What is CoMusicate about?
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The Power of Music
For several decades now, music has also been used and studied within healthcare and community settings as a means of enhancing the wellbeing of adults with severe mental ill health. Research has shown that music can improve mood, reduce symptoms of illness, increase social connectivity, and promote identity and resilience. |
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New ways of accessing musical experiences for adults with SMI
The pandemic has accelerated our use of technology to meet new challenges. The CoMusicate project works with adults with SMI to co-design some new technology that will allow users to listen to, create, and interact with music and sound in different ways.
We intend the CoMusicate technology to be as flexible and accessible as possible. It should be able to be used privately by individuals with SMI, and also used by music leaders in their work with individuals and groups of adults with SMI. As such, the CoMusicate project seeks to understand the perspectives of both adults with lived experience of SMI, and music and health practitioners who work with adults with SMI.
The pandemic has accelerated our use of technology to meet new challenges. The CoMusicate project works with adults with SMI to co-design some new technology that will allow users to listen to, create, and interact with music and sound in different ways.
We intend the CoMusicate technology to be as flexible and accessible as possible. It should be able to be used privately by individuals with SMI, and also used by music leaders in their work with individuals and groups of adults with SMI. As such, the CoMusicate project seeks to understand the perspectives of both adults with lived experience of SMI, and music and health practitioners who work with adults with SMI.
CoMusicate Phase 1: Research Questions
The CoMusicate project addresses the following research questions:
The CoMusicate project addresses the following research questions:
- How do adults with SMI want to engage with music, and what are the perceived benefits?
- How might technology facilitate such engagement and provide new ways of responding to, creating, manipulating, and interacting with sound?
- What barriers might there be around accessing music and music technology for adults with SMI?
- How are music leaders using technology at present in their work with adults with SMI?
- What possibilities do music leaders see for using music technology in new ways in such work in the future?
- What do music leaders perceive the challenges and barriers to be around incorporating technology into their practice with adults with SMI?
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CoMusicate Phase 1 (2021-2023): Project Overview
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Technology from a co-design workshop activity
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Key Findings of Phase 1
Adults with SMI enjoy engaging with music in a variety of ways, and perceive it to offer opportunities for mood regulation, self-expression, a sense of purpose, connecting with others, and sometimes accomplishment.
The interviewees and workshop contributors were curious about the potential for music technology to enhance their experiences of music. Music listening was perceived to offer therapeutic benefits and be widely accessible to all, but the specific music/sound preferred depends on individual preferences and circumstances. Visuals accompanying music were considered important. Creating music both individually and collaboratively was appealing, perhaps using simple visual composition tools to avoid the need to understand how musical notation works. Participants were also interested in the option to record their own music/sound and share with others.
Several barriers were noted, including access to technology, confidence and skill with both music and technology, motivation to begin and continue to engage with the technology, and safeguarding users.
Music leaders have been using technology for remote delivery (running rehearsals or regular music learning/sharing/interest groups, sharing recordings or parts, running social events for pre-formed groups), and for creating and sharing playlists. They were curious about opportunities for using technology to create sharing spaces for established groups during or between sessions, to support remote rehearsing and performing, and as an additional tool for one-to-one practice to show clients and lead them through particular musical activities. Several challenges were highlighted, including the availability of technology, practitioner skill and confidence with technology, and being able to moderate group work and ensuring all users are kept safe.
Adults with SMI enjoy engaging with music in a variety of ways, and perceive it to offer opportunities for mood regulation, self-expression, a sense of purpose, connecting with others, and sometimes accomplishment.
The interviewees and workshop contributors were curious about the potential for music technology to enhance their experiences of music. Music listening was perceived to offer therapeutic benefits and be widely accessible to all, but the specific music/sound preferred depends on individual preferences and circumstances. Visuals accompanying music were considered important. Creating music both individually and collaboratively was appealing, perhaps using simple visual composition tools to avoid the need to understand how musical notation works. Participants were also interested in the option to record their own music/sound and share with others.
Several barriers were noted, including access to technology, confidence and skill with both music and technology, motivation to begin and continue to engage with the technology, and safeguarding users.
Music leaders have been using technology for remote delivery (running rehearsals or regular music learning/sharing/interest groups, sharing recordings or parts, running social events for pre-formed groups), and for creating and sharing playlists. They were curious about opportunities for using technology to create sharing spaces for established groups during or between sessions, to support remote rehearsing and performing, and as an additional tool for one-to-one practice to show clients and lead them through particular musical activities. Several challenges were highlighted, including the availability of technology, practitioner skill and confidence with technology, and being able to moderate group work and ensuring all users are kept safe.
What's Next for the CoMusicate Project?
- Further co-design work with adults with lived experience of SMI, music leaders, and clinicians to narrow down further the specifications for the CoMusicate technology to develop a prototype;
- Testing and refining the prototype technology with adults with lived experience of SMI;
- Building the CoMusicate technology and evaluating user experience and impact on musical, social, and wellbeing outcomes.
