Lars Ole Bonde

Music therapy or music medicine

pression; that review provided a clear definition of MT and excluded studies where music listening alone was used as the intervention. Music listening may be used as a part of MT, but without a therapist and a therapeutic relationship, music listening in itself is not MT. The study by Brandes et al. [1] would have been excluded from that review; yet the authors use the review to claim that their study overcomes some of the methodological shortcomings of earlier MT studies. Their claim that their study is ‘the largest to date’ cannot be substantiated when comparing it to the studies that were included in that review – at a minimum, one would need to examine the table of excluded studies from the Cochrane review. In the next update of the Cochrane review, their study will be added to that list. More research is clearly needed on both types of intervention [3] . However, we sincerely hope that future researchers will distinguish between them with the necessary care and sensitivity. In a recent study, Brandes et al. [1] report the results of a randomised trial of music listening as an adjunct treatment for depression. Their results are interesting – but are they really about music therapy (MT)? MT is most commonly defined as an intervention where ‘the therapist helps the client to promote health, using music experiences and the relationships developing through them’ [2] . Also other definitions of MT agree that a therapeutic relationship is important for a music intervention to be considered MT. Other programmes that ‘use music for health-related goals, but in ways that do not qualify as music therapy’ [3] may be described as music medicine, or in the case of this study, simply as music listening. Other music listening studies have successfully avoided this confusion [4] . Of course, the fact that an academic field has developed a consensus does not necessarily imply that all authors and journals in the world are aware of it. Sometimes unknowing editors may send manuscripts from unknowing authors to unknowing reviewers. However, lack of knowledge does not seem to be the explanation in this case. We know that the authors have presented their study at several conferences where the distinction between MT and music (medicine) was discussed. Also the reference list of the paper allows the conclusion that the authors were probably aware of the distinction. They have cited a Cochrane review [5] of MT for deReceived: November 23, 2010 Accepted: November 26, 2010 Published online: June 30, 2011

Associations between daily musicking and health: Results from a nationwide survey in Denmark

Aims: To examine the associations between singing/playing musical instruments daily and various outcomes such as health-related quality of life and health behaviour. Methods: Data originates from the Danish Health and Morbidity Survey 2013. The survey was based on a random sample of 25,000 adult Danes (response rate: 57%). Besides standard health-related questions the survey included eight specific music questions, based on a review of the sparse literature on music and health. On the same basis, ‘daily musicking’ was defined as normally singing/playing musical instruments at least 1 h/day. Results: Both musically active men and women were more likely to report good self-rated health than individuals that were not active musically. However, the results also indicated that musically active women were less likely to report poor physical and mental health than women who were not active musically, while this pattern was not found among men. Conclusions: Gender seems to play an important role in the association between musicking and health, but more research is needed to understand these differences and the underlying mechanisms. In addition, longitudinal studies are warranted to examine the causal effects of musicking.

Music and public health – An empirical study of the use of music in the daily life of adult Danes and the health implications of musical participation

Background: Music and public health is a fairly new field of study. Scientific studies document that participation in cultural activities (in general) can have a positive influence on health, however, music as a specific cultural activity has only been explored empirically in studies with small samples, mainly focusing on health benefits of participating in choral singing. Methods: This study originates from and was part of the Danish Health and Morbidity Surveys (2013) with a representative sample of adult Danes as participants (n = 25,000). The survey included specific music questions, based on a review of the literature. Results: Musical behavior and beliefs are presented as descriptive statistics. Multiple logistic regression models are used to examine associations between various background variables and: (1) playing musical instruments/singing daily, (2) definitely believing that music activities and music experiences can help stay healthy. Conclusion: Musical behaviors and beliefs in the adult Danish population are identified, and the public health potential of musicking (singing, playing and listening to music) are discussed.

Music therapy can lower the heart rates of severely sick children

Paediatric recipients of haematopoietic stem cell transplants (HSCT) are at increased risk of developing post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and there is a need to identify interventions that can alleviate stress in this group. The aim of this study was to examine the previously unexplored effect of music therapy on children undergoing HSCT, by analysing physiological parameters and comparing them with a control group.

Associations between music and health-related outcomes in adult non-musicians, amateur musicians and professional musicians—Results from a nationwide Danish study

ABSTRACT Previous research in music and health suggests differential long-term health implications for amateur versus professional musicians. The present study focused on (a) self-rated health of adult amateur musicians and professional musicians compared to non-musicians; (b) associations between self-reported music in early childhood homes and choice of staying musically active as adults; (c) associations between involvement in music in one’s early childhood home and adult belief in music as a health resource. Data originated from the Danish Health and Morbidity Survey 2013. The survey was based on a random sample of 25,000 adult Danes (response rate: 57%). Besides standard health-related questions the survey included eight specific music questions. The study revealed significant differences between professional musicians, amateur musicians, and non-musicians and between active and no longer active musicians (both amateurs and professionals). Active professional musicians reported a number of health problems, while active amateur musicians reported a significantly better health than both non-musicians and no longer active amateurs. A clear association was found between singing and playing in childhood and being active as professional or amateur musicians in adult life, and also believing that music activities and experiences can help to stay healthy.

Oplysning - Oplevelse - Oplivelse

Artiklen handler om forskelle og ligheder mellem undervisning og terapi, herunder ogsa om forskellige «kontrakter», opgaver og formal. Men forfatteren skriver ogsa om de skaeringspunkter og det rum, hvor undervisning, terapi og dermed vejledning kan modes og inspirere hinanden.

The use of arts interventions for mental health and wellbeing in health settings

Aims: This literature review aims to illustrate the variety and multitude of studies showing that participation in arts activities and clinical arts interventions can be beneficial for citizens with mental and physical health problems. The article is focused on mental health benefits because this is an emerging field in the Nordic countries where evidence is demanded from national health agencies that face an increasing number of citizens with poor mental health and a need for non-medical interventions and programmes. Methods: A total of 20 articles of interest were drawn from a wider literature review. Studies were identified through the search engines: Cochrane Library, Primo, Ebscohost, ProQuest, Web of Science, CINAHL, PsycINFO, PubMed and Design and Applied Arts Index. Search words included the following: arts engagement + health/hospital/recovery, arts + hospital/evidence/wellbeing, evidence-based health practice, participatory arts for wellbeing, health + poetry/literature/dance/singing/music/community arts, arts health cost-effectiveness and creative art or creative activity + health/hospital/recovery/mental health. The inclusion criteria for studies were (1) peer review and (2) empirical data. Results: The studies document that participation in activities in a spectrum from clinical arts interventions to non-clinical participatory arts programmes is beneficial and an effective way of using engagement in the arts to promote holistic approaches with health benefits. Engagement in specially designed arts activities or arts therapies can reduce physical symptoms and improve mental health issues. Conclusion: Based on the growing evidence of the arts as a tool for enhancing mental health wellbeing, and in line with the global challenges in health, we suggest that participatory arts activities and clinical arts interventions are made more widely available in health and social settings. It is well-documented that such activities can be used as non-medical interventions to promote public health and wellbeing.

The Black Hole – or ’is Music a Black Box’?

Over the last year, I have been working on a chapter on music analysis in music therapy research – to be more specific, a chapter for the third edition of Music Therapy Research (ed. Barbara Wheeler), with the title “Analyzing and Interpreting Musical Data in Interpretivist Research” (Bonde, in press). In my work with this chapter, I have come to the conclusion that the music therapy literature includes surprisingly and disappointingly few studies with a focus on music itself. Ockelford (2013, back cover) writes: “Although research in music psychology, education, and therapy has expanded exponentially in the 21st century, there is something of a black hole around which much of the discourse circles: music itself”. I think Ockelford points directly towards a central point in the chapter I am writing: The music itself in music therapy could be given much more attention than is often the case in research studies. As part of my work on the chapter, I reviewed articles published in Journal of Music Therapy, Nordic Journal of Music Therapy, and Musiktherapeutische Umschau 2012–2014. My analysis revealed that only seven articles included music analysis or other forms of interpretivist music research. Aigen’s (2008a, 2008b) overview of qualitative and mixed methods articles, chapters, and dissertations in music therapy did not include music analysis as a category used to characterize the studies and their methods, even if Aigen is one of the most prominent researchers who has published studies including music analysis. Given that music is the core medium of music therapy, it is surprising that only few studies report more than superficially about the music itself, be it improvisations or composed music. It may be a reflection of what Ansdell (1999) labelled the Music Therapist’s Dilemma – the difficulties of verbalizing what goes on in music therapy, and at the same time the necessity of communicating musical processes to non-music colleagues. My chapter in the Wheeler’s book will explore the challenges in researching music, especially within an interpretivist framework, and present some of the methods that have

Guided Imagery and Music - and Beyond?

Bonny, Helen L. (2002), Music & Consciousness: The Evolution of Guided Imagery and Music, Gilsum NH, Barcelona. Edited by Lisa Summer. 375 pages. Bruscia, Kenneth E. and Grocke Denise E. (Eds.) (2002), Guided Imagery and Music. The Bonny Method and Beyond, Gilsum NH, Barcelona. 591 pages.

Book symposium on Even Ruud's Music Therapy. Improvisation, communication and culture

Notes on Music Therapy: Improvisation, Communication and Culture By: Even Ruud Comment A: Improvisation, Interplay and Interpretation By: Ulla Holck Comment B: Music and Identity By: Thomas Schepelern Comment C: A Multiparadigmatic Adventure By: Lars Ole Bonde Comment D: Communication, Culture, and Context By:Tony Wigman Closing Comments By: Even Ruud