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Bars behind bars: The impact of a women's prison choir on social harmony

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Abstract

The choir is a community with rules, relationships and purpose. When located in a prison, it takes on the therapeutic function of providing a protected space for expression and a context for reframing, even when its manifest goal is educational. This paper documents the establishment, by a professional musician and music educator, of a multi-vocal choir for women inmates in an Israeli prison. It examines the many aspects of the multi-vocal endeavour that address the therapeutic needs of prisoners at an individual and interpersonal level, and considers the potential as well as the limits of such a choral project as a therapeutic intervention.

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... This paper suggests a complex teaching framework to enhance the rhythmic literacy of choral conductors. This system consists of specific training courses that center on the details of syncopation and anacrusis, the incorporation of digital tools for immediate feedback and interactive learning opportunities, and the use of culturally appropriate teaching strategies that highlight the emotional and storytelling aspects of rhythm (Miller et al., 2020;Silber, 2005). ...
... The way complex rhythmic patterns are taught has been changed by technological advancements. Interactive interfaces and immediate feedback offered by digital platforms such as Auralia, SmartMusic, and Rhythm Trainer improve rhythmic literacy (Silber, 2005). Software such as GarageBand and Soundtrap enables users to create and improve rhythmic patterns, encouraging artistic expression (Silber, 2005). ...
... Interactive interfaces and immediate feedback offered by digital platforms such as Auralia, SmartMusic, and Rhythm Trainer improve rhythmic literacy (Silber, 2005). Software such as GarageBand and Soundtrap enables users to create and improve rhythmic patterns, encouraging artistic expression (Silber, 2005). Instant feedback provided by digital tools helps to correct errors and enhance rhythmic precision, especially in syncopation and anacrusis (Silber, 2005 (Silber, 2005). ...
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This paper delves into the difficulties of interpreting complex rhythmic elements like syncopation and anacrusis in Ghanaian art music, particularly in choral presentations. Syncopation changes the stress on typically less prominent beats, increasing intricacy and intensifying emotional richness. Anacrusis, also known as lead-in notes, establishes the emotional atmosphere, directs the speed, and involves the listeners. Nevertheless, numerous choral conductors face difficulties with these components because of their limited grasp on rhythm, resulting in performances that are lacking in emotional impact and cultural authenticity. This paper suggests educational approaches, such as specific instruction and technology, to improve rhythmic proficiency in choir conductors. Based on a thorough review of literature, the research highlights the significance of precise rhythm in maintaining the emotional impact and cultural identity of Ghanaian art music. The paper suggests using a mix of traditional and modern methods in teaching to enhance choral directors' interpretation abilities.
... Se podría decir que la actividad de cantar en un conjunto coral constituye una metáfora de las habilidades relacionales entre individuos, donde cada uno está llamado a controlar su propia voz y, al mismo tiempo, mezclarse con las voces de los demás en equilibrio y con la dinámica adecuada. Este delicado balance requiere habilidades personales -autocontrol, paciencia, encontrar la propia voz, capacidad de autoexpresión, intuición-y las habilidades relacionales necesarias para producir un todo armónico en la negociación y cooperación con un grupo diverso: escuchar, ceder, confiar; todo ello compartiendo y apoyándose los unos en los otros (Silber, 2005). ...
... Posteriormente, siguieron tres estudios cualitativos que examinaron la dinámica social en coros con hombres sin hogar (Bailey y Davidson, 2002), cantantes de clase media (Bailey y Davidson, 2005), un coro de mujeres en una prisión (Silber, 2005) y un coro masculino (Faulkner y Davidson, 2006). Todas estas investigaciones subrayan el potencial del canto coral como foro para experimentar relaciones interpersonales significativas. ...
... Bailey y Davidson (2005) enfatizaron la importancia del componente social del coro para las personas marginadas porque brinda la estructura y estabilidad de la que no disponían los participantes, antes de pertenecer al coro, debido a problemas de salud mental. Silber (2005) y Cohen (2009), en línea con Bailey y Davidson (2005), concluyeron en sus trabajos que las personas sin hogar, generalmente alienadas de los entornos sociales regulares, mejoraron su autoestima y autoconcepto al integrarse en el entorno de un coro, puesto que sentían que actuando podían cerrar la brecha social que los separaba de los demás, al tiempo que dejaban atrás la soledad y el aislamiento. Además, el canto les ayudó a experimentar alegría, orgullo, esperanza y felicidad. ...
Article
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Existe un corpus de investigación, aún incipiente pero prometedor, en el ámbito de las actividades grupales vocales, y su impacto en la salud y el bienestar de las personas, que se sintetiza en este trabajo. En este, se aportan las evidencias más relevantes y ponen el foco en los coros amateurs de personas adultas. Se hace especial énfasis en los mecanismos generativos que relacionan el canto coral con la salud y el bienestar en las personas adultas desde cuatro perspectivas: emocional, mental, social y fisiológica. Se argumenta que un grupo coral funciona como un equipo, que existen diferencias entre hombres y mujeres en las respuestas emocionales a las actividades corales, y se aborda el canto coral amateur como una actividad de ocio formativo para la que se precisa aplicar estrategias didácticas adecuadas a un colectivo de adultos desde un enfoque andragógico. Finalmente, se presenta una reflexión crítica sobre las fortalezas y debilidades de las investigaciones realizadas hasta el momento, como la falta de sinergias entre los estudios realizados, cierto sesgo positivista que elude visualizar y analizar también los contras de la práctica coral, y la falta de indicadores musicales, de liderazgo y relacionales que podrían explicar parte de los resultados obtenidos e, incluso, limitarlos.
... These findings accord with the GLM's primary good knowledge, which means learning about oneself and other people, even in rehabilitative settings. These findings are in line with studies showing that social music making improves interpersonal skills among incarcerated individuals (Cohen, 2009;Gardstrom, 1996;Mendona, 2010;Silber, 2005;Wilson et al., 2009) and between formerly incarcerated individuals and the community (Henley et al., 2012). Social music making may also encourage mutual support among incarcerated individuals, for example, when a musical group plays a series of harmonic chords in the background to accompany and support a soloist (Silber, 2005). ...
... These findings are in line with studies showing that social music making improves interpersonal skills among incarcerated individuals (Cohen, 2009;Gardstrom, 1996;Mendona, 2010;Silber, 2005;Wilson et al., 2009) and between formerly incarcerated individuals and the community (Henley et al., 2012). Social music making may also encourage mutual support among incarcerated individuals, for example, when a musical group plays a series of harmonic chords in the background to accompany and support a soloist (Silber, 2005). ...
... In group music activities, individuals simultaneously listen to their own playing, pay attention to others people's music, and listen to the group product as a whole without the necessity of eye contact (Brown, 2000). Such multitasking interpersonal activities promote the development of social skills (for example, Silber, 2005). Third, the group music activities promoted acceptance and emotional validation. ...
Article
Whereas many research studies have discussed the impact of music programmes in a prison setting, few studies have investigated the impact of music programmes that take place outside the prison and are intended for formerly incarcerated individuals. The current study aims to fill this void by examining the experience of formerly incarcerated individuals who participated in a group music programme intended to assist them on their journey towards rehabilitation. Five formerly incarcerated individuals who participated in the Sounding Out Programme (SOP), a group music programme funded by the Irene Taylor Trust in London, were interviewed for this research. In addition, three programme staff members were interviewed in order to gain further perspective on the process. Content analysis of the interviews indicated the emergence of four central themes: improved social bonding, a sense of hope and life purpose, a sense of achievement, and transformation. These findings are discussed in light of the Good Lives Model (GLM). Accordingly, the SOP assisted both formerly incarcerated individuals and programme staff members in attaining the following GLM primary goods in life: community, relatedness, knowledge, spirituality, excellence in work and play, excellence in agency, and creativity.
... 297). Similarly, Bailey and Davidson (2005) describe the importance of group members caring and showing concern for one another, while Silber (2005) highlights the 'relational' aspects of group singing involving peer interactions in the choral community. The value of peer recognition was also revealed in interviews with singers and conductors conducted as part of a qualitative investigation of the impact of music on singers' lives (Krallmann, 2016) where singers described how positive feedback from others helped them to feel valued. ...
... Bonshor and Sweet both reveal instances where a conductor's behaviour had led participants to discontinue their participation in singing. Highlighting the pivotal role of the conductor, Silber (2005) sees the relationship between the conductor and the group as one of the fundamental processes involved in making music, describing how singers must accept the conductor's authority and adhere to their rules. Some go further, suggesting that placing the conductor at the head of a hierarchical system can result in a lack of individual fulfilment for singers which, ultimately, can lead to their disengagement from singing (Hess, 2012;O'Toole, 2005). ...
... Previous research has tended either to present adult group singing as a "monolithic, unitary construct" (Daugherty, 2002, p. 12), drawing its samples from the traditional choral society model (e.g. Kreutz & Brünger, 2012) or focusing on specific types of singing groups, such as prison-based groups (Cohen, 2012;Silber, 2005), groups for the homeless (Coyne, 2018;Dingle, Pennings, & Brander, 2010), groups for older people (e.g. Skingley, Martin, & Clift, 2015;Teater & Baldwin, 2014), or groups for people with health conditions (e.g. ...
Conference Paper
Singing is reported to be one of most popular artistic activities enjoyed by European adults, with 2.14 million people reported to be taking part in group singing in the UK. However, issues of diversity and inclusion have rarely been discussed in the literature relating to adult amateur group singing. Using a mixed methods approach, the aim of this exploratory study was, therefore, to understand more about the factors that affect diversity and inclusion within adult amateur group singing. The study adopted a conceptual framework for investigating inclusion that was developed in the workplace and that focused on understanding how groups’ practices, climate and leadership can affect their members’ perceived inclusion. Interviews with 31 group representatives and a participant questionnaire completed by 383 members of adult amateur singing groups in a multicultural urban area revealed that diversity among and within the participating singing groups appeared to be both more complex and fluid than has generally been reported. The groups varied in size, composition and repertoire, and the diversity of their membership, while superficially appearing to show little overall diversity, varied across groups. The study revealed high levels of perceived inclusion among respondents, and this did not generally appear to be affected by diversity characteristics. However, group practices, group climate and, to a lesser extent, group leadership all had a significant effect on how included individuals felt in their groups, while repertoire emerged as the most significant factor affecting both diversity of membership and perceived inclusion within the participating groups. As well as highlighting potential benefits for singing groups of promoting inclusion, the findings suggest that for singing groups to successfully embrace diversity within their membership, this must be nurtured by the inclusiveness of the groups themselves.
... Clark and Harding's systematic review (Clark and Harding, 2012) been carried out since then are interesting, convergent, but (naturally) inconclusive. The vast majority of community choir singers are women, and gender is thought to influence the experience of singing (Vaag et al., 2015;Moss et al., 2018), and yet there is only one article published previously on the effects of group singing on the health and wellbeing of women (Silber, 2005). Moss et al. found that females reported (Moss et al., 2018) significantly more physical, emotional and social benefits than their male counterparts. ...
... According to one study (Boal-Palheiros, 2017) of a choir of homeless people in Porto, collective identity is formed through a unified purpose and shared values, and it may be that singing together in harmony is a powerful way to achieve this. It has been found to have this effect in a women's prison population (Silber, 2005). ...
... He advocates for any changes that could help tackle social exclusion, and it could be argued from our findings that singing groups would be fertile grounds for further research for a potential role in health promotion by facilitating a pathway to social inclusion. The choirs represented in this study seemed to afford a context for bonding and knitting personal relationships (Silber, 2005;Boer et al., 2011), and this supports a recent study where singing also seemed to have an 'ice-breaker effect' (Weinstein et al., 2016). According to these authors, singing promoted fast cohesion between unfamiliar individuals, which bypasses the need for personal knowledge of group members gained through prolonged social interaction. ...
Article
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Singing in groups is a global phenomenon and there is a growing body of evidence that singing can affect health and wellbeing. This is the first gender-based study to explore how women's perceptions of their own health and wellbeing can be affected by singing in a choir; and also how choral singing may have an impact on social inclusion. Qualitative data was collected from nine choirs in two regions of Norway. The sample consisted of 19 (n = 19) women aged 21-75 (mean age, 51.3.) who had sung in choirs from 6 months to 20 years (mean, 6.2 years). The sample population included those who identified as 'healthy' and those experiencing health issues such as cancer, depression, anxiety or fatigue. Two focus groups and 16 semi-structured interviews were carried out and the data were analyzed using grounded theory. Findings were that choral singing can affect women's perceptions of their wellbeing in four distinct ways: (i) through the joy of singing, (ii) experiencing singing as essential for survival, (iii) group singing as a route to social connection, which enhanced a sense of identity and of belonging, and thereby increased self-confidence and self-esteem and (iv) through promoting social inclusion. In the context of these findings, choral singing can be understood as a 'salutogenic' activity, that is, one that supports health and wellbeing. This has implications for self-care practice, social prescribing programs and public health policy.
... Bu sayede özgüveni gelişmiş birey, kişisel ve sosyal düzeyde yaşam doyumlarını artırır. Benzer araştırmalar koroya katılımın, bireylerin özgüven duygularını geliştirdiğini göstermektedir (Ardahan ve Akdeniz, 2019;Destegül ve Umuzdaş, 2022;Döş vd., 2019;Gül, 2018;Gül ve Arıcı, 2024;Joseph ve Southcott, 2014;Kaçmaz ve Çağlar, 2022;Kaynak, 2018;Kıyak, 2019;Koç, 2019;Moss vd., 2018;Silber, 2005;Sökezoğlu, 2012;Sökezoğlu Atılgan ve Ördekçi, 2015;Türüdü, 2019;Üstün, 2019;Yurtman, 2017). ...
... Mutlu olan bireyin yaşam doyumunun, olumlu yönde etkilenebileceği düşünülebilir. Pek çok benzer araştırmada, koroların sosyal yaşam üzerindeki etkileri incelenmiş ve sosyalleşme ile iletişim becerileri üzerinde olumlu bulgulara rastlanmıştır (Bailey ve Davidson, 2005;Clift ve Hancox, 2001, 2010Cohen, 2009;Coşkun, 2018;Destegül ve Umuzdaş, 2022;Döş vd., 2019;Göktaş, 2017;Gül ve Arıcı, 2024;Harris ve Caporella, 2014;Jacob vd., 2009;Joseph ve Southcott, 2014;Juan Morera vd., 2024;Kaynak, 2018;Kıyak, 2019;Koç, 2019;Lamont vd., 2018;Livesey vd., 2012;Moss vd., 2018;Silber, 2005;Sökezoğlu, 2012;Tamplin vd., 2013;Türüdü, 2019;Üstün, 2019 ...
Article
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Öznel iyi oluşun unsurlarından biri olarak bilinen yaşam doyum kavramı, Mutluluk ve benzeri durumları kapsayan bir refah durumu olarak tanımlanmaktadır. Yaşam doyumu pek çok araştırmacı tarafından maddi durum, kişisel gelişim, sağlık, üretkenlik, sosyal ilişkiler, güvenlik, toplumsal katılım ve duygusal refah gibi kavramlarla ilişkilendirilmiştir. Tokat halk eğitim korosu örneğinde amatör korolarda görev almanın yaşam doyumu üzerindeki etkilerinin araştırıldığı bu makalede nitel araştırma yöntemine ve görüşme tekniğine başvurulmuştur. 2023-2024 yılında Tokat ‘ta faaliyet gösteren ve halk eğitim merkezinde açılan Türk sanat müziği korosu üyeleri araştırmanın çalışma grubunu oluşturmuştur. Katılımcıların belirlenmesinde kolay ulaşılabilir ve ölçüt örnekleme yöntemi tercih edilmiştir. Araştırmada, 18 kadın, 9 erkek, toplam 27 üye yer almıştır. Yarı yapılandırılmış görüşme tekniğinin kullanıldığı araştırmada, araştırmacı tarafından katılımcılara yöneltilmek üzere bir görüşme sorusu hazırlanmış ve verilerin analizinde içerik analizinden faydalanılmıştır. Araştırmada temaların belirlenmesi sürecinde, Veenhoven’ın (1996) yaşam doyumu unsurlarına ilişkin açıklamalarından faydalanılmış ve bu doğrultuda, temalar kişisel ve sosyal temaları oluşturulmuştur. Kişisel etki temasına ilişkin oluşturulan kodlar: mutluluk, pozitif bakış açısı, özgüven, müzikal gelişim, huzur, neşe ve özbakım becerisi; sosyal etki temasına ilişkin oluşturulan kodlar ise: sosyalleşme ve iletişim becerisi şeklinde belirlenmiştir. Araştırmada elde edilen bulgular, müziğin bir araç niteliğinde olduğunu ve bireylerin ruhsal, psikolojik iyilik hallerine bu sayede katkıda bulunduğunu dolayısı ile koristlerin yaşamlarına anlam kattığını, yaşam doyumlarını olumlu yönde etkilediğini ortaya koymaktadır.
... Laya Silber (2005) zagovarja tezo, da skupinsko petje lahko spodbudi transcendentna doživetja. Skupno petje zahteva poslušanje, podpiranje drug drugega in medsebojno zaupanje (Silber, 2005). Za pevce v zboru je pomembno tudi skupno ustvarjanje glasbenega produkta (Specker, 2017). ...
... Izsledki so podobni tistim, ki se nanašajo na vlogo glasbenih dejavnosti na splošno pri ustvarjanju družbenih vezi. Tudi petje v skupini (Kreutz, 2014;Pfordresher, 2021;Silber, 2005) udeležencem daje občutek povezanosti in pripadnosti skupini, prav tako poslušanje glasbe (Rohrbach, 2017) ali gibanje ob njej (Stupacher idr., 2020). ...
... Researchers have also explored the positive effects of music-making in prisons (Cohen & Wilson, 2017;Palidofsky, 2010;Roma, 2010;Silber, 2005). Palidofsky's (2010) examination of a program for incarcerated girls offered an example of positive youth development through music-making. ...
... The girls recognized the choices that led to their incarceration and began to heal through the process of converting their stories into scenes and songs. Silber (2005) offered a similar study exploring the ability of a women's prison choir to serve as a useful therapeutic tool to foster an increase in positive relationship building. The musical medium of a choir was chosen based on its (a) non-verbal nature, (b) ability to generate multiple opportunities for interpersonal interactions, (c) potential for contributing to a positive self-image, and (d) capacity for reinforcing positive relationships with an authority figure, or conductor. ...
... Singing has also been found to enhance social support and help to reduce loneliness (Dingle, Brander, Ballantyne, & Baker, 2013;Perkins, Yorke, & Fancourt, 2018). Relatedly, singing can enhance social capital (the tangible elements of our communities), supporting social cohesion both in the community and in specific settings such as prisons (Jeannotte, 2003;Silber, 2005). Singing provides people with a sense of social purpose (Livesey, Morrison, Clift, & Camic, 2012). ...
... In a qualitative case study, Silber (2005) documented her experiences with a multi-vocalpart women's choir in an Israeli prison. Specifically, she investigated the intersections of working within a choral setting and the individual therapeutic needs of the women singers. ...
... Most of the studies pertaining to art education in prison or transition concern male prisoners (Littman & Silva, 2020). There are relatively few studies conducted with women with experience of the criminal justice system on their experience of art education programmes (but see Caulfield & Wilson, 2010;Hinshaw & Jacobi, 2015;Lazzari et al., 2005;McAvinchey, 2020;McVicar & Roy, 2022;Silber, 2005;Woodland, 2016), and even fewer reporting on the literacy learning and practices in such activities during the transition stage after incarceration promoting social and professional reintegration (Ben-Yosef & Pinhasi-Vittorio, 2008;Pinhasi-Vittorio, 2009;Pinhasi-Vittorio & Martinsons, 2008). ...
Article
This article seeks to understand what a group of women with experience of the criminal justice system learned through taking part in a community art project, particularly in terms of their literacy. It draws on an ethnographic study of a community art project carried out by the Collectif Art Entr’Elles which took place in a halfway house in Montreal (Canada) where prisoners can apply to complete their sentence and prepare for their social reintegration. Using a non-linear narrative structure, the collaborative sound work produced sought to break down prejudices by making these women’s voices heard in public space. Drawing on Lave’s (2019) theory of social practice, we explore in more detail the experience and learning journey of one of the women involved. Our analysis indicates that non-formal education, especially when it takes the form of community arts projects, can play a positive role in the diversification and enhancement of literacy practices that are key to the social reintegration and wellbeing of women with experience of the criminal justice system. As such, non-formal community arts education can be an important vehicle for social justice
... En cuanto al uso de canciones, se encuentran los talleres de arte con orientación musical en dos unidades penales argentinas (Mancini y Brasesco, 2020), acciones artístico-culturales en centros ecuatorianos de rehabilitación social de mujeres (Alvarado, 2021) y la implementación de coros en prisiones de Estados Unidos, Israel y Reino Unido (Harbert, 2013;Cohen, 2019aCohen, , 2019bKerchner, 2020;Weber, 2021;Silber, 2005;Birch, 2021). Este último trabajo (Birch, 2021) ofrece sesiones basadas en los cinco valores de la atención informada sobre el trauma: seguridad, confianza, elección, colaboración y empoderamiento y, aunque se reconoce que estas sesiones no son terapia, la pedagogía semanal está diseñada, como es el caso de nuestro proyecto, en el entendimiento de que trabajar con la composición de canciones puede tener un impacto positivo como herramienta en la recuperación del trauma. ...
Article
Este artículo expone el proyecto de creación colectiva de canción testimonial Volver al corazón, desarrollado por una de las autoras de este trabajo con 300 mujeres privadas de su libertad, a partir de estrategias musicales de intervención. Fue realizado de forma virtual (a través de la plataforma Zoom) durante la pandemia del COVID-19 simultáneamente en cinco prisiones femeniles de México: el Centro de Readaptación Social (Cereso) en Puentecillas, Guanajuato, el Centro Penitenciario y de Reinserción Social Nezahualcóyotl Bordo de Xochiaca, el Reclusorio Femenil Tepozanes y el Centro Penitenciario y de Reinserción Social “Santiaguito”, los tres en el Estado de México, así como el Centro de Reinserción Social Femenil de Escobedo, Nuevo León. Se apoyó en herramientas de animación sociocultural, así como en la promoción de la participación y la acción colaborativa, con el propósito de vincular las experiencias de estas mujeres y lograr que se reconocieran a sí mismas. La contribución de Volver al corazón tiene por objeto vincular, a través de canciones testimoniales, las experiencias de mujeres privadas de su libertad. El resultado sirvió no sólo como testimonio del proceso creativo, sino también como referente a la opinión pública y a la sociedad civil, que favorecerá su readaptación social a través de un modelo que puede replicarse a nivel nacional.
... Choral singing as a means of refugees' social integration As a topic of inquiry, the therapeutic effects of choral singing for socially excluded people -that is, individuals with limited access to social, economic, political, and cultural systems (Feronas, 2005)have long attracted researchers' interest. For example, Silber (2005) investigated a choir comprising women inmates in an Israeli prison, while Bailey and Davidson (2005) conducted research into two Canadian choirs for homeless people. Lenette and Sunderland (2016) articulated a framework for understanding music-making projects involving refugee or asylum seekers. ...
Article
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For many refugees fleeing conflict in the Middle East and Africa, the Greek island of Lesvos is the first point of entry into the European Union. However, due to an agreement between the European Union and Turkey declared in March of 2016, people crossing the Aegean Sea without formal travel documents would be detained on the Greek islands until their asylum applications were examined. This bureaucratic slowdown trapped refugees on Lesvos for months and years of unknown waiting. At the same time, the arrival of refugees from various African countries led to a flourishing of the small Catholic church in the capital city, Mytilene. In 2017, a parish choir was established by Congolese refugees with the purpose of providing a refuge to members who sought a sense of community, spirituality, and normality. Through interviews, participatory observation, and polyvocal ethnography, we address the following research areas: the importance of spirituality in the lives of refugees, how participation in the choir helped them to feel a sense of community, and the use of choral singing as a form of integration. More specifically, we discuss how the refugee-initiated autonomous aspect of the choir created an environment in which each member had a personal stake in developing and caring for the choir community as a whole. As a majority of the interviewees felt that singing for God was the highest purpose, participation in this choir helped members connect to their faith while also giving a much-needed sense of purpose in uncertain times.
... Σε πλαίσια φυλακών έχουν πραγματοποιηθεί αρκετά μουσικά πρότζεκτ όπως το Good Vibrations (Wilson et al., 2009), η Oakdale Community Choir (Cohen, 2019), η χορωδία των γυναικείων φυλακών στο Ισραήλ (Silber, 2005), ή και το πρόγραμμα BebBab για μητέρες με τα μωρά τους που βρίσκονται στη φυλακή στην Πορτογαλία (Rodrigues et al., 2010). Συγκεκριμένα, από τις δράσεις αυτές έχουν καταγραφεί οφέλη για τους κρατούμενους, όπως υψηλότερα επίπεδα συμμετοχής και δεκτικότητας για ευρύτερη μάθηση, βελτιωμένες δεξιότητες ακρόασης, επικοινωνίας, και κοινωνικής διάδρασης, καλύτερες σχέσεις με το προσωπικό των φυλακών, αλλά και μειωμένα επίπεδα αυτοαναφερόμενου θυμού με ενισχυμένο αίσθημα ηρεμίας (Cohen, 2019· Cohen & Henley, 2017· Wilson et al., 2009). ...
Conference Paper
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The present study focuses on a program of community music education that took place during the academic years 2018-19 and 2019-20. The program was organized and coordinated by the authors. Twelve students of the music pedagogy and music psychology specialization from the Department of Music Studies of Ionian University participated. The objective was to facilitate a community music program at the Second Chance School that operates within the Corfu Penitentiary. Within the scope of a qualitative methodology, the narrative process of collaborative autoethnography was followed. Through a systematic description of the personal experiences of the two authors, the research aims to outline, to give meaning, to deepen and to reflect on new dimensions of the role of the music educator. The analysis focuses on three aspects: (a) university students’ participation and development of their professional identity, (b) incarcerated students’ participation and musical development, and (c) the authors’ selfdevelopment during the coordination and completion of the project. Within these aspects, concepts discussed include the power of musicking in team building, the flow of a musical process, the musical communication established, the group’s democratic environment, equal opportunities for all, the importance of inter-cultural exchanges and inclusive music teaching and learning.
... Those researches showed the characteristic of a choir as a place to socialize where individuals feel accepted, be involved in a social environment, and not be stereotyped negatively. Related to interpersonal interaction that generates in choir groups as a practice, other researchers tried to portray the potential of this activity in enhancing social and emotional skills (Faulkner & Davidson, 2006;Parsons, 2014;Silber, 2005). One of the social skills that are widely portrayed in those researches is empathy. ...
Conference Paper
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Conventionally, choir as a group activity has its dynamics through interpersonal interaction. In many studies, even interpersonal interaction became the main focus in examining social skill enhancement. The 2020 pandemic has forced our choir society to move from in-person interaction into one that includes telecommunication media massively. The idea of media changing brought up the broad known concept of a virtual choir with its problematic terms and processes. This practice's pros and cons arise in tension, purpose, and perspective. The present study would like to portray the interpersonal interaction in a choir that has the potential to enhance empathy as a social skill and how the concept of the virtual choir proposed a different perspective to this world of empathy. Through an in-depth interview of choir conductors this study compares the form and role of empathy in the traditional choir and the virtual one. It also tries to explain the hole of interpersonal interaction in the virtual choir and predict its effect on the singer inside the group. It is showed that virtual choir and online rehearsal scheme is potent in maintain choir continuity and give alternative of flexible rehearsal. Meanwhile, in terms of learning materials dan social interaction many things is missing such as the ability to build advance musical achivement and choral sound together, the chance of building sense of team, and the collective energy that foster empathic ability.
... Referring to Figure 3, it can be identified that as many as 65 students ( (Sousou, 1997;Stratton & Zalanowski, 1991, 1994. This is in line with the results of other studies, which states that strong agreeable effects of singing that include well-being, benefits for posture, immune system and spiritual, emotional and social benefits (Bailey & Davidson, 2002, 2003Beck, Cesario, Yousefi, & Enamoto, 2000;Clift & Hancox, 2001;Silber, 2005;Singh, Sigroha, Singh, & Shokeen, 2017;Watanabe, 2005 (Piedmont, 1999;Singh et al., 2017). ...
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Beginning in 2018 Indonesian people are treated to religious songs from Sabyan Gambus group whose vocalist Nissa Sabyan. The songs sung by Nissa Sabyan echoed almost in every layer of the society. One of the media that made it easy for people to enjoy various songs from several Nissa Sabyan albums is YouTube. This paper was aimed to analyze the YouTube's role of students' religious dimension. The method used in this research is a survey with a qualitative approach. The survey was conducted on 147 students. The results of the study prove that YouTube as an Internet-based audio-visual media is an effective medium for spreading religious nuances. The majority of students feel to be religious by listening to Nissa Sabyan's songs, even though they don't understand the contents of the lyrics. Thus, it can be concluded that YouTube has a significant role in fostering a religious sense of students.
... Women are rarely suppressed in their ability to show singing (Sawyer, 2006). Many studies indicate that male students' desires to sing or participate in choirs is low, and singing is considered a feminine music activity, so male students generally do not like to sing in school music lessons (Silber, 2005). ...
Article
The purpose of this study is to explore the teaching methods and related theoretical studies of gender differences in bel canto. Focusing on four aspects: breathing, vocalization, resonance, and emotional expression, this study implements vocal music through gender-differentiated teaching methods and strategies. By carrying out a case study, the author summarizes the application and effectiveness of these teaching methods in the teaching of bel canto, and draws the following conclusions based on the research results: first, teaching methods tailored for gender differences enable students to make rapid progress in singing, breathing, vocalization, resonance, and emotional expression; their goals of learning vocal music are clearer. Second, the gender- dependent teaching methods promote the amelioration of vocal music teaching, break through the difficulties in practical teaching, and improve the teaching level and ability of instructors. Finally, this article puts forward teaching and research suggestions for vocal teachers and vocal education.
... İsrail'deki bir hapishanede kadın hükümlüler için müzik eğitimcileri ve profesyonel müzisyenler tarafından birçok vokal korosu oluşturulmuştur. Bu hükümlülerin ihtiyaçlarını karşılamak potansiyelin yanı sıra tedavi etme amaçlıdır (Silber, 2005). ...
Article
Hapishane yaşamı mahkûmlar için zor bir süreçtir. Bu süreçteki ve sonrasındaki hayatı için düşündürücüdür. Bu çalışmanın amacı, hapishane ortamında yaptırılan çeşitli rekreatif etkinliklerin, hükümlülerin benlik saygısı ve sürekli kaygı düzeylerine etkisini araştırmaktır. Çalışmanın örneklemini 30 erkek mahkûm oluşturmuştur. On iki hafta, haftada iki gün, günde 90 dakika sportif ve kültürel etkinliklerden oluşan program uygulanmıştır. Veri toplama aracı olarak kişisel bilgiler anketi, benlik saygısı ve sürekli kaygı ölçeği kullanılmıştır. Çalışmanın başlangıcında ön testler, bitiminde son testler verilmiştir. Anket/ölçeklerden elde edilen veriler SPSS 25.0 paket programıyla analiz edilmiştir. Verilere tanımlayıcı istatistiksel işlemler, frekans ve yüzdelik hesaplamaları yapılmıştır. Bağımlı iki değişken arasındaki farkı belirlemek için Wilcoxon testi uygulanmıştır. Anlamlılık düzeyi p<0.05 olarak kabul edilmiştir. Analizlerin sonucunda, benlik saygısı ve sürekli kaygı ön ve son test verileri arasında anlamlı fark bulunmamıştır. Ancak ortalamalara bakıldığında kaygı düzeyinde düşme, benlik saygısında artış olduğu belirlenmiştir. Uygulanan rekreatif etkinliklerin mahkûmların benlik saygısı ve sürekli kaygı düzeyleri için olumlu etkisi olmuştur denilebilir.
... This study adds to the growing literature on group singing in prisons (e.g., Cohen 2007;Cohen and Duncan 2022;De Quadros and Amrein 2022;Roma 2010). Researchers have reported that choral singing in prisons broadens attitudes toward incarcerated individuals (Cohen 2012a;Messerschmidt 2017), builds a sense of social harmony among participants (Cohen 2019a;Silber 2005;Weber 2018), and promotes well-being (Cohen 2019b). One report examined choral singing in prisons in global contexts including a pilot prison choir competition in New Zealand based on South African prison choir competitions (Menning 2010) and the applications of a musical learning exchange model in an intercultural group singing program in a prison (Harry et al. 2022). ...
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Resulting in pervasive feelings of despair, the culture of incarceration in the U.S. relies on punitive correctional strategies such as solitary confinement to control the behavior of incarcerated individuals. Inevitably, correctional culture which focuses primarily on punishment is dysfunctional, rife with gang violence, drug use, suicide, and violence perpetuated by and against staff. Our dialogic essay is voiced by (a) a currently incarcerated, Native American person who has survived solitary confinement and the spiritual drain of castigating correctional culture; and (b) a music educator who founded a prison choir for both non-incarcerated and incarcerated individuals in an effort to erode and transform some of the revengeful structures of US incarceration. We draw from Indigenous educator, language specialist, and member of the Lil’wat First Nation, Dr. Lorna Williams’ research on Indigenous Knowledge in our efforts to understand the relationships among group singing, spirituality, and our experiences in the Oakdale prison choir. Our dialogue charts a search for spiritual healing in the unsympathetic atmosphere of prison and offers an experience-based account of ways in which group singing can function as a medium of spiritual healing and growth in environments of conflict.
... Singing for physical and mental health has increased in popularity in recent years, with 4,401 choirs now included on the 'British Choirs on the Web' (2018) internet page. Studies have been conducted on the use of choirs in marginalised groups such as prison inmates (Bailey & Davidson, 2005;Cohen, 2009;Silber, 2005); mental health patients (Plumb & Stickley, 2017;Williams, Dingle, & Clift, 2018); those with physical ailments including cystic fibrosis (Yoon Irons, Kuipers, & Petocz, 2013), asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (Gick & Nicol, 2016;Lewis, Cave, & Hopkinson, 2017) and cancer (Gale, Enright, Reagon, Lewis, & van Deursen, 2012); and children (Hinshaw, Clift, Hulbert, & Camic, 2015;Mellor, 2013;Welch, Himonides, Saunders, Papageorgi, & Sarazin, 2014). These have shown promising results in terms of improvements in physical and psychological wellbeing. ...
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This exploratory empirical study looks at job strain, as defined by the Job Demand-Control-Support models of Karasek and Johnson & Hall and introduces singing in the workplace as a potential secondary intervention for organisations to deliver to their employees, to help reduce work-related stress and isolation. Incumbent members of workplace singing groups completed a Demand Control Support Questionnaire to define their existing level of job strain and if they perceived their choir attendance as helping to reduce stress and isolation. Findings suggest that the choir provided a greater level of support compared to social support from colleagues and peers, although the effect was relatively small. This effect replicates previous studies that suggest singing can improve overall wellbeing, although no other known studies exist to examine this effect in the workplace specifically. No effect was found to demonstrate that participants experiencing a higher level of job strain had a greater benefit, although much of the sample were defined as belonging to the low job strain group. Further research is recommended to understand the extent to which this effect might be found in a larger and more diverse sample.
... A number of studies on the benefits of singing have been undertaken with diverse samples of singers, and these provide evidence from reports on a range of social, psychological and health benefits associated with singing. Davidson (2002/2005), for example, interviewed choir singers from a range of social backgrounds in Canada while Silber (2005) explored the impact of a singing group established in a women's prison in Israel. In the reports of these scholars, they stress the need for everyone to sing. ...
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Choral singing, termed 'mixed chorus', is an integral part of the academic activities of the Department of Music Education, University of Education, Winneba. However, the impact of the singing on the wellbeing of the students and lecturers is largely unexplored. With 350 participants, this study contributes to filling that gap. Using questionnaire and interviews, the article examines the health benefits of singing in terms of emotional, psychological, social and physical wellbeing. It concludes that the mixed chorus has a great impact on the total health of the participants. However, this impact is dependent on some generative mechanisms needed in the training of choral singers. Public health professionals and researchers are increasingly giving serious consideration to the idea that the fitness and wellbeing of individuals, institutions and communities are dependent on multiple factors that call for collaboration across and within sectors. This is probably due to the redefinition of health by the World Health Organisation (1946) which recognises freedom of choice and emphasizes the role of individuals and communities in defining what health means to them. Epp (1987) comments on this new perspective of health from a broad range of factors, such as human biology, lifestyle, the organisation of health care, and the social and physical environments in which people live: Health ceases to be measurable strictly in terms of illness and death. It becomes a state which individuals and communities alike strive to achieve, maintain or regain, and not something that comes about merely as a result of treating and curing illnesses and injuries. It is a basic and dynamic force in our daily lives, influenced by our circumstances, our beliefs, our culture and our social, economic and physical environments. (p. 420) Given the dynamic force of health in our daily lives, there is the need to examine other possible activities and circumstances that facilitate the wellbeing of the people. It is for this reason that this study is undertaken to explore the extent to which choral singing can be one of such broad factors for solving contemporary problems relating to health and wellbeing.
... Since 2000, there has been a considerable growth of interest in singing, wellbeing and health specifically, demonstrating that, for example group singing can have substantial benefits in aiding the recovery of people with a history of serious and enduring mental health problems [1]. Several qualitative and survey studies have also shown significant improvements in affective state after group singing [2][3][4]. For example, Bailey and Davidson ( [5] p. 298) present positive effects of participation in group singing in a study that examined interviews and focus groups with 16 members of Canadian choirs from marginalised and middle-class backgrounds. ...
Article
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Background An increasing body of qualitative and quantitative research suggests that choir singing can improve mental and physical health and wellbeing. A recurring phenomenon is social agency and social and emotional competences. However, there is little consensus about the underlying impact mechanisms and the special nature of music as a medium for music-based social–emotional competence. Aim This research was carried out to explore how the participants experienced engaging and singing in the choir A Song for the Mind in order to understand the social and emotional aspects in relation to choir singing and mental health. Method Six women and two men were interviewed. The study involved open-ended interviews and applied Paul Ricoeur's phenomenological–hermeneutic theory of interpretation in processing the collected data. Findings Two themes emerged—The Singing Me and Cultivating Us. Joining the choir, singing and engaging with the lyrics, helped the participants get in contact with complex feelings and visualise and express challenges. This formed feelings of connecting to oneself and opening up to become aware of the world such as nature, the other person and the choir. Songs, melodies, tones, lyrics—singing together—formed a relation between the participants and the other and the group. This was a meaningful, and to some, a life-changing experience, and an important learning process to the professionals. As the participants are sensing and connecting to themselves, there is an opening for growing a nascent presence and awareness. Conclusion Joining the initiative A Song for the Mind instils an attention to the other person(s). The singing process seems to evoke presence, leading to awareness towards relational aspects and solidarity. In a choir singing perspective, and health care practice in general, this can be seen as a budding and ground-breaking formation of cultural activities holding learning and empowering potentials instilling mental health.
... Over the last several decades, researchers have sought to understand its ubiquity by studying its effects on health and wellbeing. The origins of this work focused primarily on singing's capacity to improve quality of life, particularly for vulnerable populations like inmates or the unhoused (e.g., Bailey and Davidson, 2002;Silber, 2005). Early studies explored the efficacy of singing-based interventions, using semi-structured interviews and questionnaires to assess psychological responses to regular participation in choir practice. ...
Article
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Humans have sung together for thousands of years. Today, regular participation in group singing is associated with benefits across psychological and biological dimensions of human health. Here we examine the hypothesis that a portion of these benefits stem from changes in endocrine activity associated with affiliation and social bonding. Working with a young adult choir (n = 71), we measured changes salivary concentrations of oxytocin, cortisol, and testosterone from before and after four experimental conditions crossing two factors: vocal production mode (singing vs. speaking) and social context (together vs. alone). Salivary oxytocin and cortisol decreased from before to after the experimental manipulations. For oxytocin the magnitude of this decrease was significantly smaller after singing compared to speaking, resulting in concentrations that were significantly elevated after singing together compared to speaking together, after controlling for baseline differences. In contrast, the magnitude of the salivary cortisol decreases was the same across experimental manipulations, and although large, could not be separated from diurnal cycling. No significant effects were found in a low-powered exploratory evaluation of testosterone (tested only in males). At a psychological level, we found that singing stimulates greater positive shifts in self-perceived affect compared to speaking—particularly when performed together—and that singing together enhances feelings of social connection more than speaking together. Finally, measurements of heart rate made for a subset of participants provide preliminary evidence regarding physical exertion levels across conditions. These results are discussed in the context of a growing multidisciplinary literature on the endocrinological correlates of musical behavior. We conclude that singing together can have biological and psychological effects associated with affiliation and social bonding, and that these effects extend beyond comparable but non-musical group activities. However, we also note that these effects appear heavily influenced by broader contextual factors that shape social dynamics, such as stress levels, the intimacy of interactions, and the status of existing relationships.
... Another approach addresses the social benefits of singing in a choral group, such as building friendships, improving relationships and interpersonal cooperation, and creating a sense of belonging to a group (JK Johnson et al. 2013;Clift and Hancox 2001;Davidson 2002, 2005;Cohen et al. 2006Cohen et al. , 2007Silber 2005). In addition, the benefits of singing are manifested at physiological and physical levels, having effects on the immune response, oxytocin levels, heart rate, and respiration (Beck et al. 2000;Grape et al., 2003;Valentine and Evans 2001). ...
Article
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Choral singing is a complex and multifactorial activity, it is a group activity in which participants are actively involved through music and are able to transmit varied touches of human psychoemotional states. The conductor of a children’s choir must have a complex personality, he must be a passion-filled musician, a teacher, a psychologist, he must have psychosocial competences and leadership abilities. In the conductor-choir relationship, the interaction of the conductor’s self with the members of the choir is of distinct importance. In order to increase the quality of said relationship, which is the basis of a remarkable artistic performance, a new method has been approached: the Johary Window model, which can be applied by the conductor in order to obtain a viable communication between the members of the choral ensemble
... M. Unwin, D. Kenny and P. Davies (2002) measured the change of mood in 81 Australian participants in two conditions namely: when they were singing and when they were listening to singing with the results suggesting that both singing and listening to singing could significantly alter mood. Two subsequent studies by L. Silber (2005) and by B. Bailey and J. Davidson (2005) both focused on the therapeutic effects of choral singing for people who for different reasons, felt they have been rejected by society. Silber investigated the reactions of female inmates in an Israeli prison who participated in a choir. ...
Article
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This paper presents the findings from a study which explored a variety of perceptions held by singers who were members of one of two choirs which are associated with two different ethnic communities in the London area; namely the Welsh and the Brazilian community choir. The findings of the research suggested that a combination of different social, musical and personal factors motivated singers to become members of the choir; however the findings also suggested that a hierarchy of factors exists and these can vary from singer to singer. The findings also suggested that both choirs were homogenous concerning their singers' goals which were easily identified. The participants agreed that developing their skills and knowledge and making music to a high standard were desirable elements in their membership of a choir; however, absolute technical precision was regarded as a positive and desirable element but not as a need. Findings from the study also suggested that whilst singers accepted the conductor's authority when it was limited to musical issues they also preferred their opinion to be heard on issues such as repertoire selection. For most participants, it appeared to be important to have a conductor who was encouraging and inspiring, who conveyed their passion for the music and demonstrated a good conducting technique. Public performances were regarded as an important and very rewarding part of choral singing by most of the singers and finally, the promotion of a culture different from the 'dominant culture' was regarded as important by all singers. Most participants agreed that they would choose to sing good music rather than music in their own language.
... The social benefits of singing have been discussed widely both within and outside of the UK context, for instance as a means of providing a protected space for self-expression and a context for reframing (Silber 2005); creating potentials for social bonding (Bailey 12 The characteristic of informants' everyday life and conditions, as important elements to be taken into account in crafting the SB sessions will be further discussed in chapter 4 and 5. &Davidson 2005;Davidson 2008) and giving opportunities for social empowerment (Davidson 2008). Davidson (2008) also points out how singing may provide holistic benefits (cognitive, emotional, spiritual, social and physical effects) compared to other activities (e.g., physical activity) and that those positive rewards of group singing are independent of formal training or ability. ...
... including improved mood, quality of life, and well-being, and reduced feelings of depression and isolation (Ahessy, 2016;Boyd, 2012;Coulton, Clift, Skingley, & Rodriguez, 2015;Sanal & Gorsev, 2014;Sun & Buys, 2012. Benefits of singing have been reported from populations including not only healthy adults but also children and adolescents (Ashley, 2002), juvenile offenders (Rio & Tenney, 2002;Wolf & Holochwost, 2016), prisoners (Cohen, 2012;Silber, 2005), homeless people (Bailey & Davidson, 2002, 2003, older adults with depression (Ahessy, 2016), people with chronic mental health and substance abuse problems (Bailey & Davidson, 2005), people recovering from surgery and strokes (Fogg-Rogers et al., 2016;Tamplin, Baker, Jones, Way, & Lee, 2013), and people living with dementia (Davidson & Almeida, 2014), Parkinson's disease (Fogg-Rogers et al., 2016), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (Lord et al., 2012), and emphysema (Engen, 2005). Despite these positive results, several studies have reported mixed, null, or negative findings Gick & Daugherty, 2015;Hinshaw, Clift, Hulbert, & Camic, 2015;Kenny & Faunce, 2004;Pearce, Launay, Machin, & Dunbar, 2016;Stewart & Lonsdale, 2016;Unwin et al., 2002). ...
Article
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This study examined short-term effects on mood and self-esteem of a novel group-singing model that relies exclusively on oral methods of teaching songs in 59 community-recruited adults. We compared effects of group singing to group listening using a counterbalanced, within-subjects experimental design that isolated the effects of changes attributable to singing versus listening. We hypothesized both singing and listening would improve mood and state self-esteem, and singing would yield a larger effect than listening. Mixed between-within ANOVA results were partially consistent with these hypotheses. Participants’ positive affect and mood improved after singing and declined after listening, regardless of the order in which they sang or listened. State self-esteem increased throughout the session regardless of condition. Thus, this group-singing format tended to boost participants’ mood and positive affect, at least temporarily. This easily-disseminable singing model could be a simple means of helping improve emotional well-being among community members.
... including improved mood, quality of life, and well-being, and reduced feelings of depression and isolation (Ahessy, 2016;Boyd, 2012;Coulton, Clift, Skingley, & Rodriguez, 2015;Sanal & Gorsev, 2014;Sun & Buys, 2012. Benefits of singing have been reported from populations including not only healthy adults but also children and adolescents (Ashley, 2002), juvenile offenders (Rio & Tenney, 2002;Wolf & Holochwost, 2016), prisoners (Cohen, 2012;Silber, 2005), homeless people (Bailey & Davidson, 2002, 2003, older adults with depression (Ahessy, 2016), people with chronic mental health and substance abuse problems (Bailey & Davidson, 2005), people recovering from surgery and strokes (Fogg-Rogers et al., 2016;Tamplin, Baker, Jones, Way, & Lee, 2013), and people living with dementia (Davidson & Almeida, 2014), Parkinson's disease (Fogg-Rogers et al., 2016), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (Lord et al., 2012), and emphysema (Engen, 2005). Despite these positive results, several studies have reported mixed, null, or negative findings Gick & Daugherty, 2015;Hinshaw, Clift, Hulbert, & Camic, 2015;Kenny & Faunce, 2004;Pearce, Launay, Machin, & Dunbar, 2016;Stewart & Lonsdale, 2016;Unwin et al., 2002). ...
Preprint
This study examined short-term effects on mood and self-esteem of a novel group-singing model that relies exclusively on oral methods of teaching songs in 59 community-recruited adults. We compared effects of group singing to group listening using a counterbalanced, within-subjects experimental design that isolated the effects of changes attributable to singing versus listening. We hypothesized both singing and listening would improve mood and state self-esteem, and singing would yield a larger effect than listening. Mixed between-within ANOVA results were partially consistent with these hypotheses. Participants’ positive affect and mood improved after singing and declined after listening, regardless of the order in which they sang or listened. State self-esteem increased throughout the session regardless of condition. Thus, this group-singing format tended to boost participants’ mood and positive affect, at least temporarily. This easily-disseminable singing model could be a simple means of helping improve emotional well-being among community members.
... Other publications have described how group singing may promote health and wellbeing among various adult cohorts who are facing particular challenges or have specific needs. These include persons affected by: aphasia (Tamplin, Baker, Jones, Way, & Lee, 2013); cancer (Young, 2009); chronic pain (Grape, Theorell, Wikstrom, & Ekman, 2009;Kenny & Faunce, 2004); dementia (Bannan & Montgomery-Smith, 2008;Dassa & Amir, 2014;Lesta & Petocz, 2006); respiratory issues (Bonilha, Onofre, Vieira, Prado, & Martinez, 2009;Engen, 2005;Goodridge, Nicol, Horvey, & Butcher, 2013;Skingley et al., 2014;Tamplin, 2011); Parkinson's disease (Buetow, Talmage, McCann, Fogg, & Purdy, 2014;Di Benedetto et al., 2009); bereaved individuals (Young & Pringle, 2018); older adults living in the community (Cohen et al., 2006;Hillman, 2002) or in long term care facilities (Clements Cortes, 2013;Summers, 1999); homeless individuals (Bailey & Davidson, 2003; persons who have been incarcerated (Cohen, 2007;Silber, 2005); and women with eating disorders (Pavlakou, 2009). ...
Article
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A growing body of literature indicates that participation in singing groups has a range of health and wellbeing benefits for the general adult population and for various adult cohorts with specific challenges/needs. However, no research had been conducted on potential benefits of group singing for Autistic adults. Furthermore, the neurodiversity movement rejects a biomedical approach to autism and champions the need for supports that will empower individuals on the autism spectrum to participate in society on their own terms. This aligns well with community music therapy (CoMT) philosophy which maintains that all persons have a right to access and participate in music experiences that promote personal health and wellbeing as well as serve as an expression of individuality, culture, and community. Therefore, the present research investigated how quality of life (QoL) variables (considered as components/determinants of health and wellbeing) manifested for eight Autistic adults who participated in 12 group singing sessions. A mixed methods concurrent transformative design was used with priority given to qualitative data. Results illustrate how subdomains contained within overarching QoL domains of Being, Belonging, and Becoming were realized by the group participants. Limitations of the study as well as implications for practice and research are presented.
... Others suggest that the position occupied by the conductor as the head of a hierarchical system can result in a lack of individual fulfi lment for singers and, ultimately, can result in disengagement from singing (Hess, 2012;Toole, 2005). Highlighting the pivotal role of the conductor, Silber (2005) sees the relationship between the conductor and the group as one of the fundamental processes involved in making music, describing how singers have to accept the conductor's authority and adhere to their rules. ...
Article
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In this article, I aim to draw together and discuss relevant research in order to explore issues of diversity and inclusion within adult amateur group singing and to highlight the need for further research in this area. I suggest that although previous research has generally presented adult amateur singing groups as predominately composed of white, female, well-educated individuals, changes in the popularity and availability of adult singing groups may have increased the diversity of their membership. Drawing on parallel research in other non-music fields, I go on to offer a framework for understanding the processes that support inclusion and to apply this framework to existing research in the field of amateur group singing. I conclude that knowing more about diversity and inclusion within adult amateur group singing is vital to ensuring that groups can respond effectively to the needs of all members of society, and suggest ways to develop a greater understanding of these topics.
... El estudio cualitativo llamado "Bars behind bars" (Silber, 2005), realizado en un recinto penitenciario de Israel, en el que se conformó un coro de mujeres, reveló que la música potenciaba la interacción, dedicación, el compromiso y la comunicación entre las integrantes del coro y su directora. Esto les permitió desarrollar sus habilidades sociales y configurar una comunidad alternativa, sana y afectiva en un entorno de reclusión. ...
Article
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El presente estudio busca comprender el papel de la música como herramienta de inclusión social en un colectivo de mujeres inmigrantes que ejercen la prostitución en la ciudad de Barcelona, España. Desde una mirada sociocrítica y utilizando la metodología de diagnóstico participativo con enfoque etnográfico, participamos activamente en ensayos y conciertos de un coro llamado Dona Góspel para recoger evidencias sobre los beneficios, tanto individuales como colectivos, que brinda el desarrollo de una actividad musical en conjunto.
... El estudio cualitativo llamado "Bars behind bars" (Silber, 2005), realizado en un recinto penitenciario de Israel, en el que se conformó un coro de mujeres, reveló que la música potenciaba la interacción, dedicación, el compromiso y la comunicación entre las integrantes del coro y su directora. Esto les permitió desarrollar sus habilidades sociales y configurar una comunidad alternativa, sana y afectiva en un entorno de reclusión. ...
Article
El presente estudio busca comprender el papel de la música como herramienta de inclusión social en un colectivo de mujeres inmigrantes que ejercen la prostitución en la ciudad de Barcelona, España. Desde una mirada sociocrítica y utilizando la metodología de diagnóstico participativo con enfoque etnográfico, participamos activamente en ensayos y conciertos de un coro llamado Dona Góspel para recoger evidencias sobre los beneficios, tanto individuales como colectivos, que brinda el desarrollo de una actividad musical en conjunto.
... The availability of a community is important to wellbeing because human beings are social animals to such an extent that isolation and loneliness are associated with serious wellbeing detriments including an increased risk of mortality (Holt-Lunstad et al., 2015). Singing groups help tackle loneliness and isolation in older people (Cohen et al., 2006), people who are affected by homelessness (Bailey and Davidson, 2002), those living with mental health problems (Dingle et al., 2013) and people who have spent time in prison (Silber, 2005;Cohen, 2009). ...
Article
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The wellbeing impacts of group music making have been established by evidence-based research. However, studies have largely focused on one group music activity; singing in choirs. To what extent can these wellbeing impacts be considered representative of group music making? This paper presents a survey of wellbeing impacts in brass band players. A wellbeing survey was designed to obtain qualitative information as well as quantitative data for computing descriptive statistics regarding both positive and negative impacts of group music making on wellbeing. The survey was distributed via Brass Bands England and 346 adult brass band players reported self-perceived wellbeing impacts across five categories; physical, psychological, social, emotional, and spiritual. Responses were analyzed through a descriptive statistical approach combined with an applied thematic analysis that identified the wellbeing impacts expressed by the performers, as well as their valence (positive vs. negative). Areas of overlap between choral practice and brass band work were identified, most notably in the categories of physical, psychological, and social wellbeing; enhanced respiratory function and body posture, reduced stress, improved general mental health, and regular social interaction. We also identified wellbeing themes that are less common in choral research; impacts relating to the brass bands' physical demands, competitive tradition, community roles, and cross-generational social structures. Based on findings, we created a visual model of group music making impacts across five wellbeing categories as a basis for future research. A wider appreciation of the relationships between group music making and wellbeing can be achieved by expanding the present research base to varied music ensembles and adapting the present model to emerging findings. Testing in this systematic way would enhance understanding of the general wellbeing impacts of group music making that might be accounted for by universal brain and body processes vs. wellbeing impacts that may be unique to different ensemble types due to their particular performance styles, practice demands and traditions.
... (Landfill Harmonic, 2015) Although these projects were not launched as CoMT projects, they resemble Ruud's description about community music therapy: "new groups have gained access to the symbolic significance of musical participation in today's society with the accompanying social recognition" (Ruud, 2008, p. 48). Regarding amateur music making, the widespread benefits of choir singing on health and well-being are well-documented (Ansdel &Kipper, 1988;Beck et al., 2000;Bailey & Davidson, 2002;Silber, 2005;Clift & Hancox, 2010;Gridley et al., 2011). ...
Chapter
The Oxford Handbook of Music Education offers a comprehensive overview of the many facets of musical experience, behavior, and development in relation to this diverse variety of contexts. While the first volume primarily focuses on children during school-age years, this second volume collects an international list of contributors to explore how music learning takes place outside of the traditional classroom environment. Discussing a range of issues such as music education for the special needs population, music learning in adulthood, and music learning through media and technology these chapters help to broaden conceptions of music and musical involvement.
Article
This study sought to gain an understanding of: (a) the formation and operation of four instrumental music programmes active in prisons between 1973 and 2020 and (b) the meanings ascribed to those programmes by their directors and their perceptions of the meanings that incarcerated instrumentalists ascribed to their participation in those groups, focusing on aspects of the programming that might contribute to desistance. Four retired music educators completed an online, open-ended questionnaire, describing their experiences teaching instrumental music in prisons. Using inductive thematic analysis, the following themes in participants’ responses were identified: (a) the importance of support from those in power in starting and running prison-based music programmes; (b) the potential for participation in prison-based instrumental music programmes to help people overcome prejudice and establish community connections; and (c) satisfaction through the development of new abilities among incarcerated musicians. From these findings, I argue that prison-based instrumental music programmes can potentially foster activities and relationships that contribute to social rehabilitation and desistance. Furthermore, the finding that incarcerated musicians reportedly enjoyed a wide array of musical genres and pedagogical approaches invites further discussion about the potential inclusion of different kinds of instrumental music programmes in prison contexts.
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This methodological review includes literature (1987–2022) concerning the role and influence of musical practices—including music therapy and participatory music interventions—on well-being in carceral settings such as jails, prisons, and immigration detention centers. We provide a thorough description of key methodological procedures used in 55 studies: (1) Key Elements of Research Questions; (2) Types of Musical Practices; (3) Musical Genres; (4) Methodologies and Designs; (5) Locations; (6) Theoretical Frameworks; and (7) Samples. Our review indicates that there is difficulty in conducting research in prisons due to limitations imposed on researchers, a paucity of randomized-control trials, and limited generalizability of results due to the heterogeneity of methodological approaches. We suggest that the literature base would benefit from increased attention to issues related to sampling procedures, research questions related to race and gender identity, as well as the delineation between the types of musical practices utilized by music interventions.
Article
Well-being is defined as the multi-dimensional experience of positive emotions, as well as life satisfaction, autonomy, and purpose. This scoping review examines the impact of musical practices on the well-being of incarcerated individuals and uniquely contributes to the literature by focusing on the relationship between music and power in carceral settings and by expounding on the ways in which musical practices both facilitate and inhibit experiences of well-being. Our review contributes to this body of literature by proposing three distinct ways musical practices may affect well-being: (1) Musical Practices and Psychological Outcomes, (2) Musical Practices and Identity Formation and (3) Musical Practices and Power.
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This paper draws on feminist geographies of space, proposing a feminist critical spatial practice approach to study social movement organizing. Inspired by the work of Jane Rendell, a feminist theorist and architectural historian, we propose embodiment, materiality, affectivity, and alterity as co‐constitutive of feminist organizing. Specifically, we prioritize the intertwining of space and body in resisting extractivism to analyze visual artifacts produced by artists/activists who have joined the anti‐extractivist struggle against mining in Northern Greece, Chalkidiki area. In particular, we focus on how bodies transgress and reconstitute space by affecting its materiality during artistic performances. We argue that the protesting (moving and ensounded) body enacts affective solidarities and invites collective action against exploitative neoliberal regimes. Finally, the article brings together body‐land territory and territorial‐community feminism literature to enrich our understanding of spatial practices of resistance against neoliberal extractivist regimes while highlighting the role of emotions and affect as a means of mobilizing for action and maintaining momentum.
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The Oxford Handbook of Music Education offers a comprehensive overview of the many facets of musical experience, behavior, and development in relation to this diverse variety of contexts. While the first volume primarily focuses on children during school-age years, this second volume collects an international list of contributors to explore how music learning takes place outside of the traditional classroom environment. Discussing a range of issues such as music education for the special needs population, music learning in adulthood, and music learning through media and technology these chapters help to broaden conceptions of music and musical involvement.
Article
Full-text available
Improving the well-being of children has been widely discussed, yet research-exploring strategies aimed at improving this in school-based settings is still an emerging field of research. This mixed methods study investigated the impact of a singing intervention on the subjective well-being of a class of 27 children aged 8–9. Over the course of 2 weeks, the class took part in 20 minutes of daily group singing with a focus on learning popular music that they chose. The sessions were delivered by a generalist primary teacher who had previously worked as a music specialist. In measuring children's subjective well-being with emphasis on life satisfaction, the ‘Student's Life Satisfaction Scale’ was administered to the children pre- and post-intervention. Of the 27 children, four (identified as disadvantaged) were interviewed as part of a focus group at the end of the intervention and questions centred around the children's opinions and enjoyment of the intervention. Results indicated that there was a much lower proportion of children with low subjective well-being scores after the intervention than before the intervention (as measured by the SLSS questionnaire). Analysis of the Likert scale data showed a ‘medium’ (d = 0.5) effect size. Thematic analysis of the focus group revealed that singing had a broadly positive effect on the well-being of those children, which is consistent with findings found in similar trials involving adults. Links to the theoretical framework of ‘flow’ by Csikszentmihalhi (1975) are drawn, alongside the PERMA well-being framework model (Seligman, 2012) to help explain the effects of being engrossed in an enjoyable activity such as group singing and how this in turn can impact subjective well-being.
Article
Purpose The offender personality disorder (OPD) pathway provides services to people with histories of offending and traits of personality disorder (PD) who are at high risk of violent re-offending. The residential provisions have been developed as psychologically informed planned environments (PIPE), in which socially creative activities form an integral part. Ryan et al. (2018) suggest that social and creative activities offer individuals experiences to increase their understanding of themselves and others. The purpose of this study is to complete a service evaluation exploring how people who live on an OPD PIPE in a woman’s prison make sense of their experiences of a drumming, singing and ceremony group, which was offered to them as part of their provision PIPE. Design/methodology/approach Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six service users (between 19 and 42 years old). Findings Thematic analysis identified three themes: emotional regulation, belonging and connectedness and humanising spaces. Research limitations/implications This study used a small sample ( n = 6), and all participants were accessing the same OPD provision PIPE. Further, participation was voluntary, and results found may relate to possible biases in a self-selecting sample. The interviewer knew the participants through their clinical work, and despite being informed that participation in this research project would have no bearing on their treatment pathway, some may have participated as a way to demonstrate their compliance with the overall programme. A further limitation relates to the group being evaluated on its own without a comparison group. Practical implications This study has important implications for treatment delivery in prisons, as it demonstrates the therapeutic merit of social creative activities for one of the most complex, high-risk and challenging offender groups. The findings show that the specific combination of the physical act of drumming and the social act of drumming together may create an environment that allows people to heal and overcome both physical and emotional disconnections that have been caused by their trauma. Social implications This study’s findings provide further understanding of the experience of people who have survived trauma. Originality/value Findings suggest that the group provides therapeutic value, offering an alternative to traditional therapy and targets specific difficulties particularly associated with emotionally unstable and antisocial PDs. We suggest that socially creative activities form an important part of the rehabilitation process of complex, high-risk groups. Future research would benefit from focusing on the extent to which experiential learning through socially creative group participation can impact on lasting behavioural change.
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Jail Guitar Doors USA (JGD USA) is an initiative that provides guitars and songwriting instruction in correctional facilities. Founded in 2009, JGD USA is currently in 100 jails, prisons and youth facilities with a waiting list of 50. This study examined the phenomenon of JGD USA in Cook County Jail (Chicago, Illinois) and was guided by the following research question: How do participants describe their experiences in the case of JGD USA in Cook County Jail? Participants consisted of six adult male residents. Other data sources included interviews with the class teacher, the jail administrator who implemented JGD USA, Billy Bragg (founder of the original JGD) and Wayne Kramer (founder of JGD USA). This study employed instrumental case study methodology in order to explore a real-world phenomenon of guitar instruction in jail. Data sources included observation, a focus group interview, four semi-structured phone interviews and examination of lyrics and chord structure. Data were coded for emergent themes. Analysis of data sources revealed themes of group dynamics, expression, flow and intrinsic motivation. Other findings included insights related to the benefits of guitar and songwriting instruction in correctional settings.
Article
Music-based programmes have been found to improve well-being and rehabilitation for people in prison and other places of detention, but there is a limited understanding of the mechanisms driving this. This paper seeks to explore how music has the potential to contribute to desistance from crime, specifically in the context of identity transformation. Respondents were ex-detainees in England who had taken part in music-based programmes either in a prison, an Immigration Removal Center, or in the community. Facilitators of music projects also took part in the study. The data comprised of ethnographic observations of three different music sessions, supplemented by two semi-structured interviews. A thematic analysis revealed a core concept that music production and consumption were used to construct identity in reaction to the deconstructive effects of incarceration, leading to reported improvements in self-esteem and self-efficacy. Findings are discussed in relation to policy and practice recommendations.
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In response to some of the criticisms of previous research into the arts in criminal justice, this article presents findings from research with a music programme run by a Youth Offending team (YOT). Data were collected on the attendance of 42 participants at YOT appointments – matched against a comparison group – and measures of change over time in musical development, attitudes and behaviour and well-being. Participants who completed the music programme were statistically more likely to attend YOT appointments than a comparison group. There were statistically significant improvements in participants’ self-reported well-being and musical ability over the course of the project. Effect sizes reached the minimum important difference for quantitative measures. To understand not just if, but how, any impact was achieved, and to ensure the voice of the young people was heard, the quantitative elements of the research were complemented and extended by in-depth interviews with 23 participants.
Article
In the leadership development sector, it is widely acknowledged that there is a gap between the theory and practice of leadership. Within the field, rapid changes in business, technology, political, and social factors have resulted in a genuine need for knowledge workers to put into practice leadership skills and to draw conclusions about the interplay between their own roles, domain, and organizational context. This article puts forward an arts‐based leadership training approach that uses improvisatory theater techniques, which allows knowledge workers to engage reflexively in the concept of shared leadership. The major focus of this approach is to develop shared leadership competencies among participants, which they acquire by acting out different scenarios they are presented with. This paper argues that art‐based leadership activities can be an effective means of fostering confidence, being empowered to lead and leading others through change. It argues for the need to steer away from traditional models of leadership towards a transformative model using an art‐based approach. This essay also presents key features shared leadership before discussing the proposed model in greater detail.
Research
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The Irene Taylor Trust runs a music traineeship (Sounding Out) providing ex-prisoners with longer-term rehabilitative opportunities upon their release, to bridge the gap between life inside and outside of prison. Through music creation, performance, training and work placements, the programme aims to develop transferable team working and communication skills, instil discipline, increase self-confidence, self-esteem and self-motivation, improve social skills and develop mentoring skills. The Institute for Community Research and Development (ICRD) was commissioned to undertake an independent evaluation of the programme. The evaluation took a qualitative approach to explore the views and experiences of participants, staff and family members to understand if and how Sounding Out is successful, identifying any barriers to success and making evidence-based recommendations for improvements.
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Loeber (1990) observed that juvenile involvement in offending behavior presents a serious health problem to members of our society. Nolan (1983) suggested that the sole use of verbal therapy with offenders poses restrictions for progress. Several authors have suggested that the creative arts therapies add another dimension to the verbal treatment of offenders (Cohen, 1987; Cardstrom, 1996; Nolan, 1983; Skaggs, 1997). The purpose of this paper is to provide practicing music therapists with clinical resources in the treatment of male juvenile offenders that effectively address issues affecting this challenging population. A brief literature review includes a description of the risk and protective factors for delinquency. Clinical guidelines for working with juvenile offenders are presented, and sample music therapy interventions for both large and small groups are suggested and described in detail. Specific songs are recommended for the purpose of lyric analysis. Finally, resources are presented for locating material to be utilized in several music therapy interventions.
Article
A music therapy intern and her supervisor developed a program for juvenile offenders in a residential treatment setting. Clients were segregated into female and male residences, with sex offenders in a separate facility. This paper illustrates treatment issues of young offenders and explores music therapy applications for this population. Many of the clients had difficulty establishing positive relationships, having had severely dysfunctional relationships throughout their lives. The music therapy process was designed to improve social interaction and relatedness, increase self-expression and self-esteem, and decrease hostile and disruptive behavior. The program also emphasized development of empathy and appropriate channels for energy release. These music therapy goals supported the overall treatment goals set for clients by their primary psychotherapists. The client groups evolved somewhat differently, illustrating how individual personalities and abilities affect the group dynamic and relationships between group members and therapists.
Article
This article describes the original Music Therapy groups designed to treat Mentally Disordered Offenders at Atascadero State Hospital under the California Department of Mental Health. The treatment form utilized improvisation and singing centered on gospel music, music listening and background music activities. The goals, method of referral and reaction of the patients are described.
Article
This study investigated the effects of two components of group singing—music and activity—on trust and cooperation. Relationships between (a) music and trust and (b) activity and cooperation were predicted. Group singing was expected to yield the highest trust and cooperation scores, indicating interaction effects between music and activity vis-à-vis each of the two dependent variables. The latter were measured with the Giffin-Trust-Differential (trust) and the Prisoner's Dilemma game (cooperation). A 2 × 2 (music/activity × trust/cooperation) factorial design was employed. Four groups (n = 24 each) of adult Israeli males participated in a single session of one of the following activities: group singing (music/activity), listening to music (music/no activity), poetry reading (no music/activity), and film viewing (no music/no activity). Results confirmed the predictions for the effects of music on trust and of activity on cooperation. No interaction effects were found. The discussion focused on implications concerning the use of music interventions in therapy.
Article
There is considerable evidence to suggest that music has adaptive characteristics. Individuals use recorded music to transform the emotional landscape to coincide with transitory needs and desires. Also, music has frequently been reported to provoke uncommon emotional and physical reactions often referred to as peak experiences. In many cultures, that have limited industrial and technological development, active participation in musical activities is pervasive and all individuals are considered musical. In contrast, the musical elitism that has evolved in the Western world intimates that musical ability is specific to a talented minority. The elitist notion of musicality restricts the majority to procurers of rather than producers of music. However, experimental and theoretical sources indicate that music is an innate and universal ability and, therefore, active participation in music may have adaptive characteristics at many levels of proficiency. Positive life transformations that occurred for members of a choir for homeless men, since joining the choir, provided an opportunity to determine if group singing was a factor in promoting adaptive behaviour. A phenomenological approach utilizing a semi-structured interview wasemployed to explore the choristers' group singing experience. Analysis of the interviews indicated that group singing appears positively to influence emotional, social and cognitive processes. The choristers' perceptions of the adaptive characteristics of group singing fell within four principal categories: clinical-type benefits, benefits derived from audience-choir reciprocity, benefits associated with group process and benefits related tomental engagement. Active participation in singing may act to alleviate depression, increase self-esteem, improve social interaction skills and induce cognitive stimulation. The themes adhere to the tenets of flow theory which advocate the importance of mental stimulation and social interaction in increased life satisfaction. The emergent themes provide a preliminary basis for the development of a theory of the adaptive characteristics of group singing and also provide a framework for further investigation in this area.
Article
This research explores the relationship of educational achievement with self-esteem, acceptance of others, and acceptability to others among inmates in an education program at a maximum security prison. The inmate (N = 118) responses were analyzed utilizing factor analysis and correlation. The results indicate a positively significant relationship between self-esteem and years of school completed prior to incarceration, though results are inconclusive as to the relationship between "self" attributes and the current level of functioning among inmates in prison educational programs. Suggestions are provided as to why the research results were obtained and possible research questions to be posed in the future.
Article
Until recently, the emotional experiences of women in prison have been overlooked by symbolic interactionists and social scientists. Similarly, research relevant to the sociology of emotions has not been explored in the social context of a correctional institution for women. The purpose of this study is to investigate emotional experiences from the unique perspective of incarcerated women. This research examines how women in prison perceive and manage their emotional lives while confined and asks whether their chosen strategies have an impact on their interactions and thus affect the institutional environment. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with thirty-five women incarcerated in a correctional institution located in the midwestern United States. Using a semistructured interview schedule, respondents were asked about a range of topics, one of which involved their emotional lives while incarcerated. Findings indicate these women define their emotional experiences as being simultaneously provocative and constrained. Respondents suggest that their emotional resources are individually, contextually, and culturally grounded. They discuss employing various strategies to manage their emotional lives while incarcerated, including diversions, spiritual pursuits, blocking exercises, self-reflection, and humor. The majority of the techniques employed to control emotions are intrapersonal. Respondents describe personal efforts designed to manage their emotional experiences rather than share their feelings with others.
Article
Introduction: Music, society, and shifting music therapy. PART ONE: Planning: Thinking ahead. 1. Planning our discourses. 2. Institutions, idiosyncrasies, and the larger picture. 3. In-groups, out-groups, norms and membership. 4. Instrumental thinking and sound thoughts. 5. On being formed by music. 6. Considering the music space. 7. Aims, tasks, roles and the outer track. PART TWO: Executing: 'Doing'. 8. Forming groups and groups forming: Quick time, music time and sound deeds. 9. Group flow, group pulse - finding the groove. 10. Whose group? Whose music? (And whose expectations?) 11. Group rituals. 12. Live meanings - listening to music. 13. Team building and conflict resolution. PART THREE: Reflecting: Thinking back and forth. 14. How formed is your listening? (And how informed is your speaking?) 15. Persons as music (and finding the groove). 16. Group music, identity and society. 17. Absence, presence and climate control. 18. Group process and the 'inner track'. 19. Evaluating and ending. In Conclusion. Recommended Reading. Index.
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This research is an analysis and description of the unique role of Willem van de Wall in the development of music education and his influence on the development of music therapy in the first half of the twentieth century. During his career, he served as a professional harpist, a choral director, and a professor of music education. During the course of his professional life, van de Wall wrote numerous articles and several books that advocated the structured and controlled use of music in institutions, including schools, psychiatric hospitals, general hospitals, and prisons. Although his early writings focused on development of handicapped individuals, his later work shifted to a broader application of music in the education of normal children and adults. Van de Wall believed that musical behaviors were influenced by biological and emotional factors. He strongly encouraged research to establish credibility for the influence of music on normal and aberrant human behavior. Van de Wall's writings contributed significantly to music education and shaped the practice of hospital musicians, who later established the field of music therapy.
Article
Urges music educators and music therapists to cooperate in providing motivation for at-risk students through specially planned activities. Identifies means of meeting the risks of (1) lack of self-discipline and motivation; (2) not learning effectively; (3) alcohol and drug abuse; and (4) focus on rudimentary survival skills. (DK)
Article
The paper reviews research studies on the effectiveness of prison education programs. Such programs are common in prisons, but there have been relatively few evaluative studies carried out. The research which has been done is not conclusive. Most evaluations have shown that inmates make substantial improvements in learning, but this does not necessarily have an impact on rates of post-release employment and recidivism. The review of the literature suggests that programs will be most likely to succeed if they are intensive, if they can establish an alternative community within the prison, and if they offer post-release services to inmates.
Article
An anger-aggression management curriculum utilizing cognitive-behavioral principles and techniques was evaluated for its effect on a classroom of urban, at-risk middle school students. The 10-session curriculum was taught over a 5-wk period to a racially integrated classroom of 22 males and females (mean age 13.9 yrs). Heavy use of video symbolic modeling was integrated with techniques of self-instruction, problem solving, and self-monitoring. The intervention research targeted incidents of aggressive and disruptive behavior in school, anger control, and self-reported tendencies to behave in an antisocial manner. Significant differences between the treatment group and a control group ( n = 15) were noted at follow-up in numbers of misconduct referrals. Results are discussed in terms of the use of school-based curriculum in the prevention and intervention of juvenile delinquency. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Article
Discusses the use of music therapy in an outreach program for 20 senior citizens, who were selected on the basis of their social isolation, poverty, physical disability, and lack of assertiveness, that was designed to promote social interaction, enhance feelings of self-worth, and teach more assertive behavior. The actual outreach program extended over a 2½-yr period, while music therapy continued for 10 sessions. Six of these sessions are discussed chronologically and involved warm-up and introduction to rhythm and sound, silence vs conversation, dealing with anger, abstract art and music, words and their meaning, and human interaction. The techniques utilized elementary building blocks of music (body percussion, environmental sounds and images, voice, and percussion instruments) to create simple sound collages in addition to vocal and instrumental improvisations. The program elicited positive reactions, as evidenced by clients' increased spontaneity and ability to express feelings, both verbally and nonverbally. Their initiative, ability to assume leadership roles, and willingness to express social feelings toward the group also significantly increased. Recommendations for the music therapist are presented. (19 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Article
Summarizes a descriptive study of an educational and therapeutic process—skills through drama—that was originally created for prison inmates and ex-offenders (particularly for transient populations in detention centers). Professional theater techniques are used to teach basic educational skills to adults while providing a safe and therapeutic setting to work on conflicts and problems. Former students are used to assist teachers in conveying techniques to others. Classes in reading, writing, grammar, and communication skills using the skills-through-drama approach have been presented as part of an entire educational offering. Ss are introduced to the concept of the acting objective. The process of self-modulation and critical evaluation is incorporated and reinforced. Pre- and posttest results and an increase in patterns of enrollment indicate the effectiveness of the program. A pilot program over a 3-yr period with prison inmates showed that the approach taught skill mastery and competency in personal and public relationships. (7 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Article
The needs of women prisoners were studied from a variety of theoretical perspectives: relational, diversity, and developmental. Focus groups and questionnaires were conducted with 54 women incarcerated in a minimum security correctional facility for men and women. The women's developmental histories reflected high-risk conditions and early trauma. From the ease with which these women responded to questions about their main relationships (i.e., closeness and mutuality) with visitors and other inmates, it is clear that they are struggling but maintaining a relational context in their lives despite being incarcerated. Most women had children, and retained custody of their children, which has strong implications for their children's development. The findings suggest a number of policy and service implications which differed for ethnic/racial groups. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Article
This paper explores the use of music therapy in a program for drug and alcohol abuse patients in a private psychiatric hospital in New York City. The short-term and intensive detoxification and rehabilitation program is described, features of chemical addiction are explained, and the application of music to facilitate group process is presented. The efficacy of music therapy as another form of self-help group in substance abuse rehabilitation, critical in this type of treatment, is described.
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