creation process. With the goal
of lowering a listener‘s blood pressure, stress levels and heart rate, the song utilizes
a peaceful production landscape filled with dreamy rhythms, melodies and
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complimentary instruments (featuring piano, guitar and electronic samples of natural
soundscapes). Like the soothing sounds of a waterfall in nature, one can follow the
movement and layers as they effortlessly induce a dreamlike state.
Richard Talbot from Marconi Union said, ―It was fascinating working with
a therapist to learn how and why certain sounds affect people‘s mood. I always knew
the power of music but we have previously written using gut feeling.‖
According to Mindlab International, the group behind the research, the
power of this song is outstanding compared to any other song they have ever tested.
―Weightless‖ induces a 65% reduction in anxiety and a 35% reduction in usual
physiological resting rates.
Dr. David Lewis-Hodgson from Mindlab International explained, ―Brain
imaging studies have shown that music works at a very deep level within the brain,
stimulating not only those regions responsible for processing sound but also ones
associated with emotions.‖
But what is it about the song itself that makes it so effective? According to
Lyz Cooper, the founder of the British Academy of Sound Therapy, there are basic
musical principles that correlate with relaxation. She explains that the song
―contains a sustaining rhythm that starts at 60 beats per minute and gradually slows
to around 50.‖ The listener‘s heartbeat will naturally slow down to match the track‘s
BPM (beats per minute). The song‘s length is also critical. Cooper explains, ―It takes
about five minutes for this process, known as entrainment, to occur. And there is no
repeating melody, which allows your brain to completely switch off because you are
no longer trying to predict what is coming next.‖
So how can we incorporate the positive and powerful effects of sound
therapy into the practical settings of our day-to-day lives? Some believe that
introducing music into stress-inducing activities (such as test-taking) can reduce
anxiety and improve performance. The town of Lancaster, CA plays the tranquil
sounds of birds chirping through loudspeakers along their downtown strip, which is
believed to have reduced the local crime rate (minor misdeeds by 15% last year, and
serious crimes by 6%), since its launch. Perhaps offices that play calming music can
help to improve their employees‘ stress levels and productivity.
While there‘s still a lot of research to be done in this space, it‘s clear that
music has the power to help us clear our heads, relax and focus. We all know the
value of sleep and relaxation, and toxicity of stress and anxiety. So keep this as a
resource in your back pocket to unwind, on-demand, any time you need it. Having
trouble falling asleep? Drift off to this 10-hour version of ―Weightless‖.
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SOURCE: Passman, Jordan (2017)
The Role of Music in Worship
June 26, 2018
When Christians get together to worship there‘s always music. There‘s
choruses, songs, musical interludes, free-worship – psalms, hymns and spiritual
songs (Eph 5:19). In fact, musical worship is so ubiquitous and feels so ―right‖ that
we need to keep reminding ourselves that worship is more than the congregational
singing we do in a church service. So, what is it about music that makes it so right for
worship? This is a fascinating question.
Music, like language, is one of the few universal human cultural activities.
Its use transcends religion, economics, social organization and ethnicity. It is found in
the most primitive isolated jungle tribes and the most advanced, wealthiest and
congested cities. It‘s woven into the everyday fabric of life of every human culture
throughout history. Music is popular, but also powerful. Our most important personal,
communal or national events nearly always employ the power of music – weddings,
parties, celebrations and funerals. It is used in entertainment, sport, war … and in
worship
Why?
Music is Emotional: Music aesthetics studies and explores what makes
music ―work‖ and what makes for ―good‖ music. It suggests that music is powerful
because it is emotional. This doesn‘t mean that music is about emotions, but that it
expresses and engages the emotional life. Psychology and neuroscience would
agree, with studies showing both creating and listening to music engage the
emotional centers of the brain. And it is not that music evokes the emotions it
expresses but that it evokes a heightened emotional state. And as emotional
creatures, we like that.
Music is Physical: The rhythm of music resonates with the body in
spontaneous foot-tapping, finger drumming, clapping and dancing. This reveals a
subtle but important link. Music is an auditory experience that the mind seeks to echo
and express physically. And it‘s not just the rhythm. How many times have we found
ourselves conducting an imaginary orchestra or playing the air guitar as we‘re
captivated by a melody? And, of course, the making of music – playing or singing – is
a physical activity.
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Music is Cultural: We probably all have those songs that when we hear
them we are automatically ―transported‖ to a particular time and place, complete
with the feelings and circumstances of the moment. Music has this incredible ability
to evoke and express times of great and vivid personal meaning. Music becomes
enmeshed in an event or entwined around a cause, weaving together our thoughts,
emotions and senses into a poignant, resonant and memorable moment. Our
cultures are full of such music-charged commemorations.
Music is Social: As powerful and as meaningful as all these things are to
me individually, they are magnified when shared and experienced with others.
Shared melodies, lyrics and rhythms have the power to unify a crowd around a
deeply felt cultural moment. Think of the national anthem or football songs that fill a
stadium. And when that happens, each one of us brings all of our individual
experiences of music, merging them together into a captivating corporate experience
Music and Worship: This gives us a clue to the connection between music
and worship. Believers love the Lord with all their heart, soul, mind and strength. And
music uniquely has the power to engage the entirety of who they are in that moment
of expressing devotion to God. When singing in worship, individuals are engaged
emotionally, physically and intellectually. It‘s like ―all of me‖ is caught up in this act
of love. It is music that makes this happen. And because they are holistically and
completely engaged, the words sung are pregnant with meaning in that moment.
Pouring out in a song of worship, and feel that they are finally able to get close to
expressing all that is in the heart to say, but for which mere spoken words seem
insufficient. Their experiences are in unison. The same words, the same rhythm, the
same melody. The same emotions, the same holistic engagement and the same rich
cultural memory, all are together, in one voice, around one cause, focusing all of who
we are in an outpouring of deep devotion.
And it is music that makes that happen.
SOURCE: Duncan Corby October 21, 2018 (Hillsong College Academic Dean)
Construct of Temple Music for Praise and Worship
July 13, 2018
Two types of worship service are increasingly offered to the public to
satisfy the desires of two distinct groups of worshipers: traditional and contemporary.
The contemporary worship may have a powerful band, equipped with electric guitars,
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drums, driving vocals, and other attire borrowed from modern ―rock and roll‖. The
more traditional service typically offers musical praise directed by an organ or piano,
and accompanied by a choir or other vocal soloists. It is rare that one stumbles
across a church practicing congregational, ―a cappella‖ music.
The disparate proportions lead one to believe that those who restrain from
using instrumental music must be in grievous error, since they appear to be
numbered in the scandalous minority. Surprisingly, history shows that it is not always
been the case. In fact, instrumental music is a relatively modern addition to the
services of those who would worship God.
Temple Model in Worship
The Temple Model follows the structure of the Jerusalem Temple. The
temple can be broken down into four main parts: The outer courts, inner courts, holy
place, and holy of holies. Worship will typically move from high praise (or fast music)
into deep worship (or slow music).
In this model of worship, we see a reflection of the three stages of the
spiritual life: the purgative, illuminative, and unitive ways. The outer courts deal more
with the flesh, as does the purgative state – ordering the flesh towards the service of
God. The inner courts act similarly to the illuminative state, enlightening the mind with
the knowledge of God and transitioning us into the unitive state. The holy place
begins the unitive state of prayer, moving us to the holy of holies where words
virtually cease. We find ourselves in a profound union with our Lord and Savior, who
infuses His very word into our hearts.
Outer Courts
Scripture tells us to ―Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts
with praise!‖ (Psalm 100:4) Therefore, the first step in this model begins with a time
of high praises and faster music. This is an expression of our excitement about
coming into the presence of the Lord! Have fun with it! But our prayer doesn‘t end
here – we‘re just getting started! After a series of high praise songs, you then
transition into what we call the inner courts.
Inner Courts
The inner court is where we begin quieting ourselves and preparing
ourselves for a deeper encounter with God. The music moves into a more moderate
tempo, neither fast nor slow. In the inner courts, we begin to transition and quiet our
hearts as we move towards the destination of the holy of holies (the place of
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contemplative prayer). But first, we enter the holy place.
Holy Place
The holy place is where worship of God becomes authentic adoration of
God. The music is much slower, the lyrics are simpler, the volume becomes softer,
and the content of the songs speak more to the pure adoration of God. Here you
might repeat a chorus like ―How Great is our God‖, ―I Exalt Thee‖, or simply
―Holy‖ – music that speaks directly to God in a way that is deep, profound, and
loving. And now, you are ready to ―land the plane‖ – we enter the holy of holies.
Holy of Holies
In the holy of holies, the music itself begins to cease. Our hearts have
quieted. In the days of the Old Testament, the high priest spoke little when he
entered this sacred place. Instead, he would remain silent and in awe of the presence
of the Lord. This was the place where God‘s very presence resided. Here we give
God the opportunity to speak in the quiet of our hearts as we soak in His presence.
SOURCE: Trevor Bowen (2005) – Mary Castner (2018)
The Piano: Ebony and Ivory
July 13, 2018
The first historical mention of instruments is in Genesis 4:21. The King
James Version reads as follows: ―And his brother‘s name was Jubal: he was the
father of all such as handle the harp and organ‖. The first instrument in history to
have a keyboard was the Hydraulis, the precursor of the modern organ. It was built in
Greece about 220 B.C. By the Second Century A.D. the organ was commonly used
at important festivities in Greece and the Roman Empire.
The earliest keyboards were played with the hands, wrists, fists, knees, or
feet. Up to the 13th Century the scales were diatonic (as in GABCDEF) rather than
the twelve tone chromatic scale we use today.
The modern piano was invented by Bartolomeo Cristofori (1655–1731) of
Padua. He was an expert harpsichord maker, employed by Ferdinando de‘ Medici,
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Grand Prince of Tuscany, as the Keeper of the Instruments. The first piano he built
was about the year 1700 or 1698. Historians are not in total agreement as to the
exact date. The keyboard looked different to today‘s piano keyboard layout; the
natural keys were black while the accidentals were white. It was Sebastian LeBlanc
who suggested that the black and white keys be switched. The three Cristofori pianos
that survive today date from the 1720s.
At the time of Bartolomeo Cristofori‘s invention of the piano, the most
popular keyboard instruments were the harpsichord and the clavichord. Both of these
instruments looked like the piano that exists today. The major difference between
them and a modern day piano is the way their sound was produced. In a clavichord
the strings are struck by tangents, while in a harpsichord they are plucked by quills.
A major drawback of the harpsichord was the fact that the dynamics
(loudness or softness) of each note couldn‘t be controlled. This meant that
composers couldn‘t evoke emotion in their music as needed. The clavichord aimed to
improve on this shortcoming. While it still plucked at strings, it allowed the strings to
continue vibrating as long as the key was depressed. As a result players had more
control over the volume of their instrument. The technically more advanced
clavichord became very popular but it still had its weaknesses. Although it allowed
artists to be more expressive, the tone of the harpsichord was too delicate. It was not
suited for large hall performances and would often be drowned by other instruments.
The piano was likely formed as an attempt to combine the loudness of the
harpsichord with the control of the clavichord.
Cristofori was able to solve the fundamental mechanical problem of piano
design: the hammer must strike the key but not remain in contact with it. That was the
problem with the clavichord: the tangent remained in contact with the clavichord
string, thus dampening the sound. Additionally, it was imperative that the hammer
return to its rest position without bouncing violently, and that the instrument allow one
to repeat a note rapidly. Thanks to the work of Cristofori, this was now possible.
Many different approaches to piano actions followed, all modeled after Cristofori‘s
piano action. Although Cristofori‘s early instruments came with thin strings and were
much quieter than the modern piano, they were significantly louder and had more
sustaining power than the clavichord.
Cristofori‘s new instrument was known as the pianoforte because it
allowed players to produce notes at different dynamic levels by controlling the inertia
with which the hammers hit the strings. The original Italian name for the instrument is
clavicembalo (or gravicembalo) col piano e forte (literally harpsichord capable of
playing at the normal level, and more strongly). Many years after the first version of
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the piano was created it was still called a harpsichord. This has made it difficult to
know this specific aspect of the history of the piano, whether the great composers of
the age such as Scarlatti or Vivaldi knew of its existence. The word pianoforte,
shortened later to piano, appeared only in 1732.
Cristofori‘s piano was largely unknown until 1711 when an Italian writer,
Scipione Maffei wrote about it. His article was a very enthusiastic one and included a
diagram of the mechanism. Subsequently, many piano builders started their work
because of what they read in that article. One example was Gottfried Silbermann,
better known as an organ builder. He built pianos that were direct copies of
Cristofori‘s except for one important addition; he invented the forerunner of the
damper pedal we use today. It lifts all dampers from the strings at once.
When speaking about the history of the piano, mention must be made of
Johann Sebastian Bach. When Silbermann first showed Bach one of his early
instruments in 1736, he did not like it. According to legend, Bach did not think much
of its sound. He was said to have destroyed it with an axe. Bach later saw a new
instrument in 1747 and approved it. At the time, he was visiting Frederick the Great of
Prussia at his court in Potsdam. He improvised an impressive three-part figure on a
theme suggested by the king. The instrument caught the attention of composers
across Europe. Its fame extended to the British colonies in America. Having a piano
in the home became the height of fashion for high-ranking nobles in these colonies.
SOURCE: Mantius Cazaubon (2017)
Nursery Rhymes and their True Stories
July 19, 2018
To unpick the meanings behind the rhymes is to be thrust into a world not
of sweet princesses and cute animals but of messy clerical politics, religious violence,
sex, illness, murder, spies, traitors and the supernatural. A random sample of 10
popular nursery rhymes shows this.
The history behind the rhymes
Baa Baa Black Sheep is about the medieval wool tax, imposed in the 13th
Century by King Edward I. Under the new rules, a third of the cost of a sack of wool
went to him, another went to the church and the last to the farmer. (In the original
version, nothing was therefore left for the little shepherd boy who lives down the
lane). Black sheep were also considered bad luck because their fleeces, unable to be
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dyed, were less lucrative for the farmer.
Ring a Ring o Roses, or Ring Around the Rosie, may be about the 1665
Great Plague of London: the ―rosie‖ being the malodorous rash that developed on
the skin of bubonic plague sufferers, the stench of which then needed concealing
with a ―pocket full of posies‖. The bubonic plague killed 15% of Britain‘s population,
hence ―atishoo, atishoo, we all fall down (dead).‖
Rock-a-bye Baby refers to events preceding the Glorious Revolution. The
baby in question is supposed to be the son of King James II of England, but was
widely believed to be another man‘s child, smuggled into the birthing room to ensure
a Roman Catholic heir. The rhyme is laced with connotation: the ―wind‖ may be the
Protestant forces blowing in from the Netherlands; the doomed ―cradle‖ the royal
House of Stuart. The earliest recorded version of the words in print contained the
ominous footnote: ―This may serve as a warning to the Proud and Ambitious, who
climb so high that they generally fall at last‖.
Mary, Mary Quite Contrary may be about Bloody Mary, daughter of King
Henry VIII and concerns the torture and murder of Protestants. Queen Mary was a
staunch Catholic and her ―garden‖ here is an allusion to the graveyards which were
filling with Protestant martyrs. The ―silver bells‖ were thumbscrews; while
―cockleshells‖ are believed to be instruments of torture which were attached to male
genitals.
Goosey Goosey Gander is another tale of religious persecution but from
the other side: it reflects a time when Catholic priests would have to say their
forbidden Latin-based prayers in secret – even in the privacy of their own home.
Ladybird, Ladybird is also about 16th Century Catholics in Protestant
England and the priests who were burned at the stake for their beliefs.
Lucy Locket is about a famous spat between two legendary 18th Century
prostitutes.
Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush originated, according to historian
RS Duncan, at Wakefield Prison in England, where female inmates had to exercise
around a mulberry tree in the prison yard.
Oranges and Lemons follows a condemned man en route to his execution
– ―Here comes a chopper / To chop off your head!‖ – past a slew of famous London
churches: St Clemens, St Martins, Old Bailey, Bow, Stepney, and Shoreditch.
Be cautious on what you let your children listen to, this is why I would
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suggest classical music with no lyrics to be safe and even boost cognitive functioning
as they grow up.
SOURCE: Clemency Burton-Hill (June 2015)
Music and Your Relationship with God
July 20, 2018
Depending on your family background or the part of the world you are
from, the combinations of music you may have been exposed to are probably
endless. Because of this, the music people enjoy, either by listening to or actively
playing, varies. Have you ever considered what the Bible says about music? Do you
know that God created music with several specific purposes in mind?
Improperly Used
As with almost everything that God has created for man to use for a right
purpose, it should not come as a surprise that mankind has perverted music to be
used in many wrong ways. All of these wrong uses originate from the ruler of this
world, Satan.
The devil was created as the archangel Lucifer, a perfect being in every
way (Ezek. 28:12-15), and this applies to his ability as a musician. Lucifer was given
the ability to play beautiful music through his ―workmanship‖ and to understand its
purpose as well. But Satan eventually became a perverted being. Now, as the
―prince of the power of the air‖ (Eph. 2:2), he broadcasts into our lives all of the
wrong ways to use music. It is now his desire that we use this wonderfully positive
tool in a way that God did not intend. Even though the Bible was written thousands of
years ago, it contains numerous examples of the right purposes for music, and these
can still be applied today. You will find that music is a wonderful tool that can benefit
you in many ways.
A Powerful Tool That Elicits an Emotional Response
Most have seen in their own lives that music can profoundly affect
emotions—either positively or negatively. This even applies to God Himself! When
―all the men of Israel assembled‖ with King Solomon to celebrate the Ark of the
Covenant‘s arrival at the completed Temple (II Chron. 5:3), we are told that in
addition to the feast and many physical sacrifices made to honor God, music was
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played. The immediate effect? God‘s response was so profound that the Temple was
―filled with a cloud,‖ which represented His approval (vs. 13).
Think about this for a moment. Even the all-powerful Creator God
responded to music when it was used to glorify Him. This was not just any kind of
music—it truly was ―special music.‖ In II Chronicles 5:12-13, there is an amazing
description of what garnered this response. When the singers and musicians praised
God in song (there were over 120 priests playing trumpet alone), they all played ―as
one, to make one sound.‖ This means the musicians played with instruments,
together in harmony. The result was uplifting due to the unison and harmony. This
wasn‘t like the disorderly or incoherent expression found in much of today‘s music.
Another clear example of music‘s proper use is when the angels
―shouted for joy‖ and ―sang together‖ in unison when they first saw the earth‘s
foundations laid (Job 38:7). Since they understood God‘s purpose for music, this was
how the angels expressed their joy, awe and thankfulness for God‘s creation. Again,
they sang together—and with joy! Do you see a theme developing? In both of these
examples, music was performed in harmony and with a specific purpose in mind—a
positive one. The book of Psalms alone has 150 wonderful examples—separate
songs—that are recorded to show us the right way to use music for praise.
Music for More Than Praising God
Expressing our gratitude to our Father through music each week is so
important to God that it is commanded. However, in the Bible there are other clearly
defined purposes for music. Some of these may surprise you. In his letter to the
Colossians, the apostle Paul reminded the congregation to ―let the word of Christ
dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms
and hymns and spiritual songs‖ (3:16). The right kinds of songs can be powerful
spiritual tools to communicate with Christ directly and they can be used to teach as
well.
In another example, music can have a calming effect and be helpful for
relaxation. In I Samuel 16, the young David is described as a cunning and skilled
harp player, who, when he played, ―refreshed‖ the king with his wonderful music.
Again, music can have a positive effect. It is a tool with tangible benefits.
Would it surprise you to know there is a reference in the Bible to music
being used at a party? Well there is! After Jacob secretly fled from his father-in-law
Laban into the land that God instructed him to go, Laban chased and finally caught
him. He asked Jacob, ―Why did you flee away secretly…and not tell me; that I might
have sent you away with mirth and songs, with [timbrel], and with harp?‖ (Gen.
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31:27). In other words, Laban would have organized a celebration to honor him. King
Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, wrote the book Song of Solomon as a love
song to his wife. So even ―love songs‖ are appropriate—when used correctly.
While music doesn‘t always need to be used to directly praise God, all of
these examples have one thing in common: whether used to praise, express joy,
teach, celebrate, relax or even express love, music is always used in a positive way.
Music Influences Your Spirit (Your Relationship With God)
Music, at its core, influences our spiritual lives and our relationship with
God—either drawing us closer to the Lord, or quenching the Holy Spirit. God always
desires our lives to be filled with and controlled by the power of His Holy Spirit:
Ephesians 5:18-19, ―And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled
with the Spirit; 19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;‖ 1 Thessalonians 5:19,
―Quench not the Spirit.‖ Ephesians 4:30, ―And grieve not the holy Spirit of God,
whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.‖
The biblical fact is this: the right kind of Spirit-led music can be an
immensely powerful force that aids us in bringing our body and soul into submission
to the leadership and control of the Holy Spirit of God. That is to say, it can feed and
fan the flames of the work of the Holy Spirit within.
In summary, music provokes physical, intellectual, emotional and spiritual
responses that result in choices. Therefore, spiritual music will contribute to spiritual
responses, spiritual choices, and spiritual outcomes. To the contrary, fleshly music—
that which accentuates rhythm or soul-ish lifestyles (emotion led), will diminish my
ability to ―walk in the Spirit.‖ Spiritual music will contribute to my walk with God and
the Spirit-filled life.
SOURCES: Cary Schmidt (2010) ―Encouraging, Equipping, and Engaging Ideas
From Local Church Leaders‖ / The Restored Church of God (2018) ―God‘s Purpose
for Music Positive Examples Throughout the Bible‖
Method in Musical Composition
July 22, 2018
Musical composition is the process of making or forming a piece of music
by combining the parts, or elements of music. As a starting point, it helps to
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understand that composers are generally not creating something out of nothing when
they write a new piece. Instead, they are creating out of past experience – their
understanding of music theory, what they‘ve studied and listened too, what they
would like to hear themselves – or maybe even just to answer some specific musical
question they have. These are the things, parts, or elements they use. It really is
about putting together the different elements of music
Our goal is to eventually create something new and unique, but not before
we master that which has come before us. How then, do we go about learning to
compose music
The Process of Learning Musical Composition – The Trivium
The first step in learning to compose, is realizing that you are just
beginning, and not to place too heavy a burden on yourself. Our job as composers is
not to create masterpieces, but instead, piece together a master. A great corollary to
learning to compose is found in the greek method of the Trivium. The Trivium follows
three distinct phases if learning:
1. Grammar: A solid grasp of the fundamentals.
2. Logic: The ability to create logical arguments.
3. Rhetoric: The ability to persuade.
The Grammar of Music
There are many resources for learning to read music out there, and a
quick google search should point you in the right direction. You‘ll quickly find there
isn‘t all that much to reading music. The challenge lies more in becoming fluent, than
becoming familiar. But also part of the fundamentals are the basics of music theory.
Things such as scales, triads, and seventh chords. These are your building blocks. If
music notation the alphabet, these are your words. And much like a child, you
probably already have an aural knowledge of these ―words‖. You know what a
major chord sounds like, or what a minor chord sounds like. But as a composer, your
knowledge needs to go beyond the aural and superficial level. You need to
understand exactly what they are.
The Logic of Music
Know the basics of theory, such as scales, and triads, the next step is to
learn how these combine to create small scale, simple music. That is in fact exactly
what my free beginner‘s course teaches. Music‘s apparent logic, comes from the fact
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that most of the music we hear follows the same guidelines. These guidelines
become ingrained in our ears, and we expect to hear them. These expectations are
built into the music. The logic is in understanding how to use these expectations.
The Rhetoric of Music
Great composer know about these expectations, and know how to use
them to their advantage. Most of the time, they follow expectations, but sometimes
they don‘t. This is what great music is about. It is at this level, that you are like a
greek rhetorician, persuading people to your musical view point.
Start With Basics
The Fundamentals of Music – Why you should focus on learning, or relearning the basics? In this article I talk about the basics of not just composing, but
being a musically minded person. Having the skills to look at and understand written
music, or to play back by ear something you‘ve heard, or even just listening to music
is very important, and should be cultivated by anyone wanting to learn the fine art of
music composition.
The Stages of Learning to Compose Music – Where are you on the path
to becoming a composing master? Not all people are at the same place in their
efforts of learning music composition. It is very important to take a step back and
evaluate where you are in the spectrum of knowledge. Why? Well for one, it will give
you focus in what you are learning, but almost more importantly, it will allow you to
accept what you compose, based on your actual knowledge of the craft of
composition. You can‘t be too hard on yourself if you want to write like Mahler, but
you‘ve only been composing for a month. Be patient and the melodies and harmony
will come to you.
SOURCE: Jon Brantingham (2018) ―Art of Composing‖
Music the Healer
July 24, 2018
Whether you‘re listening to it or creating it, music can reduce stress and
anxiety, distract you from negative feelings and emotions, and even relieve
symptoms of health or mental health conditions. Music has been used to reduce
physical and emotional pain and increase quality of life in medical and psychiatric
hospitals, drug and alcohol programs, assisted living facilities, and cancer centers.
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These same music practices can be worked into your daily life, especially with the
guidance of a counselor, coach, or licensed music therapist who can assess your
needs and use specialized and research-based techniques to help guide you towards
reaching your therapeutic goals.
Alternative and complementary treatments such as creative art,
meditation, and yoga have been proposed to bridge this gap. But music, because of
its ubiquity in our society as well as its ease of transmission, has perhaps the
greatest potential among alternative therapies to reach people who do not otherwise
have access to care.
Does music heal emotional suffering? Research says yes.
We now know through controlled treatment outcome studies that listening
to and playing music is a potent treatment for mental health issues. Research
demonstrates that adding music therapy to treatment improves symptoms and social
functioning among schizophrenics.
Further, music therapy has demonstrated efficacy as an independent
treatment for reducing depression, anxiety and chronic pain.
There are several mechanisms by which music can have this effect. First
of all, music has positive physical effects. It can produce direct biological changes,
such as reducing heart rate, blood pressure, and cortisol levels.
Also, studies suggest that exposure to pro-social lyrics increases positive
thought, empathy, and helping behavior. The message in a lyric such as ―We shall
overcome‖ may be able to reach more people than all of the psychotherapists in the
world combined.
Finally, music is a connecting experience. Pete Seeger was well known for
his use of the sing-along, and he made his goal of building communities explicit,
saying, ―The idea of using music to try to get the world together is now all over the
place.‖ Research clearly demonstrates that improved social connection and support
can improve mental health outcomes. Thus, any music that helps connect people can
have a profound impact on an individual‘s mental health. Pete Seeger is one of the
spiritual godfathers of using music to improve mental health and well-being. Mental
health professionals must capitalize on the path he blazed, to continue the important
work of improving public health and well-being.
Countless other musicians with a message, such as Bob Dylan, Bruce
Springsteen, and Rage Against the Machine, have taken to heart Seeger‘s statement,
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―Participation. That‘s what‘s going to save the human race.‖ His influence can also
be seen in organizations such as Musicorps, which heals disabled vets through
teaching music, and Rock Against Dystrophy, which organizes concerts to raise
money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
―Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind,
flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything.‖ ~Plato
When we listen to music we love, that certain melody resonates deep in
our soul and can provide a space in time where all problems disappear. Music, the
right music to our liking, has a way of touching our souls in a deep and subtle way.
And the people who breathe life into their instruments and lyrics lift our spirits. Music
can bring us back to life from a depressed state. We can be resuscitated by a single
inspirational melody.
SOURCE: Friedman, M. Ph.D. (2014)
The Role of Music in Early Childhood Development
July 28, 2018
Most preschoolers love listening or singing along to music. Studies show
that parents who create a rich musical environment do not only entertain their kids
but also help them to develop essential music skills.
Music plays a very important part in our culture. When thinking about
everyday life, music is present in a variety of social and educational activities. We
listen to music on TV or when we go to the movies. Most governmental ceremonies
include a component of music while we use songs to celebrate birthdays or to
worship god. Given this importance of music, it is no surprise that parents use music
instinctively to express joy, and to engage or calm their children.
What Children Learn from Being Exposed to Music
Research undertaken by a team of researchers in the 1990s showed that
the exposure to music from early childhood onwards helps children to speak more
clearly, develop a larger vocabulary, and strengthen social and emotional skills. The
psychologist Howard Gardner already argued in 1983 that music intelligence is as
important as logical and emotional intelligence. This is because music has the ability
to strengthen the connection between the body and brain to work together as a team.
For instance, when dancing and moving to music, children develop better motor skills
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whereas singing along to a song helps them to practice their singing voice. In
general, the exposure to music supports children in their development process to
learn the sound of tones and words.
Music and Early Childhood Development
Many studies have investigated the importance of music in early childhood
development since the 1950s. Two facts that are widely accept are that children do
not express music in the same way as adults and that the years from birth to the age
of six is the most important period for a child‘s musical development. This is because
even the youngest toddlers receive the tones of music and unintentionally
differentiate in frequency, melody and stimuli. According to researchers, the early
years of childhood are critical to learn to unscramble the tones of music and to build
up a mental organization system to memorize the music. This means that, like
language development, toddlers develop their musical skills through imitating and
memorizing rhythms and tones of songs such as clapping to a beat and singing in
tune. Without this ability children would not be able to develop their musical skills.
However, this ability to develop musical skills is influenced by positive and
negative factors. Therefore, sufficient stimulation and exposure to music and musical
play is necessary to help children to turn their potential into actual musical growth. In
terms of instruction, the most typical negative influence on developing musical growth
is when parents are not musically orientated and do not actively expose their kids to
music.
Parents‘ Important Role in Musical Education
Parents play the most important role in musical education when it comes
to expanding a child‘s musical horizon. For many years, researchers have been
pointing out that children whose families are more musically orientated are
considerably more developed in their musical behavior than children who experience
a less musically orientated environment. Research undertaken by Kelley and SuttonSmith explains this situation well with clear examples: the two researchers developed
case studies that followed the early childhood years of three girls whose families had
different musical backgrounds. While the parents of the first girl were professional
musicians, the parents of the second girl practiced music from a non-professional
background. Finally, the third girls‘ parents made the least musically orientated
choices due to their own non-musical background. The researchers‘ findings suggest
that there was a major difference between the two families who exposed their girls to
a varying degree of music and the family who did not engage in integrating musical
education at all. They concluded that a rich musical environment at home fosters a
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child‘s exposure to music and improves a child‘s music ability. Further research also
indicates that parents develop a stronger bond to their children when they enjoy
music together. This way music is not only a tool that contributes to the growth and
development of a child but it also helps the family to spend quality time and have fun.
Since there is no negative consequence to the idea to connect children
with music, it is an activity that parents can enjoy with their children as often as
possible. Even if the regular dose of listening to classical music is not likely to result
in sudden ability improvements, it has a positive impact on a child‘s rhythm,
movement, and social and listening skills in the long run. Additionally, there are many
short-term benefits. Listening to music can be calming, entertaining and fun for
parents and children. In this sense, it does not matter whether the setting is a quiet
room with a parent or a busy outside or inside music class with other children as long
as the youngsters enjoy it.
SOURCE: Steinhoff, Anne (2016) – Novak Djokovic Foundation
King David and Music in Ancient Israel
July 30, 2018
A Remarkable Musician
David was remarkable in that he was both a musician and a poet. Over
half of the psalms are attributed to him. While a boy, he was a shepherd, and his
sensitive and perceptive mind was nourished with the pastoral scenes of Bethlehem.
He had known the simple joys of listening to babbling brooks and the bleating of
lambs responding to his voice. Touched by the beauty of this ―music‖ in the world
around him, he took up his harp and raised his voice in praise to God. What a moving
experience it must have been to hear the music that David composed to Psalm 23!
As a young man, David played the harp so beautifully that he was
recommended to Saul, the king, who took him into his service. When Saul was
seized with anguish and mental agitation, David came to him and produced on his
harp the melodious and restful refrains that calmed the heart of the king. The dark
thoughts that haunted Saul vanished, and his agitation left him.—1 Samuel 16:16.
Music, which David loved so much and which filled him with happiness,
sometimes caused problems. One day, when David and Saul returned victorious from
their combat with the Philistines, triumphant and joyful music came to the ears of the
king. The women were singing: ―Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his
tens of thousands.‖ At this, Saul became so angry and jealous that he ―was
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continually looking suspiciously at David from that day forward.‖—1 Samuel 18:7-9.
Moved by Music
David‘s divinely inspired compositions excelled in many ways. His songs
include both contemplative and pastoral psalms. They range from expressions of
praise to narrative history, from the joys of the grape harvest to the pomp of the
palace inauguration, from reminiscences to hope, from request to entreaty. (See
Psalms 32, 23, 145, 8, 30, 38, 72, 51, 86 and their superscriptions.) At the death of
Saul and his son Jonathan, David composed a dirge, called ―The Bow,‖ beginning
with the words: ―The beauty, O Israel, is slain upon your high places.‖ The tone was
gloomy. David knew how to express a wide range of feelings, both in words and in
music on his harp.—2 Samuel 1:17-19.
With his exuberant personality, David loved joyful, lively music that was
highly rhythmic. When he brought the ark of the covenant up to Zion, he leaped and
danced with all his power to celebrate the event. The Bible account indicates that the
music must have been extremely rousing. Can you imagine the scene? It brought
recriminations from his wife Michal. But it did not matter to David. He loved Jehovah,
and this music, which filled him with such joy, caused him to leap before his God.—2
Samuel 6:14, 16, 21.
As if all of this were not enough, David also distinguished himself by
developing new musical instruments. (2 Chronicles 7:6) Overall, David seems to
have been an exceptionally gifted artist, being an instrument maker, a poet, a
composer, and a performer. However, David did even greater things.
Singing and Music at the Temple
A legacy of David was the organization of singing and music in the house
of Jehovah. At the head of 4,000 singers and musicians, he placed Asaph, Heman,
and Jeduthun (apparently also called Ethan). David associated them with 288
experts, who trained and supervised the rest of the group. The 4,000 singers and
musicians were all present at the temple for the three large annual festivals. Imagine
the grandeur of that magnificent choir!—1 Chronicles 23:5; 25:1, 6, 7.
At the temple, only men sang. The expression ―upon The Maidens,‖ in
the superscription of Psalm 46, suggests high-pitched voice or instrument. They sang
in unison, as indicated at 2 Chronicles 5:13: ―The singers were as one.‖ The songs
could be melodies, such as Psalm 3 and many other psalms of David, and
sometimes included refrains, such as the one at Psalm 42:5, 11 and 43:5. Songs
using antiphony, in which choirs and/or soloists responded to one another, were also
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much appreciated. This is the case in Psalm 24, which was no doubt composed for
the time when David brought the ark of the covenant to Zion.—2 Samuel 6:11-17.
Singing, however, was not restricted to the Levites. It was the people who
sang when they went up to Jerusalem for the annual festivals. This is perhaps what is
meant by ―A Song of the Ascents.‖ (Psalms 120 to 134) In Psalm 133, for example,
David exalts the brotherhood that the Israelites tasted in those moments. He opens
with these words: ―Look! How good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell
together in unity!‖ Try to imagine the music that accompanied this song!
Music and Worship
One tenth of the Bible is made up of such songs, and the book of Psalms
encourages all humans to pour forth praises. (Psalm 150) Music has the power to
cause one to forget life‘s worries, and singing can act as a balm to wounded hearts.
However, the Bible also recommends that those who are in good spirits sing psalms.
—James 5:13.
Singing is an act by which one can express one‘s faith and love for God.
The night before Jesus‘ execution, he and the apostles concluded their meal with
singing. (Matthew 26:30) What a voice the Son of David must have had—he who had
known the glorious singing of God‘s heavenly court! It is likely that they sang the
Hallel, Psalms 113 to 118. If so, with the apostles, who were unaware of all the
events that were about to take place, Jesus would have sung out loud: ―I do love,
because Jehovah hears my voice, my entreaties. . . . The ropes of death encircled
me and the distressing circumstances of Sheol themselves found me. . . . ‗Ah,
Jehovah, do provide my soul with escape!‘‖—Psalm 116:1-4.
Man is not the inventor of music. The Bible describes music and singing in
the heavens themselves, where spirit creatures play figurative harps and sing praises
around Jehovah‘s throne. (Revelation 5:9; 14:3; 15:2, 3) Jehovah God gave music to
mankind, implanting in their heart a feeling for music and the irrepressible urge to
express their sentiments by playing an instrument or by singing. For the man of faith,
music is above all a gift from God.—James 1:17.
Instruments in Bible Times
Stringed instruments included lutes, harps, and ten-stringed instruments.
(Psalm 92:3) They were tuned to Alamoth and Sheminith, expressions perhaps
referring to upper and lower octaves. (1 Chronicles 15:20, 21, footnote) Among the
brass and wind instruments were the pipe, the flute, the horn, as well as trumpets,
which were ‗loudly sounded.‘ (2 Chronicles 7:6; 1 Samuel 10:5; Psalm 150:3, 4) At
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the temple dedication, trumpets and singers were ―causing one sound to be heard.‖
(2 Chronicles 5:12, 13) This seems to mean that they were in tune and that there was
no discord. Percussion instruments included tambourines and sistrums, a kind of
musical rattle, as well as ―all sorts of instruments of juniper wood.‖ There were also
cymbals—small ones ―of melodious sound‖ and large ones called ―clashing
cymbals.‖ —2 Samuel 6:5; Psalm 150:5.
SOURCE: Hendin, David (2007)
Benefits of Learning to Play a Musical Instrument
August 2, 2018
Learning to play a musical instrument has so many benefits – whether it‘s
building your confidence, enhancing your memory or widening your social circle.
Here are the ten reasons you should consider taking up an instrument this year.
1. Playing an instrument makes you smarter
Einstein once said: ―Life without playing music is inconceivable to me. I
live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music… I get most joy in life out
of music‖. And as it turns out, Einstein was onto something: many studies show a
correlation between musical training and academic success, in both children and
adults. Learning to play an instrument stimulates the brain, improving functions like
memory and abstract reasoning skills, which are essential for math and science.
2. Your social life will improve
Playing an instrument isn‘t only good for your brain, it‘s also great for
expanding your social circle. Joining a musical group at any age encourages you to
develop relationships with new kinds of people. It also builds skills in leadership and
team-building, as well as showing you the rewards of working with others.
3. Playing an instrument relieves stress
Music keeps you calm. It has a unique effect on our emotions, and has
even been proven to lower heart rate and blood pressure. Psychologist Jane
Collingwood believes that slow classical music is often the most beneficial.
―Listening to music can have a tremendously relaxing effect on our minds and
bodies, especially slow, quiet classical music. This type of music can have a
beneficial effect on our physiological functions, slowing the pulse and heart rate,
lowering blood pressure, and decreasing the levels of stress hormones.‖
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4. Playing an instrument gives you a sense of achievement
Messed up your double-stopping in rehearsal, then totally nailed it at the
performance? Playing and succeeding at a musical instrument gives you a huge
sense of pride and achievement, especially when you manage to perfect a passage
you‘ve been struggling with for weeks.
5. It builds your confidence
Playing an instrument helps you get comfortable with self-expression. As
children begin to master their instrument, they will probably end up playing to a few
audiences, starting with their music teacher or parents, and branching out to groups
of other pupils and concert audiences. Playing in public can help children feel
confident in presenting their work in a non-academic context.
6. Practicing a musical instrument improves patience
OK, Franz Liszt wrote some insanely difficult music. But it‘s an important
lesson to learn that the more effort you put into something, the better the result will
be. Dawsons Music advises to ―give it a year‖ before you see big improvements in
ability and confidence. ―[Then,] you‘ll look back and be glad of those hard first few
months. Indeed, those first few months will forever be a badge of honor, saying you
stuck it out and earned your stripes. There are no shortcuts to learning an
instrument.‖
7. It helps improve your memory
Researchers have found that learning to play a musical instrument can
enhance verbal memory, spatial reasoning and literacy skills. Playing an instrument
makes you use both sides of your brain, which strengthens memory power.
8. It increases discipline and time management skills
Unless you‘re an out-of-this-world child prodigy, learning to play an
instrument isn‘t a skill you can master overnight. Learning music takes time and
effort, and helps children understand that if they want to be good at something, they‘ll
need to put in the hours and organize their time effectively.
9. Playing music makes you more creative
Practicing and perfecting a piece of music does wonders for the creative
side of your brain. No matter how much a composer annotates their composition,
they cannot fully express how a piece of music should be played. So it is up to the
player to put their own stamp on a piece, to inject some of their personality into the
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music.
10. Playing music is fun!
We can harp on about all the scientifically accurate benefits to learning a
musical instrument – but what matters most is that it‘s enjoyable for the player. While
other hobbies like watching TV or flicking through social media are passive, playing
music actively engages and stimulates the brain, making you feel happy and
occupied.
SOURCE: www.classicfm.com 2011
Music Preferences of Different Personalities
August 11, 2018
This article is based on our survey of over 4000 respondents who were
asked about their music preferences. The survey has revealed the outlooks different
personalities have on music – what we listen to, when we listen to it, and how we do
the listening.
Analysts
The music genres that Analyst personality types tend to appreciate more
than the other Roles – rock (80%), classical (76%), jazz (54%, tied with Diplomats),
punk (46%), and metal (44%) – also tend to be the ones that are most often
respected for the sheer technical expertise at work as much as for the more
emotional qualities of these songs. Not to say that other genres are lacking in
musicianship, but Analysts may nonetheless find these five forms particularly likely to
prize efficient, precise virtuosity for its own sake. After all, the only thing an Analyst
loves more than a good challenge is seeing that challenge bested through skill alone,
whether the challenge is a dazzlingly intricate guitar solo or an entire movement of a
tricky concerto.
In addition, Analysts were found to be the heaviest users of headphones
(59%) of all the Roles, a characteristic that may be due to Analysts‘ need to be ―in
their heads‖ as much as possible, shutting out the distractions of the outside world so
as to better focus on the problems circulating within. Analyst personalities also have
a tendency to feel like loners, and they may prefer listening privately rather than
justifying their tastes to an unwelcome audience.
As the Role with the most typical affinity for technology, it may be
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unsurprising that Analysts were the Role most likely to listen using a PC, laptop, or
tablet (42%), devices which are rarely far from most Analysts‘ reach. The utilitarian
appeal of a computer – useful for so many tasks outside of audio – may be more
important to an Analyst than any fidelity lost to inferior speakers.
Diplomats
The pronounced Feeling aspect of Diplomats may partially explain their
choice of music: blues (46%), soul (50%), world (49%), alternative (85%), and jazz
(54%, tied with Analysts), all genres that are often characterized by great emotional
intensity. Ambient (59%) music may also appeal to Diplomats‘ poetic nature. Aside
from passion, Diplomat personalities may also seek out these genres specifically for
their borderlessness, their resistance to being confined by arbitrary categorization.
Quantity alone may not necessarily be the most accurate measure of
appreciation, but nevertheless, the finding that Diplomats are the Role most likely to
listen to more than two hours of music every day (48%) may still be significant. At the
very least, this data may illustrate how readily Diplomats can become lost for
extended periods in the alternate realities that music can conjure into being.
The depths of the devotion that Diplomat personality types have to their
music may also be exemplified by the fact that they are the most likely Role to
embrace MP3 players (14%). Where some Roles may see music as an afterthought,
an added feature for their workstation or means of conveyance that is nice, but hardly
necessary, Diplomats may feel that having their own tunes close at hand is
absolutely vital. For a Diplomat, an MP3 player may take on almost talismanic
properties, adored as much for its form – and its symbolism – as its function.
Sentinels
Of the four Roles, Sentinels only came first in their appreciation of two
genres: country (43%) and religious music (40%). The strong sense of community
that characterizes Sentinel personality types – whose work ethic and desire for order
stems from their belief that life is fundamentally about maintaining the social fabric for
the good of all – may explain their affinity for these two forms, both of which often
contain messages in praise of service, whether to a higher power or to one‘s fellow
human being. The ambivalence that Sentinels tend to have for popular entertainment
– so much of which strikes them as a waste of valuable time – may also explain why
music must include at least a bit of didacticism to hold their attention for long.
Sentinels were also the Role least likely to listen to music for more than
two hours per day on average (32%), and most likely to listen for less than five
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minutes a day (5%) – however, when they do listen to music, Sentinels are the most
likely to use speakers rather than headphones (53%). Again, Sentinels may feel that
music is an extravagance that must be kept in moderation, and they may dislike
headphones due to their need to stay connected at all times with the people around
them, rather than shutting them out.
Finally, Sentinel personalities were significantly more likely than any other
Role to listen to music on a car stereo (13%). For many Sentinels, travel time may be
the only space that they truly feel comfortable allowing music into their lives, because
at any other time, music may be interpreted as a distraction from more pressing
matters.
Explorers
The genres that Explorers favor more than other Roles – namely,
electronica (68%), hip-hop (49%), pop (74%), and reggae (35%) – may most
frequently match the Explorer mood: energetic and in the moment. Whether it is a
fast-driving techno beat or a reggae groove, Explorers may look for music that is
more textural than intellectual, evoking an immediate, visceral response.
Immediacy may also be the reason behind Explorer personalities getting
highest scores for the TV (2%) and the smartphone (47%) as preferred devices, both
of which are tailor-made for snap decisions. An Explorer might have little patience for
the lengths some music lovers go to in order to curate a personal library –
researching, collecting, and categorizing all sounding like time better spent listening –
but an Explorer might be perfectly satisfied with the serendipity of the sounds
summoned forth by the flick of a remote or the tap of an app.
Conclusions
At times, the modern ubiquity of music can deafen us to the beauty of sound,
the often subtle interplay between voice and instrument communicating a feeling that no
other medium can quite match. Moreover, with limitless availability, we also have
limitless variety, a much-celebrated blessing that carries with it the curse of the ―tyranny
of choice,‖ the idea that, when faced with too many options, we become overwhelmed
with the number of variables at play, and end up choosing none of the above. Awash in
an ocean of music, our identities, so closely bound to our sonic preferences, may
sometimes feel in danger of being drowned out by the noise.
On the other hand, the songs that cut through this static may be cherished
all the more, and define us ever the more clearly, than if we had less of a surfeit at
our disposal. Rather than molding ourselves to fit a small selection of niches, we
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increasingly have the power to carve them out anew.
Still, just as two personality types may enjoy the same genre – or an artist,
or even a single song – for different reasons, it is important to remember that music
must not necessarily foster division and tribalism, though it can certainly be turned to
those ends. Music is a mode of communication, a means of bridging gaps in our
understanding when mere words fail.
SOURCE: NERIS Analytics Limited 2018
Pentecostal Church and Worship Music
August 11, 2018
Pentecostal churches are known for a distinctive style of praise and
worship that is often spontaneous and exuberant. Clapping, singing, shouting,
dancing, speaking in tongues and prophesying are all typical of Pentecostal worship
services. While Pentecostal congregations do sing and worship corporately,
individual worshipers are also encouraged to express their love and devotion to God
as their heart and the spirit of God move them.
Pentecostal Praise and Worship Music
From its inception, the Pentecostal movement has embraced
contemporary music in its praise and worship services. It is common for churches to
include a full band, complete with drums, guitars, horns and any other instrument that
musically inclined congregants play. The singing itself is often characterized by its
high energy and enthusiasm. While some Pentecostal church services include solo
and choir music, most Pentecostal singing is congregational, with a worship leader
directing musicians and congregation in singing.
Expressions of Praise and Worship
Pentecostal worshipers often clap, shout and raise their hands in praise. A
worship leader or pastor may ask the congregation to do any of these corporately at
times, but they are more often spontaneous expressions of the worshipers as they
are led by the Holy Spirit. Detractors criticize Pentecostal praise and worship as
disorderly and confusing, but Pentecostals are quick to point to Scripture verses that
encourage each of these expressions of praise and worship.
Dancing
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Dancing has been part of Pentecostal worship since the early days of the
movement. Pentecostals believe that both the Old and New Testaments include
examples of dance as worship.
Early Pentecostals generally encouraged worshipers to dance ―in the
Spirit,‖ meaning to dance as a spontaneous, unchoreographed act of worship when
led to do so by the Holy Spirit. Many Pentecostals still encourage dancing in the
Spirit.
In recent years, an increasing number of Pentecostal churches have
developed more formalized dance ministries. These dance ministries typically feature
trained dancers who choreograph their dances with the church‘s worship music.
Gifts of the Holy Spirit
It is common in Pentecostal church services for the gifts of the Spirit to be
manifested during times of praise and worship. Pentecostals believe that the Holy
Spirit gives gifts such as speaking in tongues, interpretation of those tongues, and
prophecy to the church. Usually, if someone is going to speak a prophecy or present
a message in tongues and interpretation during a Pentecostal church service, they do
so during the interludes between one praise song and the next.
Many Pentecostal pastors take the time to explain the gifts when they are
expressed during the church service. This is especially true of the gift of tongues,
which may seem unusual to those unfamiliar with Pentecostals‘ teachings on the
subject.
What Pentecostals Believe About Worship
For Pentecostals, an emphasis on worship is key to practicing the faith. As
such, it‘s important for members of the local church to not only devote themselves to
Christ in their daily lives, but to come together as a group to praise the Lord as a
community. Through this process, they believe that God will recognize their faith and
commitment, offering His blessings in return.
Another key aspect of the Pentecostal faith is the idea that a relationship
with Jesus is not merely a formal one, embodied through ritual and prayer, but a
deeply personal experience that is as real as any other relationship in your life. When
you head to your local church, you are participating in the type of worship that will
make Jesus a genuine presence in your life.
SOURCE(s): Pentecostal Beliefs & the Importance of Worship September 2016 –
College Hill, Cincinnati / Pentecostal Praise & Worship By Dell Markey ; Updated
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September 2017
The Sound of Silence
August 22, 2018
A study published in 2013 in the journal, Brain, Structure and Function,
used various types of noise and silence and monitored the effect the sound and
silence had on the brains of mice. The silence was intended to be the control in the
study, but what they found was surprising. The scientists discovered that when the
mice were exposed to two hours of complete silence per day they actually developed
new brain cells in the hippocampus, which is the region of the brain that is associated
with memory, emotion and learning new things.
The growth of new brain cells doesn‘t always mean improved health
benefits, but in this instance one of the researchers, ImkeKirste, says that these new
cells appeared to become functioning neurons. ―We saw that silence is really
helping the new generated cells to differentiate into neurons and integrate into the
system.‖So, basically this means that silence can actually grow your brain.
Another study from 2001 defined a ―default mode‖ of brain function that
showed that even when the brain was perceivably resting, it was still perpetually
active and internalizing and evaluating information. Follow up research found that this
default mode is also used in the process of self-reflection. In 2013, in Frontiers in
Human Neuroscience, Joseph Moran et al. wrote that the brain‘s default mode
network ―is observed most closely during the psychological task of reflecting on
one‘s personalities and characteristics (self-reflection), rather than during selfrecognition, thinking of the self-concept, or thinking about self-esteem, for example.‖
When the brain is in a resting state it is able to integrate internal and
external information into ―a conscious work space,‖ according to Moran and
colleagues.
In other words, when the mind is not distracted by noise or goal-oriented
tasks there lies, a quiet space that allows your conscious work space to process
things in a different manner. In these periods of silence your brain has the freedom
that it needs to realize its‘ place in your internal as well as external world.
As Herman Melville once wrote, ―All profound things and emotions of
things are preceded and attended by silence.‖
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Noise, at pretty much any levels cause stress and tension to the body,
silence releases tension in the brain and body. A study published in the journal, Heart
– discovered that just two minutes of silence can prove to be even more relaxing than
listening to ―relaxing‖ music, go figure.
The effect of noise pollution on our ability to perform a cognitive task has
been studied extensively. Noise can interfere with task performance at work and
school and can also be the cause for a decrease in motivation and an increase in the
making of errors. Cognitive functions that are most commonly affected by noise are
reading attention, memory and problem solving. You may be able to relate to this if
you‘ve ever tried to read or study and another person is blaring music or watching
T.V. close to you, it‘s almost impossible to concentrate.
Interestingly, a number of studies have also shown that children that live in
houses or go to schools which are near airports or under airplane flight paths,
railways, or highways have lower reading scores and are slower in their cognitive and
language skills.
The human body is a truly remarkable thing, and the brain – well, this is
beyond comprehension. In other words, it is beyond the brain to fully understand the
brain, how about that? It is possible for the brain to restore its finite cognitive
resources and according to the attention restoration theory, when you are in an
environment with lower levels of sensory input the brain can actually recover some of
its‘ cognitive abilities. When exposed to silence the brain can let down its‘ heightened
sensory guard and restore some of what has been lost through exposure to excess
noise.
SOURCE: Ketler, A. (2018) ―Collective Evolution‖
Music Psychology Research and Therapy with Autism
August 26, 2018
Music therapy is useful with children with autism, owing in part to the
nonverbal, non-threatening nature of the medium. Parallel music activities are
designed to support the objectives of the child, as observed by the therapist or as
indicated by a parent, teacher or other professional.
A music therapist might observe, for instance, the child‘s need to socially
interact with others. Musical games like passing a ball back and forth to music or
playing sticks and cymbals with another person might be used to foster this
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interaction. Eye contact might be encouraged with imitative clapping games, or with
activities that focus attention on an instrument played while positioning for eye
contact. Preferred music may be used contingently for a wide variety of cooperative
social behaviours, like sitting in a chair or staying with a group of other children in a
circle.
Music therapy is particularly effective in the development and remediation
of speech. The severe deficit in communication observed among children with autism
includes expressive speech which may be non-existent or impersonal. Speech can
range from complete mutism to grunts, cries, explosive shrieks, guttural sounds,
Nusic and humming. There may be musically intoned vocalizations with some
consonant-vowel combinations, a sophisticated babbling interspersed with vaguely
recognizable word-like sounds, or a seemingly foreign sounding jargon. Higher level
autistic speech may involve echolalia, delayed echolalia or pronominal reversal, while
some children may progress to appropriate phrases, sentences, and longer
sentences with non-expressive or monotonic speech. Since children with autism are
often mainstreamed into music classes in public schools, a music teacher may
experience the rewards of having a child with autism involved in musical activities
while assisting with language.
It has been noted time and again that children with autism show
sensitivities to music. Some have perfect pitch, while many have been noted to play
instruments with exceptional musicality. Music therapists traditionally work with
children with autism because of this responsiveness, which is adaptable to non-music
goals.
Since children with autism sometimes sing when they cannot speak,
music therapists and music educators can work systematically on speech through
vocal music activities. In the music classroom, songs with simple words, repetitive
phrases, and even repetitive nonsense syllables can assist the child‘s language.
Meaningful word phrases and songs presented with visual and tactile cues can
facilitate this process even further.
Music Psychology Research (2010), Angeles City, Philippines, aims to
update empirical data that is essential for music therapy. This group of academic
researchers are committed to ensure creative and dynamic approaches that utilizes
music in any form of therapy. The Advisory Board Members are academic
professionals contributing their specific expertise in both Psychology and Music.
SOURCE: © Autism Canada 2018 / Thurm, A. PhD and Swedo, S. MD (2012)
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Music and Romantic Relationships
August 30, 2018
How different tastes in music affect relationships
To a greater or lesser degree, musical taste can make an impact on
relationships. Music does wield a lot of power, for many engaging reasons.
Music provides information about the other person.
When a person tells you about his musical tastes, he tells you a lot about
himself. If a person you have just been introduced to says he likes classical music,
the next thought that comes to your mind might be ―Perhaps he can play an
instrument‖ or ―He must know at least a little about Beethoven.‖ If a person says he
likes Hip Hop music, your next thought might be, ―Maybe he likes dancing.‖
Music helps us get to know another person by letting us in on a little about
them. In this way, it is a valuable, interactive tool.
In a study by Peter Rentfrow and Sam Gosling published in the Journal of
Psychological science in 2006, college students getting to know each other through
the internet were more likely to ask about the other person‘s musical preferences
than other topics. The same study also found that such knowledge helped them to
predict the other person‘s personality and values.
People tend to like those who share their musical tastes.
We tend to develop a liking for the people who share our musical
preferences because of the common ground that is forged.
In a study by Diana Boer, Ronald Fischer, Micha Strack, Michael Bond,
Eva Lo, and Jason Lam published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin,
people really did prefer those who shared their musical interests. A group of heavy
metal and Hip Hop lovers were asked to evaluate the descriptions of people who had
similar, different or no stated musical preferences. They were also asked how similar
they thought these people were to themselves.
Not surprisingly, people tended to like a person better when they shared
similar musical tastes. These people also tended to have more similarities between
them.
Music is a symbol of identity.
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Music is a symbol of identity and a unifying force. Music definitely brings
two people together. A classic example is that of a couple identifying ―our song,‖
gelling because of the similar feelings that the song gives them.
Music can also be a source of irritation in relationships.
Just as it is a source of identity, music can also be a source of irritation.
People are irritated when they are forced to give in to another person‘s musical tastes
and listen to their musical choices.
Take a mother who is constantly asking her teenage son to ―turn the
volume down‖ when he listens to his favorite techno track, something his mother, a
die hard Beatles fan, has no inclination to listen to.
How understanding each other‘s taste in music helps in relationships
Knowing each other‘s musical tastes can be the fertilizer that helps the
flower of love to blossom. Such knowledge contributes to the growth of love in
several ways.
It opens up the doors to conversations.
Having similar interests or knowing the other party‘s musical interests and
therefore sometimes making allowances for them opens the doors to many
conversations. When you find little to ask the other party while out on a date, talk
about music and it is hard to go wrong.
It gives more date opportunities.
Knowing each other‘s musical tastes creates more excuses to go together
to a mall to get favorite CDs, or to the restaurant where that nice song was being
played. Music helps to create a date.
Emanates a positive aura
There is something about music that gives everyone a positive feeling.
While it brings back many positive memories, it arouses our nervous system and gets
us to be more productive and motivated. It encourages to take actions and maintains
a cheerful attitude.
It is an easy element to relate to.
Music is the easiest element for you and your partner to relate to. It is
universal and many people easily associate with it. So common is it to find crowds at
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concerts moved by the lyrics of a song. This is true for couples as
well. SOURCE: Liew, M. (2016) ―Paired Life: Relationships‖
Music Therapy in Depression and Anxiety
August 31, 2018
Traditional depression treatments like psychotherapy or medication might
work better for some patients when doctors add a dose of music therapy, a research
review suggests. Researchers examined data on 421 people who participated in nine
previously completed short-term experiments testing the benefits of music therapy on
its own or added to traditional interventions for depression. Overall, the analysis
found patients felt less depressed when music was added to their treatment regimen,
according to the analysis in the Cochrane Library.
Music therapy also appeared to help ease anxiety and improve functioning
in depressed individuals, and it appeared just as safe as traditional treatments. ―We
can now be more confident that music therapy in fact improves patients‘ symptoms
and functioning, and that this finding holds across a variety of settings, countries,
types of patients, and types of music therapy,‖ said senior study author Christian
Gold of Uni Research Health in Bergen, Norway.
More than 300 million people worldwide have depression, which is
projected to become the leading cause of disability by 2020, Gold and colleagues
write.
Music therapy can include passive approaches that involve listening,
active treatments that involve playing an instrument or singing or participating in a
musical performance, or some combination of these approaches. What sets therapy
apart from other musical endeavors is that it is typically led by a person with training
in counseling, psychology or treating depression. Even though music therapy has
long been used all over the world, research to date hasn‘t offered a clear picture of its
benefits, Gold said.
The last review of music therapy published by Cochrane in 2008 didn‘t
offer as much evidence of benefits, Gold said. A milestone study that came out in
2011 concluded that music could help but was only done in one country and left
many unanswered questions, he said.
―The present review update confirms these findings and broadens them,‖
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Gold said by email. ―We still think that more research is needed; however, we feel
that research on music therapy for depression can now turn to more specific
questions, such as comparing different types of therapy to each other.‖ Studies
included in the current review ranged in duration from six to 12 weeks. The smallest
study had just 14 participants, and the largest one included 79 people. The total
number of treatment sessions ranged from eight to 48, and the duration of sessions
varied from 20 minutes to two hours. Only one of the studies in the analysis
compared active versus passive music therapy, and it didn‘t find a difference in the
short-term severity of depression.
―The most important finding is that music therapy shows short-term
beneficial effects for people with depression when added on top of baseline
psychological or pharmacological treatment,‖ said Dr. GjinNdrepepa, a researcher at
Technical University in Munich, Germany, who wasn‘t involved in the study. How it
works isn‘t clear, Ndrepepa said by email.
But modern brain imaging studies have shown that music therapy
activates regions of the brain that are involved in regulating emotions. Joyful and sad
music can have different effects, too, Ndrepepa added. More research is still needed
to figure out what type of music therapy works best for specific patient situations,
Gold said. ―Until we have more specific research results comparing different music
therapies to each other, music therapy should be seen as one of a variety of options,‖
Gold said. ―It is important to have choices because no therapy works for everyone.‖
SOURCE: Rapaport, L. (2017) REUTERS Health News
Mozart Sonatas – Food for the Brain
September 8, 2018
Listening to Mozart can give your brain a boost, according to a new study.
People who heard the classical composer‘s music showed an increase in brain wave
activity linked to memory, understanding and problem-solving, researchers found.
However, no such increases were found after the group listened to
Beethoven, suggesting there is something specific about the effect of Mozart‘s music
on our minds, they said. The researchers, from Sapienza University of Rome, said:
‗These results may be representative of the fact that Mozart‘s music is able to
‗activate‘ neuronal cortical circuits (circuits of nerve cells in the brain) related to
attentive and cognitive functions.‘ The results were ‗not just a consequence of
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listening to music in general‘, they added.
For the study, which was published in the journal Consciousness and
Cognition, the researchers used EEG machines to record the electrical activity of the
participants‘ brains. The group was made up of 10 young healthy adults with an
average age of 33 (referred as the Adults), 10 healthy elderly adults with an average
age of 85 (known as the Elderly), and 10 elderly people with mild cognitive
impairment with an average age of 77 (referred to as MCI).
Recordings were made before and after they listened to ‗L‘allegro con
spirito‘ from the Sonata for Two Pianos in D Major K448 by Mozart, and before and
after they listened to Fur Elise by Beethoven.
‗The results of our study show an increase in the alpha power and MF
frequency index of background activity in both Adults and in the healthy elderly after
listening to Mozart‘s K448, a pattern of brain wave activity linked to intelligent
quotient (IQ), memory, cognition and (having an) open mind to problem solving. ‗No
changes in EEG activity were detected in both adults and in the elderly after listening
to Beethoven.
‗This result confirms that the observed EEG patterns are the result of the
influence of Mozart‘s sonata and not just a consequence of listening to music in
general.
‗The preliminary results allow us to hypothesize that Mozart‘s music is
able to ‗activate‘ neuronal cortical circuits related to attentive and cognitive functions
not only in young subjects, but also in the healthy elderly.‘
The researchers suggested that the rational and highly organized
arrangement of the sonata may ‗echo the organization of the cerebral cortex‘ (the
part of the brain responsible for high-level mental functions).
‗One of the distinctive features of Mozart‘s music is the frequent repetition
of the melodic line; this determines the virtual lack of ‗surprise‘ elements that may
distract the listener‘s attention from rational listening, where each element of
harmonic (and melodic) tension finds a resolution that confirms listeners‘
expectations,‘ they wrote. A previous study, published in 1993, found that listening to
K448 could also improve spatial reasoning skills for a short time afterwards.
SOURCE: Freeman, S. (2015)
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Music Therapy with the Elderly
September 17, 2018
We have all experienced music‘s ability to bring cheer, evoke memories of
the past, and provide comfort. For years, people have benefitted from music therapy,
which uses musical interventions to address physical, cognitive, and emotional
issues in people of all ages.
In many retirement communities, music therapy programs are offered to
help older adults deal with age-related problems such as general stress, depression,
chronic pain, and even memory impairment. Here‘s a closer look at some of the top
benefits of music therapy for seniors
Stress reduction
While small amounts of stress are a normal part of everyday life, some
older adults experience overwhelming stress and tension. Listening to music has
been found to help people deal with stress and anxiety by slowing high heart rates
and reducing levels of the stress hormone cortisol. In music therapy programs,
therapists may use songs with certain rhythms, themes, or lyrics to help people relax
and reduce stress.
Improve speech and cognitive skills
Music therapy is often used in memory care treatment to slow the decline
of speech skills in dementia patients. In some instances, music therapy can inspire
individuals who are nonverbal to communicate by singing or humming. Music therapy
may also improve cognitive ability in older adults. In a Stanford University study on
the effects of music therapy on older adults, researchers found that rhythmic music
stimulates certain areas of the brain to increases blood flow and improved seniors‘
performance on cognitive tests.
Increase social activity
Music is known to bring people together. In music therapy programs, older
adults are encouraged to communicate and connect with other members of their
group, often making new friends in the process. The social aspect of music therapy
helps seniors alleviate feelings of loneliness and isolation.
Inspire movement
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Playing music can motivate older adults to get moving, whether it‘s by
dancing, clapping, or even tapping their toes. Many music therapy programs use
drums or tambourines to encourage seniors to participate and make their own music.
In addition to providing music therapy programs for residents, some
retirement communities also host live musicians or plan excursions to local concerts
and performances. Whether it‘s by listening to therapeutic music, playing an
instrument, or singing along to a favorite tune, participating in music therapy can
have profound effects on older adults‘ mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing.
SOURCE: 2018 Graceworks Lutheran Services ―Bethany Blog‖
Music and the Corpus Callosum
September 22, 2018
Did you know that musicians have a bigger corpus callosum than nonmusicians?
The corpus callosum is the part of our brains that connects the right
hemisphere to the left. It allows both sides to communicate with each other, and is
responsible for eye movement and helping us maintain our balance. It also holds the
largest amount of white matter in the brain, which influences how our brains learn
and function. Researchers tell us that white matter (wherever it is housed, in the brain
or spinal column) is responsible for communication between nerve cells; thus, the
corpus callosum is the communicator for the brain.
Current research from Anita Collins suggests that when our students play
their instruments, they are working on their fine motor skills. Both parts of our brain
are responsible for these fine motor skills. Additionally, as the right side of the brain is
responsible for the creative process, while the left side is responsible for our linguistic
prowess, musicians use both of these hemispheres simultaneously when they create.
Consequently, musicians adapt to these challenges by creating a larger corpus
callosum, much the way an athlete would grow his or her muscles.
Taking music lessons can strengthen connections between the two
hemispheres of the brain in children, but only if they practice diligently, according to a
study reported here 14 April at the annual meeting of the Cognitive Neuroscience
Society. The findings add to a long-running debate about the effects of musical
training on the brain.
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In 1995, a study led by neurologist and neuroscientist Gottfried Schlaug
found that professional musicians who started playing before the age of 7 have an
unusually thick corpus callosum, the bundle of axons that serves as an information
superhighway between the left and right sides of the brain. Schlaug and colleagues
saw this as evidence that musical training can bolster neural connections, but
skeptics pointed to the possibility that the musicians had bigger corpora callosa to
begin with. Perhaps their neural wiring had enhanced their musical pursuits instead
of the other way around.
To investigate further, Schlaug, now at Harvard Medical School in Boston,
and colleagues including Marie Forgeard and Ellen Winner at Boston College,
studied 31 children. The researchers collected detailed magnetic resonance images
of the children‘s brains at age 6 and again at 9. Of the original group, six children
faithfully practiced at least 2.5 hours a week in the time between the scans. In these
budding musicians, a region of the corpus callosum that connects movementplanning regions on the two sides of the brain grew about 25% relative to the overall
size of the brain. Children who averaged only an hour or two of weekly practice and
those who dropped their instruments entirely showed no such growth. All of the
children practiced instruments, such as a piano or a violin, that required two hands.
According to Colin Van Hook, studies have shown differences between
several structures in the brains of professional level musicians and non-musicians.
Professional musicians form an ideal group to study changes in the human brain due
to the unique abilities required of them. Since many musicians begin training at a
young age, it is assumed that these differences are attributable to intense, early
experience brought on by the cognitive and motor demands of music training.
However, it remains to be seen whether these structural differences are due to
changes brought on by experience or preexisting ones which draw children to music
lessons. Using magnetic resonance images, I compared the size of the corpus
callosums in two groups of children who ranged between the ages of five and seven,
one just beginning music lessons and another not beginning music lessons. I also
compared the groups in terms of their performance on a finger tapping test for
differences in speed and accuracy. A second set of comparisons of callosal size was
conducted between nine-to-eleven- year-olds who had been taking music lessons for
at least a year and those who had not. Differences in the five-to-seven-year-olds
were seen in the anterior corpus callosum corrected for brain volume between the
musician and nonmusician groups. Differences in accuracy of finger tapping were
seen between the musicians and non musicians, as well as between those in the
musician group who had received less than sixteen or twenty-five weeks of training
versus those who had received less. These findings indicate that while musicians
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start out with at least one slightly larger measure of corpus callosum size, differences
in finger skill tend to develop slowly.
SOURCE/s: Collins, A. (2015) ―music and cognitive development‖ / Miller, G. (2008)
―Music Builds Bridges in the Brain‖
Synesthesia: How Music Looks Like
September 24, 2018
Learning to see sound. In March 2015, neurologists Jean-Michel Hupé
and Michel Dojat studied the brain scans of synesthetes and found no evidence of
any structural differences in their brains. ―If none of the proposed structural or
functional differences [claimed to exist in synesthesia are] confirmed,‖ they write,
according to Discover, ―this would speak against synesthesia being a neurological
condition. But, then, what could be the nature of synesthesia?‖
They proposed that synesthesia may be learned and arise from childhood
memories. A 2014 study performed by Olympia Colizoli of University of Amsterdam
supports this hypothesis to a certain extent. Colizoli trained a group of participants to
associate colors with specific letters to simulate a grapheme-color synesthesia (one
of the most common forms) by having participants read passages where specific
letters were colored. Another 2014 study from the University of Sussex reviewed a
1944 study in which researchers successfully taught listeners to create sound-color
synesthesia connections.
How exactly children learn sound-color synesthesia, and why some
children retain the ability and some don‘t, remains a mystery. But science is getting
closer to finding an answer, and if it does nail down the process, it could prove to be
a game changer for music education. In a February 2015 article for the Psychologist,
Jack Dutton looked at research that found that people with chromaesthesia are more
likely to engage with creative pursuits and play instruments, which would explain the
long list of artists with that specific neurological profile.
―These findings imply that if scientists are able to figure out a way to
teach people chromaesthesia, it may enhance how well people learn to read and
compose music,‖ Dutton wrote.
Scientists largely declined to study synesthesia until around the 1980s,
when MRIs suggested there was a legitimate neurological basis for the feeling. Early
research suggested that synesthesia was simply a case of crossed mental wires. The
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auditory cortex, where music and sound are first processed, is close to the occipital
lobe, where the brain distinguishes color and shape. Simultaneously triggered senses
are examples of the brain making excess neurological connections or failing to prune
existing connections. In fact, the brains of infant primates show evidence that their
senses are all a hyperconnective blend until a few weeks or months after birth. By
that logic, we all may be synesthetes until we grow out of it.
Neonatal theory has been criticized in recent years, though, as has all
research that frames synesthesia as a neurological disorder. Researchers out of the
University of London and the University of Oxford argued that the development of
adult synesthesia is ―better explained by their being learned‖ than by erroneously
pruned connections.
Disorder or eccentricity? For years, synesthesia has suffered the stigma of
being a mental ―disorder.‖ Throughout the years, many synesthetes remained silent
about their gifts. In some artists‘ cases, they feared it would invalidate their actual
musical talents.
SOURCE: Barnes, T. (2015) This Is What‘s Happening In the Brains of People Who
―See‖ Music
Music Therapy and Neuroplasticity
September 26, 2018
Neuroplasticity is the brain‘s ability to change over time with training. It
was once believed that at a certain age the brain stopped being able to change and
develop. We now know that the brain can continue to develop and change and make
new pathways and connections when certain areas are damaged.
Music therapy can assist the brain in re-organizing and creating new
neural pathways. In the linked article below, Dr. Elizabeth Stegemoller outlines the
ways in which music therapy can promote neuroplasticity in the brain. Music
therapists work with individuals with a variety of neurologic and physical challenges,
using the elements of music to make changes in the brain. Music is used to build
non-musical goals such as movement, speech, communication, receptive language,
and cognitive skills.
Neuroplasticity is the ability of the brain to change throughout a person‘s
life span as a consequence of sensory input, motor action, reward, or awareness.
American psychologist and physician William James first noted in the late 1800s that
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people‘s behaviors were not static over time, and not long after, Spanish
neuroscientist Santiago Ramón y Cajal suggested that behavioral changes had an
anatomical basis in the brain. It is now well accepted that neuroplasticity
encompasses changes on multiple levels, from individual synapses to entire cortical
networks.
Enjoyable music activates the reward network of the brain, including the
ventral tegmental area (VTA) and nucleus accumbens (NA). By pairing such
rewarding music with desired, nonmusic behaviors, music therapists may be tapping
into the brain‘s reward pathway.
The goal of music therapy is to elicit behavioral changes in a patient, and
these changes are likely underpinned by changes in the brain. Indeed, I argue that
three simple principles of neuroplasticity may explain how music therapy works.
The first has to do with the brain‘s reward circuitry. Research has
consistently shown that dopamine is a primary neurotransmitter involved in
neuroplasticity, and dopaminergic neurons in the reward network of the brain,
including the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and nucleus accumbens (NA), have been
implicated in cortical remodeling, reward-related learning, and hippocampal long-term
potentiation (the strengthening of synapses due to a long-lasting increase in signal
transmission between two neurons). And in the past few years, researchers have
demonstrated that, like food and drugs, enjoyable music activates these reward
networks. Thus, by pairing music with non-music-related behaviors, music therapists
may be tapping into the brain‘s reward pathway.
A second principle in neuroplasticity is the Hebbian theory, introduced in
the middle of the 20th century by Donald Hebb and summarized by neuroscientist
Siegrid Löwel of the University of Göttingen as ―Neurons that fire together, wire
together.‖ In other words, for two neurons to make a new connection or strengthen
an existing one, they must fire action potentials synchronously. Research has shown
that sensory stimuli can cause neural populations to fire synchronously. Rhythm, for
example, is an inherent feature of music that, in addition to linking diverse behaviors
to an external beat (a phenomenon known as entrainment), may also induce
synchrony in the neural networks underlying the behaviors.
Thus, by pairing music with activities such as movement, vocalization,
breathing, and heart rate, music therapists may be eliciting simultaneous firing of
neurons in brain areas involved in the control of those behaviors, strengthening
neuronal connectivity and leading to faster and more-permanent changes in their
patients.
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Conversely, researchers have shown that noise—disordered sound that is
meaningless and tends to be unpleasant—can have negative impacts on
neuroplasticity. Research in animal models has shown that exposure to noise can
induce stress and impair both cognition and memory by suppressing long-term
potentiation in the hippocampus.
Moreover, in rodent models, researchers have shown that embryos
exposed to noise experience changes in the auditory cortex, hippocampus, and
limbic system, and these changes may lead to decreased memory function and
anxiety. Exposure to music, on the other hand, can promote neuroplasticity. Longterm prenatal exposure to music improves spatial learning due to changes in
hippocampal function in rats. In human subject research, extensive music training
and experience also leads to brain changes in areas involved in auditory and motor
processing.
SOURCE: Miller, M. (2017) MT-BC / Stegemöller, E. (2017)
Worship Explosion 2018 „The Plug‟
September 27, 2018
This coming September 30, 2018 there will be a WORSHIP EXPLOSION with the
theme ‖THE PLUG‖. This will be held in Systems Plus College Foundation,
Balibago, Angeles City. PAMPAC Annual President, Irene Gabrielle M. Mungcal,
RPm says ―It started with a vision from previous officers of the organization to have
an event for the whole Pampanga. It was a plan made to awaken the true meaning of
worship for the young generation and to establish that, no matter what
you went through or going through, you can still worship God.‖
What once began as a simple catchphrase to attract people towards
Christian music has morphed into vague Christian-ese. We‘ve tossed the phrase
around without stopping to consider the meaning behind the words. The unintended
result is that music, one of God‘s gifts to aid us in worshiping, has for many become
an end in itself. The danger of overfamiliarity and of misusing biblical terms is that the
purity of our praise and worship actually ends up diluted.
Praise in the original Greek means to sing, to tell of, to give, or to confess.
In simpler terms, it means to be thankful for God‘s blessings, and to declare that
good news to God and to others.
Worship, in both the original Greek and Hebrew, convey the idea of: ―to
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prostrate oneself, to bow down, to fall face down, to pay homage and to pay respect.‖
In other words, worship is the highest form of honor and respect that we can show
towards God. While worship can be done in public, its main directive is very different
from praise. Worship is a direct conversation between you and God. It is highly
intimate and personal.
Praise and worship clearly go beyond something we do in church or at a
concert.
It is not just a title to be assigned to describe an activity. Rather it is a
complete way of life for one who follows Christ. Praise and worship are in fact to be the
foundation on which we live our lives. Without both, we can‘t possibly be effective at
being the hands and feet of God. To accomplish this, worship of God and of Him alone
must be a first priority at all times. Through our worship of Him and the intimacy that
comes through such worship, praise for Him will naturally flow from our actions and
words. In doing this our lives will be a true reflection of Christ, from the inside out.
Organizers: Pampanga Philippines Annual Conference United Methodist
Youth Fellowship in the Philippines
Objectives: To win souls for God and to regain the true meaning of
worship for the young generation
Brief History: It started with a vision from previous officers of the
organization to have an event for the whole Pampanga. It was a plan made to
awaken the true meaning of worship for the young generation and to establish that no
matter what you went through or going through you can still worship God.
Program Schedule: 2pm-7pm
Praise and Worship
Lecture: Broken Vess
Workshop: Leading in Brokenness
Praise and Worship
Lecture: Unconditional Father
Workshop: Metanoia Worship
What to expect in the event: Unlimited praise and deep lessons for
brokenness and heart break and worship satisfaction all for God
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SOURCE: Forster, D. (2018) ―The Life‖
Effects of Music Training and Therapy on Dyslexic Individuals
October 1, 2018
Using musical training for the remediation of dyslexia and language
disorders is based on both theoretical considerations and experimental results. If
there are common underlying processes between music and language, especially
between music perception and speech perception, one might assume that improving
some of the processes involved in the perception of music can also improve speech
perception and reading skills (e.g., Goswami et al., 2002; Patel, 2003, 2012; Kraus
and Chandrasekaran, 2010; Besson et al., 2011; Corrigall and Trainor, 2011). In one
of the first studies aimed at testing this hypothesis, Overy (2000, 2003) proposed a
series of music games gradually increasing in difficulty and focusing on pace and
―timing‖ skills to dyslexic children over a period of 15 weeks. Results showed
significant improvements, not in reading skills, but in two related areas: phonological
processing and spelling. More recently, Cogo-Moreira et al. (2012, 2013) reported
that musical training had positive effects on reading skills and educational
achievement in children and adolescents with dyslexia and Weiss et al. (2014)
showed that adult musician dyslexics performed better than non-musician normal
readers on various pitch interval discrimination tasks, finger rhythmic tapping, and
speech in noise perception tasks.
The importance of word metric structure and, specificially, rise-time
perception for speech processing has been stressed by Goswami et al. (2002). They
proposed that misalignments between neuronal excitability fluctuations in the auditory
regions and maximum amplitudes in the speech signal may be related to
phonological disabilities in children with dyslexia (Power et al., 2013). In line with this
view, Bishop-Liebler et al. (2014) recently reported that adult musician dyslexics were
better than non-musician dyslexics on various tests of temporal auditory processing
and specifically for processing temporal envelope and ―rise time.‖ In addition,
musician dyslexics outperformed their non-musician peers on reading scores and
also, to a lesser extent, on phonological awareness. Similarly, Flaugnacco et al.
(2014) showed that, among other rhythm production and perception tasks, the level
of performance on a metric perception task (i.e., perceiving changes in note duration
within recurrent series) specifically predicted both reading speed and accuracy as
well as phonological processing in Italian dyslexics. The authors concluded that their
results strongly encourage the use of music training in dyslexia rehabilitation, and
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specifically recommended to ―focus on rhythm rather than on pitch accuracy as is
often the case in classical music pedagogy.‖ This recommendation is in line with
recent work from the Kraus group (Slater et al., 2013), examining the effect of 1 year
musical training based on the perception of pitch, rhythm (tapping in synchrony with a
given tempo) and improvisation. The level of performance of 8 year-old children
considered ―at risk‖ for learning disability and who received this musical training
was significantly higher than matched controls in the synchrony tapping task. Going
one step further, Przybylski et al. (2013) examined the influence of rhym perception
on syntactic processing. They presented to language and reading impaired chidren a
rhythmic prime (a succesion of notes played either regularly or irregularly),
immediately followed by a spoken sentence that was syntactically correct or incorrect
(e.g., ―Laura has/have forgotten her violin‖). Results showed a clear superiority for
regular over irregular rhythmic primes on the chidren‘s performance in the syntactic
task. Based on these results, the authors proposed to use rhythmic stimulation in
remediation protocols designed for chidren with oral and written language
developmental disorders (see also Cason and Schön, 2012; Cason et al., 2015, for
similar results with prelingually deaf children).
Music training may provide an ideal tool for such a new perspective: it allows
considering each one of the multiple facets of dyslexia as a potential target to be
improved. In this respect, music training may be one of the most complete and rational
ways of treating dyslexia. Whatever the exact mechanism(s) subserving the observed
improvements, their occurrence after relatively short sessions of musical training opens
interesting avenues for future research as well as practical applications. First, our results
suggest that several cognitive functions, including reading but not only, may be improved
by adding a musical content to classical speech therapy and remediation of dyslexia. Our
view is that such training could usefully complement more classical methods, in particular
when they have been used extensively but children still need reeducation. Second, as
others have also noted (Heim et al., 2015), the improvement may depend upon two main
features of the CMT method; an intensive training and that this training is given
collectively to small groups of children. Finally, our results open new avenues for future
research. For instance, it would be of interest to include recording of electrophysiological
or neuroimaging data, to assess the brain changes underlying the observed
improvements. Also, direct comparisons with other remediation methods could provide
important additional understanding of the exact nature of the improved processes, for
example by comparing musical training to more specific attentional or phonological
training. Finally, testing the hypothesis of impaired connectivity in other
neurodevelopmental disorders such as dyscalculia (Srinivasan and Bhat, 2013) would
certainly contribute to enrich the ―The Dyslexia Debate‖ (Elliott and Grigorenko,
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2014).
SOURCE: Michel Habib, Chloé Lardy, Tristan Desiles, Céline Commeiras, Julie
Chobert, and Mireille Besson (2016) ―Music and Dyslexia: A New Musical Training
A Report on Social and Emotional Dynamics of Individuals with Musical
Intelligence and Musical Training
October 2, 2018
Music has been in its formal existence for so many years now and it has
also been utilized to enhance, relax and help man‘s meditation. This study focused
on how music can or may influence an individual. The researchers investigated and
described the influence of Howard Gardner‘s theory on Multiple Intelligence
(specifically, musical intelligence). The study is a qualitative investigation on the
respondent‘s social and emotional dynamics in relation to musical intelligence and
music training.
Howard Gardner‘s Multiple Intelligences
Howard Gardner theorized that there are multiple intelligences, and that
we all use one or two for the most effective learning. Our culture teaches, tests,
reinforces and rewards primarily two kinds of intelligence: verbal/linguistic and
logical/mathematical. His theory proposes that there are at least eight other kinds of
intelligence that are equally important. They are ―languages‖ that most people
speak, and that cut through cultural, educational, and ability differences.
The mind is not comprised of a single representation or a single language
of representations. Rather, we harbor numerous internal representations in our
minds. Some scholars speak of ―modules of mind,‖ some of a ‖society of mind,‖
and in this case it is ‖multiple intelligences.‖ Gardner‘s intelligences include:
Verbal Linguistic intelligence (sensitive to the meaning and order of words
as in a poet): Use activities that involve hearing, listening, impromptu or formal
speaking, tongue twisters, humor, oral or silent reading, documentation, creative
writing, spelling, journal, poetry.
Logical-mathematical intelligence (able to handle chains of reasoning and
recognize patterns and orders as in a scientist): Use activities that involve abstract
symbols/formulas, outlining, graphic organizers, numeric sequences, calculation,
deciphering codes, problem solving.
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Musical intelligence (sensitive to pitch, melody, rhythm, and tone as in a
composer): Use activities that involve audio tape, music recitals, singing on key,
whistling, humming, environmental sounds, percussion vibrations, rhythmic patterns,
music composition, tonal patterns.
Spatial intelligence (perceive the world accurately and try to re-create or
transform aspects of that world as in a sculptor or airplane pilot): Use activities that
involve art, pictures, sculpture, drawings, doodling, mind mapping, patterns/designs,
color schemes, active imagination, imagery, block building.
Bodily Kinesthetic intelligence (able to use the body skillfully and handle
objects adroitly, as in an athlete or dancer): Use activities that involve role playing,
physical gestures, drama, inventing, ball passing, sports games, physical exercise,
body language, dancing.
Interpersonal intelligence (understand people and relationship as in a
salesman or teacher) and think by bouncing ideas off of each other (socializes who
are people smart): Use activities that involve group projects, division of labor, sensing
others‘ motives, receiving/giving feedback, collaboration skills.
Intrapersonal intelligence (possess access to one‘s emotional life as a
means to understand oneself and others exhibited by individuals with accurate views
of themselves): Use activities that involve emotional processing, silent reflection
methods, thinking strategies, concentration skills, higher order reasoning,
―centering‖ practices, meta-cognitive techniques.
Naturalist (connected to the intricacies and subtleties in nature such as
Charles Darwin and Meriwether Lewis of Lewis and Clark fame): Use activities that
involve bringing the outdoors into the class, relating to the natural world, charting,
mapping changes, observing wildlife, keeping journals or logs.
The study aimed to determine any significant changes or developments
among the students‗ personality, social and emotional dynamics such as social
relations, social interactions, social perceptions, social behavior, social identity,
expression of emotions, emotional perceptions, moods, attitudes, self – esteem, self
– confidence, and self – identity that may be attributed to musical intelligence. It is a
pilot survey in this particular area.
This study can be used as a basis for future studies about musical
intelligence and musical training either at an early age or during adolescence period.
It limits itself in just describing the social and emotional dynamics that musical
intelligence or musical training‘s influence in their personal lives.
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The study did not experiment, compare or evaluate any particular group of
individuals but instead, investigated and described the social and emotional
dynamics of selected college student participants. It is considered as a qualitative
study that entailed multiple case studies.
The method of sampling was purposive sampling. The instrument used
was a semi-structured open ended questionnaire. The participants were given
enough time to answer the questions. They were instructed that there were no wrong
or right answers and the answers must be based on their personal experience since
childhood to present.
After answering the questions there was a brief discussion about their
experiences in music and how they were influenced by it. Their thoughts and views
about music as they grew up were also discussed briefly. This served as a more in
depth analysis of a participant in the case study.
The results of the study concluded the following:
A. SELF CONFIDENCE INFLUENCED BY MUSICAL INTELLIGENCE
Based on the results of the study all of the participants accepted that there
was an increase in their self-confidence because of musical intelligence and/or music
training. This may be attributed to public performances since they are all performing
artists. The researchers may infer that the more public performances these
individuals render, the higher the confidence level and comfortable they become as
the time goes on.
Another aspect is the satisfaction of learning an instrument or just even
learning how to sing. This achievement may also be a factor on why their selfconfidence increased. Just like an artist (painter, sculptor or poet) with their accepted
artworks.
Appreciation and approval because of their performances can also be a
factor. If an individual is praised or admired because of their talent, this may have a
positive effect in their personality. A term called Positive Reinforcement is a very
good example of this.
B. COMMUNICATION IN RELATION WITH MUSICAL INTELLIGENCE
OR MUSIC TRAINING
In music training, communication is the key to all teacher student
relationship. There should be an established rapport between both. In a group, such
as a band, choir or any group of musicians that perform, communication is also vital
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for a successful performance. Synchronization of the group is also a key to a
successful performance and this requires communication and good relationships
between the individuals.
As we all know, even in family members, communication should be a
foundation to a good relationship. This also applies to group of musicians as they
perform in public.
As it was mentioned before, because of praise, acceptance and
admiration, even non-musicians are very eager to speak and share ideas with the
performers as they praise the performance perse. This may be a factor that would
establish an increase in communication skills with individuals with musical
intelligence or music training.
C. PERCEPTION IN LIFE DUE TO MUSIC
Music has always been used for relaxation, prayer, meditation for many
years now. This may have paved the way to developing the personality of an
individual, the perspective in life, optimism, and even self-healing and understanding
of the beauty of the world.
Many leaders have an in-depth appreciation for music. This indicates that
music may influence them in some way or another. Leaders have listened to music
and have appreciated it for a long time now. Some leaders have used music to plan,
organize and evaluate situations.
Not to mention the great minds of Einstein, Mozart, Beethoven, Bach and
even military leaders have been influenced by music.
D. INVOLVEMENT IN MUSIC
Based on the results 63% percent chose to be involved in music. This
indicates that more than half of the participants wanted to be involved in music. The
researchers accept that there should be more studies and research conducted in
order to infer that many of our youth, specially the adolescents are interested and
should be involved in music training for holistic education.
E. MUSIC TRAINING
Many Psychologist and researchers have claimed that music training at an
early age may enhance cognitive development and augment intelligence. Gardner‘s
Multiple Intelligence therapy has influenced educators, social scientists, researchers
and psychologists.
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This coincides with a recent article from Amy Spray (2018). According to
Spray (2018), musical training has shown to lead to improvements in a wide variety
of different skills, including memory and spatial learning for example. In addition,
language skills such as verbal memory, literacy and verbal intelligence have been
shown to strongly benefit from musical training.
Musicians are also more adept at processing speech in environments
where there are large amounts of background noise, possess a greater propensity for
processing auditory signals that are in some way degraded and show an advantage
over their musically naive counterparts when it comes to pitch detection in both music
and language. Recent advances in technologies have also allowed researchers to
probe into the neural (functional, structural and electrophysiological) underpinnings of
these adaptations.
Music could potentially function as a training ground for language skills
and may potentially offer an effective, economical and enjoyable activity that could
help improve language skills in children around the world if employed in schools.
Giving adolescents musical training could help kick-start and accelerate maturation of
their brains.
These advantages may also have potential to provide enhancements to a
wider range of skills, such as the learning of a second language. The study suggests
that musical training could help prolong the window of time in which the brain is
developing and is able to deal with complex auditory input, which in turn could make
second language learning more achievable to people who otherwise may struggle.
It is important to note however, that although musical training was shown
to produce benefits for the phonological awareness language tasks, for the other two
tests of phonological memory and rapid naming, no difference between the two
groups of adolescents was found. This suggests that although musical training does
have the potential to enhance some forms of language skills, there are areas that it
does not improve.
REFERENCES:
Pelayo, J. M. G. III (2013) Social and Emotional Dynamics of College Students with
Musical Intelligence and Musical Training: A Multiple Case Study – Education
Resources Information Center (ERIC)
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Soaking Music: A Deeper Musical Experience
October 4, 2018
The term ―soaking‖ is simply a way of describing the posture of our heart
(and often our body) during worship. It is a time of stillness and quiet reflection upon
the Lord where we can commune with Him and enjoy His Presence. If you stop
focusing on all the instruments, the singing, the words of the songs, the worship
leader‘s exhortation and simply focus on intimacy with Jesus; that is soaking. It is
where the music washes over you and your heart finds rest in worship. During times
of soaking, our emphasis is on simply ―being‖. People often meditate on scripture or
journal; but it is all from a posture of stillness before the Lord.
Moreover, ―Soaking Music‖ otherwise known as Soaking Prayer music or
Soaking Worship music, is a subgenre of Christian Music, and is commonly used to
denote songs that are used during contemplative prayer in prayer houses and other
―soaking‖ Christian meetings. The description broadly encompasses any Christian
music that is conducive to these types of gatherings.
The purpose of Soaking Music is ―setting aside of oneself to focus and
meditate on God for renewal of strength and peace‖
It is a relatively new genre on the Christian music scene. Popularized by
the recent upsurgence of local prayer houses, it has developed to incorporate some
typical characteristics such as spontaneous singing, free praise, and instrumental
sections. Often spontaneous in nature, the style somewhat resembles the feel of
Easy Listening. It explores Christian themes, often focusing on the attributes of Jesus
Christ and His achievements. Defining features include an unstructured approach
with plenty of space and a relaxing mood. Simple and melodic lines are used with a
strong presence of repetition. Sudden changes or upbeat, driving rhythms are often
avoided.
Soaking music is not prevalent in a vast majority of Christian churches,
whose services consist more of contemporary Christian music and praise and
worship.
The key is where your focus is. On the things of God or on things of this
world. Bible reading and prayer are not enough. We must take time alone with Him,
not asking for anything but more of Him, more of His fullness, more of His Presence
in our everyday lives. God releases power through us as we dwell in intimacy with
Him. The natural outworking of His Presence is miracles.
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During soaking times, we position ourselves to receive impressions,
nudges, quiet whispers, pictures, angelic visitations, and supernatural revelations.
Here is a partial list of what to expect:
Dreams (Job 33:14-16; Genesis 28:10-16)
Visions (Daniel 7:1-3,9; Acts 16:9-10)
Trances (Acts 10:9-17, 11:5)
Out of body experiences (2 Corinthians 12:2-4)
Angelic visitations (Luke 1:57,11-17; Acts 12:7-10)
Being transported in the Spirit (Acts 8:39-40)
In its‘ most basic form, soaking is the practice of finding a quiet place to
spend time with Yahweh, emptying your mind of all distraction and attempting to get
into contact with the Ruach.
SOURCE: Watson, R. (2018) ―Soaking Worship Music‖ / Kleint, K. (2015) ―Soaking
vs. Quiet Time‖
Effects of Music on Cell Viability and Cell Mobility
October 8, 2018
Although music is part of virtually all cultures in the world, little is known
about how it affects us. Since the beginning of this century several studies suggested
that the response to music, and to sound in general, is complex and might not be
exclusively due to emotion, given that cell types other than auditory hair cells can
also directly react to audible sound. The present study was designed to better
understand the direct effects of acoustic vibrations, in the form of music, in human
cells in culture. Our results suggest that the mechanisms of cell growth arrest and/or
cell death induced by acoustic vibrations are similar for auditory and non- auditory
cells.
Despite being an integral part of virtually all cultures in the world, little is
known about how music affects us. A number of studies suggest that music may be
useful in medical care, alleviating stress and nociception in patients undergoing
surgical procedures, as well as in cancer and burned patients but the mechanisms by
which these effects occur are still unidentified. It is commonly accepted that the
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effects of music are secondary to emotional responses, but Møller and Pedersen
affirmed that vibrotactile sensations and a feeling of pressure might also occur in the
chest and throat while hearing sounds.
Since the beginning of this century several studies suggested that the
response to music, and to sound in general, is complex and might not be exclusively
due to emotion, given that cell types other than auditory hair cells can also directly
react to audible sound. For example, it has been shown that sound wave stimulation
makes significant changes to protein structure of tobacco cells, producing an
increase in α helix and a decrease in β turn; also, sound stimulation produced effects
on the cell cycle of Chrysanthemum and in the callus growth of Dendranthema
morifolium. More recently, it was demonstrated that the tonal sounds of 1 kHz and
5 kHz promoted the growth of Escherichia coli.
When considering mammalian cells, an increase in corticosterone serum
levels after environmental noise exposure and a long-term reduction of proliferating
cells in the hippocampal of noise exposed rats were observed, suggesting that
exposure to chronic environmental noise at young ages produces persistent
impairment to nonauditory cells, altering cell proliferation in the hippocampal
formation. It has also been shown that a frequency of 261 Hz was able to alter the
growth of human gingival fibroblasts in culture and recently we showed that music
(and not only pure frequencies) can lead to several effects in human cells in culture,
altering cell cycle, proliferation, viability, and binding of hormone. Since music is a
summation of several sound frequencies, and since sound is indeed a mechanical
vibration, which can cause mechanical stress, it seems not odd that music can cause
direct effects in mammalian cells. The present report was thus designed to better
understand the direct effects of acoustic vibrations in the form of music in human
cells in culture.
In a previous study, it showed that music could act directly on MCF-7, a
human breast cancer cell line, altering cell cycle, proliferation, and viability. In the present
report we extend our studies, trying to understand such effects and evaluating whether
they could be observed in other cell types. Interestingly, although we tested four cell
lines, we noticed that only the breast cancer cell line MBA-MD-231 reacted to music and
that such reaction was different from that previously observed for MCF-7 cells. Possible
explanations for this fact could be that the human erythroleukemia cell lines, being from
blood origin, retain characteristics that help them to cope with mechanical stress. The
same argument may be plausible for MDCK cells: being from distal nephron origin, they
are familiar with mechanical stress due to tubular flow. Therefore, it is possible that the
absence of response of these cell lines was related to their origins. This hypothesis takes
into account that in vitro direct
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effects of music in non-auditory cells are related to mechanical stress, which is
reasonable, since music is, after all, a mechanical vibration, which can cause
mechanical stress. However, at present it is not possible to say whether such stress
occurs externally (in the culture medium), inside cells themselves or both.
It was observed that the two breast cancer cell lines reacted to music in
different ways. While Mozart‘s composition did not alter cell viability of MCF-7 cells, it
led MDA-MD-231 to apoptosis. Moreover, the speaker alone was able to significantly
reduce MDA-MD-231 viability, while it had no effect on MCF-7 cells. Moreover, the
compositions of Beethoven and Mozart inhibited MDA-MB-231 migration, without
altering cell viability. These results suggest that the cellular response to music, and
perhaps to sound in general, is dependent not only on the nature of the sound, but
also on intrinsic characteristics of the cellular type. Since this is the second report
about the direct effects of music in nonauditory cells in culture, more studies are
needed to achieve comprehension of these phenomena.
SOURCE: Lestard, N. and Capella, M. (2016) Evidence Based Complement Alternative
Medicine. 2016; 2016: 6849473.
Music and Politics: The Voice of the People
October 11, 2018
The very nature of politics is, like music, rooted in conflict and harmony.
The heart of music is the interplay of the physical and the mental, as the compromise
between them forms a cohesive whole. Compromise is also the heart of the political
process, trying to find common ground and consensus solutions to problems of
society through open communication. Both seek to inspire their targets, and both
have made great use of the other to advance their ideas. With a hotly contested
election on the way this November, we thought it would be a fine time to examine the
way music and politics have become strangely entwined.
The relationship between music and politics has existed for centuries,
sometimes harmoniously, and other times not as much. Historical records are full of
examples of songs that laud the achievements of nations, dating all the way back to
ancient Egypt. On the other hand, however, songwriters have turned to their craft
when confronted with social and political unjustness, and give birth to songs that
seek to shine a light on the perceived inequities of the day. From protest songs to
voter campaigns, campaign rallies to musical endorsements and musicians
campaigning, there‘s been no shortage of love between music and politics.
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Music is a great way to create a bond between people and make them act
as one. It is also the unofficial voice of resistance. An intriguing case study is
provided by Peter Wicke, who argues that rock musicians in East Germany were the
catalysts for collapse of the East German regime. He states that government‘s
repression of rock turned it into a resistance, which was more or less impossible to
control (Street, 2003). A local example from Turkey, a protest rock group named
―Grup Yorum‖ had released countless recordings which created conflictions with
government, and often resulted in group members ending up in jail. All of these
happened because of the group‘s political stand, but these events made them the #1
protest group in Turkey. In addition, Woodstock music festival was the biggest event
of its time, showing youth‘s resistance to government, while uniting the general young
population. Bennett stated that Woodstock ‘69 is remembered as much for its
―bringing together‖ of counter – cultural generation, as for the music performed. The
festival was a milestone for the political use of music and it opened the way for
events (Williams, 2009). Woodstock ‘69 festival spread to the world the concepts like
free love, civil rights and anti – war stance. Just like this, summer of 1967 was called
―Summer of Love‖, due to the events going on in that summer, as freedom or anti –
war thoughts, similar to Woodstock. Music was one of the main parts of these events,
it helped to re – shape the community, united youth and resisted to the existing
reactionary thoughts. Music created a better way of living for us, starting from these
events.
For many times, music was used to inform the society about various issues.
Soul music in 1930s demonstrated the hardships of anguished Afro – Americans. Folk
singer Woodie Guthrie wrote many songs about the lives of black people, especially in
rural areas, where black people were used as slaves. An example for this, is the song ―I
Ain‘t Going to Be Treated Like This Way‖. His outspoken lyrics caused him to be labeled
―un – American‖, but his work informed the US society and influenced many artists to
follow his way (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum, 2012). There are also much more
peaceful attempts, just as the ―USA for Africa‖. Many famous artists including Michael
Jackson, Bruce Springsteen etc. founded this group and recorded ―We Are The World‖.
It made the community aware and raised millions of dollars to stop the growing famine in
Africa. Some artists wrote a song called ―Sun City‖, criticizing the Apartheid in South
Africa. Bob Geldof can be considered as the father of charity concerts, such as Live Aid,
which was also started for the poor living standards in Africa. These concerts raised
hundreds of millions and created conscious in society, while giving immeasurable
pleasure to its audience.
In conclusion, political use of music is being done by the governments,
protest groups, literally every single group in every society. Music is a reflection of
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people, and the political issues at a certain time, as seen in the examples that were
mentioned. Music brings support to various causes. Plus, it connects people and
opens a way for a better future, also raising money and consciousness in societies. It
is being said that music is irrelevant with politics, but people define themselves with
music and search for same political views in artists, as written here in examples. All
these points emphasize that music is an effective political tool, and the political use of
music should be done strongly and continuously.
SOURCE: Thomson, R. (2016) ―Live for Live Music‖
Music‟s Influence on the Autonomic Nervous System
October 11, 2018
Music listening is one of the most pleasurable experiences for the human
being (Dube and Le Bel, 2003). Music can be defined as the organization of the tone
over the time. By mean of the exposure to musical pieces in everyday life, listeners
acquire sensitivity to the regularities of the tonal system (Tillmann, 2005). This
knowledge creates expectancy in the listeners, with experience of tension, suspense
or relaxation, when the rules are confirmed, or violated (Meyer, 2008; Ockelford,
2008). Activations to pleasant and unpleasant musical stimuli were observed within
an extensive neuronal network of limbic and paralimbic brain structures. Activations
in the ventral striatum, anterior superior insula, and in Rolandic operculum were
observed in healthy subjects, during the listening of pleasant music (Koelsch et al.,
2006). Moreover, inferior frontolateral cortex, ventrolateral premotor cortex, and
anterior part of the superior temporal gyrus were found active in the processing of
musical syntax, whereas the processing of musical semantics appears to activate
posterior temporal regions (Koelsch, 2005).
Some studies also evidenced a correlation between autonomic activity
(modulation of the High frequency component recorded by Heart Rate Variability),
and emotion evoked by musical listening (Iwanaga et al., 2005; Orini et al., 2010).
The emotions felt by the listening to music were described as linked to the
musical structures (Juslin and Sloboda, 2010). The parameters, defined as Formal
Complexity and General Dynamics, provide informations about the relationship
between musical structures and emotions (Imberty, 1976). Imberty defines Formal
Complexity and General Dynamics, combining musical variables (as note duration,
metric interval, density of notes per time unit, loudness, accents, syncopation and
other characteristics of melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic structures) associating them
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to the emotion induced by the music (Imberty, 1976, 1997). In particular, the General
Dynamics is defined as the number per time unit of notes played and their relative
intensity, while the Formal Complexity as the intrinsic homogeneity of the musical
structures (i.e., melodic recorsivity, rhythmic structure, dissonance etc;
Previous studies (based on the analysis of the first 300 heartbeats
recorded) have been designed to verify the possibility to classify positive or negative
emotions elicited by different musical stimuli selected for their General Dynamics and
Formal Complexity (Riganello et al., 2008), and their possible emotional effect in
VS/UWS patients (Riganello et al., 2010a). The aim of this study was to verify the
influence of the musical stimuli complexity on the autonomic responses in VS/UWS
patients, by the HRV nuLF and SampEn parameters analysis during the listening of
the first 3 min of the selected musical samples. The two musical samples (Boccherini
and Mussorgsky; Riganello et al., 2010a) have been compared by the nuLF and
SampEn parameters, taking in account the possible different effect observed in the
VS/UWS patients. The hypothesis is that music with high Formal Complexity and
General Dynamics reduces the autonomic response in VS/UWS patients.
The experience of music listening is based on the idea that the music
represents and induces emotions, which are, respectively, perceived and felt by
listeners, although these two aspects may not coincide (Gabrielsson, 2002). The
association of different psychological mechanisms, associated to the physiological
correlates of the music listening, were suggested (Harrer and Harrer, 1968). Several
modes of music listening were described as associated to conscious (e.g., structural
analytic, associative oriented. ect.) or unconscious (e.g., associative emotional,
motor-kinetic, etc.) listening (Rauhe, 1975; Rösing, 1985; Behne, 1986). As reported,
the music internal structure plays a primary role in the induction of emotions, and
rhythmic aspects are considered the major determinants of physiological responses
(Gomez and Danuser, 2007). More, the tonal variation was correlated to the
psychophysiological happy/sad distinction (Khalfa et al., 2008).
It was shown that the applications of music in medicine can be used to
stabilize vital signs and manage symptoms in the short-term (Hanser, 2014). The
listening of classical music and of rock music or noise were related to a small
variance or an increase/decrease of Mayer Wave components and Respiratory Sinus
Arrhythmia components, respectively (Umemura and Honda, 1998). Relaxation and
music therapy have been found effective modalities to reduce stress and anxiety in
patients of a coronary care unit (Zimmerman et al., 1988; Guzzetta, 1989; Hanser,
2014). Music therapy enhanced parasympathetic activities and decreased
Congestive Heart Failure by reducing plasma cytokine and catecholamine levels
(Okada et al., 2009).
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SOURCE: Francesco Riganello,* Maria D. Cortese, Francesco Arcuri, Maria Quintieri,
and Giuliano Dolce (2015)
Implementing Music Therapy on Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
October 21, 2018
Music holds a ubiquitous role in our society (McDermott & Houser, 2005)
and the creation and consumption of music represents a universal human activity
(Rentfrow & Gosling, 2003). Of note, the role of group music making as an
evolutionary advantage has long been considered and questioned (Darwin, 1859).
Specifically, acoustic synchronization likely served as a mechanism to enhance
likelihood of reproductive success (Cross, 2009) and as a way to communicate, build
cohesion, and foster cooperation with others (McDermott & Houser, 2005;
Disanayake, 2009).
There is a long and rich tradition of using music to cultivate resilience and
facilitate healing in the wake of violence and oppression. Songs and chanted hymns
often accompanied physical labor endured by American slaves to coordinate
movement and boost resolve to complete arduous tasks (Gregory, 1997). The
introduction of communal music-making activities to adolescent groups in postapartheid South Africa led to self-reported reduction of anxiety, stress, and fear in the
wake of community violence (Pavlicevic, 1999). These historical accounts of healing
with music are complimented by research demonstrating that emotional responses to
music are neurally mediated, such that listening to music activates brain structures
involved in reward, pleasure, and emotional processing (e.g. insula, ventral medial
prefrontal cortex, ventral striatum, amygdala, hippocampus; Koelsch 2009). Further,
group music making has been shown to help solidify an individual‘s sense of identity
within their perceived social group (Gregory, 1997). More recently, trauma
researchers and clinicians have been promoting the use of alternative and less
verbally-intensive treatment modalities for trauma survivors involving body movement
and creative arts (e.g. Garrido, Baker, Davidson, Moore, & Wasserman, 2015; Van
der Kolk, 2014; Van Westrhenen & Fritz, 2014).
Music therapy has been employed as a therapeutic intervention to
facilitate healing across a variety of clinical populations. There is theoretical and
empirical evidence to suggest that individuals with trauma exposure and
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a condition characterized by enduring
symptoms of distressing memory intrusions, avoidance, emotional disturbance, and
hyper-arousal, may derive benefits from music therapy. The current narrative review
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describes the practice of music therapy and presents a theoretically-informed
assessment and model of music therapy as a tool for addressing symptoms of PTSD.
The review also presents key empirical studies that support the theoretical
assessment. Social, cognitive, and neurobiological mechanisms (e.g., community
building, emotion regulation, increased pleasure, anxiety reduction) that promote
music therapy‘s efficacy as an adjunctive treatment for individuals with posttraumatic
stress are discussed. It is concluded that music therapy may be a useful therapeutic
tool to reduce symptoms and improve functioning among individuals with trauma
exposure and PTSD, though more rigorous empirical study is required. In addition,
music therapy may help foster resilience and engage individuals who struggle with
stigma associated with seeking professional help. Practical recommendations for
incorporating music therapy into clinical practice are offered along with several
suggestions for future research.
Emotional responses to music correlate with physiological functioning, a
response that has been measured by changes in the sympathetic (Iwanaga &
Tsukamoto, 1997) and parasympathetic nervous systems (Krumhansl, 1997), and by
changes in neural activity (Panksepp, 1997). Studies have also shown that music
activates changes in the mesolimbic dopaminergic system, an area of the brain that
mediates the experience of pleasure, reward, and arousal (Goldstein, 1980;
Swanson, 1982; Wise, 2004). Indeed, fMRI neuroimaging studies have found that
music increases the cerebral blood flow to areas of the brain associated with reward
and reinforcement of pleasurable behaviors (e.g., nucleus accumbens and ventral
tegmental area; Goldstein, 1980; Menon & Levitin, 2005; Swanson, 1982; Wise,
2004).
Accordingly, negative feelings such as anger, guilt, shame, fear, and
anxiety may be addressed by music‘s ability to activate reward pathways in the brain
and suppress the release of stress hormones (Chanda & Levitin, 2013; Cepeda,
2006, Thayer & Levenson, 1983). Music may also help those with anhedonia or
muted emotional experiences, as it can access neural pathways to emotion
previously down-regulated in response to the index trauma (DeNora, 2002;
Saarikallio & Erkkila, 2007).
Music can increase the release of endorphins to the brain, boosting
positive feelings while reducing fear, self-awareness, and sadness, improving one‘s
overall emotional state (Chanda & Levitin, 2013; McNeil, 1995). The sense of
community and group cohesion fostered in group music therapy can reduce feelings
of isolation and estrangement (McNeil, 1995). Indeed, while threat of social rejection
has been shown to activate neural ―alarms‖ (e.g. the amygdala), cues that indicate
safety, group care, integration, and support activate areas of the brain affiliated with
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reward (e.g. ventromedial prefrontal cortex and posterior cingulate cortex) and
increase the production of stress reducing hormones (e.g. oxytocin and endogenous
opioids; Eisenberger & Cole, 2012). Studies have also shown that engagement with
music is correlated with increased self-esteem and the reduction of feelings of
worthlessness, particularly in younger populations (Haines, 1989).
SOURCE: Landis-Shack, N., Heinz, A. and Bonn-Miller, M. (2017) ―Music Therapy for
Posttraumatic Stress in Adults: A Theoretical Review‖
Music and Holism: An Experimental Phenomenon
October 21, 2018
As soon as you consider the consequences of a Holistic World, the
possibilities as compared with the usual strictly Pluralist standpoint actually explode
dramatically into a host of new possibilities – not only into myriads of previously
unconsidered alternatives, but also into the effects of sliding amounts of different
components in all compound entities and processes, but crucially, in addition, into
also including both rich joint interference patterns, and, in gradually varying mixes of
different components, even how they produced consequent combined, mutually
affecting, and sometimes, significantly, wholly unpredictable results.
Mere quantity changes are expanded into changing qualities, and even
the emergent production of the wholly new. The traditional pluralist approach cannot
deal with such in any meaningful way: we just have to accept them and find
pragmatic ways of including them.
Only the holistic approach admits there is more than mere complication in
the emergence of the new, and it isn‘t a purely continuous process: sometimes it
requires a major dissolution to even make possible a new direction of developments.
And as, distinct from the old conceptions causality can act in both directions = from
the old to the new, and from the new to the old. What is actually possible leaves the
usual assumed combinations of fixed entities and eternal Laws well behind, on the
foreshores of the Pluralist World: the majority of the vast oceans of the Holist World
remain to be explored!
After centuries of pluralistic structures in Music, particularly in the West,
the forms began to ―break the rules‖, though in a remarkable way still using
instruments actually constructed to deliver the old pluralist scales. Yet, certain
stringed instruments, without-frets, did allow portamento – sliding between ―legal
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notes‖. And, an increasing awareness of Oriental music, (particularly that of India)
revealed a much richer sonic world, with instruments expressly designed to make
portamento an integral part of the artistic expression.
But in the 1960s the musical experimenters using tape loops and early
electronic musical instruments, such as those used by Terry Riley with his ―In C‖,
also extended the variations to a much wider set of changes, initially at least, NOT
totally under the control of the players.
Like the fractal mathematicians watching their constructions, produced by
algorithms on computers, generated ever more unpredictable forms, so the
musicians did likewise with combined cyclic sounds and very slowly indeed reflected
another aspect of Reality.
And, in Physics, the French physicist Yves Couder, focused primarily upon
the properties of liquid media, devised analogistic experiments at the macro level,
using a liquid substrate, and absolutely nothing else, to produce persisting entities
called Walkers, which began to reveal qualities analogous to those occurring at the
Sub Atomic level, including quantized orbits.
The Holist approach is much closer to natural Reality than Plurality,
especially when phenomena occur in a Universal effectible and affecting Substrate.
And, by far the most controllable discipline involving its propagation and receipt via a
medium is MUSIC.
And, it has the property of being directly receivable by the senses of
human beings, especially those with a musical bent. This enables not only the
discovery of the wholly new, but when the very instruments of production are directly
under the investigators hands, variations can be made to listen to examples explored
with immediate and direct feedback.
SOURCE: Music and Holism (2018) ―A Gateway to the full Richness of Reality?‖
Music Selectivity in Neurons
October 25, 2018
MIT made news by locating a neural pathway activated by music and
music alone. McDermott and his colleagues played a total of 165 commonly heard
natural sounds to ten subjects willing to be rolled into an fMRI machine to listen to the
piped-in sounds. The sounds included a man speaking, a songbird, a car horn, a
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flushing toilet, and a dog barking. None sparked the same population of neurons as
music.
Their discovery that certain neurons have ―music selectivity‖ stirs
questions about the role of music in human life. Why do our brains contain musicselective neurons? Could some evolutionary purpose have led to neurons devoted to
music? McDermott says the study can‘t answer such questions. But he is excited by
the fact that it shows music has a unique biological effect. ―We presume those
neurons are doing something in relation to the analysis of music that allows you to
extract structure, following melodies or rhythms, or maybe extract emotion,‖ he says.
When it comes to understanding subtle neurological activity, brain scans
are more like magnifying glasses than microscopes. fMRI scans highlight activity in
specific regions of the brain, but each data point corresponds to hundreds of
thousands of brain cells. Until recently, scientists didn‘t have a way to disentangle the
behavior of smaller groups of neurons. Even if music and language seemed to
activate the same regions of the brain, no one knew if they activated the same cells.
The MIT team adopted a new technique to break down the fMRI data.
They tried to explain the response to each of the distinct sounds at each point in the
brain as a sum of a small number of canonical responses, each potentially
corresponding to a different population of neurons. It was a little like zooming in on a
photograph until pixels appear, and then finding a way to separate each pixel into
even smaller components.
The results challenge a persistent claim that the brain processes music
and language in the same way. ―You have different neural circuitry that‘s involved in
music and language,‖ says McDermott. ―There doesn‘t seem to be a whole lot of
overlap.‖ Could music be its own form of communication? ―To the extent that music
functions for communication, it‘s quite different from language in that it doesn‘t
denote specific, concrete things in the world, like something you would say,‖ he says.
―But it obviously expresses something, typically something emotional.‖
McDermott says his research ―doesn‘t really speak to any kind of social
activity.‖ It locates music-selective neurons in an area anterior to the primary auditory
cortex. ―Beyond the anatomical location,‖ he adds, ―we don‘t really know anything
more.‖ Yet McDermott, whose field of study is hearing, and not necessarily music,
would love to know the role and purpose of musical circuitry in the brain.
―It‘s pretty clear that music has a biological basis,‖ he says. ―The evidence
is that music is a universal phenomenon. It doesn‘t seem to be a purely cultural
convention in the way that movies are. In pretty much every culture we know of, no
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matter their state of development or technological advancement, there‘s always
something you see and recognize as music. That seems to suggest that there‘s
something in the human brain that causes groups of humans to engage in musical
behavior.‖
SOURCE: Gross, D. (2018) ―Your Brain‘s Music Circuit Has Been Discovered‖
Sonata for Two Pianos in D major (K448) and Epilepsy
December 14, 2018
A study carried out by scientists in Edinburgh found that the Austrian
composer‘s Sonata for Two Pianos in D major (K448) greatly reduced the frequency
of epileptic activity in the brain. No effect was found when other music was played to
children.
Around one in 240 children under the age of 16 in the UK have epilepsy.
But in around 20-40% of cases, drug treatment does not adequately control seizures.
The study showed that Mozart‘s K448 decreased epileptic activity during EEG tests –
a recording of brain activity – in children.
―There is great potential to further investigate this effect and the possible
use of music as a therapy for epilepsy in children, as well as adults,‖ the researchers
concluded.
―Given the large proportion of people suffering from epilepsy refractory
(resistant) to the current medical treatment and the financial burden of anti-epileptic
medication in our society, a new therapy would be welcomed.‖
The study involved 45 patients aged two to 18, who were all undergoing
EEG tests at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh. The participants
listened to five minutes of the first movement of the Sonata for Two Pianos in D
Major.
The researchers, from Edinburgh University, said ―a significant
reduction‖ in epileptic activity was found in the children when listening to Mozart –
which was not present during the other ―control‖ music. The findings, which have
been published in the journal Seizure, add to the debate over the ―Mozart effect‖, a
term coined in 1993 when research found students who listened to Mozart K448 for
10-15 minutes performed better in certain ―spatial reasoning‖ tasks, such as paper
cutting and folding.
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Since then, small studies have been carried out looking at the effects of
Mozart on epilepsy, with most focusing on Mozart‘s K448, although one paper found
similar effects with another Mozart sonata K545. There is a rare form of epilepsy
called musicogenic, where seizures can be induced by listening to, or even just
thinking about or dreaming of, music. Chantal Spittles, of charity Epilepsy Action,
said: ―It is encouraging to hear this latest study has found beneficial effects on
children with epilepsy. ―We look forward to seeing how this study translates into
positive change for children with drug-resistant epilepsy.‖
SOURCE: Duffy, J. (2018) Study finds that listening to the sonatas of Mozart can ease
epileptic seizures
Updates on the associations between music education,
intelligence and spelling ability
December 18, 2018
Reading and spelling performance was tested with the Salzburger Leseund Rechtschreibtest (SLRT; Landerl, Wimmer, & Moser, 1997). The SLRT is an
individually given test assessing reading accuracy and reading speed for three word
and two non-word reading subtests as well as spelling performance with regard to
different types of spelling errors. Musical education has a beneficial effect on higher
cognitive functions, but questions arise whether associations between music lessons
and cognitive abilities are specific to a domain or general. Active music performance
relies on a demanding action-perception-loop calling for long periods of focused
attention on dynamic visual, auditory, and motor signals. Given this extra training of
high-level cognitive skills in children who learn to play an instrument, it can be asked
whether making music enhances children‘s performance in domains other than
music.
Moreover, there seems to be a link between musical training and
language abilities since musical training in childhood influences the development of
auditory processing in the cortex (Fujioka, Ross, Kakigi, Pantev, & Trainor, 2006;
Moreno & Besson, 2006). There is evidence that musical training is linked to
language related aspects such as pitch processing (Moreno et al., 2009; Schön,
Magne, & Besson, 2004; Wong, Skoe, Russo, Dees, & Kraus, 2007), speech prosody
(Thompson, Schellenberg, & Husain, 2004), verbal memory (Chan, Ho, & Cheung,
1998; Ho, Cheung, & Chan, 2003; Jakobson, Cuddy, & Kilgour, 2003; Kilgour,
Jakobson, & Cuddy, 2000). Additionally, musical aptitude was found to correlate with
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second language acquisition (Slevc & Miyake, 2006). Furthermore, associations of
musical training and reading performance have been demonstrated in a normal
population (Barwick, Valentine, West, & Wilding, 1989; Butzlaff, 2000; Lamb &
Gregory, 1993) as well as in dyslexics (Overy, 2003).
It is no longer the question whether or not musical training is associated
with higher cognitive abilities, because there is growing evidence that it is. An
unresolved issue however, is the nature and specificity of the link (Schellenberg &
Peretz, 2008). It has been proposed that all specific relations observed so far can be
explained by a carry-over effect of the relation between musical training and general
abilities as measured by IQ (Schellenberg & Peretz, 2008). Indeed, such a
dependency was always found in Schellenberg‘s studies. Most of the previous
studies showing a relation between musical training and specific abilities, such as
language performance, did not measure general abilities. Therefore these studies
could not report on the dependency of both.
However, no differences were found in a prospective study investigating 6year old children between a group of 16 control children and 15 children who had
weekly private keyboard lessons for 15 months (Hyde et al., 2009). Nevertheless, the
authors were able to show near-transfer effects (motor and auditory skills) as well as
structural brain changes for the keyboard group.
Lastly, parents were asked if any family member is playing an instrument.
We expect that boys who play an instrument differ from boys that do not play an
instrument. The existence of family members who play instruments allows to control
for any unspecific differences, such as the family value of playing an instrument, or
the minimum family income to allow for financing an instrument and lessons.
SOURCE: Katrin Hille, 1 Kilian Gust, 1 Urlich Bitz, 1 and Thomas Kammer 2 Advances
in Cognitive Psychology (2011)
Music, Sex and Orgasm
December 18, 2018
There is a reason why music and sex go so well together, and it actually
has a lot to do with science. Neuropsychologist Dr. Rhonda Freeman says that music
is likely to affect three regions of the brain — the reward or pleasure system, the
social affiliation or bonding system, and the limbic system (which processes
emotions).
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When triggered, the reward system, for example, involves dopamine and
endogenous opioids. Dr. Freeman explains, ―Dopamine is a neurotransmitter linked
with desire, wanting, craving, motivation, or anticipation of someone or something —
in this instance, of our intimate partner. And endogenous opioids are the hedonic
response, which includes pleasure and enjoyment.
―Those systems not only allow the pleasurable experience of sex to be
amplified with music, but they also allow music to deepen your connection with your
partner while subduing negative emotions,‖ she explains, and that has a lot to do with
oxytocin.
Here‘s how else music affects your brain when you‘re being intimate with
your partner.
According to a study done by Sonos, the smart speaker system, 67
percent of couples that listen to music out loud together report having more sex than
couples who don‘t listen to music together. The reason is that when you listen to
music out loud, your neurons (nerve cells that transmit information throughout the
body) begin operating at the same rate as your partner‘s, which releases oxytocin
(the love hormone). Oxytocin is also responsible for feelings of trust so, naturally,
things become more intimate between you and your partner when there‘s music on in
the bedroom.
However overdone it is on the big screen, Hollywood might actually have
the right of at least one of those things being the key to awesome sex. It turns out
that music is actually a radical way to get yourself in the mood for love, increase your
dopamine levels, revive a waning sex drive, and, according to researchers, even give
you a rocking ―skin orgasm.‖ There‘s no doubt that certain songs trigger the urge to
get romantic in people. In Britain, a survey to determine the songs that people were
most likely to associate with sex determined that Marvin Gaye‘s ―Let‘s Get It On‖
was at the top of the charts, followed by Rihanna‘s ―Skin‖ and even Lil Wayne‘s
―Lollipop‖. These were the songs that people most used to ―set the mood.‖
Tenor
Just about everyone has their preferred type of music to have sex to, and
some people even have specific songs that get them ready. There‘s no denying that
music‘s influence and the inextricable tie to sex are well known, but just why does it
affect us this way?
Well, it turns out there are lots of reasons.
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When we listen to music, it can help fire up some dopamine — the
pleasure hormone — and get us happy. However, this same hormone is also
released during sex, which means that our brains are essentially getting amped on
the same drug, which means that we come to associate sex with music.
Another reason is that when we listen to music and get this increase in
dopamine, we also start to associate it with whoever we‘re with, which can evoke
emotional feelings directly correlated to that person. If the relationship is a romantic
one, then the songs that you listened to together also become inexorably tied to love,
romance, and yes, sex. Songs can literally ―pump us up,‖ empower us and get our
primal drives going. Neuroscientists have said that ―virtually all people‖ respond
more to a lower-pitched beat than they do to something higher, which is why most
pop music doesn‘t cut it in the bedroom. Anything with bass is quite soothing to our
ears and can get your heart rate going and alter your mood.
Imgur
Of course, this low tone can also cause quite a lot of vibrations, which
people find… rather pleasing, for obvious reasons. Some people even have a
physical response when they listen to music that produces a reaction similar to
orgasm — trembling, sweating, arousal, increased heart rate— which is, in effect,
your skin ―orgasming‖ to the music and the dopamine you‘re experiencing. Music
has a powerful, primal connection in our heads, and can literally change the way that
we‘re feeling, what we‘re thinking about, or get us into a particular mindset. It‘s a
wonderful experience that shouldn‘t be taken for granted, so if you have a specific
―sexy time‖ song that you love to play, then don‘t be afraid to use it and light some
candles, no matter how cliché it might seem, because it really does work.
SOURCE: Lyons,B. (2018) Listening To Music During Sex Has These 3 Effects On
Your Body & Brain / Najjar, M. (2017) Listening To Music During Sex Gives You Better
Orgasms
Deaf People and Music
December 19, 2018
One of the most beautiful things in this world is music. Music is
everywhere we go and a big important part of our lives. Most of us cannot go an
entire day without hearing some form of music or another. However, for the people
who are born or become deaf, it is very different. The sounds of music and all of the
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tunes that come from it, are non-existent.
But are they really? What if they are not and deaf people can actually feel
the music? The reality is that a lot of people often wonder if those whom are deafmute can hear music? Moreover, how do deaf people learn about music at all? And if
they can learn it, are they able to enjoy it? These are some of the many questions
that those of us who can hear may take for granted or not even think about. Yet for
people who spend so much time each day listening to music, it must be something to
ponder.
Research And Studies On The Deaf
Throughout history, it was widely believed that those who were completely
hearing impaired could not hear music. But after many studies and research, there is
a lot of evidence to the contrary. A few years ago, Doctor Dean Shibata, MD,
performed a study on the the hearing impaired. The research was done at the
University of Rochester School of Medicine in New York City. During his research, he
found that in there is a part of our brain that is used for hearing. The study found that
deaf people are actually able to sense those vibrations in that same part of the brain.
More than 10 students who had hearing loss from birth were used in the
experiment. They were then compared to 11 other people with normal hearing. Using
a pipe, all of the students were asked to see if they could detect the vibrations.
Simultaneously, brain scans were performed on them to detect if any signals were
being transmitted to the brain. The scans were able to pick up the activity and the
deaf people felt the vibrations. That same part of the brain we all use for hearing,
picked up the music signals via vibes and pulses for those that were deaf.
Feel The Music
A vast majority of people who study music or instruments are often told by
their teachers, to feel the music. Truth is that the tenet of ‗feeling the music‘ is one
that anyone who wants to play, sing or write about music is told to do. The belief is
that you can only truly love something unless you are able to genuinely feel it. That
concept has taken on a new meaning when it comes to the hearing impaired. For
them, feeling the music is an actual reality.
One of the biggest and greatest examples of this comes from Beethoven.
He was a preeminent composer and one of the greatest of all time. However, towards
the end of his life, Beethoven actually ended up deaf. Although he did have the
advantage of once being able to hear music early on his life, he still ended up having
to use vibrations at the end. It was through those vibrations when he played the
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piano, that he was able to continue to compose music.
Music Hits Our Core
It may be true that those who are hearing impaired probably won‘t be able
to fully enjoy music in the same manner that those who hear it can. Nonetheless, the
deaf are still able to feel and enjoy the rhythm of the music via vibrations. To a deaf
person, being able to feel the vibes and pulses which music generates, equates to
actual sounds. In the end, our brain processes it in the same part. That part of our
brain is what lets us know to appreciate and enjoy not only what we hear, but what
we feel.
SOURCE: 2018 The Ambient Mixer Blog
Relationship between Music, Movement and Mood
December 23, 2018
Music moves us, both literally and figuratively. The relationship between
music, movement and mood is so fundamental that they‘re often described by the
same set of words in many languages: we sway to ―heart-wrenching‖ ballads; sprint
to ―angry‖ rock n‘ roll. The ability to enjoy music across modalities seems to be a
unique yet ubiquitous human trait; across the globe people describe intense pleasure
from listening to music, grooving to music, exercising to music. What lies at the core
of this abstract euphoria? What is it about our perception that allows us to experience
all three in unison?
Appraising a musical ―high‖
Regardless of what emotions a musical piece conveys, listening to music
in and of itself is undeniably pleasurable. Unlike food or sex, music is not intrinsically
valuable to the humankind; regardless of what Shakespeare may have lead you to
believe, moonlight serenades are not required for survival of our species. Yet, how is
music – something so intangible, so ―useless‖- capable of triggering such profound
feelings of euphoria across cultures and generations since prehistoric times?
A few years ago, in an attempt to unravel the mystery, researchers from
Montreal monitored the brain‘s reward system of volunteers as they listened to music
that gave them the ―chills‖. To visualize changes in the brain, researchers injected
the volunteers with a radioactive ligand that binds to receptors of dopamine, a
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neurotransmitter that mediates the pleasurable effects of natural and drug rewards.
As music gradually built up, edging closer and closer to the climax, dopamine flooded
the right caudate nucleus, correlating with the listener‘s experience of anticipation. At
the moment of the ―chills‖, dopamine rushed out from the synapses of neurons in
the right nucleus accumbens (NAc). This intangible mental ―high‖ accompanied a
measurable physical response – increased heart rate and sweating, rapid breathing,
and a drop in skin temperature – all physical signs of emotional arousal.
It seems rather clear-cut that music feels good because it triggers a
dopamine rush. Yet the story, like most of science, is not so simple. Dopamine is
released during presentation of the reward, or (as learning occurs) in anticipation of
reward. For a familiar piece of music, the theory fits our understanding of pleasure –
we squirm at the edge of our seats, anticipating the chills; but how can dopamine
release explain our appreciation for previously unheard music?
The researchers painstakingly screened 126 participants before recruiting
19 people who shared similar musical preferences. This ensured that the same
sample clips could be used as stimuli. Then came the hunt for appropriate songs –
and it was no easy feat. The songs had to fit two criteria: they have to be ―good
enough‖ to entice the participants to buy some of them with their own money; they
also had to be unfamiliar to all 19 participants. After putting music recommendation
sites (Pandora and Last.fm) to good use, researchers further perfected their music
list by consulting local music scores and music blogs; 60 songs were finally chosen.
To monitor changes in the volunteer‘s brains as they listened to the
samplers, researchers used fMRI, which measures activity through local changes in
blood flow. When volunteers encountered a song that they desired, their right NAc lit
up (just like in the previous study); the more they were willing to pay for a song, the
stronger the activity. The NAc is often associated with ―positive‖ surprise, that is, it
activates when you encounter something more rewarding than you originally
anticipated.
At the same time, functional connectivity increased between the NAc and
brain regions involved in emotional processing and value-guided decision-making,
showing that the brain is keeping track of and constantly reappraising new music as it
plays. Finally, desirable songs increased connectivity between the NAc and auditory
brain areas; the relationship was so strong that the degree of increase could predict
the level of desirability for a certain individual.
Together, these results suggest that the NAc responds not only to familiar
and pleasurable songs, but also to new songs that ―fit‖ our taste for music. Based on
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our previous experiences with enjoyable music, we form an understanding of the
types of music structures we prefer and generate models of what ―good‖ songs
sound like. When we listen to something new, our brain tracks the song and matches
it to these internal musical templates – if the song surprises us in an enjoyable way,
the reward circuit responds by encoding a sense of pleasure; if not, we experience
distaste.
It‘s a beautiful theory, though still in its infancy. How do we first generate
musical templates? How do some songs, neutral or unpleasant when first
encountered, manage to grow on us with time? How is music so variable cross
cultures, yet universally loved at the same time?
Music and movement: synesthesia through emotion
One theory proposes that our cognitive connection to music evolved from
a more ancient skill – the ability to express emotion through movements. While
seemingly unrelated on the surface, music and physical motion share many
spatiotemporal characteristics – speed, rhythm, smoothness – that engage the same
brain circuits, particularly ones involved in time-keeping, learning of sequences and
motion perception.
In one clever experiment, researchers asked college students to try to
express a given emotion by either creating a melody or an animation of a ball bouncing
on a computer program. Students had the freedom to adjust five different slider bars,
each representing a unique component of the music or movement. The basic qualities
were rate, step size and direction. For the melody, these parameters controlled notes per
minute, frequency of notes and the rise and fall of pitch; for the animation, they
determined how fast and high the ball bounced and the tilt of the ball (―looking‖ up or
down). To spice things up, researchers created two additional factors: jitter allowed
students to inject unpredictability into their creation, while smoothness added
―spikiness‖ to the rhythm of the bouncing ball or dissonance to the melody.
After ample time to familiarize themselves with the program, the students
fiddled patiently with the bars until they found the perfect representation for five
emotions: angry, happy, peaceful, sad, and scared. Incredibly, regardless of which
particular emotion represented, both music and movement groups moved the bars
into essentially the same general scheme. That is, while the absolute position of the
bars differed between groups for each emotion, positions representing ―angry‖ in
music was always more similar to those of ―angry‖ in movement, as compared to
bars representing ―happy‖. Remember, the students were free to construct their
interpretation of something as abstract as emotion, using two different brain modules
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– yet the result was highly similar! These data tease us with a tantalizing idea, that
music and movement tickles our brain in comparable ways.
If this phenomenon relied on innate brain organization, it should apply to
everyone, regardless of cultural influence. Yet music and dance often blossom from a
strong cultural foundation, entwined with traditional rituals and ceremonies. Would
these results survive across cultures?
In search of an answer, researchers took their experiment to L‘ak, a rural
village in a sparsely populated province in northeastern Cambodia. Isolated from
global influence until the 1990s, the Kreungs, an ethic group in L‘ak, boasts a vibrant
tribal culture of music and dance. Although unable to completely escape from partial
modernization, the Kreungs nevertheless remained relatively na?ve to western
culture. The difference in musical expression is especially vast. The Kruengs have no
concept of tuning, timbre, scale or any standardization that lies at the heart of
western music. Their instruments, such as the single-stringed mem, also generate a
different repertoire of sounds – instead of single clear-cut notes, the mem produces
sounds similar to that of buzzing insects.
As most Kruengs are text- and computer- illiterate, researcher made
several small adjustments to make the task easier: instead of word labels, they used
pictures as prompt; they also swapped the computer mouse with real sliders.
However, due to the infinite ways to place these sliders, many villagers froze in
indecision. To make the task easier, researchers decided to limit each slider to three
positions – ―low‖, ―medium‖ and ―high‖.
The results were staggering. Despite enormous cultural differences, the
villagers positioned the sliders for ―happy‖, ―sad‖ and ―scared‖ in more or less
the same way as the college students, for both music and animation creations. When
researchers grouped data for music and movement together, representations of all
but one emotion matched. The one outlier was (surprisingly) ―angry‖, which was
more similar to the ―scared‖ prototype constructed with US data. Nevertheless, the
two negative emotions still shared individual characteristics, such as fast and
downward-directed.
Thus, music and movement share a common structure that the brain
processes to express emotions in a similar way. This dynamic coupling seems to be
universal, at least for most of the emotions tested, inviting speculations of an
evolutionary origin. Perhaps humans first learned to extract emotion through
movement (Grok raised his fist – he‘s angry); the same areas that process
emotionally-relevant changes in rhythm and speed were later recycled for detecting
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changes in sound, speech, and finally music. Thus, the brain creates a musicmovement-emotion triad that is fundamentally inseparable due to their shared neural
circuits.
Some evidence supports this nascent theory. Think about the many times
you unconsciously bobbed your head, tapped your fingers or matched your steps to a
tune. When we groove to the beat, our auditory and motor brain areas synchronize to
produce a type of propagating brain wave called beta-oscillations, which parallels an
intense feeling of enjoyment.
Science is only starting to uncover the ancient marriage between music,
movement and mood. It‘s a tough area of research, fraught with messy data and
difficult interpretations. Yet all this emerging evidence is painting the beginnings of a
beautiful picture: at one point during eons of evolution, our brain gained the ability to
appraise and deeply value rhythmic strings of notes; hence forth, our emotions and
movements became forever entwined with music.
In the past, our ancestors may have used the power of music in rituals to
promote bonding within communities. In the future, as we increase our understanding
in the evolution and neuroscience of music, its psychological powers may potentially
be harnessed as therapy for those with behavioural and psychiatric disorders. Such
research is under way.
SOURCE: Fan, Shelly (2013) ―The Ancient Marriage between Music,
Movement and Mood‖
What Does Honeymoon Really Mean? With or without Music
December 27, 2018
Ah, wedding season. The middle of the year is a popular time to tie the
knot, but after it‘s all over, the newly married couple needs a little time to relax. Enter
the honeymoon.
These days honeymoon can be a noun that describes the post-wedding
vacation or an adjective used to describe the place where the newlyweds sleep
during their vacation, as in the honeymoon suite.
But, what does honeymoon really mean?
The word derives from the Old English hony moone. Hony refers to the
new marriage‘s sweetness, as well as a reference to the European custom of giving
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newlyweds enough mead, ―an alcoholic liquor made by fermenting honey and
water,‖ to last a month. That would keep many a couple happy.
Moon refers to how long that sweetness might probably last, or from the
changing aspect of the moon—from full to waning. In French, the equivalent word is lune
de miel. The German version is flitterwhochen, from flitter, which means ―tinsel.‖ Not
exactly the type of positive thinking a couples counselor would recommend, is it?
Of course, it‘s now customary to toast the new couple. But does toast, as
in cooked bread, have anything to do with clinking glasses together? It actually does.
Originally, a toast was raised to the health of a beautiful or popular woman. The
notion was that her name would figuratively flavor or strengthen the drink. And drinks,
way back, were actually flavored with spiced toast. As for the ceremonious clinking of
glasses, the custom is said to have evolved from fears of poisoning. The idea was
that the liquid would spill from glass to glass. It is also believed that the roots of the
custom are related to the offering of sacrificial libations to the gods.
These days it‘s not just all for the toast—a little liquid helps wash down all
that delicious wedding cake, a term that dates back to 1648. Fun fact: wedding cake
is also used to describe a style of architecture in which buildings have distinct tiers.
Go ahead and throw the music on before you start having sex if you want,
but know you are taking some incredibly real risks in your hands. There‘s the
possibility of finding, midway through ―Body Party,‖ that you‘ve been thrusting to the
beat for three minutes and aren‘t actually paying attention to your partner. There
could be a particularly sick key change that‘s better than the sex you‘re having and
distracts you both from what you‘re doing. There‘s the keen awareness that you only
sexed for 1.5 songs, and that‘s way less than the hour you used to spend really
getting into it. And then the biggest risk of all is that something will play that
absolutely will — and this is a guaranteed inevitability — obliterate the mood. It could
be a Spotify commercial, it could be a stray Evanescence song you forgot to remove
from your playlist, or it could be some song called ―As We Go Up, We Go Down‖
playing while a guy‘s got his mouth on your vagina. No matter what it is, it‘ll be
unsexy and ruin what probably would‘ve been a perfectly nice experience.
Let‘s make something clear: Putting on some tunes while you eat a
romantic dinner? That‘s lovely! Playing some jams while you do some kissing? Pretty
OK! But when things start to escalate (you choose where to draw the line, my line is
―nudity‖), turn off that shit. Be an adult and relish in the sounds of your butt
rhythmically slapping a dude‘s sweaty abdomen. Unless you want your next orgasm
to be soundtracked by Father John Misty crooning about fucking Taylor Swift in a VR
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headset (thereby ruining orgasms for you forever, probably?) turn off the music
before the sex starts happening.
Different Tastes in Music Affect Relationships and Reveal their Intellectual Limits
with their Partners
December 27, 2018
We each have preferences when it comes to music and bring a different
appreciation of it to the table. It is not surprising for you to like classical music while
your friend, sibling, or even partner likes hard rock. Music, highly relatable, can be a
binding force that strengthens or weakens relationships.
Why we have different tastes in music (Intellectual and Shallow)
Understanding how people develop different tastes in music is an
interesting process. How is it that your brother can spend hours in his bedroom
listening to pounding heavy metal while you close your ears with phones that have
some easy listening tunes flowing through?
Tastes in music can be influenced by our upbringing.
Certainly, if you grow up in a house full of musicians, it is likely that you
will have the love of it in some form. This is not, of course a sweeping observation.
We like certain types of music because of the influence of people around
us. Just like Sapiosexual attraction. Pitiful if you are married with a partner who is just
inadequate to satisfy your needs.
We are influenced by the music of our culture.
I now take a look at how our musical whims are influenced by our cultures,
speaking from the modern perspective of today. Whichever culture we grew up in has
a large part to play in deciding what goes on our ITunes playlist these days. If we
grew up in a family that listened mainly to Italian songs, it would not be surprising to
find some of them, if not all, on the list. If you grew up in a Korean family, many KPop songs would make up that list.
‗How different tastes in music affect relationships‘
To a greater or lesser degree, musical taste can make an impact on
relationships. Music does wield a lot of power, for many engaging reasons.
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Music provides information about the other person.
When a person tells you about his musical tastes, he tells you a lot about
himself. If a person you have just been introduced to says he likes classical music,
the next thought that comes to your mind might be ―Perhaps he can play an
instrument‖ or ―He must know at least a little about Beethoven.‖ If a person says he
likes Hip Hop music, your next thought might be, ―Maybe he likes dancing.‖
Music helps us get to know another person by letting us in on a little about
them. In this way, it is a valuable, interactive tool.
In a study by Peter Rentfrow and Sam Gosling published in the Journal of
Psychological science in 2006, college students getting to know each other through
the internet were more likely to ask about the other person‘s musical preferences
than other topics. The same study also found that such knowledge helped them to
predict the other person‘s personality and values.
People tend to like those who share their musical tastes.
We tend to develop a liking for the people who share our musical
preferences because of the common ground that is forged.
In a study by Diana Boer, Ronald Fischer, Micha Strack, Michael Bond,
Eva Lo, and Jason Lam published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin,
people really did prefer those who shared their musical interests. A group of heavy
metal and Hip Hop lovers were asked to evaluate the descriptions of people who had
similar, different or no stated musical preferences. They were also asked how similar
they thought these people were to themselves.
Not surprisingly, people tended to like a person better when they shared
similar musical tastes. These people also tended to have more similarities between
them!
Music is a symbol of identity.
Music is a symbol of identity and a unifying force. I use again the example
of the girls in my class. They had unified themselves as a group of Justin Bieber
lovers.
Music definitely brings two people together. A classic example is that of a
couple identifying ―our song,‖ gelling because of the similar feelings that the song
gives them.
Music can also be a source of irritation in relationships.
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Just as it is a source of identity, music can also be a source of irritation.
People are irritated when they are forced to give in to another person‘s musical tastes
and listen to their musical choices.
How understanding each other‘s taste in music can help love blossom
Knowing each other‘s musical tastes can be the fertilizer that helps the
flower of love to blossom. Such knowledge contributes to the growth of love in
several ways.
It opens up the doors to conversations.
Having similar interests or knowing the other party‘s musical interests and
therefore sometimes making allowances for them opens the doors to many
conversations. When you find little to ask the other party while out on a date, talk
about music and it is hard to go wrong.
It gives more date opportunities.
Knowing each other‘s musical tastes creates more excuses to go together
to a mall to get favorite CDs, or to the restaurant where that nice song was being
played. Music helps to create a date.
Emanates a positive aura
There is something about music that gives everyone a positive feeling.
While it brings back many positive memories, it arouses our nervous system and gets
us to be more productive and motivated. It encourages to take action and maintain a
cheerful attitude.
It is an easy element to relate to.
Music is the easiest element for you and your partner to relate to. It is
universal and many people easily associate with it. So common is it to find crowds at
concerts moved by the lyrics of a song. This is true for couples as well.
Stories Behing the Ciello suites: Johan Sebastian Bach
December 29, 2018
Johann Sebastian Bach‘s Six Solo Cello Suites are some of the most
iconic classical music works. They have inspired not only cellists and audiences but
other artforms as well, and they have been featured in ballet and theatre productions,
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even in films.
In Peter Weir‘s Master and Commander (2003), Jack Aubrey‘s (Russell
Crowe) first sighting of the Galapagos Islands is accompanied by the Prelude from
Suite I.
It is intriguing to consider what might have turned Bach‘s interest towards
an instrument he was not known to have played. After all, in the first three decades of
his life (he was born in 1685), his artistic interest focused almost without exception on
pieces that he would have either performed from a keyboard or directed, as court
organist, concertmaster and trusted cammer musicus (chamber musician).
New job, new inspirations
His life and work changed considerably when he gained prestigious
employment as Capellmeister (being in charge of music) in the court of Leopold,
prince and ruler of Anhalt-Cöthen in what is now Germany.
The castle at Cöthen today. Wikimedia/Matthias Alfa, CC BY-SA
Leopold and his principality followed the Calvinist faith, a fact that had a
major influence on Johann Sebastian‘s life. The Calvinist liturgy allowed little if any
instrumental music to be performed in the churches of the town, and for six years,
between 1717 and 1723, Bach composed mostly instrumental (but not organ) and
secular compositions. Bach‘s six Brandenburg Concertos, the four Orchestral Suites
and inexhaustible supplies of keyboard music, such as the first volume of his famous
Well-Tempered Clavier, are all products of these fruitful years.
He also became interested in a genre that was not only new to him but
also had little past history that he could rely on, and composed two sets of pieces for
solo string instruments: one for violin and the other for cello.
The boldness of this project is hard to appreciate from our 21st-century
perspective, but is nonetheless remarkable. By composing for a single string
instrument, Bach entered practically uncharted waters.
While there was some existing repertoire written for solo violin, hardly any
composer had the temerity to write solo works for a bass instrument, such as the
cello. Until the first decades of the 18th century, the cello was seen as an
accompanying instrument, providing harmonic foundation and accompaniment to the
melody along with a number of other instruments. This was an important and
functional role, but without any of the implied glory, virtuosity or elegance of a wellwritten work for recorder or violin.
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A few inquisitive Italian composers experimented with promoting the cello
in a soloistic role, but even the best-known of these pieces, Domenico Gabrielli‘s solo
Ricercari, sounded quirky and innovative, rather than memorably beautiful.
We do not know if Bach was familiar with any of these works. When he
decided to compose for solo cello, he chose a different path and turned towards a
well-known if by then somewhat old-fashioned genre, the suite. This term refers to a
series of dance movements in the same or related keys.
The structure of the suite
Each of Bach‘s Cello Suites follows a similar structure. They begin – as
was common practice – with a prélude, an introductory movement, which served a
dual practical purpose of settling both the unstable gut strings of the cello and the alltoo-frequently noisy audience. The prélude is usually the longest movement; its
character can be whimsical and improvisatory.
Interestingly, there are no tempo markings for any of the movements given
by the composer. Therefore, it is up to the performer to choose the suitable pulse for
their interpretation. This can lead to significant differences, as demonstrated by the
following two outstanding, but very different recordings of the first, G major Suite‘s
Prélude.
Here first is Anner Bylsma‘s refined and stately performance, as a great
example of historically informed performance:
And here is the same movement, played almost twice as fast by the
flamboyant German cellist, Heinrich Schiff:
The dance movements, coming after the Prélude, always follow the same
sequence, originating from different countries: first comes the Allemande from
German lands, then the Courante (French), and then the Sarabande (Spanish). The
fourth dance is a pair of so-called Gallantries: Minuets, Bourrées or Gavottes vary
between the suites. The final dance is an English Gigue.
Although we have no evidence to suggest the actual order in which the
suites were composed, all published versions start with the easiest (Suite I in G
major) and move to the hardest.
For Suite V in C minor, following the composer‘s instructions, the cellist
has to tune the top A string down to G, a process referred to as scordatura. The use
of this ingenious technique (common in Baroque times, much less so in our days)
changes the cello‘s sound considerably. Somewhat confusingly, this means that the
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performer will play exactly what is in the written music, but will hear different notes
from what he or she sees.
The instrument needed for Suite VI in D major is, in fact, a different cello
altogether: one with five strings instead of the customary four, again significantly
changing the sonority of the instrument. While for the performer the extra string can
take some time to get used to, it permits new, otherwise impossible chord
combinations to be written and performed.
The Belgian cellist, Roel Dieltiens, maximises this opportunity by
deliberately omitting all chords at the beginning of his wonderful performance of the
Sarabande of Suite VI, but adding them in their full glory upon the written repetition of
the section:
The mystery of the Bach Cello Suites
For such a popular set of works, it is amazing how little we know about the
genesis of the Cello Suites. Bach‘s autograph manuscript of them is lost, with little
chance it will ever be found. However, Anna Magdalena Bach, his second wife,
copied a large amount of her husband‘s works and a copy in her hand of both the
Violin and the Cello Solos survives. The two manuscript sets were combined into one
volume with the following cover page:
The title page of Anna Magdalena‘s copy of the String Solos.
The description is rather long-winded, sprinkled liberally with words in four
languages, but it gives the essential information about the two sets, the composer
and his copyist wife.
Apart from this manuscript, three other handmade copies survive from the
18th century. While it might be hoped that these copies could help nail down the
origin of the suites, they do quite the opposite. All of the four surviving copies contain
numerous mistakes and, to increase the confusion, they are vastly different from
each other. For these reasons, none of them can be nominated as a truly dependable
copy of Bach‘s autograph.
This curious circumstance is the main reason for the amazingly large
number of published editions of the suites. To date, over 100 musicians (mostly
cellists and musicologists) have offered their solution to the problems of divergent
notes, rhythms, slurs and other markings between the four manuscript sources. All
these editions were prepared with honest musicality and the intent to shine light on
obscure details, yet, as a result of the scarcity of reliable sources and the numerous
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methods to interpret them, they can provide a truly misleading mix of scholarship and
speculation.
Although the Cello Suites have not been published for over 100 years
after their composition, in our times they are an integral part of the cello repertoire.
Most well-known cellists regard performing and recording the whole set as a
milestone in their career.
The eminent French cellist, Jean-Guihen Queyras, recently performed the
whole cycle (without an interval!) in the Great Hall of the Elbphilharmonie in
Hamburg, sharing the stage with five ballet dancers, who presented Anne Teresa De
Keersmaeker‘s choreography for Bach‘s music.
One of the most moving performance comes from the French cellist,
Pierre Fournier. His interpretation of the Suites even inspired Ingmar Bergman. The
brilliant Swedish film director created a mesmerising wordless scene in his
masterpiece Cries and Whispers (1972), in which the terminally ill, exhausted and
suffering protagonist, Agnes, feeling abandoned by her sisters, finds solace at the
bosom of her maid in a Madonna-like image, accompanied by Fournier‘s
performance of the Sarabande of Suite V.
SOURCE: Szabo, Z. (2017) Decoding the music masterpieces: Bach‘s Six Solo Cello
Suites
Hear me out just for once : The Ear
December 31, 2018
The anatomy of our hearing or auditory system is extremely complex but
can be broadly divided into two parts, one being called ‗peripheral‘ and the other
‗central‘.
The peripheral hearing system consists of three parts which are the outer
ear, the middle ear and the inner ear:
The outer ear consists of the pinna (also called the auricle), ear canal and
eardrum.
The middle ear is a small, air-filled space containing three tiny bones
called the malleus, incus and stapes but collectively called the ossicles. The malleus
connects to the eardrum linking it to the outer ear and the stapes (smallest bone in
the body) connects to the inner ear.
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The inner ear has both hearing and balance organs. The hearing part of
the inner ear and is called the cochlea which comes from the Greek word for ‗snail‘
because of its distinctive coiled shape. The cochlea, which contains many thousands
of sensory cells (called ‗hair cells‘), is connected to the central hearing system by the
hearing or auditory nerve. The cochlea is filled with special fluids which are important
to the process of hearing.
The central hearing system consists of the auditory nerve and an
incredibly complex pathway through the brain stem and onward to the auditory cortex
of the brain.
How do we hear?
The physiology of hearing, just like its anatomy, is very complex indeed
and is best understood by looking at the role played by each part of our hearing
system described above.
Sound waves, which are really vibrations in the air around us, are
collected by the pinna on each side of our head and are funnelled into the ear canals.
These sound waves make the eardrum vibrate. The eardrum is so sensitive to sound
vibrations in the ear canal that it can detect even the faintest sound as well as
replicating even the most complex of sound vibration patterns.
The eardrum vibrations caused by sound waves move the chain of tiny
bones (the ossicles – malleus, incus and stapes) in the middle ear transferring the
sound vibrations into the cochlea of the inner ear.
This happens because the last of the three bones in this chain, the stapes,
sits in a membrane-covered window in the bony wall which separates the middle ear
from the cochlea of the inner ear. As the stapes vibrates, it makes the fluids in the
cochlea move in a wave-like manner, stimulating the microscopically small ‗hair cells‘.
Remarkably, the ‗hair cells‘ in the cochlea are tuned to respond to
different sounds based on their pitch or frequency of sounds. High-pitched sounds
will stimulate ‗hair cells‘ in the lower part of the cochlea and low-pitched sounds in
the upper part of the cochlea.
What happens next is even more remarkable because, when each ‗hair
cell‘ detects the pitch or frequency of sound to which it‘s tuned to respond, it
generates nerve impulses which travel instantaneously along the auditory nerve.
These nerve impulses follow a complicated pathway in the brainstem
before arriving at the hearing centres of the brain, the auditory cortex. This is where
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the streams of nerve impulses are converted into meaningful sound.
All of this happens within a tiny fraction of a second….almost
instantaneously after sound waves first enter our ear canals. It is very true to say
that, ultimately, we hear with our brain.
What‘s happening when you have problems with your hearing?
Hearing well depends on all parts of our auditory system working normally
so that sound can pass through the different parts of the ear to the brain to be
processed without any distortion. The type of hearing problem you have depends on
which part of your auditory system is not responding well.
If you have a problem in the outer or middle ear, it means that there is
inefficient transfer of sound to the cochlea in the inner ear. Generally, this affects the
volume of sound so that it simply doesn‘t seem loud enough.
A typical example would be the effect of a blockage of wax in the ear
canal or a perforated eardrum. This is called a conductive hearing loss because
sound vibrations are not being conducted efficiently. The cochlea is still working
normally but simply not receiving enough information via its connection with the
middle ear.
If the problem is somewhere between the cochlea in the inner ear and the
brain, this is called a sensorineural hearing loss. The pathway through the outer and
middle ears is functioning normally but, after sound arrives at the cochlea, it isn‘t
processed normally either because of damage to the delicate ‗hair cells‘ in the
cochlea or to the auditory nerve or because of defects in the auditory pathway
leading to the brain.
There are very many causes of sensorineural hearing loss but exposure to
excessive noise or the effects of ageing are the most common. The typical signs of
sensorineural hearing loss are a general difficulty in hearing clearly and problems
understanding speech in difficult listening conditions such as in background noise.
It is also possible to have both conductive and sensorineural hearing loss
and this is generally called a mixed hearing loss.
SOURCE: The Grange, Wycombe Road, Saunderton, Princes Risborough,
Buckinghamshire, HP27 9NS
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Does Music Make You Handsome?
December 31, 2018
Summary:
Women rate photographs of male faces more attractive and are more
likely to date the men pictured when they have previously heard music. Moreover,
highly arousing music led to the largest effect on sexual attraction.
Music is a worldwide phenomenon and part of every culture, but the origin
of music remains a longstanding puzzle. Why do people invest so much energy, time
and money in music? Various theories have been proposed, some of which
emphasize the biological and social aspects of music. For instance, Charles Darwin
said, within the framework of his theory of evolution that music has developed
through sexual selection. The motor and cognitive abilities necessary for making
music serve as in indicator for good genes and thus increase the reproductive
success.
This is similar to the singing of birds in the mating season. ―There are
currently few empirical findings that support Darwin‘s theory on the origin of music.
We wanted to use a new experimental paradigm to investigate the role of music in
choosing a mating partner‖ says Manuela Marin, the leader of the study and former
associate of the Institute for Basic Psychological Research and Research Methods at
the University of Vienna.
In the current study, Marin and her colleagues investigated the impact of
musical exposure on the subjective evaluations of opposite-sex faces. ―Facial
attractiveness is one of the most important physical characteristics that can influence the
choice of a partner. We wanted to find out how music can alter the perception of this
feature‖ says Helmut Leder from the Faculty of Psychology at the University of Vienna.
Since music, especially before the advent of modern technology, has always been
experienced in the here and now, and mostly in a social context, it is plausible to assume
that music could positively influence the visual perception of faces. ―There is some
evidence in the psychological literature that so-called arousal transfer effects can occur if
two stimuli are processed consecutively. The processing of the first stimulus produces
internal arousal, i.e. increased physiological activity, which is then attributed to the
second stimulus. This mostly unconscious mechanism can then influence our actions, in
this case, the choice of a partner‖ explains Manuela Marin.
In their experiment, the scientists presented heterosexual participants with
instrumental musical excerpts that varied in their emotional content, followed by a
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photograph of a face from the opposite sex with a neutral facial expression. The face
was assessed in terms of its attractiveness on a scale. In addition, participants were
asked to rate whether they would date the person pictured. In the control condition
only faces without music were presented. There were three groups of participants:
women in the fertile phase of their cycle, women in the nonfertile phase of their cycle,
and men. These groups were similar in their musical preferences and musical
training, as well as in their mood before the experiment and in their relationship
status. The results showed that female participants rated the male faces as more
attractive and were more willing to date the men pictured when previously exposed to
music. The fertility cycle did not have a large influence on the ratings. Overall, highly
stimulating and complex music led to the greatest effect compared to the control
condition. This effect was not present among male participants.
These results are promising and open up new possibilities to investigate
the role of music in partner selection in connection with aspects of physical
attractiveness. ―Our goal is to replicate these results in a larger sample and to
modify some aspects of the experiment. For example, we would like to clarify
whether musical abilities and creativity can compensate partially for deficiencies in
terms of physical appearance and fitness‖ says Bruno Gingras from the Institute of
Psychology at the University of Innsbruck. Helmut Leder adds: ―Our results also
recall the well-known Capilano Suspension Bridge experiment of Dutton and Aaron
from the early 1970s. In that case, male participants crossed either a suspension
bridge or a sturdy bridge and were then interviewed by an attractive female
confederate who gave them her phone number. Participants who walked over the
suspension bridge were much more likely to contact her later. We are planning
similar experiments with music in a social context.‖
These results could have broad implications: ―There is an increasing
number of empirical findings showing that music has the power to influence human
behavior with regard to partner selection. But how can Darwin‘s theory be reconciled
with other biological and social theories on the genesis of music? Music can promote
social cohesion, and it also plays a role in the mother-child relationship. Until we
understand these connections, there will be a long way to go‖ concluded Manuela
Marin.
SOURCE: Manuela M. Marin, Raphaela Schober, Bruno Gingras, Helmut Leder.
Misattribution of musical arousal increases sexual attraction towards opposite-sex faces
in females. PLOS ONE, 2017; 12 (9): e0183531 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0183531
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Music therapy and Cancer
January 2, 2019
Music therapy uses music and sound to help express emotions and
improve emotional and physical well being.
Music therapy can help you to:
express your emotions
cope with symptoms of a disease and its
treatment relax and feel comfortable
improve your emotional and physical well
being develop self confidence and self esteem
develop or rekindle a sense of creativity
You don‘t need to be musically talented to get something out of music
therapy. It isn‘t about learning to sing, or play an instrument.
In a music therapy session, you might:
listen to music
move to music
sing
make music with simple instruments
write and discuss song lyrics
use guided imagery alongside music
Music therapists work alongside other healthcare professionals such as
doctors, nurses, speech therapists, psychologists and psychiatrists.
They may work with adults and children who have:
symptoms caused by physical illness or mental
illness side effects from cancer and its treatment a
terminal illness such as cancer
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There are more than 600 registered music therapists in the UK. They work
in various places, including NHS hospitals, hospices and nursing homes.
Why people with cancer use music therapy
One of the main reasons people with cancer use music therapy is
because it makes them feel good.
Many of us know how calming and relaxing it can be to listen to a favourite
piece of music. It can help people with cancer to cope with side effects such as:
pain
anxiety
depression
sickness
Music therapy can be a safe place for people to explore fear, anxiety,
anger and the range of emotional responses to living with cancer.
Some studies show that music therapy can help children with cancer to
cope by encouraging them to cooperate and communicate.
What music therapy involves
You work with your music therapist to plan a programme that suits your
needs. You decide together how often you should have the therapy and how long
each session will be.
Music therapy sessions usually last between 30 to 60 minutes. Your
therapist might encourage you to play or listen to music at home between sessions.
You might have regular therapy for weeks or months. You may want to
see your therapist on your own, or take part in group music therapy sessions.
Your relationship with your music therapist is very important. If you don‘t
feel comfortable with anything your therapist is doing, do talk to them about it.
Research into music therapy in cancer care
Music therapy cannot cure, treat or prevent any type of disease, including
cancer. But some research shows that music therapy can help people with cancer
reduce their anxiety. It can also help to improve quality of life and reduce symptoms
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and side effects.
We don‘t yet know about all the ways music can affect the body. But we
do know that when music therapy is used in the right way for each person, it can help
them to feel better. To learn more about its full benefits, we need larger trials across
a wider range of cancers.
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SOURCE: General cancer information
Music Psychology Research in Angeles City: A Pilot Project that should be
established
January 6, 2019
The aim of the researchers was to determine if there are alternative
methods in treating children with autism. Children diagnosed with autism are
currently under special schools with a different type of curriculum. Many methods
have been used by psychologists and psychiatrists to treat children diagnosed with
autism. Children with mental or physical disabilities have been isolated in the
common educational environment. The focus of this study was to try to help and
enhance methods that may, in return, aide in the rehabilitation and treatment of
children with mental and physical disabilities, specifically children with autism.
The study utilized case studies and testimonies, and even articles about
Music Therapy with autistic children. Music therapy in the Philippines is still relatively
growing in number. One of the pioneers of Music Therapy in the Philippines is one of
the co-authors of this research study Ms. Celeste S. Sanchez, the first didactic
Licensed Music Therapist in the Philippines. Prof. Pelayo is now undergoing
workshops under the Divine Mercy Mobile Center of Music and Arts Therapy for
Special Children, Adults and Seniors.
Music Therapy is a dynamic combination of many disciplines. It revolves
around two main areas: Music and Therapy. Music is the universal phenomenon
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people of all cultures listen to, performs, creates and enjoys. Music is an experience
common to everyone.
Celeste S. Sanchez: It all began in the early years of my music teaching
career when I was giving piano lessons to three children from a prominent family in
Manila. Everytime I was there. I noticed this little boy who was always trying to get a
pick at what his sisters and I were doing. He was very curious, and all throughout the
lessons, I would catch him there, looking at us. Whatever his parents or his sisters
would notice him, though, he would be shooed away, and I wondered why they didn‘t
allow the little boy to participate in what we are doing. It was very clear that he
wanted to get involved, play the piano and sing. He was a mentally-challenged boy. It
was then that I realized that music therapy can do a lot of good for these special
children. That through Music, they may be able to overcome their disabilities and
express themselves more.
SOURCE:
Sanchez, Celeste (20014) ―What Music Therapy did to George‖
Harana and Kundiman: Filipino Music
January 7, 2019
Harana
During a serenade, one can pretty much sing any love song he likes, even
English ones, and still get away calling it a harana. But if you are going for a truly
authentic harana experience like they did in old Philippines, you have to use a
particluar set of songs specifically written for the endeavor. These songs were written
by some of the better-known composers in the last 75 years such as Santiago
Suarez, Constancio de Guzman and Antonio Molina, to name a few. Harana music
has its very own distinctive style and a clear stamp of authenticity.
In musical terms, the rhythm is habanera which is in 2/4 time.
Interestingly, none of the haranistas I met knew what a habanera was. That term is
used mostly in western classical music. Instead, the haranistas refer to this rhythm as
danza. To hear a sample of this rhythm.
The arrangement is simple and straight forward. It always starts with an
introduction of solo guitar, then verse 1 followed by verse 2, then a little bit of solo
guitar in the middle, then back to verse 2 until the end. Occasionally, there are short
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exchanges between the guitar and voice in the middle, like they do here.
Another area to look for signs of authenticity is in the lyrics. True harana
songs place the singer in the act of serenading such as when he implores ―Dungawin
mo hirang‖ (Look out the window, my beloved), ―Natutulog ka na ba, sinta‖ (Are you
asleep, my love) or ―O Ilaw, sa gabing madilim‖ (Oh light, in a night so dark).
Harana lyrics is its use of pure, unadulterated and archaic Tagalog. They
use words you and I will never hear in a daily conversation in Manila. Words such as
idampulay (to offer or give), tanglaw (luminous or luminosity), or pagkagupiling (a
light sleep). You will also never encounter even a hint of Spanish word – a
characteristic shared by kundiman songs. Harana and kundiman may be the last
refuge of the ancient Tagalog language. Instrument-wise, the guitar is the most
trusted companion. Though other instruments were known to be used such as the
violin and banduria most recordings of harana from the 1940s to 1960s featured only
a guitar (or two) accompanying the vocals.
Kundiman
One of the main reasons kundiman is mistaken for a harana is because
haranistas would oftentimes sing kundiman songs during a harana. See how easy it
is to get confused? But make no mistake, harana and kundiman are stylistically
different. Whereas harana is in 2/4/ time, kundiman is in 3/4. The formula is verse 1
on minor key (e.g. C Minor) followed by verse 2 on parallel major key (C Major)
midway through.
This is intractable. Stray from this formula, and you no longer have a
kundiman. As mentioned, the language is also in archaic Tagalog but the theme subject
is different from harana. Kundiman songs have a fatalistic woe-is-me streak to it. He is
always heartbroken, very poor with nothing to offer other than his undying love, and
willing to suffer, even die, to prove his love. In fact, the word kundiman is said to be the
contraction of the phrase ―kung hindi man‖ (if not, or if not meant to be).
If there is a single art form that captures the Filipino character, kundiman
would be it for it is said that the Filipino‘s humble nature and willingness to be
trampled on is the main reason we allowed years of colonization and oppression from
Spain, America and Japan. Even a fellow Filipino dictator was in on the flogging.
Perhaps a controversial statement if not an exaggeration.
Whereas harana were sung exclusively by men, the history of recordings
might give you the impression that kundiman were more often sang by women. This
is attested to by recordings and accounts of luminaries such as Conching Rosal,
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Atang dela Rama and Sylvia la Torre. This is because it happened during the advent
of recording in the early 1900s as well as the rise of the formalization of kundiman art
form championed by Nicanor Abelardo, Bonifacio Abdon, et al. These composers
were trained in the west and were very successful in integrating the operatic aria
style into the kundiman. It is sung by a soprano and accompanied by full orchestra or
the piano. This is the kundiman most of us know today (samples below).
However, there was a more basic form of kundiman that existed prior to
that. They were songs the commonfolk could sing, and not operatic in style. This is
the kundiman that existed long before the Abelardos and the Abdons. It uses just the
guitar and voice and often sung by men. These were the kundimans sung by the
haranistas during a harana.
It is based on the kumintang, a true indigenous (pre-colonial) style of song
and pantomime that originated in the Tagalog region, probably Batangas. The guitar
was later incorporated upon the arrival of Spain. The kumintang is a whole different
subject that warrants an extensive research.
So, the next time you hear an old Tagalog song, try not to automatically
categorize them as harana or kundiman. Chances are they are neither because true
ones are hard to come by. But should you encounter one, you may now consider
yourself armed with the knowledge to distinguish between the two.
SOURCE: F. Aguilar (2000) The Difference Between Harana and Kundiman
Making Music and Making Love
January 8, 2019
Marvin Gaye and Chris Isaak exist for a reason: the bedroom. Whether
you religiously press play before you jump into bed, or have never reached for a sexy
soundtrack, listening to good music before, during, or after sex can be fantastic.
It gets you in the mood
Instead of wondering who‘s going to make the first move or whether your
partner is in the mood tonight, putting some music on can act as a signal which takes
the guesswork out of it. A lovers‘ code, if you will. Not only this, but once you know
your partner‘s keen, the right tunes can help get you a little tingly too.
You can keep the beat
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Have you ever been mid-rhythm, completely lost in the moment, only for
things to come to a halt because of a frustrating loss of momentum? It could be an
awkward slip, a phone call, an unsubtle adjustment, but for whatever reason, you
both lost your groove and need quick repositioning/restart. Music isn‘t going to stop
the interruptions, but it will help you find a beat and get back into it faster than you
can say ‗libido.‘
It can hide the awkward sounds
Sex sounds are inevitable. There are a lot, from creaky beds and squeaky
springs to groans and body fluid squelches. You don‘t want to cover up all of them,
but you‘ll probably feel more comfortable about the involuntary body sounds if there‘s
music on to help hide them. Plus, you‘ll feel more relaxed and less self-conscious
about making them in the first place if you‘re lost in the moment with Frank Ocean
crooning out of a speaker next to you.
4.It mixes things up
If you‘ve been with the same partner a while, there‘s nothing worse than
sex feeling like a chore, and for it to be the same every time it does (eventually)
happen. Music can be a simple way to change things up a little, with a different
sensory experience happening. Maybe you went to a gig for an early date so you put
on that album. It doesn‘t matter what the music is, as long as it‘s different to what
you‘ve been doing the past 1/4/10/30 years.
It can break the ice
On the opposite end of the ‗mixing things up‘ scale is breaking the ice.
For a first encounter, self-consciousness can be high and nerves can be running wild.
The right music can help you both relax, and if things are looking a bit shaky, can
work as a conversation starter. There could be a common interest there, it could
bring up an old story, and if you like their choice of tune, could give some assurance
they‘re normal.
It heightens sensations
A study from McGill University found that when we listen to music, we
release dopamine – the ―feel good‖ chemical. So put that together with sex, and
there are a lot of pretty ―feel goods‖ out there. Science doesn‘t lie.
SOURCE: Anonymous (2015) ―She Said‖
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Music and Social Media
January 12, 2019
A new study released Monday (Aug. 6) found that nine out of 10 social
media users do a music-related activity within the framework of an app, according to
data compiled by research and analysis firm MusicWatch. The data was compiled in
April via a survey of 800 people who use one of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or
Snapchat at least once a month, with the majority of those users engaging with social
media daily.
Of particular interest to the music business would be the survey‘s
consumption metrics findings, with 75 percent of respondents watching a music
video; 69 percent listening to music on terrestrial radio; and 35 percent paying for a
music streaming subscription. The audience also skewed young, with 36 percent
between the ages of 13 and 24; and hip-hop being named the top genre in terms of
followers. And artists and musicians top the list among the most-followed influencers
and celebrities overall.
―Fame may be fleeting on social media, but music artists and bands
have staying power — and influence,‖ MusicWatch wrote in a blog post
accompanying the study. ―Of all the types of celebrities artists are No. 1 when it
comes to pull. We are twice as likely to be following bands as politicians, or Kendall
and Kourtney. The reason is simple; while today‘s tweet or fashion comment is
evanescent, users have a sustained interest in the careers of their favorite artists and
want updates on their music projects, live tours and lifestyles.‖
In terms of followings, Instagram leads the way, with 56 percent of users
following, sharing or tagging musicians; Twitter came next, with 51 percent; and
Facebook saw 44 percent of respondents liking a musician or artist, a number that
rises to 47 percent among daily users. Among Snapchat users, meanwhile, 68
percent viewed or posted photos from live music events, while 23 percent captioned
their posts with song lyrics.
―Two out of three (63 percent) users agree that they are discovering new
artists on social media,‖ the blog post continues. ―Almost 60 percent of social media
users are visiting streaming services to listen to music after they see an update,
tweet or post. On Facebook, the most valued music activity is being able to share
links to music from streaming services, including playlists.‖
SOURCE: Rys, D. (2018) New Study Shows Close Relationship Between Social Media
& Music
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Benefits of Music Therapy
January 13, 2019
A growing body of research attests that music therapy is more than a nice
perk. It can improve medical outcomes and quality of life in a variety of ways. Here‘s
a sampling:
Easing anxiety and discomfort during procedures. In controlled clinical
trials of people having colonoscopies, cardiac angiography, or knee surgery, those
who listened to music before their procedure had less anxiety and less need for
sedatives. People who listened to music in the operating room reported less
discomfort during their procedure. And those who heard music in the recovery room
used less opioid medication for pain.
Restoring lost speech. Music therapy can help people who are recovering
from a stroke or traumatic brain injury that has damaged the left-brain region
responsible for speech. Because singing ability originates in the right side of the
brain, people can work around the injury to the left side of their brain by first singing
their thoughts and then gradually dropping the melody. Former U.S. Representative
Gabby Giffords used this technique to enable her to testify before a Congressional
committee two years after a gunshot wound to her brain destroyed her ability to
speak.
Reducing side effects of cancer therapy. Listening to music reduces
anxiety associated with chemotherapy and radiotherapy. It can also quell nausea and
vomiting for patients receiving chemotherapy.
Helping with physical therapy and rehabilitation. If you exercise to a
playlist, you‘ve probably noticed that music helps you stick to your routine. In fact, a
2011 analysis of several studies suggests that music therapy enhances people‘s
physical, psychological, cognitive, and emotional functioning during physical
rehabilitation programs.
Aiding pain relief. Music therapy has been tested in a variety of patients,
ranging from those with intense short-term pain to those with chronic pain from
arthritis. Over all, music therapy decreases pain perception, reduces the amount of
pain medication needed, helps relieve depression in pain patients, and gives them a
sense of better control over their pain.
Improving quality of life for people with dementia. Because the ability to
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engage with music remains intact late into the disease process, music therapy can
help to evoke memories, reduce agitation, assist communication, and improve
physical coordination.
It‘s almost impossible to find someone who doesn‘t feel a strong
connection to music. Even if you can‘t carry a tune or play an instrument, you can
probably reel off a list of songs that evoke happy memories and raise your spirits.
Surgeons have long played their favorite music to relieve stress in the operating
room, and extending music to patients has been linked to improved surgical
outcomes. In the past few decades, music therapy has played an increasing role in
all facets of healing.
SOURCE: Harvard Health Publishing (2016) Harvard Women‘s Health Watch
Sex and Music
January 19, 2019
Now that we‘re on the same page, there‘s a reason music and sex go so
well together, and it actually has a lot to do with science. Neuropsychologist Dr.
Rhonda Freeman says that music is likely to affect three regions of the brain — the
reward or pleasure system, the social affiliation or bonding system, and the limbic
system (which processes emotions).
The experiment didn‘t wind up working out, but he‘s not the only person
who enjoys listening to music during sex. He certainly isn‘t the only person with a sex
playlist, either. I mean, Khloé Kardashian‘s sex playlist features John Mayer, and
Ivanka Trump‘s allegedly includes John Legend. There are no rules here, so don‘t
judge me for having Bruno Mars on mine.
When triggered, the reward system, for example, involves dopamine and
endogenous opioids. Dr. Freeman explains, ―Dopamine is a neurotransmitter linked
with desire, wanting, craving, motivation, or anticipation of someone or something —
in this instance, of our intimate partner. And endogenous opioids are the hedonic
response, which includes pleasure and enjoyment.‖
―Those systems not only allow the pleasurable experience of sex to be
amplified with music, but they also allow music to deepen your connection with your
partner while subduing negative emotions,‖ she explains, and that has a lot to do with
oxytocin.
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Here‘s how else music affects your brain when you‘re being intimate with
your partner.
According to a study done by Sonos, the smart speaker system, 67
percent of couples that listen to music out loud together report having more sex than
couples who don‘t listen to music together. The reason is that when you listen to
music out loud, your neurons (nerve cells that transmit information throughout the
body) begin operating at the same rate as your partner‘s, which releases oxytocin
(the love hormone). Oxytocin is also responsible for feelings of trust so, naturally,
things become more intimate between you and your partner when there‘s music on in
the bedroom.
SOURCE: Lyons, B. (2018) Listening To Music During Sex Has These 3 Effects On
Your Body & Brain
Music and Eating Choices
January 19, 2019
According to the study, published in the Journal of the Academy of
Marketing Sciences, volume is proven to impact heart rate and arousal. Naturally,
louder music ignites excitement, stimulation and stress while softer sounds have a
calming effect. Diners who were exposed to louder noises ordered foods that were
significantly higher in calories, while those who were listening to softer music
routinely made more health-conscious choices.
―Music has an effect on our physiological system,‖ Biswas told TODAY
Food. ―You are more likely to start dancing with loud music. [A] higher excitement
level translates to choosing unhealthier foods.‖
To perform the main part of the study, Biswas and his team took over a
cafe in Stockholm, Sweden, for several days to conduct their study among hundreds
of subjects. As patrons perused menus coded into ―healthy,‖ ―unhealthy‖ and
―neutral‖ (like coffee and tea) choices, researchers played the same playlist with a
mix of contemporary rock, pop music and classical tunes in a loop for several hours.
On some days, they played songs at 55 decibels and on other days they pumped up
the jams to 70 debibels.
When Biswas reviewed the cafe sales, he found that 20 percent more
customers ordered high-calorie foods when the music volume was high, regardless of
what song was playing.
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Biswas attributed craving heavier meals to humans‘ need to seek comfort
when overstimulated or stressed. He also noted how this hankering can enable
restaurants and supermarkets to manipulate consumer buying behavior. To further
test the theory, Biswas did the same type of test at a nearby Swedish grocery store
and found shoppers purchased more cookies, chips and red meat when music was
played at 70 decibels, but they actually bought more produce when it was played at
50 decibels.
Previous research, like a study conducted by Oxford University‘s Charles
Spence, have demonstrated how things like atmosphere and even heavier cutlery
can shift our brains‘ perception of food, even making it taste better. In contrast to the
USF study‘s sole focus on volume, Spence discovered that listening to pop music like
Justin Bieber‘s ―Baby‖ led to a very unpleasant experience for many diners,
whereas listening to Italian opera while eating pizza or pasta on a red-and-whitechecked tablecloth heightened the experience. And these are just some of the
―mind games‖ restaurants play to keep diners satisfied.
In 2012, TODAY reported on how restauranteurs hire architects to
engineer and control the sounds in a room to create better sensory experiences.
Comal in Berkeley, California, for example, incorporated sound absorbing panels
disguised as artwork, as well as microphones and speakers placed strategically
throughout the restaurant, to create a ―buzzy but conversational‖ atmosphere.
Despite the many instruments playing into our dining experiences, USF
says Biswas‘ study is the first to detail music volume and its effect on healthy (or
unhealthy) eating habits.
SOURCE: E. C. Wida (2018) ―How loud restaurants can lead to unhealthy eating
choices‖
Recent Developments on Related Studies of the “Mozart Effect” Phenomenon on
Social Learning Behavior
January 21, 2019
After a five (5) day observation period and successfully documenting the
current dynamics of high students in the academic and social settings before the
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exposure to Mozart‘s music, the researcher continues with a twenty (20) day
observation period of the same participants in their respective environments while
exposed to Mozart‘s music.
Before the exposure to Mozart‘s music, the dynamics of High School
students in the Academic setting, during the five (5) day observation period, has
shown to have a minimal number of students displaying behavior leading to learning.
Presented are the averages of the observed behavior of High School students before
the exposure to Mozart‘s music.
On the other hand, the dynamics of High School students in the Social
setting, during the five (5) day observation period, many students have not shown
behavior leading to social interaction. Presented are the averages of the observed
behavior of High School students before the exposure to Mozart‘s music.
However, after the exposure to Mozart‘s music, in the academic setting,
during the exposure to Mozart‘s music for a period of twenty (20) days, there was an
increase in percentages from Day 16 to Day 20. Every student was eliciting two (2) or
more behaviors leading to learning. In comparison to Day 1 to Day 15, the last five
(5) days, Day 16 to Day 20, showed very high percentages of students that showed
behavior leading to learning.
To further illustrate the high percentages of students that showed behavior
leading to learning during the Day 16 to Day 20, the following data is presented
representing the averages of the percentage of students that showed behavior
leading to learning during this time frame.
The students cited that while they were listening to Mozart‘s music, they
discovered that they could read and study at the same time, the music did not distract
them while they were reading or studying. Some students have cited that when they
were reviewing or studying their lessons in the past, they were bored and spent little
time reviewing or studying. But other students stated that Mozart‘s music made them
enjoy reading and studying because they were not bored. Some students claim that
Mozart‘s music made them feel they could do new things, it inspired them to try to
learn how to play chess, to answer the crossword puzzle and to solve the Rubik‘s
Cube. They cited that when they watch students playing chess, answering the
crossword puzzle and solving the Rubik‘s Cube, the music inspired them to play,
answer and solve too. One particular student said that, somehow, while listening to
Mozart‘s music and watching other students play, answer and solve, it looked easy
and enjoying. While students play, answer and solve the materials, Mozart‘s music
made them nod their heads, wave their hands and tap their feet to the highs and lows
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of the music.
This scenario projected a positive image on other students who were
watching them, it made learning to play chess, answering the crossword puzzle and
solving the Rubik‘s Cube easy and delightful, many students also agreed. That is why
this particular student tried to learn to play chess, tried to answer the crossword
puzzle and tried to solve the Rubik‘s Cube.
To summarize the Group Discussion/Interview, Mozart‘s music, at first,
made them listen and relax, then, with continuous exposure, made them energized
and inspired to do things, it also made reviewing/reading/studying enjoyable, it
established a setting or scenario that learning is easy and delightful, it created an
environment conducive to learning.
SOURCE: Pelayo III, J.M.G ―Recent Developments on Related Studies of the
―Mozart Effect‖ Phenomenon on Social Learning Behavior
Music Expresses What We Cannot Explain In Words
January 30, 2019
Most of us absolutely love music. We are compelled by it. We are
provoked by it. We are moved by it. We are inspired by it. We feel connected to it. It
reflects something profound about who we are and our experience of the world.
If I asked you to tell me your favorite bands, musicians, or genres, most of
you could quickly reply with a list of beloved artists. Our favorite singers captivate us
with lyrics that have powerful messages and sounds that touch us in some special
way. In fact, most of us have playlists for just about every situation and emotion in
life: a relaxed playlist for a low-key night at home; an energetic playlist for workouts; a
somber playlist for contemplative moments; and an angry playlist that we reach for
when we need to scream.
Given the emotionally charged nature of music, it can be an incredibly
effective way to express ourselves and cope with challenging life circumstances.
Because sometimes life is really hard. Really really hard. Whether it be conflict with
family, ending a relationship, or experiencing trauma, we all have moments in which
we are brought to our knees with pain, sadness, and confusion.
This is particularly true if you are actively working on being more honest
with yourself. Self-deception, at the most basic level, is a protective mechanism: its
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role is to keep us safe and secure. Often unconsciously, lying to ourselves protects
us from knowing truths that would temporarily harm our ego—our core sense of self.
As we confront these truths, we are going to feel worse before we feel better. Feeling
some discomfort is an inescapable part of the process of becoming more honest with
ourselves.
In these tough life moments, music can be a constructive way to express
who you are and what you are feeling. If you are feeling particularly sad about a
reality in your life, listen to a song that connects you to that emotion. If you are
anxious, turn up the volume in your living room and dance around. If you are angry,
grab a pillow and hit is as hard as you can while listening to your favorite lyrics.
I am not suggesting that you use music to wallow in pain or negativity; that
would not be positive for your mental health or for those around you. What I am
suggesting is that when we are emotionally struggling, we often have a hard time
expressing how we feel through words. The intellectual, verbal expression of feelings
doesn‘t do justice to our experience of the emotion. Connecting to music is one
effective way to become more honest about who you are, what you are really
experiencing, and coping with negative emotion.
The Naked Truth is this: Whether we resonate with rap, classical, house,
techno, country, alterative, heavy metal, or blues, music is an incredible vehicle for
expressing emotions and capturing our internal experience of life. In times of strife or
newly-discovered truths, use it to find your true voice. Perhaps you may want to write
your own song, analyze the lyrics of a favorite artist, or play an instrument. Perhaps
you will explore new genres that are foreign to you. The key is that music is a
powerful vehicle for helping you become more aware and honest with yourself.
SOURCE: Cortney Warren, Ph.D., (2014) Psychology Today ―Music Is What Feelings
Sound Like‖
Music‟s Influence on Body, Mind and Soul
February 16, 2019
Many individuals who listen to music on a regular basis understand the
power that it has in provoking emotions and thoughts. Music has the ability of altering
one‘s experience so that their day can become magical to a level where it may even
become spiritual. When an individual connects with the music that they are listening
to it can release a selection of different sensations, as well as a feeling of release and
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solace. However, music also has a number of other influential factors and can even
influence the genetic code within each one of us. It does this through our thoughts
and through how we relate with one another.
1. Verbal IQ is improved
It has been found that the verbal and visual skills are improved when an
individual practices on the piano. This was found in the study of individuals aged
between 8 and 11 who were able to develop a higher level of IQ verbally when they
took music classes that were extra curricular.
This showed that the practice of the musical instrument developed visual
and cognitive perception.
2. A sense of the chills
One may often feel a chill down the back of the spine when they are
listening to music that they enjoy. This was found in a study that showed that over
90% of us had felt this. Whether you feel it or not all depends on your personality and
those who have a sense of being open to experience are more likely to feel this chill.
It was also found that people who were open to experience were also more likely to
see music as an important activity.
3. Happiness is increased when listening to music
It was found in another study that when we try and feel happy it is a
useless endeavor. A study carried out in 2013 by Sheldon and Ferguson showed that
individuals who listen to classical compositions that were upbeat were automatically
trying to feel a sense of happiness, and were lifted in terms of their mood. This study
showed that when we try and engage with music it gives us more of an emotional
experience.
4. The act of singing can bring people together
It has been found in a study that singing can bring us together and this
was showed when a large number of pupils from a Finnish school took part in a
music class that was extended. The results were that the individuals who took part
felt more satisfied when they were carrying out other tasks within the school. The
study also showed that we find happiness when we synchronize with other
individuals and this is what took place when everyone sang together.
5. Heart disease can be treated by music
Anxiety and stress is one of the main causes of heart disease and a study
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showed that when music was enjoyed by over 1500 patients, it reduced the blood
pressure and heart rate that lead to anxiety and heart disease. (a 2009 study by Dileo
and Bradt).
6. The ability that sad music has to make us happy
Sad music has the ability of allowing us to manage our moods, and we will
often listen to the music. This leads to a cathartic effect on us which results in an
improved mood.
7. Happy faces are seen
Music has the ability of making you give a facial expression which
suggests the way in which you perceive the music you are listening to. This means
that when you listen to music that you enjoy, your facial expression will also be one
that is positive.
8. The effect that music has on color
A study was carried out in 2013 by Palmer et al, which showed that
individuals connected colors with certain pieces of music. Sadder pieces of music
would result in darker and more dull colors, where as happier pieces of music would
result in bright and vibrant colors.
9. The ability that music has at restoring vision
When an individual has a stroke it is often the case that the visual part of
the brain is damaged. The patient may then not be aware of certain objects and may
have trouble seeing them. Studies have shown however, that when these patients
listen to their favorite music, the vision was restored.
10. Babies love music
It has been found that individuals who are only five months old will
respond to music in a rhythmic way and connect with it more so than speech. Zentner
and Earola conducted a study in 2010 that showed that babies will dance in a
spontaneous way to different music and will enjoy it by smiling.
SOURCE: Viral Novelty (2018) – raising global consciousness
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Music for your Heart
March 20, 2019
Music engages not only your auditory system but many other parts of your
brain as well, including areas responsible for movement, language, attention,
memory, and emotion. ―There is no other stimulus on earth that simultaneously
engages our brains as widely as music does,‖ says Brian Harris, certified neurologic
music therapist at Harvard-affiliated Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital. This global
activation happens whether you listen to music, play an instrument, or sing — even
informally in the car or the shower, he says.
Make my heart sing
Music can also alter your brain chemistry, and these changes may
produce cardiovascular benefits, as evidenced by a number of different studies. For
example, studies have found that listening to music may
enable people to exercise longer during cardiac stress testing done on a
treadmill or stationary bike
improve blood vessel function by relaxing arteries
help heart rate and blood pressure levels to return to baseline more
quickly after physical exertion
ease anxiety in heart attack survivors
help people recovering from heart surgery to feel less pain and anxiety.
Notable effects Like other pleasurable sensations, listening to or creating
music triggers the release of dopamine, a brain chemical that makes people feel
engaged and motivated. As Harris points out, ―An exercise class without music is
unimaginable.‖ Sound processing begins in the brainstem, which also controls the
rate of your heartbeat and respiration. This connection could explain why relaxing
music may lower heart rate, breathing rate, and blood pressure — and also seems to
ease pain, stress, and anxiety.
What music resonates for you?
But preference matters. Research suggests that patient-selected music
shows more beneficial effects than music chosen by someone else, which makes sense.
According to the American Music Therapy Association, music ―provokes responses due
to the familiarity, predictability, and feelings of security associated with
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it.‖
In the cardiac stress test study (done at a Texas university), most of the
participants were Hispanic, so the researchers chose up-tempo, Latin-inspired music.
In the artery relaxation study, which tested both classical and rock music,
improvements were greater when classical aficionados listened to classical music
than when they listened to rock, and vice versa. Someone who loves opera might find
a soaring aria immensely calming. ―But quite frankly, if you don‘t care for opera, it
could have the opposite effect!‖ says Harris.
There‘s no downside to using music either to relax or to invigorate your
exercise routine, provided you keep the decibel level in a safe range. You might even
consider using your heart health as an excuse to splurge on a new sound system
.SOURCE: Corliss, J. (2018) Music and heart health
Music for Anti- Aging Treatment
March 21, 2019
If you want to firm up your body, head to the gym. If you want to exercise
your brain, listen to music.
―There are few things that stimulate the brain the way music does,‖ says
one Johns Hopkins otolaryngologist. ―If you want to keep your brain engaged
throughout the aging process, listening to or playing music is a great tool. It provides
a total brain workout.‖
Research has shown that listening to music can reduce anxiety, blood
pressure, and pain as well as improve sleep quality, mood, mental alertness, and
memory.
The Brain-Music Connection
Experts are trying to understand how our brains can hear and play music.
A stereo system puts out vibrations that travel through the air and somehow get
inside the ear canal. These vibrations tickle the eardrum and are transmitted into an
electrical signal that travels through the auditory nerve to the brain stem, where it is
reassembled into something we perceive as music.
Johns Hopkins researchers have had dozens of jazz performers and
rappers improvise music while lying down inside an FMRI (functional magnetic
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resonance imaging) machine to watch and see which areas of their brains light up.
―Music is structural, mathematical and architectural. It‘s based on
relationships between one note and the next. You may not be aware of it, but your
brain has to do a lot of computing to make sense of it,‖ notes one otolaryngologist.
Everyday Brain Boosts from Music
The power of music isn‘t limited to interesting research. Try these
methods of bringing more music—and brain benefits—into your life.
Jump-start your creativity.
Listen to what your kids or grandkids listen to, experts suggest. Often we
continue to listen to the same songs and genre of music that we did during our teens
and 20s, and we generally avoid hearing anything that‘s not from that era.
New music challenges the brain in a way that old music doesn‘t. It might
not feel pleasurable at first, but that unfamiliarity forces the brain to struggle to
understand the new sound.
Recall a memory from long ago.
Reach for familiar music, especially if it stems from the same time period
that you are trying to recall. Listening to the Beatles might bring you back to the first
moment you laid eyes on your spouse, for instance.
Listen to your body.
Pay attention to how you react to different forms of music, and pick the
kind that works for you. What helps one person concentrate might be distracting to
someone else, and what helps one person unwind might make another person
jumpy.
SOURCE: Johns Hopkins University (2019) Keep Your Brain Young with Music
Music Therapy on Mental Health
April 10, 2019
Research shows the benefits of music therapy for various mental health
conditions, including depression, trauma, and schizophrenia (to name a few). Music
acts as a medium for processing emotions, trauma, and grief—but music can also be
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utilized as a regulating or calming agent for anxiety or for dysregulation.
There are four major interventions involved with music therapy:
Lyric Analysis
While talk therapy allows a person to speak about topics that may be
difficult to discuss, lyric analysis introduces a novel and less-threatening approach to
process emotions, thoughts and experiences. A person receiving music therapy is
encouraged to offer insight, alternative lyrics and tangible tools or themes from lyrics
that can apply to obstacles in their life and their treatment. We all have a song that
we deeply connect to and appreciate—lyric analysis provides an opportunity for an
individual to identify song lyrics that may correlate with their experience.
Improvisation Music Playing
Playing instruments can encourage emotional expression, socialization
and exploration of various therapeutic themes (i.e. conflict, communication, grief,
etc.). For example, a group can create a ―storm‖ by playing drums, rain sticks,
thunder tubes and other percussive instruments. The group can note areas of
escalation and de-escalation in the improvisation, and the group can correlate the
―highs and lows‖ of the storm to particular feelings they may have. This creates an
opportunity for the group to discuss their feelings further.
Active Music Listening
Music can be utilized to regulate mood. Because of its rhythmic and
repetitive aspects, music engages the neocortex of our brain, which calms us and
reduces impulsivity. We often utilize music to match or alter our mood. While there
are benefits to matching music to our mood, it can potentially keep us stuck in a
depressive, angry or anxious state. To alter mood states, a music therapist can play
music to match the current mood of the person and then slowly shift to a more
positive or calm state.
Songwriting
Songwriting provides opportunities for expression in a positive and
rewarding way. Anyone can create lyrics that reflect their own thoughts and
experiences, and select instruments and sounds that best reflect the emotion behind
the lyrics. This process can be very validating, and can aid in building self-worth. This
intervention can also instill a sense of pride, as someone listens to their own creation.
SOURCE: Warren, M. (2016) The Impact Of Music Therapy On Mental
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Health
The four „M‟ theory for treating depression (Part 1/4)
April 12, 2019
The Four ―M‖ Theory for Treating Depression was formulated by Prof.
Jose Maria G. Pelayo III (2019) in order to have a guide for intervention in a dynamic
systematic method based on scientifically based data. This Theory includes
MEDITATION, MUSIC, MOVEMENT and MEDICATION inclusive of their specific
components. A combination of all methods can be utilized depending on the mental
health practitioner‘s recommendation to their client. All of the contents of this collation
of literature are empirical based and had positive effects in treating depression. This
is a collection of related literature and related studies that may support a construct to
treat depression.
But in this article, only the facet of MUSIC will be elucidated. This will
coagulate the proficiency of utilizing Music Therapy and Music Psychotherapy as
interventions in treatment for individuals with depression. Since the content of this
facet is too extensive for just an article, this was subdivided into four (4) part
successions. This is PART 1.
―The objective of Music Therapy and Music Psychotherapy is to create
neural changes in the brain that stimulates improvement of psychological and
behavioral functions of individuals diagnosed with the wide array of mental health
problems.‖ – Prof. Jose Maria G. Pelayo III
Depression is a very common mood disorder, resulting in a loss of social
function, reduced quality of life and increased mortality.
Music interventions have been shown to be a potential alternative for
depression therapy but the number of up-to-date research literature is quite limited.
We present a review of original research trials which utilize music or music therapy
as intervention to treat participants with depressive symptoms. Our goal was to
differentiate the impact of certain therapeutic uses of music used in the various
experiments. Randomized controlled study designs were preferred but also
longitudinal studies were chosen to be included.
28 studies with a total number of 1,810 participants met our inclusion
criteria and were finally selected. We distinguished between passive listening to
music (record from a CD or live music) (79%), and active singing, playing, or
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improvising with instruments (46%).
Within certain boundaries of variance an analysis of similar studies was
attempted. Critical parameters were for example length of trial, number of sessions,
participants‘ age, kind of music, active or passive participation and single- or group
setting. In 26 studies, a statistically significant reduction in depression levels was
found over time in the experimental (music intervention) group compared to a control
(n = 25) or comparison group (n = 2). In particular, elderly participants showed
impressive improvements when they listened to music or participated in music
therapy projects.
Researchers used group settings more often than individual sessions and
our results indicated a slightly better outcome for those cases.
Additional questionnaires about participants confidence, self-esteem or
motivation, confirmed further improvements after music treatment. Consequently, the
present review offers an extensive set of comparable data, observations about the
range of treatment options these papers addressed, and thus might represent a
valuable aid for future projects for the use of music-based interventions to improve
symptoms of depression.
SOURCE: Daniel Leubner* and Thilo Hinterberger (2017) ―Reviewing the
Effectiveness of Music Interventions in Treating Depression‖
The Four „M‟ Theory for Treating Depression (Part 2/4)
April 20, 2019
The Four ―M‖ Theory for Treating Depression was formulated by Prof.
Jose Maria G. Pelayo III (2019) in order to have a guide for intervention in a dynamic
systematic method based on scientifically based data. This Theory includes
MEDITATION, MUSIC, MOVEMENT and MEDICATION inclusive of their specific
components. A combination of all methods can be utilized depending on the mental
health practitioner‘s recommendation to their client. All of the contents of this collation
of literature are empirical based and had positive effects in treating depression. This
is a collection of related literature and related studies that may support a construct to
treat depression.
But in this article, only the facet of MUSIC will be elucidated. This will
coagulate the proficiency of utilizing Music Therapy and Music Psychotherapy as
interventions in treatment for individuals with depression. Since the content of this
P a g e | 147
facet is too extensive for just an article, this was subdivided into four (4) part
successions. This is PART 2.
―The objective of Music Therapy and Music Psychotherapy is to create
neural changes in the brain that stimulates improvement of psychological and
behavioral functions of individuals diagnosed with the wide array of mental health
problems.‖ – Prof. Jose Maria G. Pelayo III
Term used primarily for a setting, where sessions are provided by a boardcertified music therapist. Music therapy [MT] (Maratos et al., 2008; Bradt et al., 2015)
stands for the ―…clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to
accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship by a credentialed
professional who has completed an approved music therapy program‖ (AMTA)2.
Many different fields of practice, mostly in the health care system, show an increasing
amount of interest in [MT]. Mandatory is a systematic constructed therapy process
that was created by a board-certified music therapist and requires an individualspecific music selection that is developed uniquely for and together with the patient in
one or more sessions. Therapy settings are not limited to listening, but may also
include playing, composing, or interacting with music. Presentations can be prerecorded or live. In other cases (basic) instruments are built together. The process to
create these tailor-made selections requires specific knowledge on how to select,
then construct and combine the most suitable stimuli or hardware. It must also be
noted that music therapy is offered as a profession-qualifying course of study.
In this review we examined whether, and to what extent, music
intervention could significantly affect the emotional state of people living with
depression. Our primary objective was to accurately identify, select, and analyze upto-date research literature, which utilized music as intervention to treat participants
with depressive symptoms. After a multi-stage review process, a total of 1.810
participants in 28 scholarly papers met our inclusion criteria and were finally selected
for further investigations about the effectiveness music had to treat their depression.
Both, quantitative as well as qualitative empirical approaches were performed to
interpret the data obtained from those original research papers. To consider the
different methods researchers used, we presented a detailed illustration of
approaches and evaluated them during our investigation process.
Interventions included, for example, various instrumental or vocal versions of
classical compositions, Jazz, world music, and meditative songs to name just a few
genres. Classical music (Classical or Baroque period) for treatment was used in nine
articles. Notable composers were W.A. Mozart, L. v. Beethoven and J. S. Bach. Jazz
was used five times for intervention. Vernon Duke (Title: ―April in Paris‖), M. Greger
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(Title: ―Up to Date‖), or Louis Armstrong (Title: ―St. Louis Blues‖) are some of the
featured artists. The third major genre researchers used for their experimental groups
was percussion and drumming-based music.
We described similarities, the integration of different music intervention
approaches had on participants in experimental vs. control groups, who received an
alternative, or no additional treatment at all. Additional questionnaires confirmed
further improvements regarding confidence, self-esteem and motivation. Trends in
the improvement of frequently occurring comorbidities (e.g., anxiety, sleeping
disorders, confidence and self-esteem)48, associated with depression, were also
discussed briefly, and showed promising outcomes after intervention as well.
Particularly anxiety (Sartorius et al., 1996; Tiller, 2013) is known to be a common
burden, many patients with mood disorders are additionally affected with. Interpreted
as manifestation of fear, anxiety is a basic feeling in situations that are regarded as
threatening. Triggers can be expected threats such as physical integrity, self-esteem
or self-image. Unfortunately, researchers merely distinguished between ―anxiety
disorder‖ (i.e., mildly exceeded anxiety) and the physiological reaction. Also, the
question should be raised if the response to music differs if patients are suffering
from both, depression and anxiety. Sleep quality in combination with symptoms of
depression (Mayers and Baldwin, 2006) raised the question, whether sleep
disturbances lead to depression or, vice versa, depression was responsible for a
reduced quantity of sleep instead. Most studies used questionnaires that were based
on self-assessment. However, it is unclear whether this approach is sufficiently valid
and reliable enough to diagnose changes regarding to symptom improvement. Future
approaches should not solely rely on questionnaires, but rather add measurements of
physiological body reactions (e.g., skin conductance, heart and respiratory rate, or
AEP‘s via an EEG) for more objectivity.
SOURCE: Daniel Leubner* and Thilo Hinterberger (2017) ―Reviewing the
Effectiveness of Music Interventions in Treating Depression‖
The Four „M‟ Theory for Treating Depression (Part 3/4)
April 27, 2019
The Four ―M‖ Theory for Treating Depression was formulated by Prof.
Jose Maria G. Pelayo III (2019) in order to have a guide for intervention in a dynamic
systematic method based on scientifically based data. This Theory includes
MEDITATION, MUSIC, MOVEMENT and MEDICATION inclusive of their specific
components. A combination of all methods can be utilized depending on the mental
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health practitioner‘s recommendation to their client. All of the contents of this collation
of literature are empirical based and had positive effects in treating depression. This
is a collection of related literature and related studies that may support a construct to
treat depression.
But in this article, only the facet of MUSIC will be elucidated. This will
coagulate the proficiency of utilizing Music Therapy and Music Psychotherapy as
interventions in treatment for individuals with depression. Since the content of this
facet is too extensive for just an article, this was subdivided into four (4) part
successions. This is PART 3.
―The objective of Music Therapy and Music Psychotherapy is to create
neural changes in the brain that stimulates improvement of psychological and
behavioral functions of individuals diagnosed with the wide array of mental health
problems.‖ – Prof. Jose Maria G. Pelayo III
Findings of the present meta-analysis indicate that music therapy provides
short-term beneficial effects for people with depression. Music therapy added to
treatment as usual (TAU) seems to improve depressive symptoms compared with
TAU alone. Additionally, music therapy plus TAU is not associated with more or fewer
adverse events than TAU alone. Music therapy also shows efficacy in decreasing
anxiety levels and improving functioning of depressed individuals.
Future trials based on adequate design and larger samples of children and
adolescents are needed to consolidate our findings. Researchers should consider
investigating mechanisms of music therapy for depression. It is important to clearly
describe music therapy, TAU, the comparator condition, and the profession of the
person who delivers the intervention, for reproducibility and comparison purposes
SOURCE: Aalbers S, Fusar-Poli L, Freeman RE, Spreen M, Ket JCF, Vink AC, Maratos
A, Crawford M, Chen X, Gold C (2017) ―Music therapy for depression‖
The Four „M‟ Theory for Treating Depression (Part 4/4)
May 4, 2019
The Four ―M‖ Theory for Treating Depression was formulated by Prof.
Jose Maria G. Pelayo III (2019) in order to have a guide for intervention in a dynamic
systematic method based on scientifically based data. This Theory includes
MEDITATION, MUSIC, MOVEMENT and MEDICATION inclusive of their specific
components. A combination of all methods can be utilized depending on the mental
P a g e | 150
health practitioner‘s recommendation to their client. All of the contents of this collation
of literature are empirical based and had positive effects in treating depression. This
is a collection of related literature and related studies that may support a construct to
treat depression.
But in this article, only the facet of MUSIC will be elucidated. This will
coagulate the proficiency of utilizing Music Therapy and Music Psychotherapy as
interventions in treatment for individuals with depression. Since the content of this
facet is too extensive for just an article, this was subdivided into four (4) part
successions. This is PART 4.
―The objective of Music Therapy and Music Psychotherapy is to create
neural changes in the brain that stimulates improvement of psychological and
behavioral functions of individuals diagnosed with the wide array of mental health
problems.‖ – Prof. Jose Maria G. Pelayo III
Traditional depression treatments like psychotherapy or medication might
work better for some patients when doctors add a dose of music therapy, a research
review suggests. Researchers examined data on 421 people who participated in nine
previously completed short-term experiments testing the benefits of music therapy on
its own or added to traditional interventions for depression. Overall, the analysis
found patients felt less depressed when music was added to their treatment regimen,
according to the analysis in the Cochrane Library.
Music therapy also appeared to help ease anxiety and improve functioning
in depressed individuals, and it appeared just as safe as traditional treatments. ―We
can now be more confident that music therapy in fact improves patients‘ symptoms
and functioning, and that this finding holds across a variety of settings, countries,
types of patients, and types of music therapy,‖ said senior study author Christian
Gold of Uni Research Health in Bergen, Norway.
More than 300 million people worldwide have depression, which is
projected to become the leading cause of disability by 2020, Gold and colleagues
write.
Music therapy can include passive approaches that involve listening,
active treatments that involve playing an instrument or singing or participating in a
musical performance, or some combination of these approaches. What sets therapy
apart from other musical endeavors is that it is typically led by a person with training
in counseling, psychology or treating depression. Even though music therapy has
long been used all over the world, research to date hasn‘t offered a clear picture of its
benefits, Gold said.
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The last review of music therapy published by Cochrane in 2008 didn‘t
offer as much evidence of benefits, Gold said. A milestone study that came out in
2011 concluded that music could help but was only done in one country and left
many unanswered questions, he said.
―The present review update confirms these findings and broadens them,‖
Gold said by email. ―We still think that more research is needed; however, we feel
that research on music therapy for depression can now turn to more specific
questions, such as comparing different types of therapy to each other.‖ Studies
included in the current review ranged in duration from six to 12 weeks. The smallest
study had just 14 participants, and the largest one included 79 people. The total
number of treatment sessions ranged from eight to 48, and the duration of sessions
varied from 20 minutes to two hours. Only one of the studies in the analysis
compared active versus passive music therapy, and it didn‘t find a difference in the
short-term severity of depression.
―The most important finding is that music therapy shows short-term
beneficial effects for people with depression when added on top of baseline
psychological or pharmacological treatment,‖ said Dr. Gjin Ndrepepa, a researcher at
Technical University in Munich, Germany, who wasn‘t involved in the study. How it
works isn‘t clear, Ndrepepa said by email.
But modern brain imaging studies have shown that music therapy
activates regions of the brain that are involved in regulating emotions. Joyful and sad
music can have different effects, too, Ndrepepa added. More research is still needed
to figure out what type of music therapy works best for specific patient situations,
Gold said. ―Until we have more specific research results comparing different music
therapies to each other, music therapy should be seen as one of a variety of options,‖
Gold said. ―It is important to have choices because no therapy works for everyone.‖
SOURCE: Rapaport, L. (2017) REUTERS Health News
Music Psychology Center in Angeles City
May 6, 2019
Angeles City, Philippines – ―It was a 3 year long preparation to set up a
Music Psychology Center (MPC) here in Angeles City.
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I have been blessed to be a disciple of a great mentor Ms. Celeste S.
Sanchez, the first didactic Music Therapist in the Philippines. She is the founder of
The Divine Mercy Mobile Center in Paco, Manila. A very energetic therapist who is
received recognition for her efforts and expertise in Japan.
I started my journey in Music Psychology in 2010 and met Ms. Sanchez in
2003. Ever since then, I was thirsty for new approaches and programs that involved
Music Psychotherapy for Mental Health.
My research has been profoundly accepted by local and international
scholarly journals and my training with Ms. Sanchez made it very easy for me to
apply all these updated research studies to Mental Health Programs.‖ – Prof. Pelayo
Music Psychology Center (MPC) is the Central Office of six focal areas:
a. Music Psychology Research (MPR),
b. Psychological Assessment and Research Evaluation (PARE),
c. Research on Spiritual Holism (RUSH)
d. Music Psychology Vlogs (MPV) and
e. Poems, Prayers and Promises (PPP)
f. Hums and Strums Music School (HSMS)
(The six focal areas will be elucidated in future articles)
All of these focal areas were constructed before MPC. This was a
strategic move to establish MPC from the ground up. The six focal areas have their
own functions and when amalgamated, the vision and mission of MPC is clearly
established.
Mental Health is vital and essential for the holistic development of an
individual. Needless to say, creating a balance to equip a person in dealing with the
obstacles and trials in our everyday lives. The alarming rise of depression and
anxiety, mostly with adolescents, have been the main focus of MPC. Many young
individuals have been a victim to depression, and to the extreme, have taken their
own lives. Thus, MPC is bound and compelled to address these psychological issues
and would want to reach out to the public in order to advocate the preservation of
optimism, the right perspective, resilience, a positive outlook in life, and a well-
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balanced Mental Health condition.
MPC is composed of dedicated Mental Health Professionals, Psychology
Researchers, Musicians, Music Psychologists and Medical Professionals.
Importance of Music in Religion
May 14, 2019
Music has the ability to deepen the meaning of words that accompany it,
both in a religious context or even on your local pop radio station you listen to on the
way to work.
As described by St. Augustine in Weiss and Taruskin‘s Music of the
Western World, St. Augustine reflects on his baptism, ―The tears flowed from me
when I heard your hymns and canticles, for the sweet singing of your church moved
me deeply…The music surged in my ears, truth seeped into my heart, and my
feelings of devotion overflowed…‖ (24). St. Augustine‘s account makes it clear that
the hymns and canticles sung at his baptism amplified his personal religious
experience all the way back in the 4th century. At the same time, music wasn‘t
always considered an appropriate mode of worship, so why has music become such
a universal part of worship today?
In the early Christian tradition, as with many other religions, one had to be
careful with their use of music. According to Weiss and Taruskin‘s Music of the
Western World, using music for unholy purposes such as pleasure was sinful
because pleasure gets in the way of the Lord. If early Christians considered music a
pleasure capable of distracting them from their relationship with God, then the impact
music had on people of this time must have been significant. Luckily, many religions
agreed the sin of music is taken away when it is used for worship. Putting religious
text to music allows for a more involved worship experience, incorporating song
performance skills that give the performer and the listener a heightened sense of
praise. In this way, music can be used as a tool for praise that is appealing to the
worshiper.
Music has a way of filling in the gaps in thought, feeling, and emotion that
words cannot do justice, which can be incredibly powerful when accompanied by a
spiritual belief. Using music for religious reasons also gave early humans the ability
to experience and explore the tantalizing effects of music without committing a sin. In
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the present day, music is used much more widely and for purposes other than
worship, which has allowed religious music to grow and expand into many types of
praise that have a wider impact many people.
Music is a nearly universal part of religion because it appeals to and
heightens human senses in a pleasurable way which, in turn, allows humans to
praise through a medium that makes worship more enjoyable.
SOURCE: Betchwars, H. (2016) ―Music 345: Music and Religion‖
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