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The Anglo-Austrian Music Society
No full textThis story is about the Anglo-Austrian Music Society founded in London in 1942 by Ferdinand Rauter with the help of refugee musicians and some British-born supporters. **** This article is available as part of the Music, Migration and Mobility online resource at the Official URL given below. ***
Surgical performance anxiety and wellbeing among surgeons: a cross-sectional study in the United Kingdom
No full textObjective:
This national cross-sectional study aims to establish the prevalence and potential impact of performance anxiety among surgeons and investigate its association with psychological traits and wellbeing.
Summary and Background Data:
Despite a growing awareness that human factors, non-technical skills and wellbeing in healthcare affect patient outcomes, an area that has remained unexplored is surgical performance anxiety (SPA).
Methods:
A prospectively registered, cross-sectional study using mixed methods was conducted across the United Kingdom. Data captured included demographics, surgical specialty, trait anxiety, trait perfectionism, SPA, and surgical perfectionism scores. Wellbeing was assessed using The Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale, whereas qualitative data were collected regarding surgeons’ experiences of SPA.
Results:
A total of 631 responses were collected. Mean age was 41·2 years and mean surgical experience 15·3 years. A total of 62% were male and 52% of consultant/attending grade. A total of 100% felt that SPA affected surgeons, with 87% having experienced it themselves. A total of 65% reported SPA negatively impacted surgical performance and 96% felt SPA negatively impacted surgeons’ wellbeing. Male surgeons reported significantly better wellbeing than female surgeons. Surgeons with SPA reported significantly worse wellbeing compared with surgeons who did not experience SPA. Surgeons in general experienced significantly lower mental wellbeing compared with population norms. Thematic analysis highlighted a reticence to share SPA openly and need for cultural change.
Conclusions:
Surgical performance anxiety is a very common and significant challenge among surgeons across all specialties at all levels of experience in the United Kingdom. It is perceived by surgeons to affect surgical performance adversely and is associated with worse psychological wellbeing. A more open culture of sharing and acknowledgment has been identified to be beneficial
The end of the music competition?
Get PDFThis article was published alongside the re-release of the European String Teachers Association (ESTA) 1984 report on Music Competitions. It revisits the working group's findings to consider the effects of competitions on musicians' health and audience expectations, along with the degree to which competitive judgements are valid in musical settings
A música no atendimento a crianças afetadas pelo vírus Zika e suas famílias: uma prática informada por evidências [Music in the care of children and families affected by Zika virus: practice informed by evidence/La música en la atención a niños afectados por el virus zika y sus familias: una práctica informada por evidencias].
Get PDFThis project was funded by the "British Academy’s Knowledge Frontiers: International Interdisciplinary Research Projects 2019." The report is written in Portugese (beginning on page 4); English (beginning on page 30); and Spanish (beginning on page 56). ******* O primeiro caso do vírus ZIKA (ZIKV) foi confirmado no Brasil, em maio de 2015, e, após sua rápida disseminação pelo continente, foi declarado Emergência Nacional de Saúde pelo Brasil em novembro de 2015. Embora ZIKV frequentemente se apresente apenas como uma erupção cutânea nas mulheres grávidas, tem consequências mais graves para os recémnascidos expostos, incluindo microcefalia, atrasos no desenvolvimento, deficiências auditivas e visuais, convulsões e dificuldades de aprendizagem. Estas são frequentemente classificadas sob o termo Síndrome Congênita do Zika (SCZ) (De Barros Miranda-Filho et al., 2016). Já está estabelecido que cuidar de uma criança com necessidades complexas pode ter impactos sobre a saúde mental materna, situação financeira, bem-estar familiar e inclusão social (Emerson et al., 2006), e esses desafios podem ser agravados pelas condições precárias em que vivem algumas famílias vulneráveis (Faria et al., 2016). Além disso, as crianças afetadas encontram-se em um estágio crucial de desenvolvimento, tornando oportuna a introdução de intervenções psicossociais para apoiar as crianças e seus pais. Hospitais no Brasil responderam com programas voluntários de reabilitação e soluções de longo prazo estão sendo criadas para atender às necessidades médicas das crianças afetadas pela SCZ, mas esses serviços enfrentaram desafios, incluindo problemas de financiamento. Nosso projeto atendeu a essa lacuna com base na evidência, agora robusta, de que a música é uma ferramenta poderosa para melhorar o bem-estar psicológico e social (Fancourt & Finn, 2019). Nossas pesquisas anteriores mostraram, por exemplo, que a música pode apoiar interações sociais em pessoas com necessidades educacionais especiais e deficiências (Lisboa et al., 2021); que cantar em grupo pode acelerar a recuperação da depressão pós-parto em mães puérperas (Fancourt & Perkins, 2018a); e que cantar também pode apoiar a proximidade mãe-bebê percebida (Fancourt & Perkins, 2018b). Há também evidências de que a música beneficia o desenvolvimento sensório-motor e cognitivo das crianças (Braccialli, 2013). Este projeto explorou se e como a música pode apoiar as famílias afetadas pelo ZIKV. ******* The first case of the ZIKA Virus (ZIKV) was confirmed in Brazil, in May 2015, and after its rapid spread across the continent, it was declared a National Health Emergency by Brazil in November 2015. Although ZIKV often only presents as a rash in pregnant women, it has more serious consequences for exposed new-borns, including microcephaly, developmental delays, hearing and visual impairments, seizures and learning disabilities. These are often classified under the term Congenital Zika Syndrome (CZS) (De Barros Miranda- Filho et al., 2016). It is already established that caring for a child with complex needs can have impacts upon maternal mental health, financial status, family well-being and societal inclusion (Emerson et al., 2006), and these challenges can be made more acute by the challenging conditions in which some vulnerable families live (Faria et al., 2016). Moreover, the affected children are now at a crucial stage of development, making it timely to introduce psychosocial interventions to support both children and their parents. Hospitals in Brazil have responded with volunteer rehabilitation programmes and longer term solutions are now being created to meet the medical needs of the children affected by CZS, but these services have faced challenges including funding problems. Our project meets this gap by building on the now robust evidence that music is a powerful tool for improving psychological and social wellbeing (Fancourt & Finn, 2019). Our previous research has shown, for example, that music can support social interactions in people with special educational needs and disabilities (Lisboa et al., 2021); that group singing can speed up recovery from postnatal depression in new mothers (Fancourt & Perkins, 2018a); and that singing can also support perceived mother-infant closeness (Fancourt & Perkins, 2018b). There is also evidence that music benefits children's sensory-motor and cognitive development (Braccialli, 2013). This project explored whether and how music can support families affected by ZIKV. ******* El primer caso del virus ZIKA (ZIKV) fue confirmado en Brasil, en mayo de 2015, y tras su rápida propagación por el continente, fue declarado Emergencia Nacional de Salud por Brasil en noviembre de 2015. Aunque ZIKV
frecuentemente se presente sólo como una erupción cutánea en mujeres embarazadas, tiene consecuencias más graves para los recién nacidos expuestos, incluyendo microcefalia, atrasos en el
desarrollo, deficiencias auditivas y visuales, convulsiones y dificultades de aprendizaje. Estas son frecuentemente clasificadas bajo el término Síndrome Congénita del Zika (SCZ) (De Barros Miranda-Filho et al., 2016). Ya está establecido que cuidar de un niño con necesidades complejas puede tener impactos sobre la
salud mental materna, situación financiera, bienestar familiar e inclusión social (Emerson et al., 2006), y esos desafíos pueden ser agravados por las condiciones precarias en que viven algunas familias vulnerables (Faria et al., 2016). A parte de eso, los niños afectados se encuentran en una fase crucial de desarrollo, tornando oportuna la introducción de intervenciones psicosociales para apoyar a los niños y sus padres. Hospitales en Brasil respondieron con programas voluntarios de rehabilitación y soluciones a largo plazo están siendo creadas para atender a las
necesidades médicas de los niños afectados por el SCZ, pero esos servicios enfrentaron desafíos, incluyendo problemas de financiación. Nuestro proyecto atendió a ese vacío con base en la evidencia ahora robusta de que la música es una herramienta
poderosa para mejorar el bienestar psicológico y social (Fancourt & Finn, 2019). Nuestras pesquisas anteriores mostraron, por ejemplo, que la música puede apoyar interacciones sociales en personas con necesidades educacionales especiales y deficiencias
(Lisboa et al., 2021); que cantar en grupo puede acelerar la recuperación de la depresión posparto en puérperas madres (Fancourt & Perkins, 2018a); y que cantar también puede apoyar la proximidad mamábebe percibida (Fancourt & Perkins, 2018b). Hay
también evidencias de que la música beneficia el desarrollo sensorio-motor y cognitivo de los niños (Braccialli, 2013). En este proyecto exploramos si la música puede apoyar y cómo ella puede apoyar a las familias afectadas por el ZIKV
Musicians’ wellbeing: a cross-sectional investigation within the framework of Positive Psychology
Get PDFThe World Health Organization has for decades highlighted how health is more than the absence of disorder, a proposal largely expanded by Positive Psychology. Doing justice to this appeal means that both the presence of positive indicators of functioning
and the absence of illbeing are important when investigating wellbeing. Research among musicians is still to reflect this balance. This thesis broadens our outlook beyond the stresses and strains of the music profession that have populated the research base,
through investigating positive indicators of functioning, alongside illbeing, with an international sample of musicians within the classical music sector, through three studies.
The first study generated a profile of musicians’ psychological functioning through the lens of a multidimensional model of positive mental health, encompassing both hedonic and eudaimonic wellbeing. 1014 musicians (788 professionals and 226
students) answered the Mental Health Continuum–Long Form and the Satisfaction with Life Scale. Results evidenced a very favourable profile. Musicians scored moderately or highly across all components of wellbeing. There was also a higher proportion of
musicians flourishing (experiencing optimal mental health) when compared with published indicators from general population and musicians’ scores were not different from those of a group of 130 dancers and 83 actors recruited for the current study. Demographic trends were broadly in line with previous research with other groups, although a striking exception were two gold-standard dimensions of wellbeing: Personal growth and Purpose in life. Contrary to previous research showing a decline with age for
both among general population, musicians showed very high scores, very early on, which remained high for all age groups across the life-span.
The second study drew a profile of musicians’ mental illbeing, through an assessment of non-specific psychological distress, a strong predictor of serious mental illness. 982 musicians (760 professionals and 222 students) answered the Kessler Scale
of Psychological Distress. The large majority of musicians (64.4%) classified for no psychological distress, and the 23.9% who scored high enough for moderate levels, were mostly borderline to no distress. No significant differences in levels of distress were
found across groups representing different types of musical activity. Professionals showed a more favorable profile than students in the proportion classifying for clinically significant
distress (10% versus 17.6%).
When comparing professional musicians’ distress scores with published indicators from other occupations, musicians scored lower than all: doctors, miners, nurses, army, and taxi drivers. Students’ rates were generally comparable or higher than other student samples. Musicians’ scores were not different to those of dancers (n = 121) and actors (n = 81) recruited for comparison.
After obtaining a profile of musicians’ wellbeing and illbeing, Study 2 investigated how the two relate, adopting the framework of the Dual continua model of mental health. Mental health and illness were considered as two co-existing continua of functioning
rather than opposite ends of the same continuum. Results confirmed the theoretical expectations of the model: there were only weak to moderate negative correlations between mental health and mental illness. Of the group of musicians reporting levels of psychological distress high enough to qualify for severe mental illness, 36% were simultaneously experiencing either high or moderate levels of mental health. The absence of mental illness does not equal the presence of mental health and vice-versa.
The third study addressed questions left unanswered in earlier investigations where Positive Psychology was used as a framework for musicians’ wellbeing assessment. It clarified the profile of high meaning among musicians reported in previous research, examining the specific role of work-related meaning. 943 musicians
(professionals and students) answered the Meaning in Life Questionnaire and 707 professional musicians answered the Work and Meaning Inventory. Musicians scored high in presence of meaning in life, meaningful work and also in search for meaning. Musicians’ level of presence of meaning was almost independent of their search for meaning. Despite finding meaning, musicians continue to actively pursue it. This search was positively
associated with life satisfaction and negatively associated with psychological distress. Results also showed that having meaning in work protects musicians from the negative impact of psychological distress on global life meaning.
When wellbeing is assessed as the presence of positive indicators of functioning musicians show favourable profiles and crucially, the integration of health and illness indicators brings new insight into musicians’ wellbeing. The results of this thesis carry implications for both the assessment and promotion of wellbeing among musicians. As we continue to further our understanding of how to enable a healthy music sector, Positive Psychology brings an innovative and valuable approach
Exploring the impact of the somatic method ‘Timani’ on performance quality, performance-related pain and injury, and self-efficacy in music students in Norway: an intervention study
Get PDFThe importance of including performance-related body mechanics into music education to improve performance quality and prevent performance-related injuries has been stressed by many researchers recently. However, it is unclear how this information could be delivered most effectively. The somatic method ‘Timani’ provides a practical solution by combining expertise in music performance and functional body mechanics with the goal of achieving a more efficient playing technique. Since no in-depth study has been conducted to assess the method before, we explored the impact of this method on young musicians’ performance through an online, 4-week-long Timani intervention with a mixed-methodology design. 17 students (mean age = 19.17 years) were recruited from the Norwegian Academy of Music. They participated in two group workshops at the beginning and the end of the project and received four individual Timani sessions administered by certified teachers. We collected survey data at the workshops about performance-related pain and self-efficacy, and qualitative feedback after each session. In addition, all sessions were observed by the researcher and semi-structured interviews were conducted with the teachers about the perceived outcomes and their experiences with teaching the method online. Our findings show that the intervention had a positive impact on a physical, professional, and to some extent, psychological and behavioral level. The improvements included better posture when playing, enhanced control and dexterity in the upper extremities, and improved breathing mechanisms. The seven students who had performance-related pain pre-intervention reported a reduction in the discomfort. The positive results were achieved by the dual expertise of the teachers in music performance and functional body mechanics, the structure of the sessions, the communication, and the pedagogical tools used. Both students and teachers felt that administering the sessions online was satisfactory and produced good results. Timani is a promising method to establish healthy playing and singing habits thus improving performance quality and preventing performance-related problems and has great potential in reducing pre-existing injuries and pain. Also, it can be effectively taught online which has further implications for the logistics of delivery
Musicians focal dystonia: the practitioner’s perspective on psychological, psychosocial, and behavioural risk factors and non-motor symptoms
No full textMusician’s focal dystonia (MFD) is a painless, task-specific neurological movement disorder that impairs fine motor control when playing an instrument. The pathophysiology is not fully understood, and while the available treatment strategies can help with improving motor control, they are rarely able to fully and reliably rehabilitate playing skills. Recent studies suggest that apart from genetic factors, maladaptive neuroplasticity, and the repetitive nature of the instrumental technique, psychosocial, psychological, and behavioural factors might also play a role in the onset of MFD. However, the presence of some of these risk factors is supported primarily by anecdotal evidence, with only a few aspects examined empirically. To explore this area further, 14 semi-structured interviews were conducted with a convenience sample of practitioners (8 medical professionals and 6 musician-coaches) who frequently treated MFD sufferers. Throughout their career, these participants are estimated to have interacted with more than 2,000 musicians with MFD, creating a large, indirect sample. A detailed patient profile emerged from the data with three main components: 1) the negative impact of social environments, including traumatic experiences and low quality of instrumental teaching; 2) a perfectionist, anxious, overly sensitive, and acquiescent personality type; and 3) obsessive, controlling, and inadequate practice behaviours. Participants stated MFD needs to be treated holistically and that neglecting these aspects during treatment could jeopardise rehabilitation. Further objective, controlled research trials are needed to describe these factors in detail, quantify their potential impact as risk factors, and understand how they might hinder therapy
Online singing interventions for postnatal depression in times of social isolation: a feasibility study protocol for the SHAPER-PNDO single-arm trial
Get PDFBackground:
Postnatal depression (PND) affects 13% of new mothers, with numbers rising during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite this prevalence, many women have difficulty with or hesitancy towards accessing pharmacological and/or psychological interventions. Group-based mother-baby activities, however, have a good uptake, with singing improving maternal mental health and the mother-infant relationship. The recent lockdowns highlight the importance of adapting activities to an online platform that is wide-reaching and accessible.
Aims:
The SHAPER-PNDO study will primarily analyse the feasibility of a 6-week online singing intervention, Melodies for Mums (M4M), for mothers with PND who are experiencing barriers to treatment. The secondary aim of the SHAPER-PNDO study will be to analyse the clinical efficacy of the 6-week M4M intervention for symptoms of postnatal depression.
Methods:
A total of 120 mothers and their babies will be recruited for this single-arm study. All dyads will attend 6 weekly online singing sessions, facilitated by Breathe Arts Health Research. Assessments will be conducted on Zoom at baseline and week 6, with follow-ups at weeks 16 and 32, and will contain interviews for demographics, mental health, and social circumstances, and biological samples will be taken for stress markers. Qualitative interviews will be undertaken to understand the experiences of women attending the sessions and the facilitators delivering them. Finally, data will be collected on recruitment, study uptake and attendance of the programme, participant retention, and acceptability of the intervention.
Discussion:
The SHAPER-PNDO study will focus on the feasibility, alongside the clinical efficacy, of an online delivery of M4M, available to all mothers with PND. We hope to provide a more accessible, effective treatment option for mothers with PND that can be available both during and outside of the pandemic for mothers who would otherwise struggle to attend in-person sessions, as well as to prepare for a subsequent hybrid RCT.
Trial registration:
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04857593. Registered retrospectively on 22 April 2021. The first participants were recruited on 27 January 2021, and the trial is ongoing
Part VIII: innovations
No full text******* Please note that Professor Aaron Williamon is the editor of this book section, not the author. ******* Description of book: Volume 2 of the Oxford Handbook of Music Performance is designed around four distinct parts: Enhancements, Health and Wellbeing, Science, and Innovations. Chapters on the popular Feldenkrais method and Alexander technique open the volume, and these lead to chapters on peak performance and mindfulness, stage behavior, impression management and charisma, enhancing music performance appraisal, and how to build a career and the skills and competencies needed to be successful. The part dealing with health and wellbeing surveys the brain mechanisms involved in music learning and performing and musical activities in people with disabilities, performance anxiety, diseases and health risks in instrumentalists, hearing and voice, and finally, a discussion of how to promote a healthy related lifestyle. The first six chapters of the Science part cover the basic science underlying the operation of wind, brass, string instruments, and the piano, and two chapters covering the solo voice and vocal ensembles. The final two chapters explain digital musical instruments and the practical issues that researchers and performers face when using motion capture technology to study movement during musical performances. The four chapters of the Innovations part address the types of technological and social and wellbeing innovations that are reshaping how musicians conceive their performances in the twenty-first century
Instrumental traditions after 1650
No full textThis chapter challenges the idea that the nineteenth-century association of Wales with ‘song’ is an entirely true representation of Welsh music in that period. While the continuous role of instrumental music dating back to the Middle Ages has a less conspicuous presence in narratives about Welsh music, this should not dilute its importance. While the harp - especially the triple harp - was prominent in popular traditions from the eighteenth century, other instruments were in use in both urban and rural contexts. In concert music, Welsh-born performer-composers such as Brinley Richards (piano) and John Thomas (harp) maintained careers in England while developing international reputations: Richards studied in Paris and published many compositions in Germany, while Thomas toured widely in Europe and Russia. The early years of the twentieth century saw Welsh instrumentalists studying and performing in Hungary and Germany; this was before the professionalisation of Welsh music in the twentieth century and the establishment of the world’s first national youth orchestra in 1945. The chapter is restricted to instruments (along with their repertoires and practices) that had a distinctively Welsh dimension. After its general introduction it comprises three sections: the harp and other string instruments; wind instruments; and twentieth-century manifestations of a distinctive type of instrumental revival. From the 1970s, the revival of folk music in Wales featured an increasing emphasis on instrumental performance, taking inspiration from the revivals in other Celtic countries. Jazz has also made an important - albeit less widely acknowledged - contribution to the range of instrumental music in Wales