and interaction. This is indicated in MT 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, and 13. In the neuroscience papers, studies of
the singing voice are scarce, and limited to studies of single sung words or syllables, or studies of
infants.
Studies of complete vocal compositions are reported in three papers. Drake & El Heni (NM I
no. 48) base their investigation on Tunisian and French popular songs. Grewe et al. (NM II no. 49,
NM III no. 51) report strong emotional responses to vocal music.
MT 1
Elefant’s use of musical expression can be compared to studies of expressive variation reported by
De Poli (NM I no. 9) and Sloboda et al. (no. 25). However, these studies do not include vocal expres-
sion.
MT 5
Ridder’s use of songs in music therapy with persons suffering from dementia can be related to
Schulkind’s review of memory for music in dementia (NM III no. 31).
MT 6
Baker’s study of voice rehabilitation therapy has traits in common with the study by Schön et al. (NM
I no. 24), who investigate a deficit in the retrieval of musical intervals after a brain lesion.
Based on these comparisons, the following neuroscientific studies can be suggested:
- Neuroimaging studies based on complete songs or song phrases.
- Studies of the impact of different voice qualities and singing styles.
- Studies of the impact of variable vocal expression.
3.5.2. Recorded music
Bonde (MT 8) has studied the relationships between the characteristics of selected classical music
and the participants’ experience in Guided Imagery and Music Therapy. He reports the use of 75
complete movements of classical music, approximate durations between three and ten minutes. The
total duration of music in a therapy session was 20-40 minutes.
Schou (MT 14) reports four types of music applied in guided relaxation with music for cardiac pa-
tients; Easy listening, Classical, Specially composed relaxing music, and Jazz. The approximate du-
rations of music selections were between two and thirteen minutes. The total duration of music in a
relaxation session was approximately 30 minutes.
Comparisons
In receptive music therapy, the client listens to selected music guided by the therapist. A music se-
lection typically consists of entire pieces or movements of music, and the effect of the therapy is de-
pendent upon exposure to music over a period of time.
In the conference proceedings, studies of complete pieces of music are rare. Only the two chill
studies by Grewe et al. (NM II no. 49, NM III no. 51) are based on responses to whole pieces. The
fMRI studies by Demorest and Morrison (NM I no. 8) and Janata et al. (NM II no. 12) apply short
music excerpts of a duration between 15 and 33 seconds. The PET study of intensely pleasurable
responses to music by Blood and Zatorre (2001) is based on stimuli of longer duration, 90-second
excerpts of the participants’ self-selected music.