Making Music and Ageing - Hanze

Institute for Research on Music Ability

Heiner Gembris

Heiner Gembris

Making Music and Ageing An overview

Symposium Music and the Elderly

June 16, 2012, Puddingfabriek, Groningen


Heiner Gembris

1. Introduction: The general

framework of music and ageing:

psychological and physiological

aspects

2. Benefits of making music in the

third age

3. Conclusions / Future

perspectives

Overview


Heiner Gembris

1. Introduction:

The general framework of music and ageing:

psychological and physiological aspects

http://www.canterbury.ac.uk/SiteElements/images/Corpora

teWeb/Research/sdh1.jpg


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1. Lifelong duration of musical development and learning

2. Development as a dynamic of gains, losses and stability

3. Multi-dimensionality - multi-directionality of development

4. Plasticity of development - reserve capacity

5. Interindividual differences of development

6. Cultural embeddedness - generation-specific imprinting

of musical development

(adapted from Baltes 1990)

General principles of lifespan psychology in music


Heiner Gembris

1. Lifelong duration of musical development

• The human development

is a life-long process

• This applies also to

musical abilities, music

making, music listening

etc.

• Musical learning is

possible at almost any

time of the life


Heiner Gembris

2. Development as a dynamic of stability, gains and losses

Gains

Losses

Birth Death

Stability

After Baltes 1990

Rela

tive

exte

nt


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3. Multi-dimensionality – multi-directionality of development

• Musical talent has different dimensions (e.g. performing an

instrument, musical understanding, composing, improvising, singing,

creativity and imagination, emotional experience, musical knowledge

etc.) (= multi-dimensionality)

• The development of different dimensions of musical talent follows

different directions or developmental trajectories across the lifespan

(= multi-directionality)


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ca. 25 ca. 40 ca. 50 ca. 60 Ca. 70 +

Peak performance on an instrument

Musical experience / knowlegde

Hypothetical development of different dimensions of musical abilities:

Professional musicians

Pe

rform

an

ce

low

high



Heiner Gembris

ca. 25 ca. 40 ca. 50 ca. 60 Ca. 70 +

Performance on an instrument

Musical experience / knowlegde

Hypothetical development of different dimensions of musical abilities:

Amateur musicians

Pe

rform

an

ce

low

high


Practice

Start

Stop

Restart

Stop


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4. Plasticity of development and musical reserve capacity

• Like intelligence, musical talent is malleable by practice / training

(= plasticity)

• There exist more or less musical potential and latent, unused

abilities in most people, which can be activated and developed

by practice (= reserve capacity)

• This plasticity and reserve capacity are important resources for

lifelong learning

4. The concept of individual musical reserve capacity

Perfo

rman

ce

low

high Individual potential

Performance

Performance

Reserve

capacity

Practice

Reserve

capacity

Gembris 2012 Time


Heiner Gembris

5. Differentiation and individual differences

Within the same age group, there may be greater differences in physical

and mental performance, perceptual abilities, health status, etc. than

between different age groups


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Accumulated practice as a function of age

Differences in the

amount of practice,

performance skills, and

in musical experiences

accumulate over the

decades and lead to

great differences

between subjects


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6. Cultural embeddedness - generation-specific socialization

Musical development is

embedded in the surrounding

musical culture / historical

context.

Development is shaped by socialization within a

specific socio-cultural environment.


Heiner Gembris

6. Cultural embeddedness - generation-specific socialization

Generation-specific / historical factors

form musical development and

preferences

Different generations – different

preferences

The music of the youth is often the preferred

music of old age, but musical preferences can

develop still in old age

DJ Ruth Flowers


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„Menopause“ from the album

„Lookin‘ good! Who‘s Your Embalmer?“ (1992)

Punk, HipHop etc. –

the new music culture

of the elderly!?


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Age-related impairments and compensation

The Zimmers on the famous Abbey Road Crossing (Quelle: www.myspace.com)


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Hearing losses especially

with high frequencies

(presbyacusis). High

frequencies may be

experienced as stentorian

or painful.

The heart becomes weaker, blood vessels become

thicker; constriction of blood vessels

The brain looses 10-15 % of

its weight. Number of neurons

and their interconnectedness

declines. Performance of fluid

intelligence and some parts of

memory decline.

Contrast and photosensitivity of the

eyes decline. Colour perception gets a

yellow tint. Processing of visual stimuli

on the retina and in the brain slows

down.

Reaction time

increases because

of decelerated

neural conductivity

and muscular

impairment,

especially with

untrained tasks

Muscle mass and muscular

strength decrease

Age related impairments


Heiner Gembris

Arthur Rubinstein

1887 - 1982

• Compensation strategies of age related impairments:

– Selection

– Optimisation

– Compensation

• SOC applied to music: more practice (optimisation) for less

pieces (selection), ritardandi before fast sections make the

following appear faster (compensation)

The SOC – principle ( e.g. Baltes & Baltes, 1990)


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– Very limited or no possibilities for selection and compensation for

professional (orchestra) musicians: The conductor decides what is to

be played and how this should be done

– In most cases very limited occasions to insert ritardandos before fast

sections, some pieces have to be played fast and/or loud…

– Musical memory: Increased training cannot generally compensate

for increased age (Halpern & Bartlett, 2002, p. 23)

Limitations of the SOC-principle in music


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/Research/sdh1.jpg

2 Music, ag(e)ing, and health among amateur

musicians


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Aspects of

amateur music

making /singing

Health –

wellbeing

benefits Social

benefits

Personal

benefits

Contribution to

cultural life in the

community

Musical

performance:

Restrictions -

capacities


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Benefits of playing an instrument in late adulthood

• Many studies confirm positive effects of playing an instrument, e.g.

– Maintaining well-beeing and positive self-esteem

– Social contacts and feelings of connectedness

– Personal development and fulfillment

– Recreation

(e.g., Coffman, 2002; Hartogh, 2005; Hays & Minichiello, 2005)

• Compared with the general population, amateur musicians (aged 55+) showed – Better performance in global cognitive functioning and memory recall skills

– Better executive functioning and psychomotor functioning

– Were generally more satisfied with life

(Moser, 2003)


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Example: Making music in senior orchestras (Gembris 2008)

• Musical and social background

of musicians in senior

orchestras?

• Functions and meanings of

making music ?

• Age-related problems with

playing instruments?

• Coping strategies?


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3 Method • 43 senior orchestras (Germany,

Austria, Switzerland)

• Ca. 550 questionnaires were sent out,

308 valid questionnaires were sent

back (rate of return: 56%)

• Female: 38 %, male: 62 %

• Age: 40 to 97, M =71 years (SD =

7,89)

Example : Making music in senior orchestras (Gembris 2008)


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Older amateur musician: early start, above average education

– 44% had a university

degree

– 13% had a general

university entrance

qualification („Abitur“)

– 43% had a lower school

leaving certificate

Gembris 2008


Heiner Gembris

• Importance of music is

rather high already in

adolescence

• Importance of music in

the third age is higher

than in earlier periods

of life

Change of importance of music throughout life

(Evaluations "important" and "very important" in %)

0

20

40

60

80

100

10-20 20-30 30-40 40-50 50-60 60-70 70-80 80+

Age

Importance of music changes in different decades of life

(rated in retrospect)

Gembris 2008


Heiner Gembris

61

62

62

62

63

26

28

33

30

32

11

8

3

7

3

58 32 8

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

give a sense of community

keep me fit

are a challenge

create contacts

make me happy

increase quality of life

give a zest for life

completely true rather true

less true not true

Function and meaning (1/3) : Music activities…

Benefits of making music

Gembris 2008


Heiner Gembris

27

32

34

35

35

53

22

37

38

31

35

31

31

21

18

26

23

13

20

11

10

8

7

3

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

help to cope with life

show me my limits

keep me healthy

give a sense to life

are an expression of emotions

are relaxing

completely true rather true less true not true



Gembris 2008


Heiner Gembris

13

20

23

24

24

24

18

21

25

17

18

26

40

32

32

30

32

33

29

27

20

29

26

17

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

frustrate me

distract from problems

help in difficult situations of life

make me less lonely

are a normal hobby

comfort me

completely true rather true less true not true



Gembris 2008


Heiner Gembris

Positive effects of singing


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• Mood enhancing

• Creates a sense of group identity, social support and friedship

• Develops a sense of self-confidence, self-esteem, achievement

• Relieves stress and tension

• Improves voice quality, promotes good posture

• Increases quality of life and wellbeeing

• Distracts attention from personal worries

Clift 2012, p. 114ff


Heiner Gembris


• Most evidence for positive effects of singing comes from qualitative /

interview studies

• Only few „experimental“ studies (e.g. comparison with effects of music

listening): small effect sizes

• Physiological studies (physical health, lung function): unclear results,

methodological problems

• Clinical studies (elderly people in care, dementia, Parkinson‘s

desease): positive effects on depression, only few studies,

methodological problems

Clift 2012, p. 114ff


Heiner Gembris

• Accompanying symptoms of Alzheimer's disease may be influenced

positively through the use of music (listening to music, singing,

elementary music, dancing)

• Stimulation and improvement of social and emotional skills

• Improvement of cognitive functions (vigilance, memory)

• Behavioral changes (calming, improved sleep)

• Stimulation of physical movements

• Responses to music even in the final stages of Alzheimer's disease

Brotons, Koger & Pickett-Cooper 1999; Foster et al. 2001; Cevasco & Grant 2003

Effects of music on Alzheimer's associated symptoms


Heiner Gembris

Effects of music on Alzheimer's associated symptoms

• The benefits of music in the treatment of symptoms associated with

Alzheimer's disease seem to be obvious

• Appropriate approaches to the use of music are available

• But: only a few studies, some serious methodological weaknesses

limited validity

• (s. Vink, Birks, Bruinsma & Scholten 2003)


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3 Conclusions / Future perspectives


Heiner Gembris

Psycho-social transfer effects of making music in the third age

• Every day life experience and scientific

studies show:

• musical activities (playing instruments,

singing, listening to music, etc.) of

older people can promote

– social connectedness, life

satisfaction, meaningful life,

wellbeing, happiness etc.

– They thus represent a contribution

to prevention and health

(e.g. Rümenapp 2005; Hartogh & Wickel 2004;

Wickel 2005; Clift 2012; Gembris 2012)


Heiner Gembris

Questions for future research

• Are there measurable protective

effects of playing an instrument (e.g.

reduced risk of Alzheimer‘s disease,

Verghese et al., 2003)?

• Do musical acitivities create more

social contacts compared with other

activities like sport, dancing etc.?

• Comparisons between playing an

instrument and singing


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Interindividual

differences

Amateur Music

making in the

third age

Generation

specific musical

preferences

Multi-cultural

societies

Money Health –

wellbeeing

Growing

differences in

society

Growing new

fields for

music

education

Discussion: Important future issues

Qualityof life


Heiner Gembris

Dank u voor uw

aandacht !

Making Music and Ageing - Hanze

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