Music, Sound and Wellbeing - winter 2023

quick link to this page: https://bit.ly/msw23

Winter 2023: Tuesday & Thursday 11:00 am - 12:20 pm, Old Arts seminar room 403
January 5 to April 12, 2023

Instructor: Michael Frishkopf
Office: 334D Old Arts Building
Tel: Skype: (617) 275-2589 or meeekaaa; office: (780) 492-0225. Music Dept: (780) 492-3263; Fax: Music Dept: (780) 492-9246. CCE (780) 492-0242;
Email: mfrishkopf@gmail.com
Web: http://frishkopf.org
http://m4ghd.org
Office hours: signup via http://frishkopf.org

Overview:

In this class we will survey the many roles of music, and – more generally – sound, for promoting wellbeing, socially, psychologically, and physiologically, curatively and preventively, individually and collectively, throughout the ages (but primarily in the contemporary period). Readings, listenings, and viewings will include research outputs (ethnographic, clinical, experimental, or applied) as well as primary source material, touching on a broad spectrum of topics across the arts, humanities, social sciences, sciences, applied sciences, and health sciences. Possible topics include music and sound in ritual or meditation, musical ecstasy/trance, music and the metaphysical, music as medicine, medical ethnomusicology, (community) music therapy, music and resilience, music and trauma, music and global/public health, the power of natural soundscapes, music for global human development, music and social networks, music of/for immigrants and refugees, music and community empowerment, psychology of music, music and the brain, music and pandemic, music and sound for mental health. During the course of the term students will investigate a particular topic of interest, as well as design and carry out a short, original research project, whose writeup will serve as the final paper.

Course pages

Google folder containing:

• Syllabus
• Schedule (topics and assignments)
• Ethics documents

e-Class page (for all submissions)

Resources

Some of my research in this domain

• Adaptive Autonomous Soundscapes (for ICU)
• Mindful social listening: Intelligent immersive soundscape environments for student wellbeing
• Five Element Music Therapy project
• Music as medicine and IHI - complementary/alternative medicine (Indigenous)
• M4GHD, social cohesion and cultural continuity, health promotion
• Music and ritual
  • Sufi (mystical Islamic) ritual
    • Weekly Ziyara (visitation) to Sidi Ali Zayn al-Abidin, in Cairo
    • West African: Tijaniyya in Ghana
  • Funeral ritual near Accra, Ghana
• Music as political activism
  • Songs of the New Arab Revolutions