Novel Electronic Musical Instrument with Pre-Programmed Score for the Disabled to Enjoy Playing Music

Abstract

We have developed a novel electronic musical instrument with a pre-programmed score, called Cymis, to help the disabled enjoy playing musical pieces. In 2008, eld experiments commenced at a nursing home (capacity 52 clients; average age 58.6; cerebral palsy 32 clients). The purpose of the present study was to demonstrate that Cymis is useful and effective for helping the severely disabled maintain or improve their quality of life. First, the accessibility of Cymis was revealed by the fact that 34 clients (63%) played Cymis for an average of 5.6 years. Second, each client s progress in performance, which possibly re ects improvements of upper-limb motor control function, was examined for the longest duration of over 7 years. Among 31 clients, 13 (42%) showed progress, 17 (55%) showed no change (5 of whom showed progress initially but then regressed to their original status), and 1 (3%) revealed deterioration in condition. Third, psychological effects were measured using an original Face Scale before and after playing Cymis, for a total of 395 performances by 38 clients. Clients became happier in 208 performances (53%), showed no changes in 139 (35%), and became sadder in 48 (12%). Finally, with respect to their care plans, 19 of 52 clients (37%) selected Cymis in 2015, and this number itself implies the importance of Cymis. Basic reasons for selection were investigated by care workers assessments from mental and psychological perspectives. In conclusion, Cymis was useful, effective, and attractive to the disabled; it permitted them to enjoy playing music that might not otherwise be possible, and some evidence of therapeutic effect was found.

Development of a Novel Breath-touch Electronic Instrument that Enables Beginners to Engage in Ensemble Playing

“…The display shows musical information on the screen, and when the user touches a note on the screen, the same note played with the speci ed instrument is sounded via a MIDI sound source. We have already reported that elderly people with impaired motor functions are able to play a piece of music with relatively simple touch movements [16]. Since the long-term goal of this study is to reduce the risk of developing dementia, and since the subjects are healthy adults, the volume is not constant but changes according to the strength of exhalation/inhalation, so that they can experience the pleasure of playing.…”

“…We are developing an electronic musical instrument, Cymis (Cyber Musical Instrument with Score) [16], which is a barrier-free electronic musical instrument that can be played easily by beginners of all ages, who do not fully understand musical scores. The human interface presented by Cymis is technologically novel in that it emphasizes the senses, and is characterized by information from its built-in musical score and its programs.…”

“…As far as we know from our survey of the literature, Cymis is the only reported instrument with which classical pieces and popular melodies can be played easily. It has been applied to clinical research at institutions and medical facilities for more than 10 years, and the results have been reported [16][17][18].…”

Case Report: Accessible Digital Musical Instrument Can Be Used for Active Music Therapy in a Person With Severe Dementia and Worsening Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms: A Case Study Over a Year and a Half

“…Individual sessions for MT were held twice a week, for 15 min per session in the evening, over 18 months. For the musical instrumental performance, we used an accessible digital musical instrument called the Cymis ( 21 ), which has a built-in programmed score and is played using touch panels and switches ( Figure 2 ). The technical novelty of the Cymis lies in its human interface devices that emphasize the sensory experience and is characterized by its built-in score information and program.…”

“…Despite the fact that accessible digital musical instruments can take into account the level of cognitive demands, previous studies have been conducted with patients with MCI, and it is not known whether such methods can be used by people with moderate to severe dementia or dementia with worsening behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD). We asked patients with severe dementia to use the accessible digital musical instrument Cymis (cyber musical instrument with score) ( 21 ), which has already been used in MT for patients with cerebral palsy, to assess whether they could play it when their cognitive function declined or when their BPSD worsened.…”