Experiment of Music Therapy Conducted at a Classical Music Recital - Measurement of Pulse Wave, Blood Pressure and Mind Orientation -

Abstract

It is widely known that music affects physical and mental condition, and attempts to prescribe music instead of medicine are being made in various places. However, there are large individual differences in effects of music. Authors consider that general prescription method has not been established yet. In the present study, a music therapy experiment was conducted at an actual concert held in public. It was a piano recital commemorating the 250th anniversary of Beethoven's birth, and all the pieces played were Beethoven's. Twenty-eight subjects was women and men, aged 19 to 68. They were classified into four groups according to whether they liked classical music and whether they knew the pieces to be performed. Their blood pressure, pulse wave, cardiac orientation, hand sweat, salivary amylase, and muscle hardness were measured. Results suggested that Beethoven's piano pieces generally provide a relaxing effect on the listeners. In this paper, the experimental results are discussed, which is mainly on the pulse wave measurement conducted on four subjects, on the blood pressure, and on the directivity of the mind conducted on all subjects. Furthermore, it turned out that the method needed to be improved when experiments were conducted at an actual concert.

Keywords

• stress and relaxation
• beethoven's piano pieces
• profile of mood states (poms)
• pulse oximeter
• actual concert