Musical Enrichment Research Articles

The Comparative Effect of Occupational and Musical Enrichment on Fecal Glucocorticoid Metabolite Levels in a Captive Colony of Stumptail Macaques (Macaca arctoides).

Environmental enrichment improves captive animal welfare by reducing stress-related behaviors. Previous studies in a captive colony of stumptail macaques (Macaca arctoides) reported a reduction of aggression, coprophilia, and stereotypic behaviors after an occupational enrichment program; however, the effect on stress hormones such as glucocorticoids has not been investigated yet. The goal of this study was to compare the effect of sex, age, and social rank on changes in fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (fGCM) after applying two kinds of enrichments (occupational vs. musical) in a captive colony of stumptail macaques. We collected 234 fecal samples from 25 stumptail macaques under the following conditions: (1) basal (no enrichment), (2) three weeks of occupational enrichment, and (3) three weeks of relaxing/classical music. The Generalized Estimated Equation Model showed an increase in fGCM levels after the occupational enrichment only in adult subjects (p = 0.003 compared to basal). The fGCM levels reached by the adults after the occupational enrichment was higher than that of juveniles (p = 0.002) and subadults (p = 0.02). Occupational and musical enrichment decreased fGCM levels only in middle-ranking individuals (p < 0.001 and p = 0.013, respectively). No sex differences were found. In conclusion, there were age and rank differences in individuals' physiological reactivity to the effects of environmental enrichment which need to be considered when planning enrichment programs.

Using a polygenic score in a family design to understand genetic influences on musicality

To further our understanding of the genetics of musicality, we explored associations between a polygenic score for self-reported beat synchronization ability (PGSrhythm) and objectively measured rhythm discrimination, as well as other validated music skills and music-related traits. Using family data, we were able to further explore potential pathways of direct genetic, indirect genetic (through passive gene–environment correlation) and confounding effects (such as population structure and assortative mating). In 5648 Swedish twins, we found PGSrhythm to predict not only rhythm discrimination, but also melody and pitch discrimination (betas between 0.11 and 0.16, p < 0.001), as well as other music-related outcomes (p < 0.05). In contrast, PGSrhythm was not associated with control phenotypes not directly related to music. Associations did not deteriorate within families (N = 243), implying that indirect genetic or confounding effects did not inflate PGSrhythm effects. A correlation (r = 0.05, p < 0.001) between musical enrichment of the family childhood environment and individuals' PGSrhythm, suggests gene–environment correlation. We conclude that the PGSrhythm captures individuals' general genetic musical propensity, affecting musical behavior more likely direct than through indirect or confounding effects.

Effects of Music Therapy on Neuroplasticity, Welfare, and Performance of Piglets Exposed to Music Therapy in the Intra- and Extra-Uterine Phases.

Simple SummaryEnvironmental enrichment using music therapy can be used to improve animal welfare. Music, as an enrichment of the environment, is presented as an easy and viable way to remove the sterility of the breeding environment and make it more interesting and attractive. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effects of auditory environmental enrichment in the pre- and postpartum period of sows on the behavior, performance, and neuro-plasticity of their piglets. Exposure to music in the last 1/3 of pregnancy and farrowing/lactation improved the weight of piglets at birth and weaning. Musical enrichment during pregnancy and lactation was able to cause changes in the piglets’ neuroplasticity and improve their productive performances.The rearing environment of pigs can cause a high level of stress due to the lack of stimuli and the impossibility of carrying out natural behaviors. Music therapy is a way to enrich the environment and promote stress relief. Few studies in swine using environmental enrichers focus on functional benefits, such as stress resilience, improved biological functions, or mental status. The effect of environmental enrichment on neurobiological processes is particularly poorly understood in farm animals. Thus, our study sought to elucidate the influence of music in piglets exposed to music therapy in the intrauterine and extrauterine phase on neuroplasticity, evaluating the levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Behavioural responses were also evaluated using fear tests related to stress resilience. The productive performance of these piglets was analysed to relate the possible reduction in stress levels to greater productivity gains. Forty-eight sows were used at 90 days of gestation until the weaning of their piglets. In the gestation phase, the sows were divided into two treatments: control (without music therapy) and music (with music therapy). In the farrowing/lactation phase, the sows were separated into four treatments: control-control (no music in any phase); control-music (music only in farrowing/lactation); music-control (music only during pregnancy); and music-music (music in both reproductive phases). Music therapy did not cause a difference in the BDNF levels of piglets at birth. However, piglets born from sows of the music-music treatment did not show a reduction in BDNF between birth and weaning, unlike the other treatments. Exposure to music in the last 1/3 of pregnancy and farrowing/lactation improved the weight of piglets at birth and at weaning. Musical enrichment during pregnancy and lactation was able to cause changes in the piglets’ neuroplasticity and improve their productive performances.

Effect of milking environment enrichment through music on production performance and behaviour in cattle.

Enrichment of milking environment through music has been proposed to help animals to cope with divergent stressors. In sight of the above, a study was conducted to evaluate the effect of Indian instrumental music-based environmental enrichment played in yaman raga on milk production performance and behaviour in cattle. A total of 21 lactating dairy cattle (Vrindavani crossbred cows) having similar parity and stage of lactation were selected in three groups - T1, T2 and T3, each consisting of seven animals. The T1 and T2 groups were exposed to instrumental flute and sitar, respectively, 10min prior to the start of milking and continued till completion of milking; while the T3 group served as control. Musical enrichment of the environment was done using recorded-tape of flute and sitar was played in yamen raga at 40-60 (dB) decibel intensity. The results revealed a non-significant difference in milk yield, rectal temperature, respiration rate, T3 (triiodothyronine) and T4 (thyroxine) hormones. However, there exhibited a significant (p < 0.05) difference in milking time, milking speed, cortisol hormones and behavioural parameters such as milk let-down in the animals exposed to music compared to the control group. Thus, the results have significant implications relating to the behavioural fitness and welfare of dairy animals and reducing residual milk.

The Akazehe of Burundi: Polyphonic Interlocking Greetings and the Female Ceremonial. By Serena Facci. Translated by Alessandra Ciucci.

Akazehe is one of the names in Burundi for forms of sung greeting performed exclusively by women. Studies carried out during the colonial era (in particular Rodegem 1965, 1973) and in more recent times (Ndimurwanko 1985-6) have shown how the contents of these greetings among women are closely linked to the feminine world in which these greetings are used—in specific private and public spaces in accordance with rural tradition. Although these greetings were becoming less common at the time the research for this article was conducted, the author was able to record a number of akazehe after listening to examples of them in the sound archives of the Centre de civilisation burundaise.&#x0D; A greeting is defined by linguists as a formalized parenthesis that defines, reiterates, and encloses the relation between two participants. The formulaic character of a greeting makes it different from ordinary speech. In the case of the akazehe, the greeting emphasizes gestural and sound qualities to such an extent that it creates a veritable musical texture.&#x0D; This article presents transcriptions and analysis of some models of akazehe, focusing on one that features procedures of vocal interlocking. The two parts—gutera and kwakira—are organized according to musical rules that manifest a strong spirit of cooperation between the two women who sing the two parts in dialogue. Furthermore, well-defined rules of exchange for the two roles semantically remind us of the social equality between the two participants. The musical enrichment of the time reserved for the greeting is experienced as amusing by the performers. The greeting also represents an opportunity for artistic expression in a social reality that otherwise allows few performance spaces for women.&#x0D; Citation: Facci, Serena. The Akazehe of Burundi: Polyphonic Interlocking Greetings and the Female Ceremonial. Translated by Alessandria Ciucci. Ethnomusicology Translations, no. 10. Bloomington, IN: Society for Ethnomusicology, 2020.&#x0D; Originally published in Italian as "Akazehe del Burundi: saluti a incastro polifonico e cerimonialità femminile." In Polifonie: Procedimenti, tassonomi e forme: una reflessione a più voci, edited by Maurizio Agamennone, 123-61. Roma: Bulzoni Editore, 1996.&#x0D; Note to Reader: This 13 mb PDF file includes musical transcriptions and embedded audio tracks. Embedded audio will not work when viewed in a browser; the file must be downloaded and opened in Adobe Acrobat. Please ensure that your Flash Player is up to date and that Acrobat "trusts" the document.

"Sparks that became a little light over time":A qualitative investigation of musicking as a means of coping in adults with PTSD.

This article investigates the experience of musicking (the performance of musical activity) among people coping with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Using qualitative research methods, we conducted semi-structured in-depth interviews with 10 male participants in a music project for people coping with PTSD induced by war and terrorism. The project consists of individual music lessons once a week and a musical enrichment group that meets once a month. Group meetings include workshops and lectures by music professionals and artists, during which participants are exposed to diverse musical content. Following an interpretive phenomenological content analysis, we were able to identify two central themes arising from the interviews: musicking as an intra-subjective experience and musicking as mediator of inter-subjective relationships. A further analysis revealed three superordinate themes: musicking as a secure place, musicking as a dialectic experience, and musicking as a means for identity reconstruction (bridging between past, present, and future). From this we concluded that for our interviewees musicking is a secure place for their wounded self, which allows the reconstruction of a coherent personal narrative while conducting a dialectic encounter with the trauma and its symptoms via nonverbal language. Consequently, we recommend musicking as a therapeutic tool for people coping with war-induced PTSD from both intrapersonal and interpersonal perspectives.

Gene-environment interaction in expertise: The importance of childhood environment for musical achievement.

Both genes and the environment are important for individual differences in expertise, but little is known about gene-environment interactions underlying domain-specific achievement. Here we explored this issue in a large Swedish twin cohort (N = 6,610), using moderator modeling with musical expertise as a model domain. Specifically, we tested whether musical enrichment of the childhood environment moderates adult musical achievement, as well as the magnitude of genetic and nongenetic influences on individual differences in achievement. Musical achievement was measured using the Creative Achievement Questionnaire and enrichment of the childhood environment was indexed with a principal component derived from the number of music records in the family home, number of individuals in the family environment playing an instrument, frequency of concert visits, and music education before the age of 12. As expected, we found a positive association between childhood musical enrichment and musical achievement in adulthood. Interestingly, however, the total variance in musical achievement as well as the relative importance of genetic influences increased with a higher level of musical enrichment. Estimates of genetic and environmental influences as well as the magnitude of the environmental moderation differed for men and women. These findings suggest that, in line with recent multifactorial models of expert performance, a musically enriched childhood environment amplifies individual differences, an effect which is largely driven by an increase in the importance of genetic factors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Music exposure attenuates anxiety- and depression-like behaviors and increases hippocampal spine density in male rats

Epidemiological and clinical studies suggest that early-life stress (ELS) may lead to the development of mental disorders in adulthood. Maternal separation (MS) is a valid animal model of ELS that produces detrimental effects on brain and behavior of experimental animals. Positive environmental stimuli have been shown to counteract the behavioral deficits of ELS and enhance neuroplasticity. Recent data indicate that music may serve as a form of environmental enrichment in experimental animals. However, the underlying mechanisms through which musical enrichment exerts its effects are poorly understood. Male Sprague–Dawley rats were submitted to a 3 h MS protocol during postnatal days (PND) 2–14, while another group was left undisturbed. Half of the animals within each group were exposed from PND 21 to PND 76 for 12 h/day to Mozart K. 448. At approximately three months of age, elevated plus maze procedure, forced swim test and social approach task were applied to test whether music exposure can mitigate the effects of MS stress on animal emotional behaviors. Moreover, we investigated the effects of these treatments on dendritic spine density in the CA1 region of hippocampus. As expected, MS rats showed decreased sociability, increased anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors, and decreased mature dendritic spines in the CA1 region of hippocampus in adulthood. Musical enrichment reversed these effects. Our results suggest that musical enrichment can reverse the negative effects of MS on anxiety, depression, and sociability in adult rats and modulate neuronal plasticity and provide additional data for a new therapeutic intervention to rescue emotional symptoms.

Programa de atenção a alunos precoces com comportamento de superdotação: identificação e proposta de enriquecimento musical

O presente artigo tem por objetivo apresentar o processo de identificação musical e a proposta de enriquecimento musical que orientaram os trabalhos desenvolvidos pela oficina de música do Programa d Atenção a alunos Precoces com Comportamento de Superdotação da Faculdade de Filosofia e Ciências da Universidade Estadual Paulista - UNESP campus de Marília/SP, que acontece uma ves por semana matutino e vespertino. Por meio de testes psicométricos Primary Measures of music Audition (PMMA) (GORDON, 1986a), Intermediate Measures of Music Audition (IMMA) (GORDON, 1986b) e da analíse estatistica (Wilcoxon) pretende-se apresentar o processo de identificação musical que revelará os estudantes do PAPCS que apresentam precocidade e comportamento de superdotação musical e, a partir do modelo de enriquecimento, segundo Renzulli (2004), atrelado as metodologias da área da Educação Musical, pretende-se apresentar a proposta de enriquecimento musical que embasou os trabalhos da oficina de música entre 2014 e 2015 no PAPCS, com o objetivo de atender todas as crianças identificadas. Ressalta-se que este trabalho é parte de uma pesquisa maior.

Does musical enrichment enhance the neural coding of syllables? Neuroscientific interventions and the importance of behavioral data.

A commentary on Music enrichment programs improve the neural encoding of speech in at-risk children by Kraus, N., Slater, J., Thompson, E. C., Hornickel, J., Strait, D. L., Nicol, T., et al. (2014). J. Neurosci. 34, 11913–11918. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1881-14.2014.

Are there critical periods for musical development?

A critical period can be defined as a developmental window during which specific experience has a greater effect than at other times. Musical behavior involves many skills, including the basic encoding of pitch and time information, understanding scale and harmonic structure, performance, interpretation, and composition. We review studies of genetics, behavior, and brain structure and function in conjunction with the experiences of auditory deprivation and musical enrichment, and conclude that there is more supporting evidence for critical periods for basic than for more complex aspects of musical pitch acquisition. Much remains unknown about the mechanisms of interaction between genetic and experiential factors that create critical periods, but it is clear that there are multiple pathways for achieving musical expertise.

Would Discipline-Based Music Education Make Sense?

Is a performance-based curriculum the best way to prepare students for a lifetime of musical enrichment? Bennett Reimer examines a recent controversial movement in visual art education and considers its implications for music education.

Musical enrichment for the gifted or musically talented student

This article suggests ways for classroom, resource room, or music teachers to deal with the musical needs of gifted or musically talented students. A six‐step planning model for teaching strategies is examined. Project descriptions are also included along with an extensive reference list of resource materials.