Mind fulness and Music: A Promising Subject of an Unmapped Field

Lecuona, Óscar; Rodríguez‐Carvajal, Raquel

doi:10.19070/2332-3000-140006

Cited by 13 publications

(20 citation statements)

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“…Whilst it is acknowledged that teachers have varying teaching styles which could have influenced participants' progress over the eight-week period, the correct identification of the majority of participants who had taken part in the MfS course (from a possible total of 32) suggests that the mindfulness intervention was effective. If we compare this to previous blind control studies (there have been none relating to music, see meta-analysis by de la Cruz & Rodríguez-Carvajal, 2014), Grepmair et al (2007) found that Zen meditation (a form of mindfulness) training was observable in a double blind study involving 18 therapists and 124 psychotherapy patients. Therapists from the meditation group gave significantly higher evaluations of their patients in the areas of clarification and problem solving and the patients of these mindful therapists also showed greater symptomatic reduction.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 84%

“…There are few projects researching the effects of mindfulness on musicians' performance (Oyan, 2006; Langer et al , 2009) and well-being (Hribar, 2012; Steyn, 2013; de la Cruz & Rodríguez-Carvajal, 2014). This research project, utilising a newly developed eight-week Mindfulness for Singers (MfS) course, is the first known to explore the effects of mindfulness on vocalists in a learning context.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It showed significant improvements in the facets of Describe and Non-Judge, lower anxiety, greater levels of self-confidence, concentration, relaxation and motivation levels as well as more positive relations with others and the lowering of competitive state anxiety. A recent meta-analysis of music and mindfulness investigations (de la Cruz & Rodríguez-Carvajal, 2014) suggests that this field of study is ripe for research.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Mindfulness for singers: The effects of a targeted mindfulness course on learning vocal technique

Czajkowski¹,

Greasley²

2015

Brit. J. Music. Ed.

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This paper reports the development and implementation of a unique Mindfulness for Singers (MfS) course designed to improve singersÕ vocal technique. Eight university students completed the intervention. FFMQ scores showed general improvement across all five facets of mindfulness. Qualitative results showed benefits of daily mindfulness exercises on breathing, micro-muscular awareness, vocal tone, text communication and problem solving. Exercises also positively affected teacher/pupil relationships, concentration and focus in lessons and practice. Teachers identified 6 of the 8 participants in a blind controlled study indicating that vocal students at any level would benefit greatly from a mindfulness course as a holistic intervention.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 84%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Mindfulness for singers: The effects of a targeted mindfulness course on learning vocal technique

Czajkowski¹,

Greasley²

2015

Brit. J. Music. Ed.

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“…In the field of music, mindfulness research has focused on musical performance and performance anxiety in the frame of mindfulness-based meditation (Lin, Chang, Zemon, & Midlarsky, 2008), the development of psychological skills (Steyn, Steyn, Maree, & Panebianco-Warrens, 2016), and vocal technique (Czajkowski & Greasley, 2015). Rodríguez-Carvajal and Lecuona (2014) highlight music as a promising subject for further mindfulness research and, inter alia, point out the lack of empirical studies in this field.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Exploring the influence of body awareness on instrumental sound

Dora

Conforti

Güsewell

2019

International Journal of Music Education

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Results from recent research have demonstrated positive effects of somatic approaches, such as the Feldenkrais method, somasthetics, and body mapping in the field of music. However, the direct impact of such approaches on instrumental sound was never studied so far. The present pilot study was thus designed to investigate the influence of non-judgmental body awareness on the sound of high string instruments. N = 11 students of the music colleges of Geneva and Lausanne were requested to sense specific parts of their body while playing one long note. The analysis of audio recordings and interviews conducted post hoc show a positive correlation between the subjective experience of ease participants reported, and objective sound volume or stability. The largest effects were observed when participants were aware of their pelvis, rib cage or head region. Increases of sound volume or stability were often accompanied by non-voluntary changes in body weight distribution, indicating that body awareness had a direct influence on the musculoskeletal system. In view of the reportedly high numbers of playing-related health problems in professional orchestra players, more research should be carried out to examine in detail possible effects of body awareness on instrumental sound and on psychological and physical well-being.

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“…Despite this growing body of evidence, there are almost no data exploring the effects of teaching mindfulness to music students. In 2016, Patston wrote "the author could find no studies extant offering applied mindfulness as a pedagogic approach with studio teachers" (p. 414) and Lecuona and Rodríguez-Carvajal (2014) described mindfulness and music as a "promising subject of an unmapped field" (p. 27). Studies have reported beneficial effects of other contemplative interventions on music performance anxiety (MPA) (Butzer et al, 2015;Chang et al, 2003;Juncos et al, 2017;Stern et al, 2012).…”

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confidence: 99%

Mindfulness for musicians: A mixed methods study investigating the effects of 8-week mindfulness courses on music students at a leading conservatoire

2020

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Mindfulness courses are beneficial in clinical domains for anxiety and depression and are becoming more prevalent as interventions in education. However, little is known about what effects mindfulness might have on musicians. In an exploratory study, 25 music students, who completed one of four 8-week MBSR/MBCT mindfulness courses adapted for musicians at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, completed the validated Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire and a bespoke Mindfulness for Musicians questionnaire pre- and post-intervention. Twenty-one music students also took part in a post-intervention one-to-one semi-structured interview. Post-intervention mindfulness scores for both questionnaires increased significantly in comparison to pre-intervention scores. In interviews, participants were reportedly more aware and focused in instrumental lessons, were less self-critical, and developed increased body awareness, which improved their learning of instrumental technique. Participants also described enhanced teacher/pupil communication. In instrumental practice sessions, participants reported more efficient, effective and creative practice, and said that mindfulness exercises helped them deal with problems experienced while practising. Participants also described enhanced listening skills and improved socio-collaboration in ensemble rehearsals. They reported that mindfulness strategies had positive effects on music performance anxiety and described changes in time perception, enhanced expressivity, and positive post-performance effects. Future researchers could adopt a more robust methodology, such as a randomised controlled trial, and incorporate further design elements, such as longitudinal follow-up. Providing more systematic evidence of the beneficial role of mindfulness for conservatoire music students as learners and performers may encourage greater provision of such opportunities in musical settings in the future.

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Mind fulness and Music: A Promising Subject of an Unmapped Field

Cited by 13 publications

References 51 publications

Mindfulness for singers: The effects of a targeted mindfulness course on learning vocal technique

Mindfulness for singers: The effects of a targeted mindfulness course on learning vocal technique

Exploring the influence of body awareness on instrumental sound

Mindfulness for musicians: A mixed methods study investigating the effects of 8-week mindfulness courses on music students at a leading conservatoire

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