The scientific power of music

AsapSCIENCE analyzes music as humanity’s drug of choice. Listening to music can cause the release of the neurotransmitter dopamine, in the same pleasure or reward circuits that cause cocaine addiction.

Do melodies, harmonies and rhythms tap into the same kind of brain reward systems that drive our desires for food, sex and other basic behaviors? What do you think the evolutionary basis behind it could be? Does it predate humans being social or is this a just a random byproduct of our brain wiring?

Source: youtube.com

Playing classical music to your child can improve their listening skills later on in life

Susan Hallam, professor of education and music psychology at the Institute of Educadtion, Univeristy of London, evaluated a programme which introduces children aged seven to ten to classical music and its composers. 

The scheme involves a whole school assembly followed by six lessons at class level, with children experiencing different instruments and musical concepts and a formal concert.

Musicians explain what children should listen for and launch question and answer sessions. As the sessions progress, the listening tasks become more complex. 

The programme has been delivered to 4,500 children in 26 primary schools in Hackney and Tower Hamlets, East London, as well as to over 22,000 youngsters in assemblies and concerts. 26 members of staff and 252 children in nine primary schools were questioned about the programme.

Teachers rated developing the ability to listen as the main benefit, followed by musical knowledge and development and the boosting of concentration levels, aspirations, self-discipline and personal and social skills. Some staff also pointed to improvements to English.

One teacher said: ‘The children really enjoy the sessions. I think that listening to music in such an intimate environment (the classroom) engages them and allows them to develop their listening skills.’ Another said that pupils’ communication skills improved.

In a report on the scheme, Professor Hallam said children developed ‘enhanced listening skills and the development of other skills necessary for careful listening to take place including concentration and self-discipline’.

She added: ‘For some of the children the programme was inspirational. The children’s positive reactions suggest that they were ‘open-eared’ and had not developed prejudices against classical music. We know that preferences for music are affected by the extent to which individuals are exposed to them, the greater the exposure the greater the liking. Opportunities to listen extensively to classical music in the early years of primary school are therefore likely to lead to children appreciating a wider range of music than might otherwise be the case.’

Meanwhile a study from the University of St Andrews, Fife, Scotland, last September suggested that musicians have sharper minds and are less likely to suffer a mental decline.

Researchers said that mastering instruments such as the piano, flute or violin improves people's ability to pick up mistakes and fix them quickly. They perform tasks faster and do not allow occasional slip-ups to derail them due to their hours of practice.

The study indicated that playing an instrument could protect against a deterioration in mental abilities through age or illness.

Info from DailyMail

Gulbenkian: 900 mil euros para 17 projetos de inclusão social pela arte

Dezassete entidades portuguesas vão ser apoiadas pelo projeto Partis - Práticas Artísticas para a Inclusão Social, da Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, no valor de 900 mil euros, para a integração social de públicos desfavorecidos ou excluídos.

O programa foi criado este ano para apoiar entidades de todo o país que desenvolvam "projetos de excelência cultural com uma componente de integração social", até um período máximo de três anos, explicou à agência Lusa Hugo Martinez de Seabra, do Programa Gulbenkian de Desenvolvimento Humano.

Dos 17 selecionados fazem parte, por exemplo, um projeto de teatro pelo Conselho Português para os Refugiados, para o Centro e de Acolhimento da Bobadela (Loures), a criação de uma ópera para jovens reclusos da Prisão Escola de Leiria e um festival de música no Bairro da Bela Vista, em Setúbal.

À primeira edição do Partis candidataram-se mais de 200 entidades, um número que superou as expectativas, em particular pela qualidade dos projetos artísticos apresentados e pela dispersão geográfica dos candidatos, afirmou Hugo Martinez de Seabra.

Segundo o responsável, o objetivo da fundação não é ser uma mera financiadora de projetos que juntem a arte a uma componente social, mas sim uma parceira de uma rede de identidade: "Queremos acompanhar e saber o impacto real das práticas propostas".

Os participantes diretos dos 17 projetos selecionados serão crianças e jovens em risco, refugiados, reclusos, sem-abrigo, pessoas com deficiência e necessidades especiais e residentes em "bairros ou territórios sensíveis".

A Associação Filhos de Lumière terá um projeto de cinema para jovens e crianças em risco em Lisboa, na Moita e em Serpa, e a Associação EcoGerminar dedicará um trabalho de teatro, dança e música para pessoas isoladas das aldeias de Juncal do Campo e Freixial do Campo, em Castelo Branco.

Serão ainda apoiadas a Academia de Produtores Culturais, com um projeto para homens sem-abrigo, a Associação Histórias para Pensar, para jovens surdos, a Associação InPulsar, de dança, para jovens de Leiria, a Associação Sombra das Palavras, para jovens residentes em bairros senstíveis de Loures e do Seixal, a Associação Teatro Ibisco, com projetos para Loures e Setúbal, e a Orquestra Geração de Amarante.

A estes juntam-se ainda o Chapitô, o Movimento de Expressão Fotográfica, o Teatrão, o projeto Sou Largo, o Teatro Mala Voadora e a Terrafirme Oficina.

Uma nova edição do concurso deverá abrir em 2015.

Informação de Dinheiro V ivo

Speech-Language Therapy and Music Therapy Collaboration: The Dos, the Don’ts, and the “Why Nots?” - part I

Definition of collaboration: “The process of working jointly with others in an intellectual endeavor to bring about change, and it implies shared responsibility” 

As the number of cases of children being identified with communication disorders increases, so does the need for cost effective treatment. Therefore, many therapists are looking to collaboration and co-treatment as a way to meet this need. This is evidenced by a recent survey of 695 music therapists, as 44.6% said they collaborate with SLPs (Register, 2002).

Why utilize inter-, trans-, or multi-disciplinary collaboration between music therapy and speech therapy?

*It benefits the client’s overall well-being

*It is cost effective

*Language and music are structurally similar in many ways

5 similarities between music and language:

* Music and Language are universal and specific to humans;

* Both have pitch, timbre, rhythm, and durational features;

* Spontaneous speech and spontaneous singing typically develop within infants at approximately the same time;

* Music and language have auditory, vocal, and visual uses (both use written systems) and are built on structure and rules;

* Distinct forms of music and language exist and vary across cultures.

When You Collaborate with the Other Therapist:

Do…

…Communicate with one another on how to best address the needs of the client and what music interventions can be used to enhance and support communication areas the SLP is addressing with the client.

…Co-Treat!

…Collaborate on goal development (find a time that will work for both of you – even if it’s just for 10-15 minutes a week!). If meeting in person does not seem to work, try other technologies, such as email correspondence, using Skype, Twitter, or an instant messaging program. This may work better for both of your schedules.

…Understand your limits (do not overstep your professional training bounds)

…Have a clear understanding of the other profession’s scope of practice. MTs should look at the ASHA scope of practice and SLPs need to be aware of the CBMT scope of practice. By doing this, the professionals can avoid conflict, confusion, and misunderstandings.

…Understand each profession’s strengths and areas of training

…Educate yourself on the lingo of the other field (healthcare professions LOVE annoying, hard-to-remember acronyms)

…Be flexible!

…Share information with one another: therapy news articles, ideas, pamphlets, research papers, etc.

…Communicate, Communicate, Communicate!

References:

- American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). (n.d.). Standards and implementation procedures for the certificate of clinical competence. 

- Cohen, N. S. (1994). Speech and song: Implications for therapy. Music Therapy Perspectives, 12(1), 8-14.

- Miller, S. (1982). Music therapy for handicapped children: Speech impaired. Project Monograph Series. Washington, DC: National Association for Music Therapy.

- Peters, J. S. (2000). Music therapy for individuals who have communication disorders or impairments. In Music therapy: An introduction (2nd ed., pp.170-188). Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas Publisher.

- Register, D. (2002). Collaboration and consultation: A survey of board certified music therapists. Journal of Music Therapy, 39(4), 305-321.

- Rychener-Hobson, M. (2006). The Collaboration of Music Therapy and Speech-Language Pathology in the Treatment of Neurogenic Communication Disorders: Part II — Collaborative Strategies and Scope of Practice. Music Therapy Perspectives, 24(2), 66-72.

- Zoller, M. (1991). Use of music activities in speech-language therapy. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 22.

Info written by Rachel See Smith, from Explore Music Therapy

Music Therapy, What does it Look Like and How Does it Work?

While surfing the Internet I found this amazing explanation by a Music Therapist:

Written by Antoinette Morrison, BackMountainMusicTherapy

"Often, people who have not previously heard of Music Therapy hear that I am a Music Therapist and ask “So, what do you do? Play music to them?” (My clients). I think we are so accustomed to teaching methods that something other than that such as facilitating is hard to conceptualize.

Because music is structure over time, what one may see in my therapy room is not what some people may expect. It certainly does not look like a classroom scenario. In fact, upon walking by, glancing in, it may look unstructured or chaotic. A child may be hopping up and down or running back and forth screaming. So what is going on? How can this be therapeutic?

Any good therapist begins where a client is, and all behavior (once again) is communication. I may not know why my client jumps or screams but what I do know is that they are communicating something about themselves. I mirror musically anything they do. I do this to play back to them, giving them a musical portrait of themselves. It may not be by typical standards what you would consider “beautiful” music.

This a simple musical motif or phrase, something that the client is already doing or communicating that is not only being reflected back but being given structure through the rhythm. What is the point of that you may ask.

(...)

When a child can come in with what seems like chaos and have it fit into a structure (rhythm) just as the chaos exists (jumping, screaming, running) and it is okay as it is, we have the beginnings and basis for reciprocity. Life begins and development occurs with the give and take, the back and forth of relationship. What is it that these kids need most?

Music is the universal language. Music’s rhythm and repetition provides structural and predictable basis for reciprocity. Sound is vibration which does not make even hearing a necessary must in order for the brain to process music.. In other words music can be open enough to include the ornamental chaos and predictable enough to give it structural basis for back and forth relating."

Music, Language & Learning

One might ask, why do music, language and learning complement each other?

Without getting into the neuroscience of music and brain theories, the simple answer is that music involves or stimulates both sides of the brain, and when both hemispheres are engaged, we tap into more potential for cognitive growth or learning.

The other great aspect of music is that it’s auditory, visual, vocal, tactile and physical, and the more senses that are involved in an activity, the greater the capacity for learning and retention.

In a nutshell, one could say that music is an effective teaching strategy, and teaching strategies make learning highly transferable!

Music stimulates both sides of the brain, and when both hemispheres are engaged, we tap into more potential for learning. 

Music is a multi-sensory experience, and the more senses that are involved in an activity (e.g., hearing, seeing, doing), the greater the capacity for learning and retention. 

Music is universal and is accessible to anyone, regardless of age, gender, culture, intellectual or physical ability. 

Music is structured, predictable, and repetitive, and these components are all essential parts of promoting speech and language skills. 

Info from TheSpeechStop