Skip to content
1981
image of Musical engagement for healing is intrinsic to being human: Reflections on therapeutic musical experiences

Abstract

Reflecting upon years of experience as a music educator and music psychology researcher through an ethnographic lens, this article illuminates the intrinsic therapeutic nature of music. Following an exploration of music’s macro-evolutionary roots in our species and its micro-evolutionary unfolding across the individual lifespan, the author offers personal examples of her natural affinity for and applications of music, substantiated by evidence-based research. Illustrating inherently therapeutic elements observed in her own musical development and in the experiences of her students and study participants – ranging from emotional regulation to creative self-expression – the article reveals the potent capacity of musical engagement as a salve and inspirational tool for reflection, feeling, processing and expression, ultimately fostering healing and well-being. Celebrating the inherent accessibility and enjoyment of popular music, the author’s experiences educating and making music with youth underscore its power for development and healing.

© 2026 Intellect Ltd
Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1386/jpme_00176_1
2026-03-18
2026-04-19

Metrics

Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. Abeles, Harold and Sanders, Edel (2007), Year VI Assessment Report: New Jersey Symphony Orchestra’s Early Strings Program, New York: Columbia University.
     [Google Scholar]
  2. Albornoz, Yadira (2011), ‘The effects of group improvisational music therapy on depression in adolescents and adults with substance abuse: A randomized controlled trial’, Nordic Journal of Music Therapy, 20:3, pp. 208–24, https://doi.org/10.1080/08098131.2010.522717.
     [Google Scholar]
  3. Allen, Lewis, Byrd, Mark and Evan, Marlanna (Rapsody) (2019), ‘Nina’, Eve, CD, USA: Roc Nation.
     [Google Scholar]
  4. Allen, Andrew (2022), ‘An introduction to constructivism: Its theoretical roots and impact on contemporary education’, Journal of Learning Design and Leadership, 1:1, pp. 1–11.
     [Google Scholar]
  5. Ang, Chin-Siang and Chan, Nee-Nee (2018), ‘Adolescents’ views on celebrity worship: A qualitative study’, Current Psychology: A Journal for Diverse Perspectives on Diverse Psychological Issues, 37:1, pp. 139–48, https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-016-9497-0.
     [Google Scholar]
  6. Bandura, Albert (1997), Self-Efficacy: The Exercise of Control, New York: Henry Holt & Company.
     [Google Scholar]
  7. Barbot, Baptiste (2020), ‘Creativity and self‐esteem in adolescence: A study of their domain‐specific, multivariate relationships’, The Journal of Creative Behavior, 54:2, pp. 279–92, https://doi.org/10.1002/jocb.365.
     [Google Scholar]
  8. Becker, Judith (2004), Deep Listeners: Music, Emotion, and Trancing, Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  9. Best, Catherine T. (2019), ‘The diversity of tone languages and the roles of pitch variation in non-tone languages: Considerations for tone perception research’, Frontiers in Psychology, 10, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00364.
     [Google Scholar]
  10. Blackman, Toni (2013), ‘The cipher, the circle & its wisdom’, lecture delivered at University of Massachusetts, Amherst, May, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYdb5snA1Jc&ab_channel=TEDxTalks. Accessed 20 May 2025.
  11. Blackman, Toni (2018), ‘Introductory statement/background’, Journal of Popular Music Education, 2:1, pp. 173–80, https://doi.org/10.1386/jpme.2.1-2.173_1.
     [Google Scholar]
  12. Blanaru, Monica, Bloch, Boaz, Vadas, Limor, Arnon, Zahi, Ziv, Naomi, Kremer, Ilana and Haimov, Iris (2012), ‘The effects of music relaxation and muscle relaxation techniques on sleep quality and emotional measures among individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder’, Mental Illness, 4:2, https://doi.org/10.4081/mi.2012.e13.
     [Google Scholar]
  13. Boyce-Tillman, June (2000), Constructing Musical Healing: The Wounds that Sing, London: Jessica Kingsley.
     [Google Scholar]
  14. Brooks, Jacqueline Grennon and Brooks, Martin G. (2001), In Search of Understanding: The Case for Constructivist Classrooms, 2nd ed., Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill and Prentice Hall.
     [Google Scholar]
  15. Bunde-Birouste, Anne, Byrne, Fiona and Kemp, Lynn (2019), ‘Autoethnography’, in P. Liamputtong (ed.), Handbook of Research Methods in Health Social Sciences, New York: Springer, pp. 509–26.
     [Google Scholar]
  16. Bungay, Hilary and Vella-Burrows, Trish (2013), ‘The effects of participating in creative activities on the health and well-being of children and young people: A rapid review of the literature’, Perspectives in Public Health, 133:1, pp. 44–52, https://doi.org/10.1177/1757913912466946.
     [Google Scholar]
  17. Bunt, Leslie (2003), ‘Music therapy with children: A complementary service to music education?’, British Journal of Music Education, 20:2, pp. 179–95, https://doi.org/10.1017/s0265051703005370.
     [Google Scholar]
  18. Câmara, Guilherme Schmidt and Danielsen, Anne (2018), ‘Groove’, in A. Rehding and S. Rings (eds), The Oxford Handbook of Critical Concepts in Music Theory, Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 271–94.
     [Google Scholar]
  19. Carrington, John F. (1971), ‘The talking drums of Africa’, Scientific American, 225:6, pp. 90–94, https://doi.org/10.1038/scientificamerican1271-90.
     [Google Scholar]
  20. Chan, Moon Fi, Wong, Zi Yang and Thayala, Naidu Vellasamy (2011), ‘The effectiveness of music listening in reducing depressive symptoms in adults: A systematic review’, Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 19:6, pp. 332–48, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2011.08.003.
     [Google Scholar]
  21. Christiner, Markus, Gross, Christine, Seither-Preisler, Annemarie and Schneider, Peter (2021), ‘The melody of speech: What the melodic perception of speech reveals about language performance and musical abilities’, Languages, 6:3, pp. 1–18, https://doi.org/10.3390/languages6030132.
     [Google Scholar]
  22. Cochen De Cock, Valérie, Dotov, Dobromir, Ihalainen, Petra, Bégel Valentin, Galtier, Florence, Lebrun, Cindy, Picot, Marie Christine, Driss, Valérie, Landragin N., Geny, Christian, Bardy, Benoit and Dalla Bella, Simone (2018), ‘Rhythmic abilities and musical training in Parkinson’s disease: Do they help?’, NPJ Parkinson’s Disease, 23:4, p. 8, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41531-018-0043-7.
     [Google Scholar]
  23. Code, Chris, Hemsley, Gayle and Herrmann, Manfred (1999), ‘The emotional impact of aphasia’, Seminars in Speech and Language, 20:1, pp. 19–31, https://doi.org/10.1055/s-2008-1064006.
     [Google Scholar]
  24. Conard, Nicholas, Malina, Maria and Münzel, Susanne (2009), ‘New flutes document the earliest musical tradition in southwestern Germany’, Nature, 460:7256, pp. 737–40, https://doi.org/10.1038/nature08169.
     [Google Scholar]
  25. Congreve, William ([1697] 1735), The Mourning Bride: A Tragedy, Dublin: S. Powell.
     [Google Scholar]
  26. Crooke, Alexander Hew Dale, Thompson, William Forde, Fraser, Trisnasari and Davidson, Jane (2024), ‘Music, social cohesion, and intercultural understanding: A conceptual framework for intercultural music engagement’, Musicae Scientiae, 28:1, pp. 18–38, https://doi.org/10.1177/10298649231157099.
     [Google Scholar]
  27. Cross, Ian (2009), ‘The evolutionary nature of musical meaning’, Musicae Scientiae, 13:2, suppl., pp. 179–200, https://doi.org/10.1177/1029864909013002091.
     [Google Scholar]
  28. Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly (1990), Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience, New York: Harper & Row.
     [Google Scholar]
  29. Custodero, Lori (2004), Young Children’s Musical Development, New York: Columbia University Teachers College.
     [Google Scholar]
  30. Custodero, Lori (2005), ‘Observable indicators of flow experience: A developmental perspective on musical engagement in young children from infancy to school age’, Music Education Research, 7:2, pp. 185–209, https://doi.org/10.1080/14613800500169431.
     [Google Scholar]
  31. Custodero, Lori (2011), ‘The call to create: Flow experience in music learning and teaching’, in D. Hargreaves, D. Miell and R. MacDonald (eds), Musical Imaginations: Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Creativity, Performance and Perception, Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 367–84.
     [Google Scholar]
  32. Dalla Bella, Simone (2020), ‘The use of rhythm in rehabilitation for patients with movement disorders’, in L. L. Cuddy, S. Belleville and A. Moussard (eds), Music and the Aging Brain, Amsterdam: Elsevier, pp. 383–406.
     [Google Scholar]
  33. Dalton, Thomas A. and Krout, Robert E. (2006), ‘The grief song-writing process with bereaved adolescents: An integrated grief model and music therapy protocol’, Music Therapy Perspectives, 24:2, pp. 94–107, https://doi.org/10.1093/mtp/24.2.94.
     [Google Scholar]
  34. Darwin, Charles (1859), On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life, London: John Murray.
     [Google Scholar]
  35. Davidson, Jane W. and Garrido, Sandra (eds) (2016), Music and Mourning, Abingdon: Routledge.
     [Google Scholar]
  36. Davies, Stephen (2010), ‘Emotions expressed and aroused by music: Philosophical perspectives’, in P. N. Juslin and J. A. Sloboda (eds), Handbook of Music and Emotion: Theory, Research, Applications, Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 15–43.
     [Google Scholar]
  37. Di Liberto, Giovanni M., Marion, Guilhem and Shamma, Shihab A. (2021), ‘The music of silence: Part 2 – Music listening induces imagery responses’, The Journal of Neuroscience, 41:35, pp. 7449–60, https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0184-21.2021.
     [Google Scholar]
  38. Dingle, Genevieve, Gleadhill, Liz and Baker, Felicity (2008), ‘Can music therapy engage patients in group cognitive behaviour therapy for substance abuse treatment?’, Drug and Alcohol Review, 27:2, pp. 190–96, https://doi.org/10.1080/09595230701829371.
     [Google Scholar]
  39. Duchesne‐Guillemin, Marcelle (1981), ‘Music in ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt’, World Archaeology, 12:3, pp. 287–97, https://doi.org/10.1080/00438243.1981.9979803.
     [Google Scholar]
  40. Falk, Dean (2004), ‘Prelinguistic evolution in early hominids: Whence motherese?’, The Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 27:4, pp. 491–503, https://doi.org/10.1017/s0140525x04000111.
     [Google Scholar]
  41. Fancourt, Daisy, Williamon, Aaron, Carvalho, Livia A., Steptoe, Andrew, Dow, Rosie and Lewis, Ian (2016), ‘Singing modulates mood, stress, cortisol, cytokine and neuropeptide activity in cancer patients and carers’, Ecancermedicalscience, 10, https://doi.org/10.3332/ecancer.2016.631.
     [Google Scholar]
  42. Faulkner McCurry, Sarah Louise, Dawson, Robin M. and Heiney, Sue P. (2019), ‘Essential elements of song for grieving young adults’, Creative Nursing, 25:4, pp. 302–07, https://doi.org/10.1891/1078-4535.25.4.302.
     [Google Scholar]
  43. Felsberg, Danielle T. and Rhea, Christopher K. (2020), ‘Spontaneous interpersonal synchronization of gait: A systematic review’, Archives of Rehabilitation Research and Clinical Translation, 3:1, n.pag., https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arrct.2020.100097.
     [Google Scholar]
  44. Finnegan, Ruth (2012), Oral Literature in Africa, Cambridge: Open Book Publishers.
     [Google Scholar]
  45. Fiveash, Anna, Ferreri, Laura, Bouwer, Fleur, Kösem, A., Moghimi, S, Ravignani, Andrea, Keller, Peter and Tillmann, Barbara (2023), ‘Can rhythm-mediated reward boost learning, memory, and social connection? Perspectives for future research’, Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 149, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105153.
     [Google Scholar]
  46. Gabrielsson, Alf (2011), Strong Experiences with Music: Music Is Much More than Just Music (trans. R. Bradbury), Oxford: Oxford University Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  47. Gasparini, Loretta, Langus, Alan, Tsuji, Sho and Boll-Avetisyan, Natalie (2021), ‘Quantifying the role of rhythm in infants’ language discrimination abilities: A meta-analysis’, Cognition, 213, n.pag., https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2021.104757.
     [Google Scholar]
  48. Greasley, Alinka E. and Lamont, Alexandra (2011), ‘Exploring engagement with music in everyday life using experience sampling methodology’, Musicae Scientiae, 15:1, pp. 45–71, https://doi.org/10.1177/1029864910393417.
     [Google Scholar]
  49. Greenberg, Leslie S. (2021), ‘Emotion regulation’, in L. S. Greenberg (ed.), Changing Emotion with Emotion: A Practitioner’s Guide, Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, pp. 279–307.
     [Google Scholar]
  50. Gregory, T. Ryan (2009), ‘Understanding natural selection: Essential concepts and common misconceptions’, Evolution: Education and Outreach, 2, pp. 156–75, https://doi.org/10.1007/s12052-009-0128-1.
     [Google Scholar]
  51. Gugliotta, Genevieve (2008), ‘The great human migration: Why humans left their African homeland 80,000 years ago to colonize the world’, Smithsonian Magazine, July, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-great-human-migration-13561/. Accessed 15 March 2025.
     [Google Scholar]
  52. Hafen, Chris, Allen, Joseph, Mikami, Amori, Gregory, Anne, Hamre, Bridget and Pianta, Robert (2012), ‘The pivotal role of adolescent autonomy in secondary school classrooms’, Journal of Youth Adolescence, 41:3, pp. 245–55, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-011-9739-2.
     [Google Scholar]
  53. Hall, J. C. (2025), ‘The right to rap: How hip hop helps students heal from trauma’, American Educator, 48:4, pp. 7–13, https://www.aft.org/ae/winter2024-2025/hall. Accessed 19 May 2025.
     [Google Scholar]
  54. Hallam, Susan and Himonides, Evangelos (2022), The Power of Music: An Exploration of the Evidence, Cambridge: Open Book Publishers.
     [Google Scholar]
  55. Hanssen, Jorid Krane (2015), ‘Autobiography as a methodological approach in youth research’, in A.-A. Allaste and K. Tiidenberg (eds), In Search of New Methodological Approaches to Youth Research, Newcastle: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, pp. 1–12.
     [Google Scholar]
  56. Hao, Jiayi, Zhong, Yuhuan, Pang, Yazhi, Jing, Yuanluo, Liu, Yong, Li, Hong, Li, Jianbo and Zheng, Maoping (2023), ‘The relationship between music training and cognitive flexibility: An ERP study’, Frontiers in Psychology, 14, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1276752.
     [Google Scholar]
  57. Harms, Victoria L., Cochran, Colleen and Elias, Lorin J. (2014), ‘Melody and language: An examination of the relationship between complementary processes’, The Open Psychology Journal, 7:1, pp. 1–8, https://doi.org/10.2174/1874350101407010001.
     [Google Scholar]
  58. Hellman, Roger (2013), ‘African drummers invented an internet’, Go to Hellman, 9 March, https://go-to-hellman.blogspot.com/2013/03/african-drummers-invented-internet.html. Accessed 12 March 2025.
  59. Hendricks, Krista (2011), ‘The philosophy of Shinichi Suzuki: Music education as love education’, Philosophy of Music Education Review, 19:2, pp. 136–54, https://doi.org/10.2979/philmusieducrevi.19.2.136.
     [Google Scholar]
  60. Hepper, Peter and Shahidullah, Benazir (1994), ‘Development of fetal hearing’, Archives of Disease in Childhood: Fetal and Neonatal Edition, 71:2, https://doi.org/10.1136/fn.71.2.f81.
     [Google Scholar]
  61. Hilari, Katerina, Northcott, Sarah, Roy, Penny, Marshall, Jane, Wiggins, Richard, Chataway, Jeremy and Ames, Diane (2010), ‘Psychological distress after stroke and aphasia: The first six months’, Clinical Rehabilitation, 24:2, pp. 181–90, https://doi.org/10.1177/0269215509346090.
     [Google Scholar]
  62. Hodge, Daniel White (2018), ‘AmeriKKKa’s most wanted: Hip hop culture and hip hop theology as challenges to oppression’, Journal of Popular Music Education, 2:1, pp. 13–28, https://doi.org/10.1386/jpme.2.1-2.13_1.
     [Google Scholar]
  63. Holt-Lunstad, Julianne (2022), ‘Social connection as a public health issue: The evidence and a systemic framework for prioritizing the “social” in social determinants of health’, Annual Review of Public Health, 43, pp. 193–213, https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-052020-110732.
     [Google Scholar]
  64. Jackson, Michael (1995), ‘Earth Song’, HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I, CD, USA: Epic Records.
     [Google Scholar]
  65. Jones, Amelia, Cochrane, Andrew, Carter, Cate, Dawson, Isabelle, Díaz-Guardamino, Marta, Kotoula, Eleni and Minkin, Louisa (2015), ‘Digital imaging and prehistoric imagery: A new analysis of the Folkton Drums’, Antiquity, 89:347, pp. 1083–95, https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2015.127.
     [Google Scholar]
  66. Juslin, Patrik N. and Västfjäll, Daniel (2008), ‘Emotional responses to music: The need to consider underlying mechanisms’, The Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 31:5, pp. 559–75, https://doi.org/10.1017/S0140525X08005293.
     [Google Scholar]
  67. Juslin, Patrik N., Barradas, Gonçalo and Eerola, Tuomas (2015), ‘From sound to significance: Exploring the mechanisms underlying emotional reactions to music’, The American Journal of Psychology, 128:3, pp. 281–304, https://doi.org/10.5406/amerjpsyc.128.3.0281.
     [Google Scholar]
  68. Kamp Michiel (2021), ‘Autoethnography, phenomenology and hermeneutics’, in M. Fritsch and T. Summers (eds), The Cambridge Companion to Video Game Music, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 159–75.
     [Google Scholar]
  69. Kim, Lila, Lee, Grace, Lee, Woo and Yoo, Ki (2023), ‘The Werther effect following the suicides of three Korean celebrities (2017–2018): An ecological time-series study’, BMC Public Health, 23:1, p. 1173, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-16080-1.
     [Google Scholar]
  70. Koelsch, Stefan (2010), ‘Towards a neural basis of music-evoked emotions’, Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 14:3, pp. 131–37, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2010.01.002.
     [Google Scholar]
  71. Koelsch, Stefan (2015), ‘Music-evoked emotions: Principles, brain correlates, and implications for therapy’, Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1337:1, pp. 193–201, https://doi.org/10.1111/nyas.12684.
     [Google Scholar]
  72. Koen, Benjamin D. (ed.) (2011), The Oxford Handbook of Medical Ethnomusicology, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  73. Laiho, Suvi (2004), ‘The psychological functions of music in adolescence’, Nordic Journal of Music Therapy, 13:1, pp. 47–63, https://doi.org/10.1080/08098130409478097.
     [Google Scholar]
  74. Lerner, Richard, Lerner, Jacqueline and Benson, Janette (eds) (2011), ‘Positive youth development: Research and applications for promoting thriving in adolescence’, Advances in Child Development and Behavior, vol. 41, Amsterdam: Elsevier, pp. 1–17.
     [Google Scholar]
  75. Loewy, Joanne, Stewart, Kristen, Dassler, Ann-Marie, Telsey, Aimee and Homel, Peter (2013), ‘The effects of music therapy on vital signs, feeding, and sleep in premature infants’, Pediatrics, 131:5, pp. 902–18, https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2012-1367.
     [Google Scholar]
  76. MacDonald, Raymond A. R. (2013), ‘Music, health, and well-being: A review’, International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-Being, 8:1, https://doi.org/10.3402/qhw.v8i0.20635.
     [Google Scholar]
  77. Magee, Wendy L. and Davidson, Jane W. (2002), ‘The effect of music therapy on mood states in neurological patients: A pilot study’, Journal of Music Therapy, 39:1, pp. 20–29, https://doi.org/10.1093/jmt/39.1.20.
     [Google Scholar]
  78. Mai, François. (2008), ‘Emotion in Beethoven and his music’, British Journal of Psychiatry, 193:3, https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.193.3.209.
     [Google Scholar]
  79. Malloch, Stephen and Trevarthen, Colwyn (eds) (2009), Communicative Musicality: Exploring the Basis of Human Companionship, Oxford: Oxford Academic.
     [Google Scholar]
  80. Marion, Guilhem, Di Liberto, Giovanni M. and Shamma, Shihab, A. (2021), ‘The music of silence: Part 1: Responses to musical imagery encode melodic expectations and acoustics’, The Journal of Neuroscience, 41:35, pp. 7435–48, https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0183-21.2021.
     [Google Scholar]
  81. McFerran, Katrina and Saarikallio, Suvi (2014), ‘Depending on music to feel better: Being conscious of responsibility when appropriating the power of music’, The Arts in Psychotherapy, 41:1, pp. 89–97, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aip.2013.11.007.
     [Google Scholar]
  82. McRae, Kevin and Gross, James (2020), ‘Emotion regulation’, Emotion, 20:1, pp. 1–9, https://doi.org/10.1037/emo0000703.
     [Google Scholar]
  83. Mehr, Samuel A. and Krasnow, Max M. (2017), ‘Parent–offspring conflict and the evolution of infant-directed song’, Evolution and Human Behavior, 38:5, pp. 674–84, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2016.12.005.
     [Google Scholar]
  84. Mehr, Samuel A., Singh, Manvir, Knox, Dean, Ketter, Daniel M., Pickens-Jones, Daniel, Atwood, Stephanie, Lucas, Christopher, Jacoby, Nori, Egner, Alena A., Hopkins, Erin J., Howard, Rhea M., Hartshorne, Joshua K., Jennings, Mariela V., Simson, Jan, Bainbridge, Constance M., Pinker, Steven, O’Donnell, Timothy, Krasnow, Max M. and Glowacki, Luke (2019), ‘Universality and diversity in human song’, Science, 366:6468, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aax0868.
     [Google Scholar]
  85. Merchant, Hugo, Grahn, Jessica, Trainor, Laurel, Rohrmeier, Martin and Fitch, Tecumseh (2015), ‘Finding the beat: A neural perspective across humans and non-human primates’, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, Series B: Biological Sciences, 370:1664, https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2014.0093.
     [Google Scholar]
  86. Milne, A. A. (1926), Winnie-the-Pooh, New York: E.P. Dutton & Company.
     [Google Scholar]
  87. Miranda, Dave, Gaudreau, Patrick, Debrosse, Régine, Morizot, Julien and Kirmayer, Laurence J. (2012), ‘Music listening and mental health: Variations on internalizing psychopathology’, in R. A. R. MacDonald, G. Kreutz and L. Mitchell (eds), Music, Health, and Wellbeing, Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 513–29.
     [Google Scholar]
  88. Mithen, Steven (2009), ‘The music instinct: The evolutionary basis of musicality’, Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1169:1, pp. 3–12, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-6632.2009.04590.x.
     [Google Scholar]
  89. Niederkrotenthaler, Thomas, Fu, King-Wa, Yip, Paul, Fong, Daniel, Stack, Steven, Cheng, Qijin and Pirkis, Jane (2012), ‘Changes in suicide rates following media reports on celebrity suicide: A meta-analysis’, Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 66:11, pp. 1037–42, https://doi.org/10.1136/jech-2011-200707.
     [Google Scholar]
  90. North, Adrian and Hargreaves, David (2006), ‘Problem music and self-harming’, Suicide & Life-Threatening Behavior, 36:5, pp. 582–90, https://doi.org/10.1521/suli.2006.36.5.582.
     [Google Scholar]
  91. North, Adrian and Hargreaves, David (2012), ‘Pop music subcultures and wellbeing’, in R. A. R. MacDonald, G. Kreutz and L. Mitchell (eds), Music, Health, and Wellbeing, Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 502–12.
     [Google Scholar]
  92. Norton, Andrea, Zipse, Lauryn, Marchina, Sarah and Schlaug, Gottfried (2009), ‘Melodic intonation therapy: Shared insights on how it is done and why it might help’, Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1169:1, pp. 431–36, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-6632.2009.04859.x.
     [Google Scholar]
  93. Ong, Walter J. (1977), ‘African talking drums and oral Noetics’, New Literary History, 8:3, p. 411, https://doi.org/10.2307/468293.
     [Google Scholar]
  94. Park, Kyoung Shin, Hass, Chris J., Patel, Bhavana and Janelle, Christopher M. (2020), ‘Musical pleasure beneficially alters stride and arm swing amplitude during rhythmically-cued walking in people with Parkinson’s disease’, Human Movement Science, 74, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.humov.2020.102718.
     [Google Scholar]
  95. Parlato-Oliveira, Erika, Saint-Georges, Catherine, Cohen, David, Pellerin, Hugues, Marques, Pereira, Isabella, Fouillet, Catherine, Chetouani, Mohamed, Dommergues, Marc and  Viaux Hide, Sylvie (2021), ‘“Motherese” prosody in fetal-directed speech: An exploratory study using automatic social signal processing’, Frontiers in Psychology, 12, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.646170.
     [Google Scholar]
  96. Pitard, Jayne (2019), ‘Autoethnography as a phenomenological tool: Connecting the personal to the cultural’, in P. Liamputtong (ed.), Handbook of Research Methods in Health Social Sciences, New York: Springer, pp. 483–98.
     [Google Scholar]
  97. Plato ([1974] 2007), The Republic (trans. D. Lee), 2nd ed., London: Penguin Books.
     [Google Scholar]
  98. Rabinowitch, Tal-Chen, Cross, Ian and Burnard, Pamela (2013), ‘Long-term musical group interaction has a positive influence on empathy in children’, Psychology of Music, 41:4, pp. 484–98, https://doi.org/10.1177/0305735612440609.
     [Google Scholar]
  99. Robarts, Jacqueline Zoe (2009), ‘Supporting the development of mindfulness and meaning: Clinical pathways in music therapy with a sexually abused child’, in S. Malloch and C. Trevarthen (eds), Communicative Musicality: Exploring the Basis of Human Companionship, Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 377–400.
     [Google Scholar]
  100. Robarts, Jacqueline Zoe (2019), ‘Embodied mentalizing or “meaning-making” in music therapy with traumatized children’, in B. Huppertz (ed.), Approaches to Psychic Trauma: Theory and Practice, Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Group, Inc., pp. 367–87.
     [Google Scholar]
  101. Rodwin, Aaron H., Shimizu, Rei, Travis, Raphael Jr, James, Kirk J., Banya, Moiyattu and Munson, Michelle R. (2023), ‘A systematic review of music-based interventions to improve treatment engagement and mental health outcomes for adolescents and young adults’, Child & Adolescent Social Work Journal, 40, pp. 537–66, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10560-022-00893-x.
     [Google Scholar]
  102. Rosfort, René (2018), ‘Phenomenology and hermeneutics’, in G. Stanghellini, M. Broome, A. Raballo, A. V. Fernandez, P. Fusar-Poli and R. Rosfort (eds), The Oxford Handbook of Phenomenological Psychopathology, Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 235–47.
     [Google Scholar]
  103. Ryan, Richard M. and Deci, Edward L. (2000), ‘Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being’, American Psychologist, 55:1, pp. 68–78, https://doi.org/10.1037//0003-066x.55.1.68.
     [Google Scholar]
  104. Ryan, Brooke, Kneebone, Ian, Rose, Miranda L., Togher, Leanne, Power, Emma, Hoffmann, Tammy, Khan, Asaduzzaman, Simmons-Mackie, Nina, Carragher, Marcella and Worrall, Linda (2023), ‘Preventing depression in aphasia: A cluster randomized control trial of the Aphasia Action Success Knowledge (ASK) program’, International Journal of Strokes: Official Journal of the International Stroke Society, 18:8, pp. 996–1004, https://doi.org/10.1177/17474930231176718.
     [Google Scholar]
  105. Saarikallio, Suvi and Erkkilä, Jaakko (2007), ‘The role of music in adolescents’ mood regulation’, Psychology of Music, 35:1, pp. 88–109, https://doi.org/10.1177/0305735607068889.
     [Google Scholar]
  106. Sanders, Edel (2016), ‘Earth Song’, live performance, composed by M. Jackson, Suk Hall, Rudolfinum, Prague, 16 June.
  107. Sanders, Edel (2018a), ‘Music learning and mathematics achievement: A real-world study in English primary schools’, Ph.D. thesis, Cambridge: University of Cambridge.
     [Google Scholar]
  108. Sanders, Edel (2018b), ‘Which generates more happiness, music or comedy? | Edel Sanders | TEDxUNYP’, YouTube, 14 February, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nT0-qTQk8nA&t=290s. Accessed 8 May 2025.
  109. Sanders, Edel (2018c), ‘Edel Sanders, PhD: Music for Emotion Regulation: From Lullabies to iPODS’, YouTube, 5 March, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2WjCkKZics. Accessed 10 May 2025.
  110. Särkämö, Teppo, Tervaniemi, Mari, Laitinen, Sari, Forsblom, Anita, Soinila, Seppo, Mikkonen, Mikko, Autti, Taina, Silvennoinen, Heli, Erkkilä, Jaakko, Laine, Matti, Peretz, Isabelle and Hietanen, Marja (2008), ‘Music listening enhances cognitive recovery and mood after a middle cerebral artery stroke’, Brain: A Journal of Neurology, 131:3, pp. 866–76, https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awn013131:3.
     [Google Scholar]
  111. Schellenberg, E. Glenn (2005), ‘Music and cognitive abilities’, Current Directions in Psychological Science, 14:6, pp. 317–20, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0963-7214.2005.00389.x.
     [Google Scholar]
  112. Schlaug, Gottfried (2015), ‘Musicians and music making as a model for the study of brain plasticity’, Progress in Brain Research, 217, pp. 37–55, https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.pbr.2014.11.020.
     [Google Scholar]
  113. Schlaug, Gottfried, Marchina, Sarah and Norton, Andrea (2008), ‘From singing to speaking: Why singing may lead to recovery of expressive language function in patients with Broca’s aphasia’, Music Perception, 25:4, pp. 315–23, https://doi.org/10.1525/MP.2008.25.4.315.
     [Google Scholar]
  114. Schulkin, Jay and Raglan, Greta B. (2014), ‘The evolution of music and human social capability’, Frontiers in Neuroscience, 8, https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2014.00292.
     [Google Scholar]
  115. Siraj, Rabia, Najam, Beenish and Ghazal, Saima (2021), ‘Sensation seeking, peer influence, and risk-taking behavior in adolescents’, Education Research International, 2021:8403024, pp. 1–8, https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/8403024.
     [Google Scholar]
  116. Small, Christopher (1998), Musicking: The Meanings of Performing and Listening, Middletown, CT: Wesleyan University Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  117. Small, Christopher (1999), ‘Musicking: The meanings of performing and listening – A lecture’, Music Education Research, 1:1, pp. 9–22, https://doi.org/10.1080/1461380990010102.
     [Google Scholar]
  118. So, Hyejin (2019), ‘Korean music therapy students’ experience of group music therapy: A qualitative case study’, Frontiers in Psychology, 10, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00636.
     [Google Scholar]
  119. Sokolowski, Robert (1999), Introduction to Phenomenology, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  120. Solé, Carme, Mercadal-Brotons, Melissa, Galati, Adrián and De Castro, Mónica (2014), ‘Effects of group music therapy on quality of life, affect, and participation in people with varying levels of dementia’, Journal of Music Therapy, 51:1, pp. 103–25, https://doi.org/10.1093/jmt/thu003.
     [Google Scholar]
  121. Stone, Albert E. (ed.) (1981), The American Autobiography: A Collection of Critical Essays, Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
     [Google Scholar]
  122. Tate, Greg, Light, Alan and Ray, Michael (n.d.), ‘Hip-hop: Music and cultural movement’, Encyclopedia Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/art/hip-hop. Accessed 17 February 2026.
  123. Tenni, Colleen, Smith, Anne and Boucher, Carlene (2003), ‘The researcher as autobiographer: Analysing data written about oneself’, The Qualitative Report, 8:1, pp. 1–12, https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2003.1895.
     [Google Scholar]
  124. Thoma, Mark, Ryf, Stefan, Mohiyeddini, Claudia, Ehlert, Uwe and Nater, Ulrike (2012a), ‘Emotion regulation through listening to music in everyday situations’, Cognition and Emotion, 26:3, pp. 550–60, https://doi.org/10.1080/02699931.2011.595390.
     [Google Scholar]
  125. Thoma, Mark, Scholz, Ulrich, Ehlert, Uwe and Nater, Ulrike (2012b), ‘Listening to music and physiological and psychological functioning: The mediating role of emotion regulation and stress reactivity’, Psychology & Health, 27:2, pp. 227–41, https://doi.org/10.1080/08870446.2011.575225.
     [Google Scholar]
  126. Thoma, Myriam Verena, La Marca, Roberto, Brönnimann, Rebecca, Finkel, Linda, Ehlert, Ulrike and Nater, Urs (2013), ‘The effect of music on the human stress response’, PLoS One, 8:8, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0070156.
     [Google Scholar]
  127. Thompson, William Forde and Schlaug, Gottfried (2015), ‘The healing power of music’, Scientific American Mind, 26:2, pp. 32–41, https://doi.org/10.1038/scientificamericanmind0315-32.
     [Google Scholar]
  128. Trehub, Sandra E. (2001), ‘Musical predispositions in infancy’, Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 930:1, pp. 1–16, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-6632.2001.tb05721.x.
     [Google Scholar]
  129. Trehub, Sandra, Becker, Judith and Morley, Iain (2015), ‘Cross-cultural perspectives on music and musicality’, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, Series B: Biological Sciences, 370:1664, https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2014.0096.
     [Google Scholar]
  130. Trevarthen, Colwyn (1999), ‘Musicality and the intrinsic motive pulse: Evidence from human psychobiology and infant communication’, Musicae Scientiae, 3:1, suppl., pp. 155–215, https://doi.org/10.1177/10298649000030s109.
     [Google Scholar]
  131. Uhlig, Sylka, Jansen, Erik and Scherder, Erik (2017), ‘“Being a bully isn’t very cool…”: Rap & Sing Music Therapy for enhanced emotional self-regulation in an adolescent school setting – A randomized controlled trial’, Psychology of Music, 46:4, pp. 568–87, https://doi.org/10.1177/0305735617719154.
     [Google Scholar]
  132. Viper, Marianne, Thyrén, David and Horwitz, Eva B. (2022), ‘Music as consolation: The importance of music at farewells and mourning’, Omega: Journal of Death and Dying, 85:1, pp. 155–77, https://doi.org/10.1177/0030222820942391.
     [Google Scholar]
  133. Vist, Torill and Bonde, Lars Ole (2013), ‘“Then certain songs came”: Music listening in the grief process after losing a child’, in L. O. Bonde, E. Ruud, M. S. Skånland and G. Trondalen (eds), Musical Life Stories: Narratives on Health Musicing, Skriftserie fra Senter for musikk og helse, vol. 6, Oslo: Norges Musikkhøgskole, pp. 139–65.
     [Google Scholar]
  134. Vogel, Joseph (2017), Earth Song: Michael Jackson and the Art of Compassion, New York: BlakeVision Books.
     [Google Scholar]
  135. Webb, Alexandra, Heller, Howard, Benson, Carol and Lahav, Amir (2015), ‘Mother’s voice and heartbeat sounds elicit auditory plasticity in the human brain before full gestation’, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 112:10, pp. 3152–57, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1414924112.
     [Google Scholar]
  136. Welch, Graham Frederick, Biasutti, Michele, MacRitchie, Jennifer, McPherson, Gary and Himonides, Evangelos (2020), ‘Editorial: The impact of music on human development and well-being’, Frontiers in Psychology, 11, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01246.
     [Google Scholar]
  137. Wigert, Benjamin, Murugavel, Vignesh and Reiter-Palmon, Roni (2024), ‘The utility of divergent and convergent thinking in the problem construction process during creative problem-solving’, The Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 18:5, pp. 858–68, https://doi.org/10.1037/aca0000513.
     [Google Scholar]
  138. Winnicott, Donald Woods (1953), ‘Transitional objects and transitional phenomena’, International Journal of Psycho-Analysis, 34:2, pp. 89–97.
     [Google Scholar]
  139. de Witte, Martina, Pinho, Ana Da Silva, Stams, Geert-Jan, Moonen, Xavier, Bos, Arjan E. R. and van Hooren, Susan (2022), ‘Music therapy for stress reduction: A systematic review and meta-analysis’, Health Psychology Review, 16:1, pp. 134–59, https://doi.org/10.1080/17437199.2020.1846580.
     [Google Scholar]
  140. Xie, Siqin (2021), ‘The relationship between peer influence and teenagers’ celebrity worship phenomenon’, Frontiers in Educational Research, 4:12, pp. 88–96, https://doi.org/10.25236/FER.2021.041219.
     [Google Scholar]
  141. Young, Katherine, Sandman, Christina and Craske, Michelle (2019), ‘Positive and negative emotion regulation in adolescence: Links to anxiety and depression’, Brain Sciences, 9:4, https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci9040076.
     [Google Scholar]
  142. Zhang, Xiaoying, Li, Jianjun and Du, Yi (2022), ‘Melodic intonation therapy on non-fluent aphasia after stroke: A systematic review and analysis on clinical trials’, Frontiers in Neuroscience, 15, https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2021.753356.
     [Google Scholar]
  143. Zatorre, Robert and Salimpoor, Valorie (2013), ‘From perception to pleasure: Music and its neural substrates’, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 1:10, suppl. 2, pp. 10430–437, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1301228110.
     [Google Scholar]
  144. Bensimon, Moshe (2020), ‘Relational needs in music therapy with trauma victims: The perspective of music therapists’, Nordic Journal of Music Therapy, 29:3, pp. 240–54, https://doi.org/10.1080/08098131.2019.1703209.
     [Google Scholar]
  145. Bong, Su Hyun, Won, Geun Hui and Choi, Tae Young (2021), ‘Effects of cognitive-behavioral therapy based music therapy in Korean adolescents with smartphone and internet addiction’, Psychiatry Investigation, 18:2, pp. 110–17, https://doi.org/10.30773/pi.2020.0155.
     [Google Scholar]
  146. Rudstam, Gunnar, Elofsson, Ulf, Söndergaard, Helena, Bonde, Lars and Beck, Britta (2022), ‘Trauma-focused group music and imagery with women suffering from PTSD/complex PTSD: A randomized controlled study’, European Journal of Trauma & Dissociation, 6:3, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejtd.2022.100277.
     [Google Scholar]
  147. Suzuki, Denise Chrysostomo, Monge, Ana Beatriz, Silva, Bianca, Viana, João, Suzuki, Paulo, Annunciato Neto, Rodrigo and Vitalle, Maria Sílvia de Souza (2023), ‘Adolescent victims of sexual abuse and music therapy: A systematic review’, Research Society and Development, 12:6, https://doi.org/10.33448/rsd-v12i6.42356.
     [Google Scholar]
/content/journals/10.1386/jpme_00176_1
Loading
  • Article Type: Article
Keywords: music education ; popular music as therapy ; active music making ; healing power of music ; therapeutic nature of music ; music therapy ; music and healing ; popular music education

Most Cited Most Cited RSS feed

This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a success
Invalid data
An error occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error
Please enter a valid_number test