Previous Musical Experience Research Articles

Music Therapy as a Topic in Medical Education: Course Concept and Student Evaluation of an Elective Course for Medical Students.

Music therapy has been proven as a safe and well-established intervention in healthcare to relieve symptoms and improve quality of life. While music therapy is already established in several settings to supplement medical care, there is a lack of integration in the field of medical education. We report on the implementation and evaluation of a teaching concept for a five-day-intensive-course on music therapy. The course was offered as an elective course for medical students at the University Duisburg-Essen. At the end of the course, students filled out a free text questionnaire to assess the students' perception of the course, and additionally answered standardized questions by the structured EVALuna online evaluation tool of the University of Duisburg-Essen. All students (N = 35) who participated in the music therapy course between September 2019 and March 2023 completed the questionnaires and N = 21 students filled out the EVALuna. Most students (89%) chose the course because of their interest in alternative and supportive therapy options to improve patients' well-being. About 46% had previous musical experience and passion and fun with music and 37% of the students were interested in the interdisciplinary academic subject that combined music and medicine. EVALuna online evaluation reflected high satisfaction with the course. Due to the well-proven effectiveness and evidence of music therapy as well as the positive perception of medical students, music therapy should be further established in medical care and medical education.

Understanding the Association between Musical Sophistication and Well-Being in Music Students.

Quality of life and mental health are topics under discussion in the university environment that pose new educational challenges. Public policy in Chile establishes the need to track students who are starting university and who could find themselves at possible academic risk (Law 20. 903). These transition processes experienced by students therefore need to be guided to improve the students’ quality of life. Using a mixed design, the present study analyzes the association between musical sophistication (Ollen, 2006), students’ well-being, and the performance of first-year students training to be music teachers (n = 25). The Ollen Musical Sophistication questionnaire and the Spanish version of the PERMA-profiler, a questionnaire for assessing well-being, were applied. In order to obtain detailed information about learning processes and educational needs, seven interviews were conducted. Results indicate a negative correlation between musical sophistication on the one hand and negative emotions (anxiety and anger) and loneliness on the other. This is reflected in less consistent academic performance, difficulties in identity development, and reduced motivation to face new challenges besides musical learning. We concluded that knowledge and observation of students’ previous musical experience is crucial for understanding and supporting the educational transition process and well-being of student music teachers.

Considerations in Audio-Visual Interaction Models: An ERP Study of Music Perception by Musicians and Non-musicians.

Previous research with speech and non-speech stimuli suggested that in audiovisual perception, visual information starting prior to the onset of corresponding sound can provide visual cues, and form a prediction about the upcoming auditory sound. This prediction leads to audiovisual (AV) interaction. Auditory and visual perception interact and induce suppression and speeding up of the early auditory event-related potentials (ERPs) such as N1 and P2. To investigate AV interaction, previous research examined N1 and P2 amplitudes and latencies in response to audio only (AO), video only (VO), audiovisual, and control (CO) stimuli, and compared AV with auditory perception based on four AV interaction models (AV vs. AO+VO, AV-VO vs. AO, AV-VO vs. AO-CO, AV vs. AO). The current study addresses how different models of AV interaction express N1 and P2 suppression in music perception. Furthermore, the current study took one step further and examined whether previous musical experience, which can potentially lead to higher N1 and P2 amplitudes in auditory perception, influenced AV interaction in different models. Musicians and non-musicians were presented the recordings (AO, AV, VO) of a keyboard /C4/ key being played, as well as CO stimuli. Results showed that AV interaction models differ in their expression of N1 and P2 amplitude and latency suppression. The calculation of model (AV-VO vs. AO) and (AV-VO vs. AO-CO) has consequences for the resulting N1 and P2 difference waves. Furthermore, while musicians, compared to non-musicians, showed higher N1 amplitude in auditory perception, suppression of amplitudes and latencies for N1 and P2 was similar for the two groups across the AV models. Collectively, these results suggest that when visual cues from finger and hand movements predict the upcoming sound in AV music perception, suppression of early ERPs is similar for musicians and non-musicians. Notably, the calculation differences across models do not lead to the same pattern of results for N1 and P2, demonstrating that the four models are not interchangeable and are not directly comparable.

Efficacy of Music Training in Hearing Aid and Cochlear Implant Users: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of music training on the improvement of musical perception among hearing-impaired listeners using a systematic review and meta-analysis. Article search was conducted from five databases, Scopus, ScienceDirect, Web of Knowledge, CINAHL, and PubMed. A total of 186 participants from 10 studies investigating the music training effects on individuals fitted with hearing assistive devices and outcome measurements were included. The meta-analysis showed standardized mean difference as a measure of the effect size, in musical improvement between the preand post-training. Although the funnel plot yielded an asymmetrical graph, the Egger’s regression showed no significant publication bias. Interestingly, subgroup analysis showed that the training effect was greater in children than in adults. With a necessity of longer training period to significantly improve their musical perception, cochlear implant only users had better effect compared to bi-modal users with both cochlear implant and hearing aids. However, the difference in the training effect between the users with and without previous musical experience was nonsignificant. The present study concludes that auditory music training brings hearing-impaired listeners into better musical perception while informing that training effects differ depending on age, duration of the training, and the type of hearing device used.

Audiovisual Modulation in Music Perception for Musicians and Non-musicians.

In audiovisual music perception, visual information from a musical instrument being played is available prior to the onset of the corresponding musical sound and consequently allows a perceiver to form a prediction about the upcoming audio music. This prediction in audiovisual music perception, compared to auditory music perception, leads to lower N1 and P2 amplitudes and latencies. Although previous research suggests that audiovisual experience, such as previous musical experience may enhance this prediction, a remaining question is to what extent musical experience modifies N1 and P2 amplitudes and latencies. Furthermore, corresponding event-related phase modulations quantified as inter-trial phase coherence (ITPC) have not previously been reported for audiovisual music perception. In the current study, audio video recordings of a keyboard key being played were presented to musicians and non-musicians in audio only (AO), video only (VO), and audiovisual (AV) conditions. With predictive movements from playing the keyboard isolated from AV music perception (AV-VO), the current findings demonstrated that, compared to the AO condition, both groups had a similar decrease in N1 amplitude and latency, and P2 amplitude, along with correspondingly lower ITPC values in the delta, theta, and alpha frequency bands. However, while musicians showed lower ITPC values in the beta-band in AV-VO compared to the AO, non-musicians did not show this pattern. Findings indicate that AV perception may be broadly correlated with auditory perception, and differences between musicians and non-musicians further indicate musical experience to be a specific factor influencing AV perception. Predicting an upcoming sound in AV music perception may involve visual predictory processes, as well as beta-band oscillations, which may be influenced by years of musical training. This study highlights possible interconnectivity in AV perception as well as potential modulation with experience.

Learning experience on salendro scales for students having a musical culture gap

This study analyzes the learning experiences of six students from different areas within Indonesia and with different music cultures where none of them had any prior experience of the salendro music scale as their previous music experience was limited to Western-style music. Narrative Inquiry was the research method employed to analyze the meaning of salendro scale music culture. The results show that after the students had learned the salendro scale they succeeded in mastering it by the practice of singing and sight reading salendro music.

Music Education at School: Too Little and Too Late? Evidence From a Longitudinal Study on Music Training in Preadolescents.

It is widely believed that intensive music training can boost cognitive and visuo-motor skills. However, this evidence is primarily based on retrospective studies; this makes it difficult to determine whether a cognitive advantage is caused by the intensive music training, or it is instead a factor influencing the choice of starting a music curriculum. To address these issues in a highly ecological setting, we tested longitudinally 128 students of a Middle School in Milan, at the beginning of the first class and, 1 year later, at the beginning of the second class. 72 students belonged to a Music curriculum (30 with previous music experience and 42 without) and 56 belonged to a Standard curriculum (44 with prior music experience and 12 without). Using a Principal Component Analysis, all the cognitive measures were grouped in four high-order factors, reflecting (a) General Cognitive Abilities, (b) Speed of Linguistic Elaboration, (c) Accuracy in Reading and Memory tests, and (d) Visuospatial and numerical skills. The longitudinal comparison of the four groups of students revealed that students from the Music curriculum had better performance in tests tackling General Cognitive Abilities, Visuospatial skills, and Accuracy in Reading and Memory tests. However, there were no significant curriculum-by-time interactions. Finally, the decision to have a musical experience before entering middle school was more likely to occur when the cultural background of the families was a high one. We conclude that a combination of family-related variables, early music experience, and pre-existent cognitive make-up is a likely explanation for the decision to enter a music curriculum at middle school.

Previous Musical Experience and Cortical Thickness Relate to the Beneficial Effect of Motor Synchronization on Auditory Function.

Auditory processing can be enhanced by motor system activity. During auditory-motor synchronization, motor activity guides auditory attention and thus facilitates auditory processing through active sensing. Previous research on enhanced auditory processing through motor synchronization has been limited to easy tasks with simple stimulus material. Further, the mechanisms and brain regions underlying this synchronization are unclear. We investigated the effect of motor synchronization on auditory processing with naturalistic, musical auditory material in a discrimination task. We further assessed how previous musical training and cortical thickness of specific brain regions relate to different aspects of auditory-motor synchronization. We conducted an auditory-motor experiment in 139 adults. The task involved melody discrimination and beat tapping synchronization. Additionally, 68 participants underwent structural MRI. We found that individuals with better auditory-motor synchronization accuracy showed improved melody discrimination, and that melody discrimination was better in trials with higher tapping accuracy. However, melody discrimination was worse in the tapping than in the listening only condition. Longer previous musical training and thicker Heschl’s gyri were associated with better melody discrimination and better tapping synchrony. Post hoc analyses furthermore pointed to a possible moderating role of frontal regions. Our results suggest that motor synchronization can enhance auditory discrimination abilities through active sensing, but that this beneficial effect can be counteracted by dual-task inference when the two tasks are too challenging. Moreover, prior experience and structural brain differences influence the extent to which an individual can benefit from motor synchronization in complex listening. This could inform future research directed at development of personalized training programs for hearing ability.

Maternal engagement with music up to nine months post-birth: Findings from a cross-sectional study in England

There is significant evidence of the benefits of music for babies and emerging evidence that music may also benefit mothers’ wellbeing. However, there is a lack of current data documenting maternal engagement with music in England. This cross-sectional survey study used descriptive and inferential statistics to examine how 473 mothers living in England engaged with music between 1–9 months post-birth, and regression models to examine demographic and musical predictors of this engagement. Findings indicate that the most frequently reported musical activities were daily listening to music (71%) and daily singing to babies (59%). Patterns of musical engagement differ by infant age, with mothers of 4–9 month-old babies reporting more frequent singing and music class attendance compared with mothers of 1–3 month-old babies. Mothers with previous or recent experience of music were more likely to engage in other musical activities, but musical engagement did not appear to be explained by socio-economic factors including years in education, marital status or household income. Findings could support practitioners in designing music activities for mothers, in particular highlighting the need for supporting mothers with very young infants, with little or no previous musical experience or with more than one child.

Community Building Through Inclusive Music-Making

The objective of this project was to expand the boundaries of regular music therapy sessions at a non-profit organization to include performances and workshops with community musicians. The goals and practices used for persons with physical disabilities prepared participants to benefit from inclusive music-making with local community musicians who had no previous music therapy experience, but whose performing styles were closely aligned with the musical preferences of our participants. The four collaborative workshops, which were held over six months, involved music therapy participants, accredited music therapists, local musicians, and volunteers engaging in music making together where teaching and learning was shared amongst all involved. The workshops were also an important mechanism for raising greater awareness of the needs and abilities of the music therapy participants.

Performance of working memory of musicians and non-musicians in tests with letters, digits, and geometrical shapes

Background. Recent researches points out that musical training might have a positive influence on human cognitive domain and working memory improvements are thought to mediate this influence. However, there is some discrepancy among results of researches dealing with working memory testing of musicians and non-musicians. Materials and Methods. The participants were the students who for 10–15 years had been engaged in regular musical practice (musicians) and their peers who had no previous musical experience (non-musicians). A computerized working memory test for letters, digits and shapes with successive presentation of stimuli was applied in the current study. Results. Musicians and non-musicians did not differ in the overall number of mistakes and latency of responses made in all subtests for letters, digits and shapes. The left hand made significantly more mistakes than the right one in both groups, but this regularity was more typical of non-musicians. The right hand responded faster than the left one while doing all subtests in both groups, but such a motor asymmetry was more evident for nonmusicians. Musicians mostly did not demonstrate an increase in latency of responses with task complexity growing from set to set of stimuli, while non-musicians did. Conclusions. The efficiency of working memory test performance did not differ among musicians and non-musicians. Musicians have tighter interhemispheric cooperation during the memory test and that was indicated by a lesser motor asymmetry. Musicians have almost equal latency of responses regardless of task complexity, while non-musicians require more time for responding to stimuli during growing task complexity, probably because of using different search patterns in working memory or tighter interhemispheric cooperation.

Development and Validation of Cognitive Rehearsal as a Training Strategy for Arthroscopic Surgery

Objectives:Surgical performance is a highly intellectual activity that involves the processing of perceptual information from the five senses. Strategies to process, organize, and retain this perceptual information may benefit learning techniques. Once such strategy, cognitive rehearsal, is the activity where a skill is rehearsed in memory prior to the actual performance. This study aimed to develop and validate a cognitive rehearsal strategy for arthroscopic knee surgery in orthopaedic residents. We hypothesized that this training tool will lead to increased comfort and confidence with arthroscopic surgery performance.Methods:An expert surgeon was filmed performing an arthroscopic ACL reconstruction using patellar bone-tendon-bone autograft. An instructional training video was then created incorporating the extracorporeal and arthroscopic footage with voice over and subtitles. Following the surgery, cognitive recall of the procedure was conducted with the surgeon to identify key visual, cognitive, and kinesthetic cues to develop a mental imagery script to enhance rehearsal of arthroscopic surgery. Orthopaedic residents from two academic training programs were invited to participate. Demographic information including training level, previous musical experience, organized sports participation, and preferred learning style was collected. The training session consisted of a relaxation exercise, instructional video of an expert performing the procedure, learning the mental imagery script, and rehearsing the procedure out loud with a partner. The residents’ ability to rehearse the procedure was assessed before and after the training session with a modified version of a previously validated questionnaire, and a post-training session survey was administered to define which components of the rehearsal seemed most beneficial. Statistical analysis included a reliability analysis for internal consistency, and a nonparametric Wilcoxon test to compare the composite cognitive rehearsal scores of the junior and senior residents. A nonparametric Mann-Whitney test was used to evaluate performance of each group before and after the training session on each item of the questionnaire.Results:53 of 62 (85%) residents completed the demographics survey prior to the training session, while 44 of 62 (71%) residents were available to complete the training exercise. A Cronbach alpha of 0.9494 for the pre-training (n=44) and 0.9394 (n=44) for the post-training suggested that the cognitive rehearsal questionnaire was internally consistent, allowing for the reliable summation of individual items to a composite score. The median composite cognitive rehearsal scores of the junior residents significantly improved from 24 pre- to 42 post-training exercise (p = 0.002). Senior resident median composite scores improved after training from 38 pre- to 46 post-exercise (p = 0.041). Those with previous musical training and kinetic / visual learners performed better during the training session. Both groups found the entire process valuable.Conclusion:This is the first study to develop and validate cognitive rehearsal as a low cost, high touch training strategy for arthroscopic surgery in orthopaedic residents. Cognitive rehearsal holds promise as a training tool for mastery of executive routine, performance quality, and increasing knowledge, comfort, and confidence for both junior and senior residents learning arthroscopic surgery.

Sources of Russian Musical Management: Unexplored Pages

Sources of Russian Musical Management: Unexplored Pages (by Olga Garmash) considers the history of organization of musical life in Russia in the epoch «before management». The author views this theme through a prism of previous music experience based on some historical sources of the end of 19th - beginning of 20th century. The main line - a composer’s one - of the classic music promotion of that time has been examined.

Impact of frequency compression on music perception

Objective: To determine the effects of frequency compression on music perception, and the impact of previous music training and hearing status. It was hypothesized that lesser amounts of compression would be preferred, and that this pattern of preference would be more evident in the musically trained groups. Design: A paired-comparison paradigm was used. Subjects listened to pairs of musical passages as processed by a hearing aid with different frequency-compression settings. Subjects indicated their preferred passage and the strength of their preference. Study sample: Fifty-seven subjects divided in four groups, according to hearing status (normal hearing, mild-to-moderate hearing loss), and previous music experience (trained, not trained). Results: Subjects generally preferred the conditions with the lesser amount of compression. Listeners in the group with previous music training showed stronger preference for less compression than those without training, as did listeners with normal hearing when compared to subjects with hearing loss. Conclusions: Although less frequency compression was in general preferred, there was more variability in the comparisons involving the default settings for a 50-dB hearing loss (i.e. start frequency 4000 Hz, compression ratio 2.5:1) and no compression, suggesting that mild amounts of compression may not be detrimental to perceived sound quality.

Percepção de fala no ruído em músicos

Objetivo Verificar se o estudo de música pode aprimorar a habilidade de compreensão de fala em presença de ruído. Métodos Participaram deste estudo 43 sujeitos de ambos os gêneros, com idade entre 18 e 33 anos, distribuídos em três grupos: o Grupo de Músicos, composto por 15 sujeitos com estudo formal de música; o Grupo de Intermediários, composto por 13 sujeitos com estudo informal de música e o Grupo de Não Músicos, composto por 15 sujeitos sem experiência musical. Todos os sujeitos encontravam-se dentro dos padrões de normalidade para limiares auditivos e condições de orelhas externa e média. Aplicou-se o teste de compreensão de fala no ruído, Hearing in Noise Test, na versão Português do Brasil. Os resultados foram analisados estatisticamente, pelos métodos ANOVA e Qui-quadrado. Resultados Todos os grupos encontraram-se dentro dos valores de normatização do teste. Não houve diferença significativa na análise dos grupos entre si. Na comparação dos resultados, de acordo com o gênero dos participantes, a única diferença observada foi entre os integrantes do gênero feminino dos grupos de Músicos e Intermediários, com melhor desempenho do grupo de Intermediários. Conclusão A experiência musical não influencia no desempenho, em relação à percepção de fala no ruído.

A dynamic auditory-cognitive system supports speech-in-noise perception in older adults

Understanding speech in noise is one of the most complex activities encountered in everyday life, relying on peripheral hearing, central auditory processing, and cognition. These abilities decline with age, and so older adults are often frustrated by a reduced ability to communicate effectively in noisy environments. Many studies have examined these factors independently; in the last decade, however, the idea of an auditory-cognitive system has emerged, recognizing the need to consider the processing of complex sounds in the context of dynamic neural circuits. Here, we used structural equation modeling to evaluate the interacting contributions of peripheral hearing, central processing, cognitive ability, and life experiences to understanding speech in noise. We recruited 120 older adults (ages 55–79) and evaluated their peripheral hearing status, cognitive skills, and central processing. We also collected demographic measures of life experiences, such as physical activity, intellectual engagement, and musical training. In our model, central processing and cognitive function predicted a significant proportion of variance in the ability to understand speech in noise. To a lesser extent, life experience predicted hearing-in-noise ability through modulation of brainstem function. Peripheral hearing levels did not significantly contribute to the model. Previous musical experience modulated the relative contributions of cognitive ability and lifestyle factors to hearing in noise. Our models demonstrate the complex interactions required to hear in noise and the importance of targeting cognitive function, lifestyle, and central auditory processing in the management of individuals who are having difficulty hearing in noise.

Feasibility of Conducting a Music Therapy Study With Hospice Patients with Dementia & Agitation

This study's purpose was to explore non-pharmacological means for decreasing agitation in hospice patients with late stage dementia administered by caregivers. Subjects in the study were patients on service with San Diego Hospice and the Institute for Palliative Medicine, diagnosed with late stage dementia, as determined by a FAST (Functional Assessment Staging) score of 7, and who were known to become agitated while performing certain tasks (e.g., bathing or eating). A music therapist assessed the subjects using an adaptation of the Music Therapy Assessment (Krout, 2000). The Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire (SPMSQ) and Blessed Dementia Scale were administered pre- and post- intervention to assess cognitive functioning severity of dementia, respectively. Caregivers were trained to administer the Agitated Behavior Scale (ABS) after performing the stressful task without music (baseline). The music therapist created a CD for each subject based on the following: a) music background/preferences of subject (preferred styles of music, favorite selections or artists), obtained from family/caregiver, and b) subject responses observed during the assessment. Caregivers were instructed to complete the agitated task during the music intervention and immediately following the task completed an ABS evaluation. Out of the 51 patients referred for the study, 11 met inclusion criteria and were consented. Eight subjects completed the study. According to demographic information the majority of subjects were female, had previous music experience, and lived in a skilled nursing facility. The most frequent agitated task was bathing, which caused agitation in 75% of subjects. SPMSQ results indicated all patients had severe cognitive impairment and pre-/post-scores were the same. Pre-music intervention ABS scores were a mean of 23.46 (SD=5.8), and a mean of 20.69 (SD=7.1) for post-music intervention. This indicated that subjects became slightly less agitated overall though the effects were not statistically significant (t (7) = 1.41, p=0.2). Further analysis was unwarranted due to the lack of statistical significance and the small sample size. Two subjects demonstrated decreased agitation levels. Study limitations, implications for further research, and feasibility of research with late stage dementia patients receiving hospice care are discussed by the researchers.

The Silver Song Club Project: A sense of well-being through participatory singing

The Silver Song Club Project provides an opportunity for older people to come together regularly and participate in a programme of singing and music making, and is based on the principle that singing and music have the potential to benefit health and well-being. An evaluation was undertaken to investigate the development of the Silver Song Club Project, and to explore the experiences and benefits gained by participants. A total of 369 participants (in 26 song clubs across the south east) completed a short questionnaire to provide information on personal characteristics, previous musical experience, anticipation and enjoyment of the clubs and perceived benefits. It was found that those attending enjoy a positive experience; with two-thirds of those participating saying that it makes them feel better. It is argued that the sense of well-being experienced by people attending the sessions is due to the potential of singing well-known songs to act as a social catalyst, and the inherent physical and psychological characteristics of singing itself.

Ethnicity effects in relative pitch

Absolute pitch (AP), the rare ability to identify a musical pitch, occurs at a higher rate among East Asian musicians. This has stimulated considerable research on the comparative contributions of genetic and environmental factors. Two studies examined whether a similar ethnicity effect is found for relative pitch (RP), identifying the distance or interval between two tones. Nonmusicians (n = 103) were trained to label musical intervals and were subsequently tested on interval identification. We establish similar ethnicity effects: Chinese and Korean participants consistently outperformed other participants in RP tasks, but not in a "relative rhythm" control task. This effect is not driven by previous musical or tone-language experience. The parallel with the East Asian advantage for AP suggests that enhanced perceptual-cognitive processing of pitch is more general and is not limited to highly trained musicians. This effect opens up many research questions concerning the environmental and genetic contributions related to this more general pitch-based ability.

Music-Supported Training is More Efficient than Functional Motor Training for Recovery of Fine Motor Skills in Stroke Patients

MOTOR IMPAIRMENTS ARE COMMON AFTER STROKE but efficacious therapies for these dysfunctions are scarce. Extending an earlier study on the effects of music-supported training (MST), behavioral indices of motor function were obtained before and after a series of training sessions to assess whether this new treatment leads to improved motor functions. Furthermore, music-supported training was contrasted to functional motor training according to the principles of constraint-induced therapy (CIT). In addition to conventional physiotherapy, 32 stroke patients with moderately impaired motor function and no previous musical experience received 15 sessions of MST over a period of three weeks, using a manualized, step-bystep approach. A control group consisting of 15 patients received 15 sessions of CIT in addition to conventional physiotherapy. A third group of 30 patients received exclusively conventional physiotherapy and served as a control group for the other three groups. Fine as well as gross motor skills were trained by using either a MIDI-piano or electronic drum pads programmed to emit piano tones. Motor functions were assessed by an extensive test battery. MST yielded significant improvement in fine as well as gross motor skills with respect to speed, precision, and smoothness of movements. These improvements were greater than after CIT or conventional physiotherapy. In conclusion, with equal treatment intensity, MST leads to more pronounced improvements of motor functions after stroke than CIT.