Music Sessions Research Articles

Pitch perfect

Offering musical instruments for children to explore and handle freely along with targeted, adult-led music sessions helps promote listening and communication skills, Nicole Weinstein discovers

Playing with the enemy: Investigating the impact of musical peacebuilding.

Musical performances are frequently used in peacebuilding initiatives. Can performing music together indeed change interpersonal and intergroup perceptions of the other as the enemy? Using contact theory for our theoretical framework, we hypothesize that the specific mechanism of listening during active music-making helps to establish the positive effects of intergroup contact. Additionally, we explore to what extent participants become peace facilitators when returning to their home environments. In two small-scale studies, we find preliminary support for active listening as a mechanism of trust-enhancing contact. However, this effect mainly surfaces in unstructured encounters within the larger organized structure, like late-night chamber music jam sessions. Repeated participation builds the necessary trust for a new common ingroup. Because participation is mostly driven by career and performance motivations, we argue that peacebuilding through musical performances may help overcome the common selection bias in research on contact theory. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Feeding Cannabidiol (CBD)-Containing Treats Did Not Affect Canine Daily Voluntary Activity.

Growing public interest in the use of cannabidiol (CBD) for companion animals has amplified the need to elucidate potential impacts. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the influence of CBD on the daily activity of adult dogs. Twenty-four dogs (18.0 ± 3.4 kg, 9 months−4 years old) of various mixed breeds were utilized in a randomized complete block design with treatments targeted at 0 and 2.5 mg (LOW) and at 5.0 mg (HIGH) CBD/kg body weight (BW) per day split between two treats administered after twice-daily exercise (0700–0900 and 1,700–1,900 h). Four hours each day [1,000–1,200 h (a.m.) and 1,330–1,530 h (p.m.)] were designated as times when no people entered the kennels, with 2 h designated as Quiet time and the other 2 h as Music time, when calming music played over speakers. Quiet and Music sessions were randomly allotted to daily a.m. or p.m. times. Activity monitors were fitted to dogs' collars for continuous collection of activity data. Data were collected over a 14-day baseline period to establish the activity patterns and block dogs by activity level (high or low) before randomly assigning dogs within each block to treatments. After 7 days of treatment acclimation, activity data were collected for 14 days. Data were examined for differences using the MIXED procedure in SAS including effects of treatment, day, session (Quiet or Music), time of day (a.m. or p.m.), and accompanying interactions. CBD (LOW and HIGH) did not alter the total daily activity points (P = 0.985) or activity duration (P = 0.882). CBD tended (P = 0.071) to reduce total daily scratching compared with the control. Dogs were more active in p.m. sessions than in a.m. sessions (P < 0.001). During the p.m. session, dogs receiving HIGH tended (P = 0.091) to be less active than the control (CON). During the a.m. and p.m. sessions, CBD reduced scratching compared with CON (P = 0.030). CBD did not affect the activity duration during exercise periods (P = 0.143). These results indicate that, when supplemented with up to 4.5 mg CBD/kg BW/day, CBD does not impact the daily activity of adult dogs, but may exert an antipruritic effect.

What is the Best Music for Neurofeedback Training?

The nucleus accumbens (NAc) is widely known for its role in reward seeking behavior which is heavily reliant on dopamine signaling. Dopamine plays an important role in reward seeking behavior and motivation and its dysregulation is shown to cause symptoms of depression such as apathy, a lack of motivation, and anhedonia, a loss of pleasure. Studying the NAc, specifically the ventral striatum in this case, is critical in understanding the underlying mechanisms of this dysregulation. Music neurofeedback is a biofeedback technique that provides feedback on brain activity through the audio quality of the music, with lower quality sounding more muffled. This study uses this technique to train participants to increase the activity of their ventral striatum in an attempt to upregulate the activity of the reward system.&#x0D; This paper aims to investigate what the most effective music choices are in terms of genre, key, valence (positive or negative emotions) and energy (pertaining to levels of arousal) to maximize the improvement on neurofeedback training. These musical attributes were identified by the Spotify “Organize Your Music” categorization tool. Participants underwent six EEG music neurofeedback training sessions with individually tailored pleasurable music as the source of feedback. The participants either received real feedback in the neurofeedback group (NF) or sham feedback in the control group. The results of this study showed that neurofeedback performance was negatively correlated with valence whereby songs that led to the greatest performance, measured as increase in ventral striatum activity from baseline, were those low in valence. Participants that had the greatest improvement in their neurofeedback training selected songs that were in a minor key and belonged to the pop genre. Although this study is based on a small sample, it takes the first step towards the overarching goal of using music to manage dysregulation in the reward system.

Effect of music therapy on anxiety and pain in the critical polytraumatised patient

ObjectiveTo determine the effectiveness of music therapy on anxiety and pain in critical polytraumatised patients admitted to the resuscitation unit of a tertiary level hospital in Spain. Material and methodRandomised clinical trial conducted in a tertiary level hospital, from June 2016 to May 2018. The study sample was 60 patients, 30 belonging to the intervention group (IG), and 30 to the control group (CG). The IG were given a 30-minute music session and heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) were measured. The VAS (Visual Analogue Scale) was applied for anxiety and pain before and after each session. The same measures and scales were applied in the CG who did not receive a music session. The music session comprised 3 parts: the first was standard music selected by music therapists; the second was personalised, chosen by the patient and the third was a new standard. The intervention took place in a booth with headphones. ResultsSignificant changes in anxiety levels (P<.01) were detected in the group of patients undergoing the intervention, measured with the VAS scale for anxiety, and pain levels (P<.01), measured with the VAS scale for pain. No significant differences were found in the physiological parameters of HR and BP. ConclusionThe use of music in critical polytraumatised patients reduces anxiety and pain levels, increasing the patient's well-being and improving the quality of care. Music therapy, therefore, is considered beneficial as a complementary measure in critical care units. It would be worthwhile to continue studies in this and other hospital areas.

Digital Technologies and Their Impact in Music Education / Aportul tehnologiilor digitale în educația muzicală

Moldovan MARIA - Digital Technologies and Their Impact in Music Education / Aportul tehnologiilor digitale în educația muzicală ABSTRACT Global communication technologies have become omnipresent nowadays, having a great impact on all aspects of life. Their advanced progression has had a considerable influence on the educational process, which they have optimized, leading to significant changes in planning and forwarding the curriculum. Music technologies developed a revolution in teaching-learning-assessment processes all over the world and continue to be considered valuable tools that boost education and assure continuity in periods of crisis. The use of ICT in recent decades has generated the extension of objectives in music education from developing the ability to understand music and perform it using voice and musical instruments, to composition, which becomes an aim for all school children commencing to study music at a young age. Therefore, using the access to hardware and software resources, music technologies have designed a golden age where the public has access to each and every tool needed to create musical compositions. ICT has the credit of contributing to the importance that music sessions should have in the educational frame of the cultural field and classify the discipline in the sphere of subjects that naturally facilitate interdisciplinarity, a potential that we need to build on.

Evaluation of the Use of Real-time 3D Graphics to Augment Therapeutic Music Sessions for Young People on the Autism Spectrum

The present research evaluates the effectiveness of CymaSense, a real-time 3D visualisation application developed by the authors, as a means of improving the communicative behaviours of autistic participants through the addition of a visual modality within therapeutic music sessions. Autism spectrum condition (ASC) is a lifelong neurodevelopmental disorder that can affect people in a number of ways, commonly through difficulties in communication. A multi-sensory approach within music sessions encourages people with ASC to engage more with the act of creating music, and with the therapists, increasing their level of communication and social interaction beyond the sessions. This article presents a study evaluating the use of CymaSense within a series of therapeutic music sessions, and a follow-up series of semi-structured interviews. Eight adults with ASC participated in 12 sessions using a single case experimental design approach over a total period of 19 weeks. Using qualitative and quantitative data, the results show an increase in communicative behaviour, for both verbal and non-verbal participants, resulting from the use of CymaSense. Qualitative feedback from interviews provided insight into the factors that contribute to the successful use of the application, as well as aspects that could be improved.

With music: Education against university dropout? On the connection between experiential group music sessions and the university dropout process.

'Dropout' is a phenomenon in practice and a defined concept in the literature, one of the most actual issues in education. It is a complex and multifaceted process. The Ratio research group, established at J. Selye University in Slovakia, also launched its research to study this phenomenon based on various objective and subjective aspects. The present study introduces a particular part of this research process. Music education is a crucial part of (pre-school and elementary) teacher training, which includes a unity of theoretical and practical knowledge. It is one of the most demanding subjects, which has been proven to cause difficulties in passing exams, in the successful fulfilment of the study conditions of teacher trainees and university studies. According to this facts, the study aims to assess the opinions of first-year (pre-school and elementary) teacher trainees and the objective and subjective circumstances (defined by them) that have helped or hindered them in meeting the study requirements for the subject of music education. Further, the paper aims to map out students' experiences during the study and exam period, which finally provided reinforcement in their university studies' relationship.

Interventions that Improve Sleep in Caregivers of Adult Care-Recipients: A Systematic Review.

The purpose of the present review was to compile and analyze all interventions aimed at improving the sleep-rest pattern of adult caregivers. A database search was performed in PubMed, Embase, Scopus, CINAHL and PsycINFO. Twenty-four papers published between 1998 and 2020 met the inclusion criteria. Informal caregivers can benefit from various types of sleep interventions, including (a) cognitive-behavioral sleep interventions (CBIs), (b) caregiver health interventions (CHIs), and (c) exercise programs. Other types of interventions such as acupressure, back massage, reflexology, music, and heart rate variability biofeedback sessions may have beneficial effects on the sleep of caregivers. Yet, studies on this topic are heterogeneous and often have considerable methodological shortcomings. Few clinical trials have explored sleep problems as a dyadic caregiver-patient relationship. It is necessary to conduct new clinical trials to determine the viability and level of evidence of the various strategies aimed at improving sleep of informal caregivers.

Older people’s perceptions of the impact of Dance for Health sessions in an acute hospital setting: a qualitative study

ObjectivesTo explore the perceptions of hospitalised older people and their relatives of the impact of taking part in group dance sessions in an acute hospital setting.DesignA qualitative descriptive approach was...

Group Music Intervention Using Percussion Instruments to Reduce Anxiety Among Elderly Male Veterans with Alzheimer Disease.

BackgroundThis study aimed to assess the impact of a group music intervention on anxiety and depression of elderly male veterans with dementia.Material/MethodsIn total, 50 elderly men with Alzheimer disease were randomly divided into intervention and control groups. Patients in the intervention group attended a 60-minute group music session that used percussion instruments with familiar music in the morning once a week for 12 weeks, whereas those in the control group received a rest and reading session at the same intervals and under the same conditions. The Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale and Geriatric Depression Scale were used to assess anxiety and depression at baseline, week 6, and week 12. The Primary Measures of Music Audiation (PMMA) was used to assess musical aptitude at the baseline.ResultsA significant reduction in the anxiety level following the 12-week music sessions was observed in the intervention group (P<.001), but there was no significant change in the control group. However, the change in depressive symptoms between the 2 groups was nonsignificant. In the intervention group, when stratifying patients based on music aptitude determined through PMMA assessment, patients with high PMMA scores had significantly reduced anxiety symptoms over time compared with those with low scores.ConclusionsFor elderly male veterans with dementia, participating in a group music intervention reduced anxiety symptoms. In patients with high musical aptitude, the treatment effects on anxiety reduction were satisfactory. Measures of music aptitude may provide valuable information regarding patients’ response to music intervention.

Impact of Music on First Pain and Temporal Summation of Second Pain

Passive music listening has shown its capacity to soothe pain in several clinical and experimental studies. This phenomenon—known as music-induced analgesia—could partly be explained by the modulation of pain signals in response to the stimulation of brain and brainstem centers. We hypothesized that music-induced analgesia may involve inhibitory descending pain systems. We assessed pain-related responses to endogenous pain control mechanisms known to depend on descending pain modulation: peak of first pain (PP), temporal summation (TS), and diffuse noxious inhibitory control (DNIC). Twenty-seven healthy participants (14 men, 13 women) were exposed to a conditioned pain modulation paradigm during a 20-minute relaxing music session and a silence condition. Pain was continually measured with a visual analogue scale. Pain ratings were significantly lower with music listening (p &amp;lt; .02). Repeated measures ANOVA indicated significant differences between conditions within PP and TS (p &amp;lt; .05) but not in DNIC. Those findings suggested that music listening could strengthen components of the inhibitory descending pain pathways operating at the dorsal spinal cord level.

The branded product and the funded project: the impact of economic rationality on the practices and pedagogy of music education in the early childhood sector

AbstractIn this article, I explore how neoliberal economic discourses and techniques have profoundly influenced the way that music education in early childhood has developed in recent years in the UK. I focus on two dominant models of practice that have been shaped by market thinking; the private music session (the ‘branded product’) and short term, stand-alone projects funded by charitable organisations (the ‘funded project’). The prevalence of these two models has resulted in highly fragmented and unequal provision accompanied by narrow conceptions of music in early childhood that give rise to impoverished practice. While I base my discussion on the early childhood sector in the UK, this discussion can nevertheless warn music educators beyond this one sector and one location of the negative consequences of abandoning music education to market forces.

Utilizing social virtual reality robot (V2R) for music education to children with high-functioning autism

Virtual Reality (VR) technology is a growing technology that has been used in various fields of psychology, education, and therapy. One group of potential users of VR are children with autism who need education and have poor social interactions; this technology could help them improve their social skills through real-world simulation. In this study, we evaluated the feasibility of conducting virtual music education programs with automatic assessment system for children with autism at treatment/research centers without the need to purchase a robot, resulting in the possibility of offering schedules on a larger scale and at a lower cost. Intervention sessions were conducted for five children with high-functioning autism ranging in age from 6 to 8 years old during 20 weeks which includes a baseline session, a pre-test, training sessions, a post-test, and a follow-up test. Each music education sessions involved teaching different notes and pieces of music according to the child’s cooperation, accuracy, and skill level utilizing virtual reality robots and virtual musical instruments. Actually, by analysis of psychological tests, and questionnaires conducted by a psychologist, we observe slight improvements in cognitive skills because of the ceiling effect. Nevertheless, the effectiveness of the proposed method was proved by conducting statistical analysis on the child’s performance data during the music education sessions which were obtained by using both video coding and the proposed automatic assessment system. Consequently, a general upward trend in the musical ability of participants was shown to occur in these sessions, which warrants future studies in this field.

Sound recordings from radio archives: the restoration of music in digits

A holistic historical and informational analysis was conducted in the scientific context of the synergy of two systems – sound recording and radio broadcasting. Methodological support of the study was based on the use of general scientific and special methods. Taking into account the experience of «BBC Radio 1» in creating a unique collection of sound recordings and areas of use of music collections as objects of archival storage, the features of recording music sessions in recording studios of radio stations are revealed. The main methods of restoration, restoration and digitization of stock music phonograms of radio broadcasting subjects are revealed. Find out which software products perform digitization tasks. The author concludes that the basis for the protection and storage of music collections of radio archives is the organization of a system of backup and duplication of data.

Music intervention to relieve anxiety and pain in adults undergoing cardiac surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis

ObjectivesPrevious studies have reported beneficial effects of perioperative music on patients’ anxiety and pain. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials investigating music interventions in cardiac...

Heart rate variability is enhanced during mindfulness practice: A randomized controlled trial involving a 10-day online-based mindfulness intervention.

ObjectivesThe goal of the present study was to probe the effects of mindfulness practice in a naturalistic setting as opposed to a lab-based environment in the presence of continuous heart rate variability (HRV) measurements. The specific experimental goals were to examine the effects of a brief 10-day online-based mindfulness intervention on both chronic and acute HRV responses.MethodWe conducted a fully randomized 10-day longitudinal trial of mindfulness practice, explicitly controlling for practice effects with an active-control group (music listening) and a non-intervention control group. To assess chronic cardiovascular effects, we asked participants in the 3 groups to complete 2-day HRV pre- and post-intervention measurement sessions. Using this experimental setup enabled us to address training effects arising from mindfulness practice to assess physiological impact on daytime as well as nighttime (i.e. assessing sleep quality) on the underlying HRV response. To assess acute cardiovascular effects, we measured HRV in the 2 active intervention groups during each of the 10 daily mindfulness or music sessions. This allowed us to track the development of purported training effects arising from mindfulness practice relative to the active-control intervention in terms of changes in the HRV slope over the 10-day time-course.ResultsFirstly, for the acute phase we found increased HRV during the daily practice sessions in both the mindfulness and active-control group indicating that both interventions were effective in decreasing acute physiological stress. Secondly, for the chronic phase we found increased HRV in both the day- and nighttime indicating increased sleep quality, specifically in the mindfulness group.ConclusionThese results suggest causal effects in both chronic and acute phases of mindfulness practice in formerly naïve subjects and provides support for the argument that brief online-based mindfulness interventions exert positive impact on HRV.

Arts Engagement Programs improves Health in Community-Dwelling Older Adults

We examined how different arts engagement programs compared to control affect health in community-dwelling older adults. 64 adults(71.3 + 4.6years; Dance n=23, Music n=17, Control, n=24) took part in free Dance(Ballroom), Music(Ukulele), or Control(Active social conversation) sessions 2 times/week for 10 weeks. We assessed cognition(Montreal-Cognitive-Assessment-MoCA), physical(Short-Physical-Performance-Battery-SPPB), and Health‐Related Quality-of-Life(HRQoL‐SF‐20) 3 times: (1) before(pre), (2) at the end of 10 weeks(post-1) and (3) 1-month after intervention(post-2). Separate 3(Time)x3(Group) ANOVAs and Bonferroni-pairwise-comparisons examined changes across groups and time(p<.05). Participants’ physical health improved equally across groups(p=.4) and over time(p<.001), specifically from pre(10.5 + 1.4) to post-1(10.7 + 1.3; p=.002), and pre to-post-2(11.3 + 1.0;p<.001). Participants’ cognition improved equally across groups(p=.6) and over time(p<.001) from pre(26.3 + 2.8) to post-1(27.3 + 2.5; p=.002), and pre-to-post-2(27.5 + 2.5;p=.001). Participants’ HRQoL remained similar over time(p=.6) and across groups(p=.7). Overall, participants’ health improved after taking part in arts engagement and social conversation programs. Study findings offer insights about successful implementation of arts-engaged programs in community-dwelling older adults.

A Qualitative Study of the Rehabilitative Potential of Music in Prisons and Immigration Removal Centers

ABSTRACT Music-based programmes have been found to improve well-being and rehabilitation for people in prison and other places of detention, but there is a limited understanding of the mechanisms driving this. This paper seeks to explore how music has the potential to contribute to desistance from crime, specifically in the context of identity transformation. Respondents were ex-detainees in England who had taken part in music-based programmes either in a prison, an Immigration Removal Center, or in the community. Facilitators of music projects also took part in the study. The data comprised of ethnographic observations of three different music sessions, supplemented by two semi-structured interviews. A thematic analysis revealed a core concept that music production and consumption were used to construct identity in reaction to the deconstructive effects of incarceration, leading to reported improvements in self-esteem and self-efficacy. Findings are discussed in relation to policy and practice recommendations.

82 The impact of feeding treats containing cannabidiol (CBD) on the daily activity level of dogs

Abstract Growing public interest in and use of Cannabidiol (CBD) in companion animals has amplified the need to elucidate potential impacts. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the impact of CBD on daily activity of adult dogs. Twenty-four dogs (18.0 ± 3.4 kg) were utilized in a randomized complete block design with treatments consisting of control, 2 mg CBD/kg BW/d, and 4 mg CBD/kg BW/d split between two treats administered after twice-daily exercise (7:00-9:00 and 17:00-19:00). Four hours each day (10:00-12:00, AM and 13:30-15:30, PM), were designated as time when no persons entered the kennels, with 2 h designated as Quiet Time and the other 2 h as Music Time, where calming music played over speakers. Quiet and Music sessions were randomly allotted to daily AM or PM times. Activity monitors were fitted to dogs’ collars for continuous collection of activity parameters. Data were collected over a 2-wk baseline period to block dogs by activity level (high or low) before randomly assigning dogs within each block to treatments. After 1 wk of treatment adaptation, activity parameters were collected for 2 wk. Data were tested for normality using the UNIVARIATE procedure in SAS before examining differences using the MIXED procedure in SAS, including effects of treatment, day, session (Quiet or Music), time of day (AM or PM), and accompanying interactions. CBD did not alter total activity points (P = 0.9971) or activity duration (P = 0.8776). CBD tended (P = 0.0692) to reduce scratching compared to control. Irrespective of treatment, dogs were more active in PM than AM (P &amp;lt; 0.0001). Regardless of session, dogs receiving 4 mg/kg/d tended (P = 0.0914) to be less active in the PM than control. CBD did not affect activity duration during exercise periods (P = 0.1425), but dogs receiving CBD ran more than control (P = 0.0339). These results indicate that when supplemented up to 4 mg/kg/d, CBD does not negatively impact daily activity levels of dogs.