The 1st World Conference of the International Association for Music & Medicine 

Music in Medicine and Therapy Mozart & Science 2010

in Krems, Austria, November, 4th-6th, 2010

Image of Krems Altstadt from Wikimedia Commons.
Image of Krems Altstadt from Wikimedia Commons.

The first World Conference of IAMM took place as the third Mozart & Science Congress which  focused on the topic of music therapy and music medicine for clinical and outpatient requirements of doctors and nurses, specifically in the fields of chronobiology, brain research and the practice of music therapy.

The conference in Krems oriented its lectures towards medical fields such as oncology, dementia, epilepsy, depression, neurology, psychiatry, psychosomatics and trauma. Keynote Lectures provided overarching perspectives which allowed first-time attendees to understand what the physiological and psychological basis of the effects of music are.

Read on to learn about the more about IAMM2010!

Highlights

The speakers all had experience with the therapeutic use of music in medicine and used their own practice to show where and how this therapeutic agent could be found in everyday clinical practice and, above all, how it can be used advantageously. The case studies and papers presented in Krems broadened the spectrum of international practice. This meant that there were good prerequisites for debating quality standards and their documentation in music therapy, which were becoming more and more the norm in the medical field.

We warmly welcomed the interested public, in particular doctors, scientists, practitioners and decision-makers from all disciplines with regard to the topics of the congress, i.e. medical and nursing staff in clinics, homes, at universities, in practices and training; Psychologists and psychotherapists, music therapists and physiotherapists, music teachers and students responsible for health care.

Prof. Dr. Thomas Hillecke - Mozart & Science 2010
Prof. Dr. Thomas Hillecke - Mozart & Science 2010

Prof. Dr. Thomas Hillecke presented his heuristic effect factor model of music therapy.

In music therapy, instructions are primarily needed. That's why for the Heidelberger it's more about pragmatism than pure theory. The focus is on questions such as: For which indication can I use music and how? When do I do what? How can I use music?

He raised the question of where music therapy has its greatest strengths. But before that, Hillecke explored what is already available in music therapy and what knowledge can be used from which reference sciences. He identified the strengths of music therapy in the areas of attention modulation and emotion modulation. In his lecture, Thomas Hillecke justified and explained these two aspects.

Dr. Suzanne B. Hanser - Mozart & Science 2010
Dr. Suzanne B. Hanser - Mozart & Science 2010

Dr Suzanne B. Hanser from the Berklee Collage of Music spoke about the effects of musical stimulation on the immune system and demonstrated her bedside work. She played the flute as a demonstration, and explained that when patients are moved to tears by music, it can relieve stress.

Prof. Dr. Jaakko Erkkilä - Mozart & Science 2010
Prof. Dr. Jaakko Erkkilä - Mozart & Science 2010

Dr Jaakko Erkkilah presented his work on improvisational psychodynamic music therapy at the University of Jyväskylä to treat depression. Here, expressive, interactive musical improvisations were encouraged. By talking about the meaning after the improvisation, improvisation and clinical discussion can be connected.

Joanne Loewy - Mozart & Science 2010
Joanne Loewy - Mozart & Science 2010

Dr Joanne Loewy , editor of the interdisciplinary journal of Music and Medicine, presented the music therapy studies of the Louis Armstrong Center for Music and Medicine at Beth Israel Medical Center in NYC.

Vera Brandes - Mozart&Science 2008
Vera Brandes - Mozart&Science 2008

Vera Brandes presented studies on Individualized Audiotherapy (I-MAT (Copyright)) as monotherapy and adjuvant therapy for depression and burnout in outpatient medical practices and in occupational health care.

Mechanically ventilated patients in 12 intensive care units who are given the opportunity to listen to music are being studied at the University of Minnesota. In this study, the fear and stress levels of the patients is expected to be reduced by music.

IAMM2022 logo-01

7th International Conference of the IAMM

The 7th International Conference of the IAMM was held May 28 - 29, 2022 in Athens, Greece. Meetings and presentations from Greek and international invited speakers took place in person and through live streaming May 28 - 29, 2022. Additionally, a week of online-only presentations took place May 30 to June 3, 2022.

Athens is one of the world's oldest cities, offering centuries-old history to be explored and enjoyed. According to Plato, one of the first schools of music education was founded by the people of Crete followed by the musical schools of Athens, where students were taught to sing and play the lyre.

 All conference events were recorded and are available for registrants for 2 years. 

Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@macpukpro?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Patrick</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/athens?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a>