Music Therapy Maven

2012 Social Media Advocacy Project in Numbers

Kimberly — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 21:36:31 +0000

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It’s early February and we are wrapping up what I consider to be a very successful Social Media Advocacy project!

Last December, I sent a tickler email out to over 3 dozen music therapy bloggers and podcasters, inviting them to participate in this project. Here’s what we ended up with:

Forty participating blogs/podcasts published 50 text articles, 5 podcast episodes, and 3 advocacy videos, for a grand total of…

58 publications!

What’s Your Advocacy Personality?

In addition, do you remember the Advocacy Personality quiz we posted as part of this project? Twenty-one people reported taking the quiz. Here’s the breakdown of where this sample size stands on advocacy:

6 were Loud and Proud

5 were Not Afraid to Take the Lead

10 were Behind-the-Scene Sleuths

No one (0) held a Supporting Role

Hmmm…seems to me that music therapists may tend to be more active than not, don’t you think?

Thank You to the Participating Bloggers and Podcasters

Finally, I want to publicly thank all of the bloggers and podcasters who contributed in this month’s Social Media Advocacy project. It’s a success once again because of YOU! Thank you for your passion and for sharing your wisdom.

I have been keeping track of your individual articles on this page, and invite you to check out what these amazing people have said

THANK YOU:

Megumi Azekawa: Musically Thinking (musicallythinking.com)
Meryl Brown: Developing Melodies (developingmelodies.com)
John Carpente: Music and Child Development Blog (drjohnmtbc.wordpress.com)
Bernice Chu: All Things Healing (allthingshealing.com)
CJ Diachenko: The Musical Autist (themusicalautist.org)
Michelle Erfurt: Music Therapy Tween (musictherapytween.com) and Music Therapy Round Table podcast (musictherapyroundtable.com)
Jim Ernst: Do It In Public (jimernstblog.com)
Kat Fulton: Rhythm For Good (rhythmforgood.com)
Bonnie Hayhurst: The Groovy Garfoose (groovygarfoose.com)
JoAnn Jordan: Music Sparks (music2spark.com)
Kalani: (kalanimusic.com)
Amy Kalas: Wholesome Harmonies Music Therapy (whmusictherapy.com)
Andrew Knight: Music Therapy Research Blog Podcast (musictherapyresearchblog.com)
Debi Kret-Melton: Mind-Full Music Therapy Services (mindfullmusic.com)
Blythe LaGasse: Music Therapy Research Blog Podcast (musictherapyresearchblog.com)
Kate Legge: Music Matters (musicmatterstherapy.blogspot.com)
Janice Lindstrom: The Music Therapy Show with Janice Lindstrom (themusictherapyshow.blogspot.com)
Andrew Littlefield: MTI in the ATL (mtiintheatl.blogspot.com)
Matt Logan: Music Therapy Source (musictherapysource.com)
Ashley Lundquist: Music Therapy Equals Love (musictherapyequalslove.blogspot.com)
Bill Matney (billmatney.com)
Rebecca McClary: All Things Healing (allthingshealing.com)
Natalie Mullis: Key Changes Music Therapy (keychangesmusictherapy.com)
Rachelle Norman: Soundscape Music Therapy (soundscapemusictherapy.com)
Judith Pinkerton: Music 4 Life podcast (music4life.us) and judithpinkerton.com
Dean Quick: The Music From Within (themusicfromwithin.wordpress.com)
Roia Rafieyan: The Mindful Music Therapist (mindfulmusictherapist.blogspot.com)
Rachel Rambach: Listen and Learn Music (listenlearnmusic.com) and Music Therapy Round Table podcast (musictherapyroundtable.com)
Megan Resig: Mundana Music Therapy (mundanamusictherapy.com)
Wade Richards: Time for Music (timeformusic.org)
Stephanie Scheffel: The Rhythmic Mind (therhythmicmind.wordpress.com)
Sara Sendlbeck: Eclectic Guitar (theeclecticguitar.com)
Rachel See Smith: Music Therapy Services of Austin (musictherapyservices.net)
Jennifer Sokira: Connecticut Music Therapy Services (ctmusictherapy.com)
Michelle Strutzel: Beyond the Music MT (beyondthemusicmt.blogspot.com)
Daniel Tague: Music Makes Sense (musicmakessense.blogspot.com)
Natasha Thomas: Music Moves (musicmoves.areavoices.com)
Kristin Veveto: KNV Music Therapy (knvmusictherapy.com)
Annie Walljasper: Prelude Music Therapy (preludemt.blogspot.com)
Melinda Wilson: All Things Healing (allthingshealing.com)

Top 10 Times You’re an Advocate and You Don’t Even Know It

Kimberly — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 21:32:34 +0000

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This month, everyone in the online music therapy community has been talking about advocacy.

Advocacy, Advocacy, ADVOCACY!

What is advocacy? Simply put, advocacy involves passion for an idea and commitment to a cause. Advocacy is a language–it’s using your words and your stories to get someone else interested in what you have to say. And a large part of advocacy is perseverance–it’s building a relationship of trust that occurs over time and with multiple moments of connection.

Anyone and everyone can be an advocate. You may be reading this, thinking, “Ha! Not me…I’m not an advocate!” Well, I’ve got news for you…you ARE an advocate. You may just not know it yet.

In that spirit, here are 10 ways you are already an advocate…and you don’t even know it:

You talk to your supervisor about increasing your equipment budget so that you can purchase those Orff instruments and djembes.
You read an interesting article that highlights someone else’s music therapy work and you share it with your clients, family, and friends through email, Facebook, and Twitter.
You give an in-service at your place of work in an attempt to help them understand what makes an appropriate referral for music therapy services.
You willingly answer the question “what is music therapy?”
You facilitate an educational workshop at your local community center, Rotary club, or Chamber of Commerce.
You answer the questions of a parent or potential client.
You respond as patiently as possible when someone sees you in the elevator, guitar strapped to your back, and says “Yay! The music lady is here!”
You purchase copies of The Music Never Stopped or Sing You Home for family members as gifts.
You give a presentation at a non-music therapy conference.
You introduce yourself by saying “Hi! My name is _____ and I’m a music therapist!”

I invite you to read what other music therapy bloggers and podcasters have to say about music therapy advocacy. Click this link to catch up on the latest.

P.S. Guess what? There’s another one to add to the list! Here is #11, courtesy of Dr. Dena Register:

Every year when you write that check to renew your AMTA dues. If you haven’t done it yet for this year…go to it Those are dues that keep you in the know, keep people employed to advocate for you in Washington and around the other states in our nation and keep the music therapy “machine” going.

The Music Therapist’s Guide to State Recognition

Kimberly — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 19:56:49 +0000

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I am writing today’s post with my “CBMT Regulatory Affairs” hat on.

This month’s Social Media Advocacy project is an off-shoot of a larger, national initiative to get state recognition of the music therapy profession and our MT-BC credential.

State recognition can be a tricky concept to wrap our heads around. “Do you mean licensure?” “Why isn’t our MT-BC enough?” My hope and intention with this post is that it will answer some of your questions and address some of your concerns.

What is state recognition?

As the name implies, state recognition refers to the policies and processes by which state governments and agencies recognize a particular profession. It is genuinely state-specific as each state recognizes and/or regulates professions differently.

What’s the point of state recognition?

As with everything we do, this is for our clients. We want our clients to be able to 1) access our services easily from 2) a qualified individual. Put in another way, it’s about recognizing quality services and allowing state citizens to know they are available and to be able to receive them.

How does state recognition work?

There are several ways state recognition can occur:

Regulatory Changes. Regulations refer to the rules that run a state and that are written to implement state laws. For example, a particular state agency (e.g. Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Education, etc.) have written into their regulatory code what professions (e.g. PTs, OTs, etc.) are eligible to provide services to citizens that department covers. In some states, this is very specific and in other states it is not. Some states include music therapy in their regulations and some do not. In some states, getting added to the regulations may be enough for state recognition and in other states, you need another form of recognition before you can be added.

The next 3 options require legislation be passed to create this type of recognition.

Registries. A registry is basically a list that says “the people included here have met X, Y, and Z, requirements and are allowed to perform ___ services in the state.” There are no boards and not much quality-control oversight, but a registry often provides title protection and does offer state recognition.
Certifications. A state certification is a step up from a registry and a step down from a license in terms of quality control oversight. Some states still maintain state certifications, though is seems that most do not.
Licenses. This is the “gold standard” of state recognition. A state license generally includes a board that oversees (e.g. regulates) the profession and there many be state-specific training requirements before one can apply for a license (e.g. a mandatory reporting workshop). A state license offers the most in terms of title protection and public protection. It is not uncommon for a license to be the only way a state recognizes a particular profession.

Who is working on this?

From the beginning (i.e. since 2005), the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) and the Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT) have worked jointly and collaboratively on this initiative. About seven years ago, representatives from each association got together and crafted the State Recognition Operational Plan.

Now, Judy Simpson (Director of Government Relations for AMTA), Dr. Dena Register (Regulatory Affairs Adviser for CBMT), and I (Regulatory Affairs Associate for CBMT) work together to facilitate the implementation of this Plan. We work with task forces from each state to implement the Plan and determine what is the best way for music therapy to be recognized in that state.

Why isn’t our national MT-BC enough?

Although there are many factors that contribute towards why we are focusing on state recognition, one of the primary reasons is due to a shift in government. Over the past 10-15 years, state governments, as opposed to the federal government, have taken more control over the oversight and regulation of professional occupations. The Plan is our attempt to take a proactive approach to get states to recognize our national MT-BC credential.

Will it cost me money?

This depends on the state in which you live, but any registry, state certification, or license will cost some money to cover administrative fees. We do not know how much because, again, that is determined at the state level and each state operates and functions differently. Just know that those working on this Plan are working for you and in your best interests.

Do I get a say in this?

Of course! All the task forces work hard to communicate regularly with the music therapists in their state. Most of this correspondence happens through email, so be sure to read what your task force sends! Nothing moves forward without the consent of the membership.

If you want to be more involved, I invite you to visit the CBMT State Task Force map, click on your state, and contact your task force to see how you can be involved.

Conclusion

In conclusion, here’s more information about the State Recognition Operational Plan:

Since 2005, the American Music Therapy Association and the Certification Board for Music Therapists have collaborated on a State Recognition Operational Plan. The primary purpose of this Plan is to get music therapy and our MT-BC credential recognized by individual states so that citizens can more easily access our services. The AMTA Government Relations staff and CBMT Regulatory Affairs staff provide guidance and technical support to state task forces throughout the country as they work towards state recognition. To date, their work has resulted in 35 active state task forces, 2 licensure bills passed in 2011, and an estimated 10 bills being filed in 2012 that seek to create either a music therapy registry or license for music therapy. This month, our focus is on YOU and on getting you excited about advocacy.

P.S. If you haven’t been reading these already, there are music therapists writing some FABULOUS articles about advocacy. I am blown away by their knowledge and by the diversity in posts. I’ve been keeping this page updated with new advocacy articles and invite you to do some reading yourself.

Top Music Therapy Trends of 2012: A Wishlist

Kimberly — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 21:41:37 +0000

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The new year brings it’s share of articles and posts that start with phrases like “the best of…”, “top ____ stories of…”, and “top _____ trends to watch for…”

This year, I’ve decided to create my own list: top music therapy trends of 2012. This list is mostly a “wishlist” of what I would like to see as top trends. And it fits in nicely with our social media advocacy month, don’t you think? I mean, isn’t that part of what advocacy’s all about? As I see it, one of the goals of advocacy is to develop public awareness and recognition of our field. So much so that, perhaps, that it warrants our very own “top trends” list one day. Wouldn’t that be nice?

With that in mind, here is my “loosely-based-in-fact-but-mostly-a-wishlist” list of top music therapy trends to watch for in 2012:

More referrals from doctors

We will see a significant increase in the number of doctors who are referring their patients for music therapy assessments as they become more aware of music therapy and the science supporting why it works. Whether to help reduce stress for cardiac patients, provide mental health support for psychiatric patients, enhance exercise protocols for rehab patients, or provide emotional support and reduce pain in hospitalized patients, people are more aware of the benefits music therapy can offer and are asking for music therapy treatment.

School districts have easy access to music therapy

Gone are the days when parents had to fight to get music therapy added to their child’s IEP. Music therapy referrals and assessments are now common occurrences for children enrolled in special education programs. Parents, teachers, and aides are aware of the common signs and behaviors to look for that indicate a child might benefit from music therapy. Additionally, school districts across the country have easy access to a board-certified music therapist, whether contracted or employed.

Music therapists as characters in movies, TV shows, and novels

It all started rather recently with characters in novels by Jodi Picoult and Allison Pearson and in movies like The Music Never Stopped. Characters who work as music therapists are showing up more frequently in storylines that involve music, mental health and psychology, or the medical sciences. These movies, TV shows, and novels are helping to bring the music therapy profession into the public consciousness.

Customized music for workout programs

Exercise and workout programs are becoming more important and more popular for the baby boomer generation. Realizing the tremendous impact rhythm can have on our motor movements, music therapists are customizing music for workout programs. People who use these workout programs report that the music helps them workout more efficiently and for longer periods of time.

Arts and music education in all the schools

Realizing the tremendous benefit of an arts-based education on child development, schools are allocating more resources and support towards their art, music, dance, and theater departments. Gone are the days when schools automatically cut these programs. Instead, they are working to support and nurture their arts and music education programs.

People are seeking music therapy consultations

Music therapy–and any kind of therapy, for that matter–can be very expensive. As such, more and more music therapists are beginning to offer consultation services. Instead of working with a client individually every week, these music therapists are developing customized home-based programs that they track and tweak as needed.

The emergence of e-music therapy

Although the benefit and value of “doing therapy” through a video conferencing service like Skype is still being debated, music therapists are beginning to give it a test run. In particular, look for video conference to be used more often in conjunction with consultation services and as a way to access clients in remote areas (e.g. for disaster relief).

All 50 states formally recognize music therapy

For the very first time–and as a result of the collaboration between the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA), the Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT), and music therapists across the country–all 50 states formally recognize the music therapy profession. Some states have created a music therapy license and other states have created music therapy registries. Regardless, because of these efforts, we should start seeing it become easier for every US citizen to access music therapy services should they want to.

So, if you were to add anything to this “top trends” wishlist, what would it be?

P.S. Don’t forget! As part of social media advocacy month, take this fun little quiz to see what your advocacy personality is. Let us know in the comments section what type of advocate you are!

It’s Social Media Advocacy Month!

Kimberly — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 20:07:01 +0000

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The 2nd annual Social Media Advocacy month has officially launched!

If you read other music therapy blogs or listen to music therapy podcasts, you’ll notice a lot of us will be talking about advocacy. That is because over two dozen music therapy bloggers and podcasters are participating in a project in which we use social media to talk about and get people excited about advocacy.

You can read more about the project here and I highly encourage you to support all the participants by reading and sharing their posts.

For my part, I will be talking about advocacy and about this project every week this month. If you’re excited about this project–as I know I am!–and want to get into the action as it happens, be sure to follow the #mtadvocacy hashtag on Twitter.

In the meantime, I will leave you with a video I recorded and posted last year all about music therapy advocacy. Happy watching!

P.S. Did you know we have a “What’s Your Advocacy Personality?” quiz? It’s a fun, Cosmo-style quiz that will help you determine your most natural, comfortable advocacy style. Jump over here to check it out…and be sure to let us know your advocacy style in the comments section!

Best of 2011: The Top 10 Maven Posts

Kimberly — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 14:00:39 +0000

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As we wrap up 2011, thought I would jump on the “best of ” bandwagon and contribute a list of the top Maven posts from this past year. Your views did the voting…and here’s what you liked:

10. It’s Raining Awesome YouTube Videos! (March 2011)

For whatever reason, last spring there was a plethora of amazing videos related in some way to music therapy. I shared several of them with you in this article.

9. 4 Reasons Why This Song is NOT Good for Walking (May 2011)

With all the media exposure music therapy received as a result of Rep. Gifford’s rehab treatment, the song that was given as an example to facilitate gait training (e.g. walking) really bugged me…and in this post I explain why.

8. It’s Brain Awareness Week! (March 2011)

I was incredibly humbled and proud that my friends over at Posit Science invited me to participate in a live Facebook Q&A on music and the brain.

7. 73 Things I Wish I’d Known as a New Therapist (March 2011)

This was one of those kernel-of-an-idea thoughts that just exploded. The wisdom and insight shared by music therapists via Twitter and Facebook completely astounded me and took me off guard…yet led to perhaps one of the best blog posts of the year!

6. The Best Nail Polish Ever (May 2011)

Yeah…that one surprised me, too

5. 13 Inspiring Articles from my Fellow Music Therapy Bloggers (May 2011)

When I wrote this, I remember being so awed and amazed by all the wonderful articles my fellow music therapy bloggers were contributing that I wanted to share a bunch with you.

4. What is Music Therapy State Recognition? (January 2011)

State recognition is a hot topic in our field these day…and made the more so by the passing to music therapy licensure legislation in North Dakota and Nevada last spring.

3. Book Review: Sing You Home (March 2011)

One of the several national-exposure-for-music-therapy events that made 2011 such a banner year for us as a profession.

2. Movie Review: The Music Never Stopped (March 2011)

What can I say? 2011 was a great year to be a music therapist!

1. What is a typical music therapy session like? (February 2011)

This, the top post from 2011, prompted one of the most insightful discussions in the comments section than I had seen in awhile.

Thank you for your continued readership and support. I wish you a safe and celebratory New Year. I’ll catch you again in 2012!

Happy Holidays from the Music Therapy Maven!

Kimberly — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 14:00:54 +0000

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Wishing you a joyous and happy holiday with your loved ones…from my family to yours.

The 2011 Moore Holiday Letter

Twas the week before Christmas and as you can tell / my voice doesn’t sound right, can’t sing very well.
So in lieu of our annual holiday song / this poem must suffice to sum up our year-long.

Lorian’s sweet, more quietly happy / She loves pretty dresses, a princess wants to be
She started dance classes and performed late last spring / She’s all full of sweetness as she dances and sings.

Jameson’s happy, a spirited lad / He’s visually creative, just like his dad
This year he went skiing, started taking piano / He had two recitals, and’s always on the go.

The biggest change this year is all due to me / as this fall I started work on my PhD
I keep up my blogging and work state policy / it’s quite a bit to juggle, but still I’m happy.

Steven, he works as a UCM chair / of Music. It’s busy, there’s much to do there.
Old building remodels, new people to hire / Plus he published a book! My! A lot has transpired.

Thus 2011 is now summed up nicely / We’re happy and healthy, wish you that precisely
As we wrap up this letter, we want you to hear / Happy Holidays to all, and to all a good year.

Inspired by the poem “Twas the Night Before Christmas”

Holiday PhD Gratitude – Top 5 Things I’m Grateful For

Kimberly — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 15:28:18 +0000

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Today I finish my first semester of my PhD!!!!!!!!!!

I don’t know that I can adequately express in words how excited I am to have finished this first chapter in my doctorale career. I recognize that I still have a looooong way to go…but I also think it’s important to celebrate the baby steps along the way, don’t you?

Today marks one of those baby steps.

I also recognize that I did not do it alone. As it’s the holiday season and a time to reflect on our blessings, it seems appropriate for me to reflect on those things I am grateful for.

With that in mind, here is a list of the top 5 things I’m grateful for as I wrap-up this first semester of PhD work:

1) My family…

…for making many small (and sometimes big) sacrifices so that I can fulfill this dream.

2) My KC parents…

…for housing me every week, feeding me, and doing all the dishes.

3) My UMKC professors and fellow students…

…for your support and for pushing me to learn and grow.

4) My Apple MacBook, iPad, and iPhone…

…for making learning new and fun.

5) The cashier at the Einstein Brothers Bagel shop…

…for letting me pay for my $1.09 coffee refill without standing in line.

Your turn!

I bet I’m not the only one who is wrapping up an accomplishment right now! What is your accomplishment…and what does your “gratitude accomplishment list” look like?

Maven Sponsor Shout-Out!

Kimberly — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 23:09:01 +0000

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I’m excited to share with you these wonderful Maven sponsors. They’re an impressive bunch and I’m honored that they’ve chosen to sponsor this blog. So please…if you haven’t had the chance to check them out, do!

Please join me in saying “hi!” to the latest Maven sponsor, A Perfect Lullaby. Developed by music therapist–and fellow Iowa alum–Matt Logan, the A Perfect Lullaby CD takes all the work from you and gives you the “best of the best” lullabies for you and your baby. As an added bonus, subscribe to their podcast for tips on when to use lullabies, strategies for building a better bond with your baby, and other CD recommendations.

Michelle Erfurt from the Music Therapy Tween continues to share useful information for music therapy students, interns, and professionals alike. Her beautiful, hand-made boomwhacker ® totes were selling like hotcakes at the recent AMTA conference and there’s time, yet, to purchase one as a holiday present for your music therapy friend. Additionally, Michelle has just published a great, must-read series on finding music therapy work.

Rachel Rambach runs the popular Listen and Learn blog. Rachel is a board-certified music therapist, a singer/songwriter, a blogger, a social media and technology enthusiast, and an educator–and you can find a little of all of that on her blog. Rachel is less than one-month away from her goal of posting 365 blog articles in 2011 and she continues to share valuable songs, ideas, and tips in her Sunday Singalong and Friday Fave series.

Rhythm Ring is a nifty little instrument that lets you literally have “percussion at your fingertips.” This finger shaker can easily be used with string and percussion instruments and–let’s face it–that what we music therapists use most of the time, isn’t it? Congratulations are in order because Rhythm Ring is now a proud sponsor of Buddy Cruise this year…and have already donated 150 Rhythm Rings for an event next month! (P.S. This little guy would make a GREAT stocking stuffer! =D)

The Musical Autist is the brain-child of music teacher and soon-to-be-music-therapist CJ Diachenko. It just celebrated it’s one-year anniversary (congratulations Ms. CJ!) and has many accomplishments to show for it (including a highly successful Sensory-Friendly Concert series). CJ celebrated her blogging anniversary by re-launching a brand-new site, which you can find at www.themusicaautist.org.

Would YOU like to become a Maven sponsor and be seen by thousands of readers every month? Learn how here!

Book Review: Why We Like Music

Kimberly — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 03:06:46 +0000

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I am super-excited to share with you a book recently introduced to me: Why We Like Music: Ear, Emotion, Evolution. The book was originally published in Italy about 5 years. It has been translated into English by Stephen Thomson Moore and released just two months ago by New World Media.

Here’s the short version of this review: If you love reading Levitin, then you’ll love reading this book! I think it’s a must-read for any music therapist…and for anyone who is interested in why it is music touches us so deeply.

Here’s the longer review…

The author is science writer Silvia Bencivello. According to her bio, Ms. Bencivello is not only a writer, but also a radio and TV personality with a background in medicine. Which tells me–and which is apparent in her book–that she knows what she is talking about…and knows how to talk about it in an engaging and easy-to-read fashion.

What was especially interesting to me was that Why We Like Music not only nicely summarizes the music neuroscience research from the 1990s and early 2000s, but it also goes more deeply into music’s role in our evolution. In fact, Bencivello pulls together research not just from evolutionary psychology, but also animal research, neuroscience, and infant development.

Better yet, Bencivello doesn’t just summarize the research, but she interprets it and describes it in an accessible way. With lots of stories and anecdotes along the way to boot.

The biggest down-side to this book is that it didn’t get published in English sooner! And what if she had written it this year? Who knows what Bencivello would have had to say about all the fabulous music neuroscience research that has happened over the past 5 years.

In short, I highly, highly recommend this book if you are professionally or personally interested in why we like and respond to music. It’s available in print and Kindle edition on Amazon, as well as in the Apple iBookstore.

I leave you, then, with an excerpt from the book…What do you think?

——————————————————————————————-

(page 73-74)

PROTOLANGUAGE…

Tecumseh Fitch is a psychologist at St. Andrews University, Scotland, as well as an amateur musician—his “I Don’t Believe in Evolution,” heard in sneak preview at the Festival of Sciences in Rome in January 2006,10 is certainly not to be missed. Fitch is one of those who believe that all that is needed to dismantle the theory of human beings using music as a sexual attractor are a couple of observations:

In the animal kingdom, it is true, it is almost always the males who sing, and they do so especially during mating season. But there are also splendid examples of species in which males and females sing together, as happens with tropical birds. However, for us this is not the case at all. Among humans, both males and females have the same musical abilities. These abilities appear long before sexual maturity. Indeed, we already hear music while still in the womb! (11)

Thus, the fact that a love song can create the right atmosphere during a date does not mean that music was created in order to make us mate. In the same way, the fact that young musicians—from the guitarist who sings on the beach to the pop star in a boy band—are often surrounded by pretty girls has little to do with the erotic potential of music. This, according to Fitch, is more likely to be linked to music’s emotional content and the ability that any song may have to move us, depending on our personal tastes. Moreover, unlike other animal species, it is difficult in the case of human beings to claim that males and females have different abilities, or even different musical tastes—indeed, it is obvious that interest in music is completely independent of reproductive capacity or sexual orientation.

There is a fundamental difference between how humans and animals make use of music. For us music is above all a pleasure, whereas other species need it primarily for communication.

So even though we may interpret the sounds produced by animals as what we would call music, their function is more similar to what we consider as language.

This is why those who deal with the question of evolution and the origin of our musicality cannot help but focus on the relationships between music and language development. This is also true because of the undeniable similarity between the structures that we use in order to sing and talk, listen to music and follow a conversation: our voices, our ears and our brains.

However, the story of evolution has taught us that our mechanisms of communication did not simply appear just to allow us to talk, in the same way as our eyes did not appear just to let us see, and so forth. These are systems that evolved through a series of chance events and proved to be more advantageous than others because they enabled the development of various abilities (or improved some pre-existing possibilities), which in turn made it easier to survive and to reproduce in a particular environment. In fact, the structures we use to produce our voices and those we use to hear the words of others in a conversation also exist in many other animals. The larynx with the vocal cords and the cochlea in the inner ear are not peculiarities found only in our species, nor is their only function that of letting us speak and sing, even though we humans use them mostly for this purpose. When these structures appeared, they turned out to be highly advantageous solutions to general problems of communication and perception: having vocal cords that vibrate with the passage of air while you breathe out made it possible to create sounds or shouts. The ability to hear the noises made by other animals moving among the vegetation was an obvious advantage, both as prey or predator.

In the struggle for survival, combining the two things—being able to call out to a companion to warn it of the presence of a hunter, safe in the knowledge that the cry would be heard and understood, or then again, being able to frighten prey with a roar and then follow it while it retreated through the foliage by listening to the noise it made—gave animals powerful weapons. Later, humans also learned to use these same weapons in order to talk—and who knows how, when and why, also to make music.

According to Fitch, the connections between music and language are clear: music is a protolanguage from which our spoken communication evolved—and it stuck around even after the birth of language because we nd it pleasing. The first person to come up with this theory was Charles Darwin, according to whom, in addition to being used as means of seduction, early musical vocalizations were the origin of words.