Music in education
and still consists, of organizing regular musical events, about once a
month, in the majority of sanatoria. Some of the best musicians take
part in the work; and the programmes, which are educational in cha-
racter, are carefully planned to avoid boring or fatiguing the listeners.
After the war, the growing success of this enterprise attracted the
attention of the Social Service of the National Association for Protec-
tion against Tuberculosis ; and in 1949 the public authorities decided
to lend their financial support. At the present time, the Music Service
operates in 18 establishments in Belgium and in 10 Belgian establish-
ments in Switzerland, 51 concerts being given each year to audiences
numbering several thousands.
METHODS AND RESULTS
The purpose of the Music Service is a twofold one-therapeutic to a
high degree, and social and educational at the same time.
The results of our experiments during 15 years’ continuous work
lead us to certain conclusions, as follows.
It has been found that only first-rate musicians make areal impression
on patients owing, apparently, not only to their prestige but to their
intrinsic merit. It is therefore essential to enlist the services of musi-
cians who are conscious of their obligations towards the sick. Their
programmes must be carefully planned and adapted to circumstances,
which may vary widely from one institution to another. Tubercular
patients are very sensitive and impressionable, and any psychological
errors, even when committed involuntarily, may produce violent reac-
tions. In view of the mixed character of the audience, some members
of which may be completely ignorant of artistic matters, a commen-
tator will be needed, to act as intermediary between the audience and
the musicians. Experience has led us to opt for permanent commen-
tators, skilled in the arrangement of performances for this type of
establishment. Such a commentator, who also acts as ‘music secretary’,
has many duties. He must bring the patients to concentrate upon the
programme, distracting their attention from their own health, and must
create an atmosphere of relaxation. He must choose the programme
and the performers. Long experimentation has shown that classical
music, with its perfect harmonies, reduces the nervous tension from
which almost all the patients suffer. For this reason jazz, for instance,
is excluded from our concerts, since its chromatic structure and throb-
bing, syncopated rhythm produce a disturbing effect on the audience.