Experiencing change: an inside view from the outside

As a South African of Indian descent I bring to education in Victoria an intimate knowledge of 'change in progress' and seek to use that for the benefit of my disciplines as a practitioner and teacher, primarily of music at primary, secondary and tertiary levels. In this article, I discuss some of the gains made by Australian teachers through using African music in their settings, and also describe what some of their teaching and learning needs are. This article arises from two research projects that I undertook: with students at Deakin University (2002-2003) and with music teachers who are currently teaching African music in Melbourne, Australia (2004). The student project investigated the potential for using African music to enhance the generic musical experiences, learning, motivation, interest, confidence and competence of non-specialist primary pre-service teachers. The teacher project explored why teachers are embracing change through the use of African music, what type of African music is taught and how it is being taught. In a world that is in a state of almost constant flux, teachers face the challenge to maintain the relevance of the curriculum and to promote openness to the cultural diversity represented in our contemporary Australian society. Both groups report highly positive changes.

Finding a place for personal growth in an Australian community singing group for older people

As in many countries, Australia is faced with an aging population. This creates challenges for the maintenance of well-being which can be enhanced by active engagement in society. Music engagement encompasses a range of social participation and has the potential to recognise the contribution of older people to their local communities. Engagement in music by older people (50+) is positively related to individual and community well-being.  Music participation can contribute to a better quality of life, particularly in relation to health and happiness. The possible forms of music engagement are myriad.

This paper focuses on two members of a mixed voluntary singing group formed by older residents of an outer suburban community in Melbourne, Australia.  This study frames music as a positive way for older people to find a place for personal growth and fulfilment in a singing group. This phenomenological qualitative single case study focuses on two members of a small singing ensemble, the Skylarkers, formed to perform at retirement villages, nursing homes and facilities for senior citizens. In this study, data were gathered by interviews and analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis.

Two significant themes emerged. The first concerned the nature of the choir and its fluid membership and notions of self-identity. The second theme concerns the validation offered to individual members by active music participation through which they gained a sense of purpose, fulfilment and personal growth. This emphasis is unusual in discussions of community music engagement that ordinarily identify the importance of social connections. Groups such as the Skylarkers provide a place for members to continue their active engagement with music performance and music learning.

A crise e as novas fronteiras para a indústria fonográfica

The world's record industry has been undergoing a deep crisis over the past years, and has been seeking ways to overcome the fall in legal CD and DVD sales. Paradoxally, consumption of music in its varied forms has been increasing over the same period. Within this adverse scenario, record companies have been trying to adjust their business models so as to encompass other products and services bearing a direct relationship with music. This paper aims at identifying the causes as well as assessing opportunities and initiatives within the market aiming at allowing the record industry to overcome the ongoing crisis. The objective of this paper is to provide an assessment of the current situation and propose alternatives to overcome the crisis, including digital music and the market of concerts and events as potential opportunities for the industry.

Lévi-Strauss Mitológicas: Mito e música entre o largo e o prestíssimo

This study was elaborated based on our research of the work Mithologiques by the anthropologist Claude Lévi-Strauss (1908-2009), which affirms that languages, indigenous myths and music are related. He proposes that the understanding of myths occurs in a similar manner as with an orchestral score. In the course of his tetralogy we investigated the musical terms used in the analysis and in the division of the chapters, especially in the first volume of his work. Several compositional procedures and forms are named. Composers in pairs are categorized: Sebastian Bach for the code, Ludwig van Beethoven for the message, and Richard Wagner for the myths. In this deduction, we structured in parts: theme and variations, sonata and fugue with the aforementioned composers. Within the greatness of anthropological study, from among over 800 myths, we selected the first five of the indigenous tribe Bororo to discuss within the Theme and Variation segment. In the Sonata part there are two myths with the same theme: The wife of the jaguar which relates to the compositional structure, and four myths about The origin of women. Finally, in the segment related to the Fugue, we collected four myths that address The shortness of life. Honoring the many terms expressed in opposition, contrast, or symmetry under consideration in Levi-Strauss work, we entitled this thesis emphasizing the migration between the tempos Largo and Prestíssimo as these are oppositional presentations in music. Fifteen musical myths accompany the work supported by selected narratives. In light of this we questioned, we questioned: how are incest, murder and other events part of a society that elevates nature as an extension of life itself? And how did Lévi-Strauss think that anthropology harmonized with music? In the preparation of this study, philosophers like Peter Sloterdijk discuss the circular territory of Mythology

Auditory stimulation and cardiac autonomic regulation

Previous studies have already demonstrated that auditory stimulation with music influences the cardiovascular system. In this study, we described the relationship between musical auditory stimulation and heart rate variability. Searches were performed with the Medline, SciELO, Lilacs and Cochrane databases using the following keywords: auditory stimulation, autonomic nervous system, music and heart rate variability. The selected studies indicated that there is a strong correlation between noise intensity and vagal-sympathetic balance. Additionally, it was reported that music therapy improved heart rate variability in anthracycline-treated breast cancer patients. It was hypothesized that dopamine release in the striatal system induced by pleasurable songs is involved in cardiac autonomic regulation. Musical auditory stimulation influences heart rate variability through a neural mechanism that is not well understood. Further studies are necessary to develop new therapies to treat cardiovascular disorders.

História e música: canção popular e conhecimento histórico

Esse trabalho procura levantar e discutir algumas questões teóricas e metodológicas que surgem das relações entre História, música e a canção popular. As transformações teóricas, as novas concepções de material documental e a prática renovada do historiador determinaram a incorporação de novas linguagens pela História. Seguindo nessa trilha, o artigo pretende justamente mostrar, a partir de uma perspectiva interdisciplinar, como as relações entre história, cultura e música popular podem desvendar processos pouco conhecidos e raramente levantados pela historiografia. Para alcançar esse objetivo é necessário ultrapassar a tradicional concepção de história da música e, para isso, tenta-se refletir e organizar alguns elementos para compreender melhor as múltiplas relações entre a canção e o conhecimento histórico. A discussão aponta para a possibilidade e, principalmente, a viabilidade do historiador tratar a música e a canção popular como uma fonte documental importante para mapear e desvendar zonas obscuras da história, sobretudo aquelas relacionadas com os setores subalternos e populares.

Relationship between cardiac autonomic regulation and auditory mechanisms: Importance for growth and development

The literature has already demonstrated that auditory stimulation with music influences the cardiovascular system. In this study, we performed a literature review in order to investigate the relationship between auditory mechanisms and cardiac autonomic regulation. The selected studies indicated that there is a strong correlation between noise intensity and vagal-sympathetic balance. Also, it was reported that music therapy improved heart rate variability in anthracycline-treated breast cancer patients. It was hypothesized that dopamine release in the striatal system induced by pleasure songs are involved in the cardiac autonomic regulation. Further studies are necessary to add new elements in the literature to improve new therapies to treat cardiovascular disorders.

The effects of different styles of musical auditory stimulation on cardiac autonomic regulation in healthy women

The literature investigated the effects of chronic baroque music auditory stimulation on the cardiovascular system. However, it lacks in the literature the acute effects of different styles of music on cardiac autonomic regulation. To evaluate the acute effects of baroque and heavy metal music on heart rate variability (HRV) in women. The study was performed in 21 healthy women between 18 and 30 years old. We excluded persons with previous experience with music instrument and those who had affinity with the song styles. All procedures were performed in the same sound-proof room. We analyzed HRV in the time (standard deviation of normal-to-normal respiratory rate (RR) intervals, root-mean square of differences between adjacent normal RR intervals in a time interval, and the percentage of adjacent RR intervals with a difference of duration greater than 50 ms) and frequency (low frequency [LF], high frequency [HF], and LF/HF ratio) domains. HRV was recorded at rest for 10 min. Subsequently they were exposed to baroque or heavy metal music for 5 min through an earphone. After the first music exposure they remained at rest for more 5 min and them they were exposed again to baroque or heavy metal music. The sequence of songs was randomized for each individual. The power analysis provided a minimal number of 18 subjects. Shapiro-Wilk to verify normality of data and analysis of variance for repeated measures followed by the Bonferroni test for parametric variables and Friedman's followed by the Dunn's post-test for non-parametric distributions. During the analysis of the time-domain indices were not changed. In the frequency-domain analysis, the LF in absolute units was reduced during the heavy metal music stimulation compared to control. Acute exposure to heavy metal music affected the sympathetic activity in healthy women.

Música e discurso: das reflexões do círculo de Bakhtin aos contos de Machado de Assis

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

A disciplina análise musical em instituições de ensino superior da cidade de São Paulo

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

A relação do idoso com o aprendizado musical

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

O imaginário dos professores de música acerca do cotidiano musical dos jovens: um estudo no contexto das escolas integrais de Barueri, SP

Pós-graduação em Música - IA

A que(m) serve a música na reforma psiquiátrica brasileira?: Linhas de audibilidade nas práticas musicais da saúde mental coletiva

Pós-graduação em Psicologia - FCLAS

Previous exposure to musical auditory stimulation immediately influences the cardiac autonomic responses to the postural change maneuver in women

Background: Chronic exposure to musical auditory stimulation has been reported to improve cardiac autonomic regulation. However, it is not clear if music acutely influences it in response to autonomic tests. We evaluated the acute effects of music on heart rate variability (HRV) responses to the postural change maneuver (PCM) in women. Method: We evaluated 12 healthy women between 18 and 28 years old and HRV was analyzed in the time (SDNN, RMSSD, NN50 and pNN50) and frequency (LF, HF and LF/HF ratio) domains. In the control protocol, the women remained at seated rest for 10 minutes and quickly stood up within three seconds and remained standing still for 15 minutes. In the music protocol, the women remained at seated rest for 10 minutes, were exposed to music for 10 minutes and quickly stood up within three seconds and remained standing still for 15 minutes. HRV was recorded at the following time: rest, music (music protocol) 0–5, 5–10 and 10–15 min during standing. Results: In the control protocol the SDNN, RMSSD and pNN50 indexes were reduced at 10–15 minutes after the volunteers stood up, while the LF (nu) index was increased at the same moment compared to seated rest. In the protocol with music, the indexes were not different from control but the RMSSD, pNN50 and LF (nu) were different from the music period. Conclusion: Musical auditory stimulation attenuates the cardiac autonomic responses to the PCM.

Response of cardiac autonomic modulation after a single exposure to musical auditory stimulation

The acute effects after exposure to different styles of music on cardiac autonomic modulation assessed through heart rate variability (HRV) analysis have not yet been well elucidated. We aimed to investigate the recovery response of cardiac autonomic modulation in women after exposure to musical auditory stimulation of different styles. The study was conducted on 30 healthy women aged between 18 years and 30 years. We did not include subjects having previous experience with musical instruments and those who had an affinity for music styles. The volunteers remained at rest for 10 min and were exposed to classical baroque (64-84 dB) and heavy metal (75-84 dB) music for 10 min, and their HRV was evaluated for 30 min after music cessation. We analyzed the following HRV indices: Standard deviation of normal-to-normal (SDNN) intervals, root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD), percentage of normal-to-normal 50 (pNN50), low frequency (LF), high frequency (HF), and LF/HF ratio. SDNN, LF in absolute units (ms (2) ) and normalized (nu), and LF/HF ratio increased while HF index (nu) decreased after exposure to classical baroque music. Regarding the heavy metal music style, it was observed that there were increases in SDNN, RMSSD, pNN50, and LF (ms (2) ) after the musical stimulation. In conclusion, the recovery response of cardiac autonomic modulation after exposure to auditory stimulation with music featured an increased global activity of both systems for the two musical styles, with a cardiac sympathetic modulation for classical baroque music and a cardiac vagal tone for the heavy metal style.