Part V. Science: a Deeper Dive, Researchers Reveal Their Methodology and Compelling Results/h3>

Arts-Based Therapies in Integrative Health by Emmeline Edwards et. al., Doctors and Researchers

• Art-based therapies are seen as complementary to normal medicine. In addition to the arts the complementary practices include acupuncture, herbal remedies, massage therapy, meditation, and yoga. Art-based therapies also include crafts, dance, and drama. The idea is treating the whole person. It can also include physical therapy, nutrition, and psychological therapy. Therapies can be active or passive. Demonstrated results include less severe symptoms, improved skills, improved well-being, and reduced stress.
• The plasticity of the brain explains why these therapies work. The sensory pleasures involved are comparable to those realized with food or sex. Increased music training increases the brain’s cortical thickness and increased cortical thickness is associated with greater intelligence. Benefits of specific therapies for specific populations are also covered her.

Coda and Crescendo: How Neuroscience Created Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT) to Help Heal the Injured Brain by Michael Thaut, Professor, Director, and Scientist

• NMT is a standardized, evidence-based, and medically recognized treatment system. Music can drive plasticity in the human brain. This allows for brain rehabilitation. It can help stroke patients walk better. It helps Parkinson’s patients move better. It can improve speech, language, and cognitive functions. Music-based vocal exercises can effectively improve pitch and volume. It can improve scores on memory tests and give cognitive boosts for people with dementia. In essence, music can help heal the brain.

Musical Enjoyment and the Reward Circuits of the Brain by Robert Zatorre, Cognitive Neuroscientist

• Musical pleasure derives from the interplay between perception and reward circuits in the brain. Pleasure effects emerge from cognitive, social, and memory mechanisms with prediction and reward processes. This is why is it especially beneficial for mood management. Music was the most highly rated activity used for coping with stress during COVID. Music is enabled by links between our most basic biology on the one hand, and our most highly developed cognition on the other.

The Benefits of Musical Engagement Across the Life Span: Education, Health, and Well-Being by Assal Hanibi, Professor at the University of Southern California et. al.

• The research summarized here shows the benefits of music at all stages of life. While it is important to listen to music for its benefits, more benefit can be gained through lessons, playing, and collective musical experiences.

Renée Fleming

• Renée is one of the most acclaimed singers of our time, performing on the stages of the world’s greatest opera houses. She is also a leading advocate for research at the intersection of arts and health. Her earned honors and awards are impressive and abundant.

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