: Music in Medicine by Licht Sidney - Music Influence of; Music Physiological effect

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ith in music. In some instances music was then abandoned altogether, whereupon there was such an outcry from the workers that the program was reinstated with hot swing entirely eliminated. Both extremes are bad. Giving the workers what they want is a more difficult problem than it appears at first. It requires not one but a number of questionnaires over a period of time to keep up with changing tastes."

"Music must be played at the right time to obtain the best results. Marches create a cheerful atmosphere and should be played at the beginning of sessions, as well as at the end. The best time of the day for Strauss waltzes is at the so-called 'fatigue periods.' There is something about three-quarter time that is very refreshing at moments of fatigue. Besides the music is gay and light-hearted, and leads all other forms in popular appeal according to questionnaires filled in at three large plants."

In the hospital occupational therapy shop, music may originate from the public address system, a record player, or the radio. It would seem that the most suitable in the average hospital would be the use of the radio, which the therapist can change at intervals of fifteen minutes or longer in an attempt to get unexciting music at a low volume level.

FOOTNOTES:

MEALTIME MUSIC

Patients who are confined to bed, or for that matter, to a hospital, find meals progressively monotonous in spite of the fact that there is a greater variety offered them than was theirs at home. This monotony results in part from the color and nature of the environment, the personnel, the general atmosphere of the hospital, and the constraining nature of institutional restriction. While dining at home some of these factors are subconsciously dissipated by trivial intimate conversation, friendly faces, individual attention and the security of the things for which "home" stands.

Since ancient times music has been used as an accompaniment to meals. The instruments used by the ancients for this purpose were usually those which emitted soft sounds. Voltaire said that our purpose in going to the opera was to promote digestion. During the preceding century, dinner music became stylized and consisted largely of semi-classical pieces or waltzes played softly in slow tempo by string ensembles. During the past twenty-five years there has evolved a form of dinner music which is not only a marked departure from the old, but has come to be used as a source for dancing between and during courses. Whether the physiologic and psychologic effects of dancing during a meal are harmful, beneficial, or of no moment remains undecided. Certainly there seems to have been little interest in analyzing its effects. During the period when dinner-dance music was available only in a few places, the number of those who could be affected by it was very small. But, with the more recent installations of "juke" boxes, and other forms of mechanically reproduced music, into all varieties of dining places, the problem is worthy of investigation.

Most people derive pleasure from the consumption of appetizing food. Most people derive pleasure from music played to their taste. Although the logic of the following thought is subject to criticism, it does sound reasonable to state that two pleasurable experiences enjoyed simultaneously, should add up to a greater happiness than that afforded by either individually. Food has received thorough study with respect to preservation, preparation, serving, and the time of day when each item is most satisfying. Some of the conclusions have been arbitrary, but for the most part, people eat the food that agrees with them physiologically and psychologically. There is no especially good reason why cereals should be eaten by adults only in the morning. It has become a matter of custom or advertising, and the minds of the masses have become conditioned to feel that cereal is especially good at breakfast time. A generation ago the breakfast menu in some homes differed little from the present day dinner fare. Eating habits have become set in the minds of most people and there is little that can be done to change them rapidly. Daily routines have given rise to certain music conventions as well. Until recently, music at breakfast was uncommon. Bernard Shaw wrote, "Music after dinner is pleasant: Music before breakfast is so unpleasant as to be clearly unnatural." With the advent of radio this has changed even if Shaw has not. Lunch rooms, barbershops and other public places where people spend time inactively, are equipped with mechanisms for reproducing music. The practice of reading or even studying school work at home with the radio on has become increasingly prevalent. The tempo of living has stepped up to the point where most people, especially the younger, like to do two things at once, especially if one of these is to listen to music.

The effect of different foods upon digestion and health is known, and most persons eat with a regularity which is related to capacity and needs. They are usually able to select the items they desire, the time at which they will eat, and the period for consumption.

The ideal attitude while eating is one of mental serenity and physical repose. If certain criteria are observed music can be relaxing. The elements which increase relaxation are melody, rhythm, and softness. If the music which accompanies meals is carefully selected it can make eating more pleasurable, and this is desirable for patients in the hospital.

Mealtime music must be unobtrusive. It must lack stimulating qualities which attract attention. If the diner can promptly name the selection played five minutes earlier, that piece was too impressive in score or performance. Perhaps the most suitable form of dinner music is that played by a small string ensemble. The piano and harp are also very satisfactory, alone or in combination with the ensemble. When the piano is played in the hesitant legato style of Eddie Duchin it is particularly desirable. The shrill sounds of the flute or the brassy sound of the trumpet must be omitted. The music must be soft and slow. Avoid vocals and strange instruments.

The volume of the music should be maintained at as nearly the same level as is consistent with the source of the music. It should begin without fanfare or any attempt to attract attention. The level of intensity should not interfere with conversation, for, if the loudness of the music demands an increased volume of voice to carry on normal conversation, it defeats the purpose of relaxation by evoking increased energy on the part of the speaker. When possible the end of the selection should fade out. There should be nothing abrupt about the selection, and unusual sequences or novelties should be avoided. The music should be fluent and entirely unexciting. The interval between pieces should be brief in order to sustain auditory reception at a fairly continuous level. Five to ten seconds between numbers is recommended, and this coincides approximately with the time required to change discs on an automatic or manually controlled record player. Musical selections should be played in groups. The groups should last a total of about fifteen minutes with rest intervals of about three minutes. This simulates the requirements and performance of the live ensemble and has become a part of stylized dinner music. The music should last as long as the meal.

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