A music and health perspective on music's perceived 'goodness'

In this paper consideration is given to aspects of social and professional music use premised from a “music as health” perspective. This critical exploration is intended to reveal values about music participation and music listening, with consideration of the way music is constructed as a contributor to social gains within music as health application. The frequently encountered expectation that music participation and music listening are innately good and “helpful” is examined. A range of projects are described and examined with reference to the theme of music's “commodified goodness” or what has elsewhere been termed, the ubiquitous “goodness of music” (Edwards, 2008b).

The role of the music therapist in promoting parent infant attachment

Abstract
This paper provides a brief overview of recent literature relating to infant musicality and its basis for effective parent-infant work in music therapy. Two strong trends are revealed: the international breadth of the developing work by music therapists within family-centred contexts of practice, especially work with infants and their parents in the early years; and the use oftheoretical principles of communicative musicality (Malloch &Trevarthen, 2008] combined with knowledge of early musical skills. This focus on musical perception and musical development (Briggs, 1991; Trehub, 2003] provides a rationale as to why musical interaction supported by a qualified music therapist can offer a potential pathway for improved attachment between the parent and infant when therapeutic support is indicated.

Use of music and play in pediatric nursing care in the hospital context

Objective. To identify and analyze scientific publications on the use of music and play in pediatric nursing care in the hospital context. Method. In this bibliographic study, papers were sought that were published in Portuguese or English between 2004 and 2009 and included the descriptors: hospitalized child, childhood, child recreation, nursing team, nursing, pediatric nursing, alternatives therapies, music, music therapy, play and playthings, play therapy, playing. For the review, the bibliographic databases used were MEDLINE, ScIELO and LILACS. Results. Seventeen publications were obtained, among which: 59% adopted a quantitative method; mainly nursing developed the activities (88%); per type of article, reviews on the theme and assessments of clinical changes associated with the use of music and play were frequent (59% and 18%, respectively); and the utility of this kind of therapies in nursing care is acknowledged (94%). Conclusion. Play and music are useful therapies that can be used in nursing care for pediatric patients.

Music for children with special needs.

"Frances Cole ... chairman."

Sad music as a means for acceptance-based coping

Self-identified sad music (SISM) is often listened to when experiencing sad life situations. Research indicatesthat the most common reason people give for listening to SISM is “to be in touch with or express feelings ofsadness”. But why might this be the case? We suggest that one reason people choose to listen to sad musicwhen feeling sad is to accept aversive situations. We tested if SISM is associated with acceptance copingand consolation. We hypothesized that SISM relates to acceptance-based coping via the recognitionand identification of emotional states, and that people will report more acceptance from SISM than selfidentifiedhappy music when seeking consolation. In Study 1, participants recalled how happy or sadthe music sounds that they normally listen to for consolation, and if they listen to this music to gainacceptance of negative moods and situations. In Study 2, participants reported their goals when listeningto sad music during a recalled time in which they experienced an adverse life situation and whether thislead to acceptance. Study 1: People reported that they were more likely to listen to sad music than happymusic when seeking consolation, though they preferred happy music in general. Listening to SISM (butnot self-identified happy music) when seeking consolation was associated with acceptance of both anegative situation and the associated negative emotions. Additionally, seeking to deal with emotions wasassociated with both SISM listening (for consolation) and acceptance. Study 2: Listening to SISM to get intouch with and express affect was the most important self-regulatory strategy (of six examined) throughwhich acceptance was recalled to be achieved. Experiencing adverse situations or seeking consolation,people report that listening to SISM is associated with acceptance coping (through the re-experiencing ofaffect). Implications for music therapy and theories of emotional coping are discussed.

The effects of a designer music intervention on patients' anxiety, pain, and experience of colonoscopy: a short report on a pilot study.

There is a controversy on whether listening to music before or during colonoscopy reduces anxiety and pain and improves satisfaction and compliance with the procedure. This study aimed to establish whether specifically designed music significantly affects anxiety, pain, and experience associated with colonoscopy. In this semirandomized controlled study, 34 patients undergoing a colonoscopy were provided with either muted headphones (n = 17) or headphones playing the investigator-selected music (n = 17) for 10 minutes before and during colonoscopy. Anxiety, pain, sedation dose, and overall experience were measured using quantitative measures and scales. Participants' state anxiety decreased over time (P < .001). However, music did not significantly reduce anxiety (P = .441), pain scores (P = .313), or midazolam (P = .327) or fentanyl doses (P = .295). Despite these findings, 100% of the music group indicated that they would want music if they were to repeat the procedure, as compared with only 50% of those in the nonmusic group wanting to wear muted headphones. Although no significant effects of music on pain, anxiety, and sedation were found, a clear preference for music was expressed, therefore warranting further research on this subject.

Voices of the Unheard

Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents, which, in prosperous circumstances, would have lain dormant. Horace - Roman lyric poet and satirist 65BC – 8 BC This quotation from Horace could well be the chorus to a medley of songs sung by people who face extraordinary adversity and have gained emotional resilience through music making. In this chapter we present three composition ventures that are stories or verses in a new song and whose chorus summarises the nature of the resilience factors present in the narratives. We are aware that words on a page like this can have the effect of filtering out the engaging nature of musical experience and reduce music to a critique or an evaluation of its aesthetic value. This disjuncture between language and the ephemeral, embodied experience is a problem for those who use these creative processes in therapeutic and salutogenic ways (Antonovsky, 1996) for public health. The notion of salutogenic health, put simply, delineates it from therapy in that the processes focus upon wellness rather than therapy. Whilst we include evidence from the fields of community music therapy (Pavlicevic, 2004; Leitschuh et al., 1991), neuroscience (Bittman et al., 2001) and community music (Bartleet et al., 2009) the framework for a salutogenic health outcome in community music is one which seeks to employ music practices and the qualities of music making that provide positive health benefit to communities –to enhance health and well being rather than the “treatment” of disorders. It is essentially a holistic and interdisciplinary study. Therapy and salutogenic health are not mutually exclusive as both depend upon the qualities of music experience to affect change. Collecting, analysing and presenting evidence of change in human behaviour that can be directly attributed to creative music making is a problem of evaluation.

Letter : anxiety score as a risk factor for radial artery vasospasm during radial interventions : a pilot study

I read with interest the article in Angiology that determined the role of anxiety level on radial artery spasm during transradial coronary angiography.1 As the importance of conducting more randomised controlled trials using anxiolytics to define the relation between anxiety and vasospasm was noted by the authors, I offer the following insights for investigators to consider when conducting such research. While previous research has already identified that moderate procedural sedation and opioid analgesia reduces the incidence of vasospasm,2 the identification of risk factors in the present study is hypothesis generating as to how outcomes might be even further improved. It is possible that selectively applying either even more intensive sedation and analgesia or complementary non-pharmacological stress-reducing therapies, such as music therapy or visualisation and attentive behaviour, to patients ‘at-risk’ of vasospasm (women and those with high levels of anxiety prior to the procedure) might lead to even better patient outcomes...

The effectiveness of meaningful occupation interventions for people living with dementia in residential aged care: A systematic review protocol

Review questions/objective What is the effectiveness of meaningful occupation interventions for people living with dementia in residential aged care facilities? More specifically, the objectives are to identify: The effectiveness of interventions based on engaging residents of residential aged care facilities who have dementia in meaningful occupation (activities that have meaning for the individual) on: quality of life, behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (such as agitation, aggression, depression, wandering, apathy, etc.), mood, function, cognition, and sleep. Inclusion criteria Types of participants This review will consider studies that include participants with a confirmed diagnosis of any type of dementia living in residential aged care facilities / long term care/nursing homes/permanent care. Types of intervention(s)/phenomena of interest This review will consider studies that evaluate non-pharmacological interventions that are based on occupational or activity interventions considered to be meaningful to the person with dementia, and tailoring the intervention to meet their needs, abilities, interests and/or preferences will be required as part of the study’s methodology. Such interventions may include reminiscence therapy, exercise therapy, music therapy, individualized activity, behavioral interventions, recreational therapy, diversional therapy and psychosocial interventions. Trials of combinations of two or more such interventions will also be considered. Interventions may be in comparison to usual care, other meaningful occupation interventions, or any other non-pharmacological control or comparator.

Marianne Berel Collection 1938-1996

Clippings, correspondence, published and unpublished articles on learning disabilities and music therapy; contains testimony on her experience in the internment camp of Gurs, France.

Camera-Based Interfaces and Assistive Software for People with Sever Motion Impairments

Intelligent assistive technology can greatly improve the daily lives of people with severe paralysis, who have limited communication abilities. People with motion impairments often prefer camera-based communication interfaces, because these are customizable, comfortable, and do not require user-borne accessories that could draw attention to their disability. We present an overview of assistive software that we specifically designed for camera-based interfaces such as the Camera Mouse, which serves as a mouse-replacement input system. The applications include software for text-entry, web browsing, image editing, animation, and music therapy. Using this software, people with severe motion impairments can communicate with friends and family and have a medium to explore their creativity.