Music and Healing: Progress Towards Elysium Catherine Wilson a Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies in Part
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MUSIC AND HEALING: PROGRESS TOWARDS ELYSIUM CATHERINE WILSON A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY GRADUATE PROGRAM IN MUSIC YORK UNIVERSITY TORONTO, CANADA May, 2016 © Catherine Wilson, 2016 Abstract Music and Healing: Progress towards Elysium This dissertation explores some of the many roles music, as a healing and nurturing art, plays in support of health and wellness. The fundamental question is “how does music nurture, revive, animate, and inspire us to lead healthier and richer lives?” Historical and modern sources, ranging from ancient philosophical works to reports of laboratory-based investigations, suggests that music is a remarkably positive and therapeutic element in the development of happier, healthier individuals, and well- adjusted societies. This study is the outcome of three deeply personal impulses: a) the experience of one who has personally benefited from music as a healing balm; b) the performer's desire to better understand the positive reactions, both emotional and physical, of audiences to specific musical selections and genres; and c) growing evidence that society is weakened and dulled (“nor can foot feel, being shod”) by the loss of the collective experience of live music due to the proliferation of digital technologies that facilitate access to a complexity of recorded music choices. There is compelling scientific documentation that experience listening to and creating live music when very young is especially beneficial. If the “positive seeds” of music are not planted in youth, the continued disintegration of the long-standing cultural musical institutions that serve a vital role in maintaining the social fabric is threatened. ii The dissertation documents the author’s own response to the diminution of opportunities for participation in live music: the establishment of Euterpe, a non-profit charitable organization that presents live interactive classical and jazz performance programs for children in the public school system. The work is captured and analyzed in several ways: video recordings; art work produced by the children during Euterpe programs, and analysis extracted from previously published Qualitative Research Studies which were designed by leading scientific researchers in the field. iii Acknowledgements I am very grateful to the members of the York Music Department who have given this rare opportunity for reflection and research on a career in music, and offered encouragement and support all through the “downs” as well as the “ups” of this exciting and challenging journey. Michael Coghlan has been a model supervisor, giving confidence in the importance of my interests and tracing the paths for testing and developing ideas that have come together over a period of more than thirty years of performance, teaching, and the creation and production of musical programs. I have also been very fortunate in my committee. Professors Rob van der Bliek and Rob Simms were particularly helpful with the comprehensive examinations. The preparation for those examinations, and the discussions during the oral defence, provided a strong foundation for the dissertation, and much of the material in two of the chapters. Mark Chambers, who succeeded Rob Simms, grasped the direction and significance of my work, and pitched in with helpful discussions as well as detailed—and timely—written critiques. Special thanks are due to the other members of the examining committee for their careful reading of my work and their invaluable insights: Professor Barry Elmes, the chair, and external examiners Dr. Lori-Anne Dolloff of the University of Toronto and Professor Emerita Mary-Elizabeth Manley from York University. Their comments during the defence and their written reports have made this work stronger in both form and substance. iv My experience has been that old friends are the best friends, and in my case these friends are my family. Violinist/violist Norman Hathaway has been a musical partner in many of the endeavours discussed in these pages, and applied his talents as an administrator to ensure the success of these projects. He also proof-read the final copy of my work. Roger Sarty, once a fellow music student and now a professor of Canadian history, gave guidance on the quirks and conventions of academic writing. Craig Jewell, a fellow Northlandia Concert Band member who went on to a career in business, was another proof-reader extraordinaire. The support and inspirational collaboration of Rick Wilkins, CM, has been instrumental throughout my career. I also thank composer Dr. John Burke, another champion throughout my career. Dr. Ingrid Tein, a friend since adolescence, has steadfastly believed in my talents and provided great strength. I thank Sarah Walton and Patricia Harvie for their enlightened support and guidance. I also wish to thank my hand surgeons, Drs. Richard Singer and Gary Pess; Occupational Therapists Eileen Longworth and Pat McKee; Physiotherapists Olive Pester, SP Sipila, and Angus Driver for their expert care and compassion. Perhaps I would not have become a concert pianist had my Mother, Maria Wilson, not brought a beaten-up upright piano into my life while I was in grade school, for which I am grateful. Many people—the exceptional musicians of Ensemble Vivant, our manager Ian Davies, recording producer Claudio Vena, recording engineer Ashley Clarke, and, of course, our wonderful audiences—have sustained my career and made it a joyous experience. It is the joyous experiences that stimulated the ideas that are at the heart of v this dissertation. I can only hope that those who have contributed so much will recognize their contributions in these pages. vi Table of Contents Abstract ............................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................ iv Table of Contents .............................................................................................................. vii Table of Figures ............................................................................................................. ix Glossary of Specialized Terms ........................................................................................... x Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 1 Assumptions, Scope, and Limitations ............................................................................. 3 Importance of Subject ..................................................................................................... 5 Working Hypothesis ....................................................................................................... 7 Method and Structure ...................................................................................................... 7 Chapter One. Situation of Self: Professional Career History and Personal Awakening .. 13 1.1 Overview of Chapter One ....................................................................................... 13 1.2 Early Days ............................................................................................................... 13 1.3 Establishment of Performance Career .................................................................... 16 1.4 Professional Connections ........................................................................................ 17 1.5 Recording Focus ..................................................................................................... 19 1.6 Composition ............................................................................................................ 21 1.7 Expanding the Sonic Palette ................................................................................... 22 1.8 Manifesting the Elusive Dream .............................................................................. 27 1.9 Towards a Healthy Buoyancy ................................................................................. 31 1.10 The Musicians of Ensemble Vivant ...................................................................... 33 Chapter Two. Origins and Lineage ................................................................................... 37 2.1 Overview of Chapter Two ...................................................................................... 37 2.2 The Nature of the Challenge ................................................................................... 37 2.3 Music in Ancient Greece and Other Ancient Cultures ........................................... 39 Chapter Three. Into the Mystic: The Essence of the Ephemeral “Magic” in Music ........ 70 3.1 Overview of Chapter Three .................................................................................... 70 3.2 Sound as Signal ....................................................................................................... 70 3.3 Transformation ........................................................................................................ 73 3.4 Music in the Visual Arts ......................................................................................... 84 Chapter Four. Music in Homo Sapiens ........................................................................... 110 4.1 Overview of Chapter Four ...................................................................................