Music Therapy & Well-Being

Realm of Healing Sounds

The first part of the project – Music Festival

The music festival where you will meet well-known groups such as Yellow Sisters or Řekni Mi, you will enjoy cheerful Irish music, or you will be enchanted by Moravian folk songs performed by the Moravian Brothers duo, but you will also have the opportunity to listen to the experimental work of the musical group Norwegian Wood, which includes elements of music therapy creation in standard rock music, including modified tuning to a frequency of 432 Hz and the use of specific music therapy instruments. The music production will be accompanied by a music therapy program in the inner part of the Korunní Pevnůstka, where workshops and relaxation sessions led by experienced music therapists will take place.

About the project

The project focuses on supporting artists in holistic music therapy, especially on developing their original production and cooperation with musicians from other countries and playing different styles and creating new performances together like joint production, merging styles. The vital part of the project is to increase awareness about this type of art and its possibilities and create publicity for these artists. However, the project also offers new perspectives and opportunities on business associated with the Covid 19 pandemic crisis; the online course can increase awareness about the field of music therapy even in the situation when face-to-face events can not occur.
The project’s first activity is an organization of a music festival that contains a performance of Czech and foreign artists, including their original joint production. We will organize this festival every year regularly.
The next part of the project is an online course and communication platform for the public audience and all interested people. This platform will be used for sharing information and stay in touch during an occasional lockdown. The course will introduce the history and usage of all the instruments often used in music therapy and the impact on people’s well-being and health. This course will also contain records of the music played on these instruments by professionals. We will create a website about the festival and the rest of the project to promote the artists’ work. Other parts of the project are a mobile music therapy lab that brings artists close to their audience and enables them to organize events in nature. Summer camp for the public is also a way to get the public audience more involved in music therapy and closer to the artists.

Main Goal 

This project will support Czech and foreign artists in holistic Music Therapy, and it will bring together professionals and amateurs working in joint music events. Holistic music therapy is an art production used to treat mental disorders, neuroses or improve the condition of mentally disabled individuals. The music therapy art also shows a demonstrable effect on preventing mental health problems in a healthy population. Music therapy work with folk musical instruments in natural tunning, and these instruments are usually known for a very long historical period in the local area. Some of these instruments are rattles made from the fabric, which is easily found in the area. They use many types of drums used in tribal history anywhere in the world. There are also many breath instruments, like different kinds of pipes and hollow branches as didgeridoos.  Metal instruments like Tibetan bowls or hang drums are also a part of the music therapy performance. Sometimes they use also string instruments, marimbas, kalimbas, balafons and many others. Music therapy sessions can be passive, more like a gig, or active, like a workshop that requires work with the audience. Passive music therapy relaxation is arranged as a concert, except that the audience often lies and relaxes during the performance. Active music therapy production includes audience activity. Participants play drums, rattles or other percussion instruments or join in singing led by a therapist. This group production will enable the audience to experience a sense of belonging and harmony with the group, which is just one of the healing components of music therapy.
Recently, a few artists work exclusively as music therapists. Most artists work in social care institutions or institutions looking after people with mental disabilities as educators or nurses whose job includes music therapy activities. Other artists work as music teachers who have music therapy in their lessons or teachers in kindergartens. These musicians search for more publicity and opportunities to perform and become more visible to the public audience. The artists are also looking for new strategies for working with the audience, and this project will support them in these goals.  Although the holistic music therapy method is demonstrably effective and its results are described and documented, the current work in the field in the Czech Republic does not have sufficient international publicity. The current project helps develop artistic skills, communication strategies with the audience and building the capacity of actors and the association.  This project also helps mentally disordered people to connect with the majority through their music activities.  
The main parts of the project are:
1) Music FESTIVAL 
2) Summer camp
3) Music Therapy Orchestra 
a) in the CR
b) in Norway
4) Mobile music therapy lab
5) Online course for the public

Justification

Although the holistic music therapy method is demonstrably effective and its results are described and documented, the publicity of this art is not sufficient in the cultural scene. Most artists do not act as independent subjects. Still, they are employees of schools and social care facilities, where they work in the roles of caregivers or teachers, which does not allow them to devote enough opportunities as artists.

Based on clinical studies conducted by researchers in music therapy in recent years, we can say that music therapy increases the quality of life not only for mentally handicapped but also people with Alzheimer disease. Based on clinical studies conducted by researchers in music therapy in recent years, and positively affects the general population. (Cooke 2010, Fischer-Terworth 2011, Guétin 2009, Petrovsky 2015, Raglio 2015).
From this point of view, it is desirable to acquaint the medical and social facilities and the public with the effects of holistic music therapy and offer it as a possibility of a non-pharmacological solution of uncomfortable mental states or at least alleviate them. Cultural projects are an optimal way on how to present ideas and solutions. We aim to increase cultural awareness of the healing abilities of a specific type of music and the opportunity to use this tool to enrich their living conditions. Still, it significantly contributes to the quality of life in-home care institutions and facilities, retirement homes, and the like positively affects the general population.
Music therapists who engage in artistic activities outside the scope of institutes of schools or institutions as independent entrepreneurs need support in the field of skills and knowledge of independent business, especially in marketing and obtaining resources.
The project includes organising an international festival, which will increase public awareness of music therapy in general. We will make audiovisual recordings from the festival, which will help to promote the field and artistic production.
Literature:
Cooke, M. L., Moyle, W., Shum, D. H., Harrison, S. D., & Murfield, J. E. (2010). A randomized controlled trial exploring the effect of music on agitated behaviours and anxiety in older people with dementia. Aging and mental health, 14(8), 905-916.
Fischer-Terworth, C., & Probst, P. (2011). Evaluation of a TEACCH-and music therapy-based psychological intervention in mild to moderate dementia. GeroPsych.Guetin, S., Portet, F., Picot, M. C., Pommié, C., Messaoudi, M., Djabelkir, L., … & Touchon, J. (2009). Effect of music therapy on anxiety and depression in patients with Alzheimer’s type dementia: randomised, controlled study. Dementia and geriatric cognitive disorders, 28(1), 36-46.Petrovsky, D., Cacchione, P. Z., & George, M. (2015). Review of the effect of music interventions on Raglio, A., Attardo, L., Gontero, G., Rollino, S., Groppo, E., & Granieri, E. (2015). Effects of music and music therapy on mood in neurological patients. World journal of psychiatry, 5(1), 68. of anxiety and depression in older adults with mild dementia. International Psychogeriatrics, 27(10), 1661-1670.

 

Outputs

The project’s primary goal is to enable artists in music therapy to present their products and create new artistic cooperation with musicians of other artists and new opportunities and create new strategies to connect with the audience.
The first part of the project is an international music festival that will be a two or three-day event, including talks and music therapy workshops for the public audience. This event will support a connection between artists and the audience. The artists will gain new experiences on how to work with the audience and improve their professional horizons. The public audience will get a new approach to the music genre. The festival will include:
a) a joint concert included Czech and foreign artists
The joint show will include the original production of Czech and foreign artists. The foreign artists will perform their original production at the festival. The innovative part of the festival performance will be joining local and foreign artists together and create a new original show.

b) sample music therapy or sessions or relaxations
Sample music therapy will be a part of the festival as an opportunity for single artists to present themselves and provide their solo performances as a “relaxation treatment” for the audience. These sessions are usually about one hour long and include playing multiple instruments and intuitive singing. The audience is lying and experience the healing and relaxing effects of the performance.

c) workshops for the public, including active playing and singing
Workshops for the public audience is an active part of music therapy, where the attendees join the program as co-performers. They will be playing and singing with the artists, and finally, they will perform together as part of the festival show. The performance of the audience and artists together is called a music therapy orchestra.

d) live performance of the music therapy orchestra
The performance of the music therapy orchestra will be previously rehearsed in the summer camp or the workshops at the festival. We also expect one of the performances to be a performance with the mentally disabled people prepared in advance in the social institution focused on these people.

2) The summer camp will be a week-long event held in the country for the public audience. Attendees will explore the music therapy principles, and they will get the opportunity to try it personally, all parts of that. They will meet the music therapy instruments as listeners, but they also will try to play all of them. They will be in an active role which includes drumming, singing and playing instruments. The attendees will also experience the passive aspect of music therapy, which is listening to specific music to support relaxing bodies and minds.

3) Music therapy orchestra is the event, which will include some mentally disordered people. The artists have vast experience with this type of audience, and they will arrange the performance of mentally disordered people together with the standard audience. This performance will be a part of the festival program. The music therapy orchestra is a model which helps disabled people to connect with the rest of society. The joint concert performed publicly brings these separated groups together. We plan to organize this festival every year after finishing the project.

3a) We will establish a music therapy orchestra in the Czech Republic in the institution for mentally disordered people and rehearse the performance with them. These people will perform at the festival with typical attendees.

3b) We will establish a music therapy orchestra in Norway in the institution for older adults. Our team of therapists and artists will go to Norway. After a week lasting workshop, we will arrange a public performance in public at the local place.

4) The mobile music therapy lab is a part of the project that enables creating a mobile place that can come anywhere with all the necessary equipment and provide a professional relaxation or treatment service. The mobile site will be a caravan with necessary music therapy equipment as Tibetan bowls, rattles, djembe, shamanic drums, hang drums. The impact of the music therapy treatment is more effective when it is held in nature, so this car will bring music therapy anywhere and organize events in the forest for a small group of people like 4-5. The caravan can provide a harbour for the attendees in case of unsuitable weather. It will also be a mobile storage for all the necessary instruments for these events.

6) An online course is the option if the subsequent lockdown happens and it will not be possible to organize the festivals.

Target Groups

The social activities (festival and summer camps) aim at increasing awareness and publicity for holistic music therapy art. The end users can benefit from this type of art, mainly children in kindergartens, mentally disabled people, or older adults with mental diseases. The new professionally created recordings and video will strengthen the publicity of the field to the public. More people will find this field of art as an effective way to treat their psychological well-being in their lives. The professionals will gain more opportunities to perform, get more visible, and grab more public attention.

Activities

Artistic performance

The festivals will include artistic performances of musicians who are involved in music therapy art. They are also engaged in their artistic, musical performance, which will be a part of the program. We count on gigs of the Czech artists: “Moravsti Bratri” and a Norwegian band connected with the Norwegian project partner. We plan some performances of the artists’ new production, but we also plan a performance that will combine their musical production. There will be a performance based on the joint musical production of Czech musicians and Norwegian.

The music therapy orchestra

is the weekly module that works with disabled people, bringing more happiness to their lives and improving their well-being by the specific type of music. The therapists will support their clients by showing them how to play instruments, teaching them simple songs, and listening to the rhythm and the melody. Finally, they can play performances in front of a public audience. The result will also be the new knowledge about working with the audience. We will create new methodic instructions for working with the audience and provide them before the workshop. We will extend this document with the workshop experience after. The group of artists/therapists has to be in a training process for a few days and work with the audience before the performance. A longer time will be necessary for the work with mentally disabled people in their institution. The standard audience will attend a one day workshop for joining the music therapy orchestra.

The mobile music therapy lab

is a part of the project that enables us to bring the music therapy to the local places outside the big cities and other countries. It will be a caravan with all the necessary equipment to carry the required instruments for the music therapy sessions. We plan to introduce it and show it to the public at the festivals. Then, we will use it for the artists who want to do small group sessions for people wherever in the country. Then they can come to them with all the necessary equipment and perform the music therapy session. This is also a way how to do music therapy sessions for small amounts of people in nature. We can find any place in the forest or on the beach of a lake or at a meadow and perform the session with relaxation there. We will also use this caravan to bring all the instruments and necessary equipment to the partner’s country (Norway). It helps us establish the music therapy orchestra in the institution for older adults in Norway.

Partnership

The partner of this project is BMH Music,  a Norwegian music production company, that cooperates with Czech artists and organises recordings for foreign musicians in the Czech Republic.

This project is being realised thanks to kind support EEA and Norway Grants