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OBJECTIVES:Prior studies suggest a benefit of music-based activities for supporting cognitive function and psychological well-being in normal aging, but few have rigorously examined the effect of music therapy (MT) interventions in this population, or contrasted delivery format. We conducted a randomized controlled trial study investigating the effects of one-to-one, small-group, and large-group MT on cognitive functions and well-being in 62 older adults without cognitive impairment. METHODS:Participants were randomly assigned to one-to-one (Mage = 79.71), small-group (Mage = 82.00), or large-group (Mage = 79.83) conditions, and received structured MT sessions over 20 weeks, while a passive control group (Mage = 74.56) received no MT. Pre-post intervention measures assessed cognitive functions (memory, attention, executive function, verbal fluency) and well-being (general well-being, depression, sleep quality). RESULTS:Mixed ANOVAs indicated improvements pre-post intervention on several cognitive measures and depressive symptoms (main effects of Time) that varied as a function of MT format (Time × Group interactions). All MT groups showed improvements in cognitive functions pre-post intervention, while many cognitive scores declined in the control group. Further, all intervention groups showed a significant reduction in depressive symptoms pre-post intervention, while there was no change in the control group. Dynamic Bayesian Network analysis corroborated these trajectories and highlighted the influence of cognitive reserve and executive functions on intervention outcomes. DISCUSSION:This study provides evidence for the beneficial effect of MT on cognitive function and well-being in normal aging, suggesting that both individualized and group formats are advantageous. This has implications for supporting healthy aging through socially prescribed standardized protocols. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER:NCT04851028.
Based on the leadership literature, this paper aims to investigate personality traits and motivation to lead in administrative leaders and non-leaders in the field of art, in a Norwegian context. Data was gathered from 141 administrative leaders from music and arts schools, and from 213 performing artists. For comparison purposes, a sample of 83 corporate leaders and 69 non-leaders was collected. The results indicate that motivation to lead among artistic individuals was almost identical related with leaderlike characteristics as for corporate individuals. Individuals entering administrative leadership positions in the field of art were also associated with leaderlike characteristics when compared with non-leaders. The only unexpected finding was a negative relationship between extraversion and individuals in administrative leadership positions. Also, motivation to lead did not differentiate administrative leaders and non-leaders in the field of art. The results are discussed in terms of how leadership characteristics operate in the field of art, and the effect of domain-specific characteristics in this setting.
This article explores music students' attitudes towards, experiences of, and thoughts about rehearsing and performing music for children. The research is connected to the Children's Concert Series (2020-2023), a student initiative at the Norwegian Academy of Music (NMH). This concert series aimed to elevate the status, within higher music education (HME), of music performances for young audiences, enhancing students' skills in this area and providing valuable work experience. Applying a grounded theory method approach (GTM), this research followed the concert series from the very beginning. Observations during rehearsals and concerts, along with pre - and post-performance focus group interviews with participating students, were the primary methods of data collection. A significant pattern (tension, relief and learning) was identified in the development of students' attitudes, expectations and emotional engagements across the stages of planning, performing and evaluating the children's concerts. This study's findings suggest that experiences in performing for children within HME can function as a pedagogy of interruption, providing valuable experiences and learning that strengthen music students' overall music mediational skills.
This study explores the role of public music and art schools (MAS) in Norway, focusing on how teachers invest their values and justify their practices within these schools. The empirical material is based on interviews with 18 teachers across four focus groups. Drawing on French pragmatic sociology as a theoretical lens, the findings demonstrate that MAS teachers perceive elementary schools as neglecting their role and responsibility as educational actors in terms of Bildung perspectives and practical aesthetic subjects. This perception prompts a discussion about the teachers emphasizing the importance of human growth over artistic development. To deepen understanding of the role of MAS, it is essential to articulate MAS’ underlying values and justifications more explicitly.
Drawing on reflections on two case stories from music therapy, we will develop several suggestions about relationships between musicking, selfhood, and mental health. The first case story is about Fred, a young man who has been diagnosed with schizophrenia. The second is about Frida, an adult woman diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. There are substantial differences between their situations and medical conditions, but their experiences of music therapy have some shared characteristics, such as how their relationships to themselves and the world have been affected positively, in what we describe as a journey of embodied selfhood through musicking. We explore ways to theoretically frame the similarities in their music therapy experiences. The framework used when developing the theoretical argument is enactive cognitive science. Fred's and Frida's stories, as well as an emergent body of scientific work, indicate that musicking in music therapy could work as a 'laboratory' for future examinations of how implicit body memory, intercorporeality, rhythm, and synchrony are central to the development of higher social and cognitive processes associated with consciousness and mental health. Based on this, we have identified a range of possible areas of future research and theory development.
