Multimodal Enhancement of Culturally Diverse, Young Adult Musicians: A Pilot Study Involving the Tomatis Method

Abstract

Musicians, seeking stress relief and vocal/instrumental enhancement, often turn to the Tomatis Method of sensori-neural integration training, based on the interdependence and interaction between hearing and listening, psychological attitude and speech and language. The paucity of impact studies on musicians, despite its acclaimed efficacy, has prompted the current multidisciplinary pilot study, involving a two group, pre-post experimental design. Listening aptitude, psychological well-being and vocal (voice) quality were assessed in availability samples of culturally diverse young, adult musicians (n=28), recruited from two tertiary institutions and assigned to a control group (n=10) and an experimental group, consisting of sub-experimental group one (n=10) and sub-experimental group two (n=8). Reasonable preprogramme group equivalence was established between the two sub-experimental groups and the control group. A Tomatis programme of 87.5 half hour listening sessions and concomitant counseling was completed by the total experimental group (n=18). Results indicated practically significant enhancement of: (i) listening aptitude on the Listening Test and (ii) psychological well-being, in terms of reduced negative and increased positive mood state (vigor) on the POMS in both sub-experimental groups, together with enhanced behavioural and emotional coping in sub-experimental group 1 on the CTI. (iii) Vocal enhancement, perceived both by singer-participants in both sub-experimental groups and a professional voice teacher, culminated in (iv) distinctly enhanced musical proficiency in 28% of all programme participants. Despite indications of multimodal enhancement, further research, necessitated by current methodological limitations, remains a prerequisite for achievement of definitive results.

Tomatis Method Stimulation: Effects on Student Educational Interpreters

“…Furthermore, studies have shown that the TM enhances aspects of personality, including emotional coping and vigour (Du Plessis, Burger, Munro, Wissing & Nel, 2001). Interpreters may thus cope better with stress and other demands inherent in interpreting, as they are constantly adjusting to a diversity of subjects, lecturers and accents, while confronting an ever present threat of failure (Kurz, 2003).…”

The Design of Digital Audio Filter System used in Tomatis Method Stimulation

“…• Epilepsy -visible effect in more than 50% of tested patients [15] • Cerebral palsy -significant improvement [16] • Stuttering and hoarseness [13] • Emotional problems including depression -high effect, compared with a control group [17] • Music skills improvement -results are divided [18], [19]. Most of tests have shown a positive effect of TM, but there are also those, that did not report any differences when compared to a placebo treatment.…”

“…The Tomatis Method (TM) has been shown to help people with various psychological disorders (autism, dyslexia, ADD and more) [10], [11], [12], [13], [14], [15], [16], [17], [18], [20] though in some controlled trials the results were also inconclusive [8], [19]. It uses music, but it is not purely music therapy, as it is based on brain and inner ear stimulation by selective sound filtering.…”

The Design of Digital Filter System used in Stimulation with Tomatis Method

“…• Epilepsy -visible effect in more than 50 • Cerebral palsy: significant improvement [16] • Stuttering and hoarseness [13] • Emotional problems including depression: high effect, compared with a control group [17] • Music skills improvement: results are divided [18], [19] Most of tests have shown a positive effect of TM, but there are also those, that did not report any differences when compared to a placebo treatment. We need to consider that negative re-sults can stem from inappropriateness in investigation methods or in the way the EE device was used [9].…”

“…The Tomatis Method (TM) has been shown to help people with various psychological disorders (autism, dyslexia, ADD and more) [10], [11], [12], [13], [14], [15], [16], [17], [18], [20] though in some controlled trials the results were also inconclusive [8], [19]. It uses music, but it is not a music therapy, as it is based on brain and inner ear stimulation by selective sound filtering.…”