Banging the drum: evolutionary and cultural origins of music and its implications for psychiatry

Abstract

Summary There is growing interest in music-based therapies for mental/behavioural disorders. We begin by reviewing the evolutionary and cultural origins of music, proceeding then to discuss the principles of evolutionary psychiatry, itself a growing a field, and how it may apply to music. Finally we offer some implications for the role of music and music-based therapies in clinical practice.

Keywords

• Transcultural psychiatry
• complementary therapies
• individual psychotherapy
• group psychotherapy
• psychosocial interventions