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Music Is The Most Influential Real Life Application Of Music Psychology

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Music is an ancient and universal practice regarded as a form of expression and emotional communication (Levitin & Tirovolas, 2009). It is therefore assumed a degree of musicianship is biologically guaranteed in humans; we are likely to either actively participate in the production of music or passively listen to it (Wilson, 1987). Music psychology aims to explain musical behaviour through the understanding of various cognitive processes including perception, performance and memory (Tan, Pfordresher & Harré, 2010). The increasing fascination with the relatively new branch of science has generated the question as to whether studying music psychology is useful. It is still very early in terms of its testing and impact to make broad statements, however, it does appear to provide therapeutic support for patients with various disorders (Wan, Rüber, Hohmann & Schlaug, 2010) and has had a considerable impact on musical memory (Ueda, Suzukamo, Sato & Izumi, 2013).

Music therapy is arguably the most prominent real-life application of music psychology. Through the use of music, the expressive therapy aims to improve the quality of life in a variety of clients by stabilising moods, boosting confidence and improving self-expression (Choi, Lee & Lim, 2008). Music therapy can take two forms: active and receptive. Active therapy refers to the creative and expressive situation in which patients participate in making music. In contrast, receptive therapy refers to a more peaceful setting

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