Latest news with #musictherapy
BBC News
10-07-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Music meets nature in Surrey care home study
A care home has appointed a 'Musician-in-Residence' in a pioneering study exploring how outdoor music-making can benefit older people and those with at the Huntington & Langham Estate in Hindhead, Surrey, enjoy outdoor activities from music scholar Stuart Wood as part of the project examines how music and nature together can boost wellbeing, social connection, and emotional expression in care Wood said he hoped to understand how playing music outdoors "can foster social connection, emotional expression, and overall health in later life." The NHS says music in a care setting can help "reduce anxiety and depression, help maintain speech and language, is helpful at the end of life, enhances quality of life and has a positive impact on carers".It is also acknowledged that spending time outdoors can have a positive impact on the cognitive, emotional, and physical wellbeing of older people. Mr Wood's project explores how outdoors music can further enhance social connection, uplift mood, and support mental and physical health within care home communities. The study will form part of his Visiting Research Fellowship at Bath Spa University's School of Music and Performing will also share insights from this project with music students and post-graduate Wood said: "What we don't know is what happens when you bring together playing percussion and doing that outdoors, so this project is asking that question."Sarah Chapman, the director of Huntington & Langham Estate, said she was "curious about the possibilities and the benefits of combining music and nature".Findings from this week-long pilot study may inform a larger, international research project planned for later this year, with results expected to be published in 2026.
Al Bawaba
07-07-2025
- Health
- Al Bawaba
WCM-Q shares advances in neuromusicology with specialized centers in Jordan
Dr. Ghizlane Bendriss, a neuroscientist and esteemed faculty member at Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q), recently visited Amman, Jordan, as part of a regional collaboration on music-based Bendriss is at the forefront of pioneering research on the effects of Arab music maqams (the melodic system used in Middle Eastern music) on brain physiology and her trip, she presented initial findings from her electroencephalogram (EEG) clinical trial on Arabic maqams and brain activity, which is the only study of its kind registered on The presentation took place at Crescendo Music & Art Academy, a well-established institute with comprehensive music and arts education, in the presence of ethnomusicologists, therapists, and special needs educators. Her research results indicated that Maqam Saba can evoke measurable emotional responses in participants with Arab backgrounds compared with participants with no Arab background, challenging the notion that music perception is universal. These findings pave the way for the development of music therapy approaches that are tailored to specific cultural Bendriss also visited the Orient Spirit Development Organization, the first specialized vocational training center in the Middle East dedicated to training individuals with disabilities and learning difficulties, which engages in music therapy, crafts, and income-generating activities to build their autonomy and on her work, Dr. Bendriss said: 'I'm incredibly proud that this clinical trial is now yielding its first results. It's the first study of its kind to bring neuroscientific evidence to what scholars like Al-Farabi and Ibn Sina described centuries ago — the therapeutic power of musical modes, or maqams, used in the earliest mental health hospitals, the Bimaristans. Just as Mozart's music has been studied neurologically, our work at WCM-Q examines for the first time the brain's response to 'Howa Sahih El Hawa Ghalab,' a classic interpreted by Umm Kulthum in Maqam Saba. The findings challenge the idea that sadness in music is universal, suggesting instead that music-based interventions must be culturally grounded. Sharing these results in Jordan — home to one of the region's oldest music therapy degree programs — was deeply meaningful. It reflects my aspiration to foster lasting regional collaborations that bridge science, heritage, and care, and ultimately serve children with special needs through more inclusive, culturally informed therapeutic practices.'These collaborations are closely linked to Dr. Bendriss's broader research interests in neurodevelopmental disorders and the sensory dimension of the gut-brain axis. They also build on the momentum of her continuing professional development course, 'Training in Music-Based Interventions,' the region's first accredited program of its kind. The course featured Ms. Rula Barghouthi, a music therapist from the Orient Spirit Development Organization, and equips healthcare professionals with tools to help individuals build self-esteem, express emotions, and address speech and motor deficits associated with conditions like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, autism, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The growing significance of WCM-Q's commitment to advancing neuromusicology is further affirmed by the official recognition of music therapists under Qatar's art therapy license.
BreakingNews.ie
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- BreakingNews.ie
Tony Christie ‘lucky' to be a musician as he discusses living with dementia
Amarillo singer Tony Christie has said his doctor told him he was 'lucky' he was a musician when he was diagnosed with dementia because of the positive effects of music on people with the condition. Appearing on Good Morning Britain (GMB) on Thursday, Christie said he was diagnosed with dementia three years ago. Advertisement Describing himself as a lifelong cryptic crossword 'fanatic', he said he visited his doctor after noticing he was struggling to complete the puzzles. He told GMB: 'That's one of the things the doctor said – you're very lucky that you're in the music business. 'Music is one of the things that we recommend for people with dementia – to have music playing – it stops you thinking and worrying.' Christie, who received the icon award at the O2 Silver Clef Awards in London on Wednesday, said that since being diagnosed: 'I've just carried on. Advertisement 'Although it's there, I don't think about it. I just carry on with my life.' His talking about the issue has also had a positive response on others. Christie added: 'I've been stopped in the street by people saying 'thank you for what you do. My wife now is not ashamed of it. She's not ashamed to come out'.'
The Independent
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Tony Christie ‘lucky' to be a musician as he discusses living with dementia
Amarillo singer Tony Christie has said his doctor told him he was 'lucky' he was a musician when he was diagnosed with dementia because of the positive effects of music on people with the condition. Appearing on Good Morning Britain (GMB) on Thursday, Christie said he was diagnosed with dementia three years ago. Describing himself as a lifelong cryptic crossword 'fanatic', he said he visited his doctor after noticing he was struggling to complete the puzzles. He told GMB: 'That's one of the things the doctor said – you're very lucky that you're in the music business. 'Music is one of the things that we recommend for people with dementia – to have music playing – it stops you thinking and worrying.' Christie, who received the icon award at the O2 Silver Clef Awards in London on Wednesday, said that since being diagnosed: 'I've just carried on. 'Although it's there, I don't think about it. I just carry on with my life.' His talking about the issue has also had a positive response on others. Christie added: 'I've been stopped in the street by people saying 'thank you for what you do. My wife now is not ashamed of it. She's not ashamed to come out'.'
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Tony Christie ‘lucky' to be a musician as he discusses living with dementia
Amarillo singer Tony Christie has said his doctor told him he was 'lucky' he was a musician when he was diagnosed with dementia because of the positive effects of music on people with the condition. Appearing on Good Morning Britain (GMB) on Thursday, Christie said he was diagnosed with dementia three years ago. Describing himself as a lifelong cryptic crossword 'fanatic', he said he visited his doctor after noticing he was struggling to complete the puzzles. He told GMB: 'That's one of the things the doctor said – you're very lucky that you're in the music business. 'Music is one of the things that we recommend for people with dementia – to have music playing – it stops you thinking and worrying.' Christie, who received the icon award at the O2 Silver Clef Awards in London on Wednesday, said that since being diagnosed: 'I've just carried on. 'Although it's there, I don't think about it. I just carry on with my life.' His talking about the issue has also had a positive response on others. Christie added: 'I've been stopped in the street by people saying 'thank you for what you do. My wife now is not ashamed of it. She's not ashamed to come out'.'
