Music Group Research Articles

Supporting Autistic Students and Their Siblings through Inclusive Music Groups

This article provides a brief review of research along with a recommended music program with the purpose of facilitating constructive and loving relationships between autistic individuals and their allistic siblings. We highlight research regarding the need for family-based interventions, as well as the benefits of music participation for both the individuals with autism and their allistic siblings. Finally, we recommend a world percussion program for the siblings to participate in together that coincides with an allistic sibling support group. Music educators can facilitate growth within these relationships because they have a unique perspective on the individuals involved.

Face-to-face vs. online delivery of the Lullaby Project: A therapeutic community music group for mothers of infants

Online delivery of community music groups has become more widely accepted following the COVID-19 pandemic, and may reduce barriers to attendance for certain demographics, including mothers with caring responsibilities. However, different interaction patterns may affect group processes, altering a programme’s underlying mechanisms of change when adapted for online delivery. This research compares in-person and videoconference delivery of the Lullaby Project, a therapeutic community music group for mothers with infants aged under 3. It explores engagement, participation and group processes, and elucidates the mechanisms of change for both modes of implementation. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine mothers and seven musicians who had experienced one of three delivery methods: (1) face-to-face; (2) face-to-face and online combination and (3) online. Interviews were analysed inductively using thematic analysis and eleven sub-themes were identified within three overarching themes: (1) engagement; (2) group processes and (3) change mechanisms. Mothers perceived benefits and formed meaningful relationships in-person and online, although the distinct group processes and change mechanisms suggest the delivery methods constitute distinct interventions. Specifically, relationships were formed on an individual level during in-person delivery, whereas group-based connections were more likely with online delivery. Further research is needed to explore a diversity of experiences, and to evaluate the efficacy of online delivery of community music groups.

An Appreciative Analysis of Selected Songs

This article examines how Tanzanian artists, Wagosi wa Kaya and Mr. Ebbo as an example, have defied expectations and confounded critics by employing humour in their songs to caution against risky behaviour. Popular Tanzanian songs have typically been accused for a number of years by the government and the general public of ‘destroying’ Tanzanian values, especially by promoting dangerous activity. These kinds of songs are usually banned, and the writers’ performance licences revoked by the government. Although many musicians have faced criticism for allegedly inciting dangerous behaviour through their music, Mr Ebbo and the Wagosi wa Kaya music group, distinguished musicians, have been notable exceptions. They have composed superb songs that contradict these charges. Using thematic and content analyses and informed by the Theory of Planned Behaviour, the article emphasises how important it is for other people to value these and similar musicians in order to support them and push more musicians to write songs that are constructive and morally sound so that society can reap the benefits of the reintroduction of social values.

Från djävulsmusik till konstnärligt uttryck

From Devil's Music to Artistic Expression. The Korpela Movement, Black Metal, and Cultural PolicyThis text explores Korpelarörelsen, a Black Metal band that presents an audiovisual performance depicting a religious movement in Tornedalen during the early 20th century. In 2020 they received prolific funding from the Swedish Arts Grants Committee to conceive, rehearse and tour with the band. The article describes the band's unique portrayal of local history through the use of black metal music, while also discussing the boundaries between art and music, its implications for arts funding and the Black Metal genre's position in cultural hierarchies. The study draws on interviews, concert observations, and analysis of applications and documents outlining the funding decision from the Swedish Arts Grants Committee. The historic religious Korpela movement has been described as a doomsday cult, which believed that practicing music and dance, extrovert “childlike behavior” and even nudity and free sex, was the path to salvation. The band Korpelarörelsen depicts this through raw Black Metal, atmospheric elements, spoken word passages, and peculiar onstage-rituals. Visual aesthetics, including black robes, corpse paint, and blood-like smears, contributed to the atmosphere of mystique, darkness, and death. Korpelarörelsen’s application for cultural funding strategically positioned the project as a collaboration between various art forms and emphasized the interaction between Black Metal aesthetics and music industry methods. Korpelarörelsen's innovative approach and funding success might offer possibilities for extreme music within culturally funded systems. This case study demonstrates how a Black Metal band from Tornedalen could potentially have cultural and political impact and pave the way for other extreme music groups seeking recognition and support.

Opening up openings: Zooming in on improvisation in the Theater of Home

This article presents a qualitative analysis of the opening section of an online improvisation session. The session, which was organized by the Glasgow Improvisers Orchestra, included an international group of musicians. It took place during the global COVID-19 pandemic where the participants were experiencing lockdown conditions. Phenomenological reflexive analysis and video elicitation techniques were utilized to develop a number of key themes related to the multimodal improvisation strategies identified as emergent in the session. The results highlight how technical, physical, and psychological constraints of online practice can facilitate new creative insights and approaches to improvisation. Particular emphasis is placed upon how an improvisation begins and the role of distributed and collaborative creativity within the overall process. The importance of the domestic environment, what we term The Theater of Home, is central to these new ideas, as is how particular scenarios/items function as psychological and creative boundary objects. The spontaneous multimodal integration of text, visual, and audio material within the domestic and virtual environment can be seen to support a new type of creative collaboration and one that draws out features of social improvisation.

Music from Noise-Canceling Headphones Is Beneficial against Anxiety in Male Bladder Cancer Patients Undergoing Follow-Up Cystoscopy: A Prospective Randomized Trial

Introduction: Bladder cancer, with a greater incidence in males than in females, requires frequent cystoscopies. We aimed to evaluate the effect of music played through noise-canceling headphones on male bladder cancer patients during follow-up cystoscopy. Methods: A total of 160 male bladder cancer patients undergoing follow-up flexible cystoscopy were randomly divided into the noise-canceling headphones without music group and the noise-canceling headphones with music group (groups 1 and 2, respectively; n = 80 per group). The patients’ clinical characteristics were examined, and objective and subjective measurements were compared before and after cystoscopy. The primary outcomes that were evaluated included the visual analog scale (VAS, 0–10) and the state-trait anxiety inventory (STAI, 20–80). Other outcomes, including vital signs and scores for assessing satisfaction and the willingness to repeat the procedure, were also examined. Results: The characteristics of the patients in groups 1 and 2, and their pre-cystoscopy status, did not differ significantly. Although post-cystoscopy vital signs for the objective parameters and VAS pain scores were similar between the groups, subjective parameters were not. When compared with group 1, post-cystoscopy STAI-state scores were significantly lower in group 2, whereas patients’ satisfaction scores and the willingness to repeat the procedure were significantly higher in group 2 (p = 0.002, 0.001, and 0.001, respectively). Additionally, in group 2, STAI-state scores changed significantly after the procedure when compared with before the procedure (p = 0.002). Conclusion: Providing music to male bladder cancer patients through noise-canceling headphones was found to reduce anxiety during cystoscopy and to improve patient satisfaction and willingness to undergo repeat cystoscopy.

Design of a Music Stage Documentation Photography Book Tani Maju Band

Malang City is one of the cities in Indonesia that has a rich and diverse music history. One of the famous music groups from Malang City is Tani Maju. Established since 1999, Tani Maju continues to enliven the music scene in Malang City until today. This research is a project by the author who has also been a documentation stage photographer for Tani Maju since 2009 until now. This research will result in a photography book documenting Tani Maju's music stage as the main medium. Music stage documentation photography is a branch of photography that focuses on documenting music performances. This photography book will contain photos of Tani Maju on stage, taken by the author from 2009 to mid-2019, and has undergone photography quality selection and editing processes by the author. The design method applied in this research is using a qualitative approach. The general aim of this design is to create a photography book that contains documentation of Tani Maju's music stage, and the benefits derived from this research and design are to add one form of visual artwork for the author and Tani Maju Band in the form of a music stage documentation book.

The Effect of Music on Postoperative Agitation, Pain, and Opioid Use among Patients Undergoing Total Knee Replacement

BackgroundPostoperative pain and agitation is an ongoing issue among patients undergoing total knee replacement (TKR). Use of complementary therapies such as music may improve outcomes when combined with medical therapy. AimThe purpose of this quality improvement (QI) initiative was to evaluate postoperative use of classical music among adult patients who have undergone TKR on reported agitation, pain, and opioid use. DesignA prospective evidence-based QI initiative. SettingA midwestern hospital post-anesthesia care unit. ParticipantsPostoperative patients who had undergone TKR. MethodsClassical piano music was played postoperatively using an MP3 device. Adult patients who were undergoing TKR were consecutively offered music during their recovery period in the PACU. Agitation was measured using the Richmond Agitation Sedation Score (RASS). Patient perceived pain was measured on a scale of 0-10 with 0 being no pain and 10 being extreme pain. Opioid use was measured using the morphine milligram equivalents (MME). FindingsA total of (n=40) patients received music and (n=50) patients received standard care without music. RASS was significantly lower in the music group than in the baseline non-music group X2 (1, N = 89) = 17.8, p < .001. Patient reported pain scores were significantly lower in the music group, 3.98(SD = 2.71), compared to the baseline non-music group, 6.27(SD = 2.60). Opioid use was also significantly decreased in the music group to MME 9.51(SD = 8.62) compared to the baseline non-music group 13.38 (SD = 9.71). ConclusionMusic is an effective nonpharmacologic intervention in decreasing agitation, pain, and opioid use among patients undergoing TKR. These findings provide evidence for nurses to incorporate music as an adjunctive approach to enhance the patient's experience and improve outcomes.

The difference of affect improvement effect of music intervention in aerobic exercise at different time periods.

Objectives: A randomized controlled experimental design that combines exercise and music intervention was adopted in this study to verify whether this approach could help improve human affect. The differences in the effect of music listening on affective improvement were compared in four different periods: before, during, and after aerobic power cycling exercise and the whole exercise course. Method: A total of 140 subjects aged 19-30 years (average age: 23.6 years) were recruited and randomly divided into four music intervention groups, namely, the pre-exercise, during-exercise, post-exercise, and the whole-course groups. The subjects' demographic and sociological variables and daily physical activities were collected using questionnaires. Individual factors, such as the subjects' noise sensitivity, personality traits, and degree of learning burnout, were collected via scale scoring. A laboratory in Zhejiang Normal University was selected as the experimental site. The testing procedure can be summarized as follows. In a quiet environment, the subjects were asked to sit quietly for 5min after completing a preparation work, and then they were informed to take a pre-test. The four subject groups wore headphones and completed 20min of aerobic cycling (i.e., 7min of moderate-intensity cycling [50%*HRR + RHR] + 6min of low-intensity interval cycling [30%*HRR + RHR] + 7min of moderate-intensity cycling [50%*HRR + RHR] after returning to a calm state (no less than 20min) for post-testing. The affect improvement indicators (dependent variables) collected in the field included blood pressure (BP), positive/negative affect, and heart rate variability indicators (RMSSD, SDNN, and LF/HF). Results: 1) Significant differences were found in the participants' systolic BP (SBP) indices and the effect of improvement of the positive affect during the exercise-music intervention among the four groups at different durations for the same exercise intensity (F = 2.379, p = 0.030, ɳp 2 = 0.058; F = 2.451, p = 0.043, ɳp 2 = 0.091). 2) Music intervention for individuals during exercise contribute more to the reduction of SBP than the other three time periods (F = 3.170, p = 0.047, ɳp 2 = 0.068). Improvement in the participants' negativity affective score was also better during exercise, and it was significantly different than the other three time periods (F = 5.516, p = 0.006, ɳp 2 = 0.113). No significant differences were found in the improvement effects of the other effective indicators for the four periods. Conclusion: Exercise combined with music intervention has a facilitative effect on human affect improvement, and listening to music during exercise has a better impact on affective improvement than music interventions at the other periods. When people perform physical activities, listening to music during exercise positively affects the progress effect among them.

Remote music therapy group sessions during the COVID-19 pandemic with adults with psychotic disorders and staff: A multiple case study

The aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of 12 remote music therapy group sessions with adults with psychotic disorders during the pandemic of COVID-19 (February-June 2021). Two different methods were used: a) Nordoff-Robbins scales 1 and 2 with six caretakers, b) thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with six caretakers and three caregivers. The clinical approach used in the sessions was Synthetic Music Therapy. Even though the music therapy group was remote and despite the social withdrawal and isolation due to the universal quarantine, there was evidence of significant positive changes in the caretakers’ clinical image, as their social skills improved. Furthermore, the caretakers managed to build and maintain a consistent and trusting therapeutic relationship. During the music therapy process almost all group members showed evidence of a linear progress in psychological and musical aspects, approaching the fully functioning state of being, called FA-fonie (FA-voice). Almost all participants highlighted that they would prefer the music therapy group to have been conducted at location. In the section of discussion, a further analysis of the results, the research limitations and proposals for future research are presented.

Transferability of motor skills from piano training to learning new laparoscopic surgical skills

There is a widely held belief that musicians make better surgeons based on the far transfer of their established fine motor skills when learning new surgical skills. There is, however, a deficit of quantified knowledge on the transfer of fine motor skills from one domain of expertise to another. In this study, pianists and controls were provided with daily laparoscopic training sessions for five consecutive days. Each session consisted of six tasks on a Train Anywhere Skill Kit laparoscopic training box. Performance was evaluated each day and retention was evaluated one week later by measuring the speed and accuracy of task completion. Except for the bead to peg transfer task, no statistical differences were found between participant groups. The only significant confounding variable was that the control group was more interested in surgery than the musician group (p = .037). This research addressed limitations of previous studies by measuring the long-term performance and retention of laparoscopic surgical skills. The results of this study demonstrate that, contrary to expectations, piano performance training did not far transfer to laparoscopic surgery. Our findings indicate that fine motor skills are domain specific to music and surgery, respectively.

Breaking the sound of silence: Professional learning in an early career music teacher conversation group

Professional development, typically initiated by administrators to improve student achievement outcomes, is often irrelevant to the needs of early career music teachers. As music teacher educators, we were concerned about issues of importance to early career music teachers as they entered the music teaching profession. We explored conversation as a conduit of reflection and professional learning by convening a conversation group of five early career music teachers who gathered over six, one-hour-long meetings. Guiding their discussions were topics they identified in questionnaires administered before and during the study. Data included audio-visual recordings of the meetings, questionnaires, and researcher memos. Four themes emerged from our analysis of their conversations: (a) educating administrators and mentors, (b) knowing their place, (c) overcoming a lack of resources, and (d) giving students lifelong musical skills. We interpreted these findings through the lens of Snow’s principles of symbolic interactionism. The conversation group facilitated the music teachers’ move from the initial shock of sedimented school culture to a position of agency. The freedom of conversation around chosen topics of professional and personal importance provided the early career music teachers with choice, self-direction, collective support, and agency—key components of professional learning.

Music-making facilitates acculturation and reduces acculturative stress: Evidence from a survey of migrants living in Germany

Beneficial effects of music on wellbeing and group cohesion are well established. Furthermore, participation in music groups has been shown to be associated with increased orientation to the host culture, while orientation to culture of origin appears to remain unaffected. In order to gain insight into the effects of music activities on acculturative stress in adult migrants, a group of musically active migrants to Germany ( n = 80) was compared with migrants who had never played a musical instrument ( n = 86). We saw that music group members ( n = 42) reported lower levels of acculturative stress and a stronger orientation to mainstream culture compared to participants who are not actively making music. The association between music group membership and acculturative stress was mediated by orientation to host culture. Solo-musicians ( n = 38) did not differ from group-musicians and musically non-active subjects. We found no differences in orientation to the culture of origin between the study groups. The findings suggest that (group) music making can support acculturation processes in migrants.

Membangun Relasi untuk Meraih Popularitas Grup Musik Soegi Bornean

The situation that shows Soegi Bornean can gain popularity quickly even though the condition of the music industry in Semarang is still inferior to several other cities, indicates that the band applies public relations strategies with external parties to improve its image which has an impact on popularity. So, the formulation of this problem is to describe these indications using John A. Ledingham's relationship management theory. The research method used is qualitative with case studies. The results showed that Soegi Bornean achieved popularity in a short time because it carried out relationship management activities with external parties, such as aggregators and fanbases. In its implementation, Soegi Bornean applies the principles of relationship management and SMARTS model very well until have a positive quality. Therefore, it has an impact on increasing Soegi Bornean's popularity where a public recognises Soegi Bornean as a music group that has physical attractiveness, attractiveness of work, positive personnel characteristics, and is active in the community.

Music facilitation styles and behaviours across the health-care continuum: explanatory multiple case studies

ABSTRACT Background Understanding how music group facilitators work across the health-care continuum has received sparse research attention. Methods An explanatory multiple case study design was used to identify approaches employed by experienced facilitators. Five music facilitators working in contrasting areas of practice were interviewed and video recorded engaging with the same groups at three timepoints. Results All facilitators demonstrated four common behaviours: applying a consistent structure for each session; creating a positive and relaxing atmosphere for the work; engaging with varying musical repertoire and activities; and offering clear instructions for the participants. Their styles of practice were found to be shaped by their personality, educational background, as well as the size of the group, health conditions, and cultural identities of their music participants. Conclusion These skilled facilitators showed flexibility, always aiming to accommodate participants’ needs, and revealing new evidence of a common approach to music facilitation across different types of participant groups.

The effect of music played to new birth mothers on postpartum blues: A randomized controlled trial

BackgroundPostpartum blues/postpartum maternal blues is a psychological disorder experienced by mothers with symptoms of postpartum sadness, easy crying, easy anxiety, sensitivity, indecisiveness. The study aimed to examine the effect of music played on newly delivered mothers on postpartum blues. MethodsA prospective, two-arm, randomized controlled study was conducted on n = 82 (41 = control, 41 = music group) mothers who gave birth at term in Trakya University Health Research and Application Center Maternity Service between May and December 2023. The research data were collected through the Personal Information Form, Stein Blues Scale (SBS), and Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS). The scales used in the study were evaluated four times: postoperative 0–3 h, 12th, 24th, and 36th hours. ResultsThe postoperative 0–3 h SBS test median of the new mothers in the music group was 19.00, and the 36th hours test median was 2.00, while the postoperative 0–3 h SBS test median of the control group was 21.00, and the 36th hour test median was 13.00. The postoperative 0–3 h EPDS test median of the new mothers in the music group was 22.00, and the 36th hours test median was 0.00, while the postoperative 0–3 h EPDS test median of the control group was 26.00, and the 36th hours test median was 10.00. A significant difference was found in the 12th, 24th, and 36th hours (p < .001). A statistically significant high positive correlation was found between EPDS and SBS in the 12th, 24th, and 36th hours (p < .001). ConclusionsIn the study, it was found that music played to newly delivered mothers reduced postpartum blues and depression levels. RegistrationThe submission date for a clinical trial protocol is prior to completing participant recruitment and for a systematic review, prior to completing full paper screening. NCT06252155

‘Types’ of Popular Musicians: From Musical to Professional Styles: Some Epistemological Reflections Based on the Case of French-Speaking Swiss Musicians

In academic research on popular music, the framing by musical genres and styles such as ‘Rock’, ‘Jazz’, and ‘Electro’ often seems obvious to social sciences scholars. The history, aesthetic features, and boundaries of musical idioms are major concerns for cultural studies, and the notion that musical styles shape the professional musical landscape is commonly accepted. This article is based on a survey involving 125 respondents in French-speaking Switzerland. It combines network analysis based on musical pairings during the year before the survey, with a typical socio-economic approach to understanding the features and resources of musicians. We demonstrate that the conventional approach of classifying musicians by ‘musical styles’ is not the most effective way to understand the structure of the musical occupational group. Instead, work pairings in music, and more broadly, sub-networks that emerge within our population, effectively group musicians according to their ‘professional style’ rather than their ‘musical style’. The focus is not on playing ‘Rock’, ‘Pop’, or ‘Jazz’, but rather on performing original compositions or covers, and whether one is a unique creative artist playing concerts or a service provider performing for entertainment gigs.

The styles of liturgical music of non-Pentatidists in the West and in Russia

The article is devoted to considering the history of two interconnected phenomena: rock and roll, which originated and took shape in the United States in the middle of the last century, and the so-called "second wave of Pentecostalism" (Pentecostal awakening), the date of which also falls on this decade. The clear influence of Pentecostal musical culture on the work of Elvis Presley is shown. The further history of rock and roll and its connection with religion is considered. The process of integrating foreign musical religious culture into the practice of Russian neo-Pentecostal churches is analyzed, an overview of the creativity and styles of Russian artists and musical groups is given.

Impact of background music on reading comprehension: influence of lyrics language and study habits.

Numerous studies have explored the effects of background music on reading comprehension, however, little is known about how native language (L1) lyrics and second language (L2) lyrics in background music influence reading comprehension performance for college students. The present study used a mixed experimental design to examine the effects of listening habits (between-participants variable: non-listeners or listeners), music type (between-participants variable: L1 (Mandarin) pop music, L2 (English) pop music or no music) and text language (within-participants variable: L1 or L2) on reading comprehension of college students in East China. A total of 90 participants (50 females) were screened into non- listeners (n = 45) and listeners (n = 45), and then were randomly assigned to one of three groups: Mandarin pop music group (n = 30), English pop music group (n = 30) and no music group (n = 30). The results showed that reading comprehension performance was negatively affected by music with lyrics compared to the no music condition. Furthermore, Chinese/English reading comprehension was reduced more by pop music in the same language as the written texts. As expected, non-listeners were more negatively affected by music with lyrics than listeners. For both listeners and non-listeners, average reading comprehension accuracy rates were the lowest in the condition of music with native language lyrics. Overall, our research findings indicate that listening to pop music with lyrics reduces reading comprehension performance. However, listening to background music cause much less distraction if the students commonly listen to music while reading. The current study supports the duplex-mechanism account of auditory distraction.

Cognitive enrichment through art: a randomized controlled trial on the effect of music or visual arts group practice on cognitive and brain development of young children

BackgroundThe optimal stimulation for brain development in the early academic years remains unclear. Current research suggests that musical training has a more profound impact on children's executive functions (EF) compared to other art forms. What is crucially lacking is a large-scale, long-term genuine randomized controlled trial (RCT) in cognitive neuroscience, comparing musical instrumental training (MIP) to another art form, and a control group (CG). This study aims to fill this gap by using machine learning to develop a multivariate model that tracks the interconnected brain and EF development during the academic years, with or without music or other art training.MethodsThe study plans to enroll 150 children aged 6-8 years and randomly assign them to three groups: Orchestra in Class (OC), Visual Arts (VA), and a control group (CG). Anticipating a 30% attrition rate, each group aims to retain at least 35 participants. The research consists of three analytical stages: 1) baseline analysis correlating EF, brain data, age, gender, and socioeconomic status, 2) comparison between groups and over time of EF brain and behavioral development and their interactions, including hypothesis testing, and 3) exploratory analysis combining behavioral and brain data. The intervention includes intensive art classes once a week, and incremental home training over two years, with the CG receiving six annual cultural outings.DiscussionThis study examines the potential benefits of intensive group arts education, especially contrasting music with visual arts, on EF development in children. It will investigate how artistic enrichment potentially influences the presumed typical transition from a more unified to a more multifaceted EF structure around age eight, comparing these findings against a minimally enriched active control group. This research could significantly influence the incorporation of intensive art interventions in standard curricula.Trial registrationThe project was accepted after peer-review by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF no. 100014_214977) on March 29, 2023. The study protocol received approval from the Cantonal Commission for Ethics in Human Research of Geneva (CCER, BASEC-ID 2023-01016), which is part of Swiss ethics, on October 25, 2023. The study is registered at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT05912270).