Gunter Kreutz
Prof. Dr.
Musicoligist , Department of Music, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg
Oldenburg, Germany
About
I am interested in the short- and long-term effects of musical activities including listening to music, learning to play musical instruments, singing, and dancing on amateur musicians using (mainly) quantitative research designs. Dependent measures include, but are not restricted to self-reports, physiological measures, biomarkers, and imaging techniques. I also appreciate the importance of qualitative research to enhance theory-building and disentangle future routes for systematic investigations. Finally, I consider systematic reviews as the perhaps most important building blocks for the guidance of research and to inform politics.
Music, Health, and Wellbeing
Since the beginning of the millennium, there has been an increase of interest in the implications of musical activities such as singing, dancing, or listening to music, for wellbeing and health. The research efforts target the general population as well as specific groups with health issues and/or communication issues. My talk will discuss some of the (recent) historical background of this approach, provide examples of empirical works, highlight methodological challenges and opportunities, and suggest implications for public health policies. In conclusion, there is a significant demand for the provision of high quality musical activities and learning across the life span for health and wellbeing benefits.
