You don’t have to be a violin virtuoso or a guitarist of the calibre of Jimi Hendrix to enjoy the benefits of music. Every amateur musician benefits from playing an instrument, even if it’s just a few notes or a wooden spoon. "There’s a certain lack of awareness of the benefits of music. Many people think it exists, but only for young people and professional musicians. What they don’t know is that playing music as an amateur can bring many benefits to people of all ages and conditions, including those living with intellectual or physical disabilities, or autism spectrum disorders," explains Francis Dubé , professor at the Faculty of Music and head of the Musiquer toute la vie project.
The Musiquer toute la vie project, which brings together 9 professors from 5 Quebec universities, was born precisely to raise awareness of the benefits of non-professional musical practice among the general public. All specialists in the fields of music and the psychology of music, the mission of these researchers is to make accessible - in a simple language and an attractive digital environment - the scientific knowledge that attests to the variety of benefits of listening to and playing music at all stages of life. The project also aims to highlight the musical, educational and inclusive practices best suited to the new social and digital realities of the 21st century, as well as to open up a wide-ranging social dialogue on the non-professional practice of music.
Music is universal, and so are its benefits!
Many people think that seniors no longer have the capacity to learn music. But this is not true. The Musiquer toute la vie project website reveals that with maturity comes the accumulation of life experiences that help to understand the complexity of music and to grasp music theory in depth. Far from being limited by age, the brain plasticity of older people is said to develop easily with musical practice.Another widespread belief is that people on the autism spectrum lack the sensitivity to understand musical art. Again, this is not true. One study has shown that autistic children can even be more accurate than neurotypical children in identifying the emotions conveyed by music.
In addition to debunking such myths - notably in its Rumor Detector section - the website highlights a variety of possible benefits among various groups of people. For example, active musical intervention with young people with intellectual disabilities is said to help reduce aggressive behavior and anxiety, while increasing tolerance for failure. Another example: playing in a group at school not only contributes to academic success, but also helps develop social skills. In fact, one study showed that young people from low-income families saw a marked improvement in their relationships with their teachers after taking part in a percussion workshop for one term.
In short, with simple texts and several short video capsules, the website presents a wide range of benefits, from the skills infants develop through musical play to the memories a melody can bring back to Alzheimer’s sufferers.
Fostering dialogue between science and society
Financed by the DIALOGUE program of the Fonds de recherche du Québec - which encourages closer ties between the research community and the Quebec population - the Musiquer toute la vie project is truly intended to foster discussion with the citizens of the province, the country and even the world. In fact, on the bilingual website, the team of specialists invites all those who wish to do so to ask them questions about the proposed themes."With this project, we want to enter into a dialogue with the widest possible audience. Starting this summer, we’ll be working with colleagues in South America to broadcast the same articles and video capsules in Spanish and Portuguese."
-- Francis Dubé, professor in the Faculty of Music and head of the Musiquer toute la vie project The initiative also includes one and two Facebook pages (one in French, the other in English) where anyone can make suggestions, comment on content and share their own experiences as a musician.
The Musiquer toute la vie project can also count on the collaboration of a valuable partner, the Coalition for Music Education in Canada , which was closely involved in the official launch of activities on May 5. The partnership is very promising, since one of the objectives of this major initiative is to encourage amateur musical practice by sharing tools with music teachers, teaching and educational staff, and those who lead recreational activities. In fact, one of the website’s themes revolves around innovative musical practices, particularly those linked to new technologies.
"I sincerely hope that the Musiquer toute la vie project will not only encourage more people to play music, but also provide compelling arguments for educational circles and organizations to promote and defend the teaching and use of music among different groups of people," concludes Professor Dubé.
Watch the video presentation of the project:
