Another instrument at the music therapist’s disposal: technology

Marijke is passionate about testing new technological capabilites around music in the professional context. This came about, in part, out of necessity from her work with clients in special education and rehabilitation: “I work with people with disabilities to transition them smoothly into an increasingly technology-driven world. This means I sometimes have to seek out technical aids early on. Technology can allow my clients a certain degree of agency and empowerment, paving the way for meaningful progress."

Accessible yet functional

This aids can involve instruments such as the Eyeharp, an electronic musical instrument played via eye-tracking. Marijke used the Eyeharp while treating a young refugee: “For this patient, musical instruments were overwhelming, so the Eyeharp became an accessible way for her to make music. To use it, she controls the software with her eyes and receives auditory feedback. The subsequent improvised musical sounds are beautiful and helps her express her mood. Her resulting self-confidence from these experiences has allowed her to make great strides; now she even plays piano in a band."

This example demonstrates two elements at the core of music therapy education at ArtEZ. First, that technology should be used functionally, with a goal in mind. Marijke explains, “Before beginning any therapeutic method, we ask: what is the patient’s goal, what do we need to achieve that, and how far do we as practitioners want to take them? Through which methods, including traditional instruments and music technology, could this be accomplished? After all, technology is simply another instrument, another way to achieve the patient’s therapeutic goals.” In addition, technology should always be used within a broader therapeutic context, such as in the case of the Burundian refugee. Here, Marijke as the therapist set out the steps to achieve her patient’s end goal - comfort playing instruments in a social musical setting - via music technology. 

AI is not a replacement, but an enhancement."- Artur Jaschke

The human element to technology usage

“The key to successful use of technology in music therapy is for it never to lose the human element,” lector Artur Jaschke says. "Human interaction, establishing trust, human motivations, emotions and behaviour - you have to fully understand the ins and outs of those to use technology positively and effectively. What emotions do I sense, what behaviours are there? Using the human element as the basis, you can then apply different therapeutic approaches, one of which could be technology.”

 Artur is wary of buzzwords like Artificial Intelligence (AI). "If you don't have AI in your course offerings today, you seem out-of-touch. However, AI itself doesn't actually exist. Algorithms exist, and translating from the analogue to digital sphere exists, but AI by itself does not." Marijke agrees with him: "AI is a big thing now, but concerning AI applications in music therapy, I wonder why we need AI for that. It is precisely through face-to-face contact, talking with each other, and sensing tiny reactions where the therapeutic process lies. For me as a music therapist, it is not about the end result, but about my clients’ journeys to get there."

Incubator babies and AI

This doesn’t mean that AI or algorithms have no use in a music therapy context, however. Indeed, AI-based solutions are already well underway. Artur is currently involved in a project successfully utilising AI to help premature babies in incubators. As Artur explains, "We installed motion capture cameras in an incubator to observe how the child moves. A machine learning algorithm analyses these movements and plays a specific sound, such as a heartbeat or the mother's voice. Factoring in additional data gathered from heart and blood pressure monitors in the incubator, the algorithm thereby learns when the child is calm or stressed."

In this context, the project leads specifically do not play AI-generated music for these babies. Artur explains: “Music is something only a human therapist can provide. We would not provide music therapy using digitally-generated music - only non-musical sounds. In that respect, AI is not a replacement but an enhancement of the therapeutic process. Sometimes a child gets so restless that even a trained nurse has difficulty calming a child down. In that case, AI could play recordings of the mother's voice, or call the parents to talk to their child live and soothe them.”

Speeding up the data-gathering process

Another way AI is being used in music therapy is in video analysis. "Analysing footage of how a child moves takes a lot of time. AI helps by filtering, analysing and clustering images where the child is making a certain movement and asking the therapist to confirm whether the detected associated emotion is correct," says Artur. "This human element [to check AI findings] is essential to every AI solution. Again, AI should never replace humans. It should just make their job easier."

ArtEZ trains its students to be music therapists, not developers. Therefore, to develop technological solutions, the university primarily seeks out external partners to work with. Artur: "We collaborate with national and international partners and are members of the Dutch AI Coalition. We are not coders, nor do I expect my students to be. But I do expect them to understand the fundamentals of technology and know what is and could be possible."

Connecting to the music, not the technology

Marijke mentions ArtEZ’s collaboration with the University of Twente, where a master's student in Creative Design developed a game and, subsequently, the Miracle Flute. "The Miracle Flute programme plays recognisable notes from a symphony while providing onscreen instructions in brass-playing technique. This in turn improves the lung capacity of young people with muscular illnesses. It's a great example of gamification."

Here again, the key is to stay cognizant that technology does not become the central focus of the therapeutic method, but rather stays as a means to an end. “In using this technology for therapeutic purposes, you should approach it with your client from a place of connecting to and expressing the music, rather than trying to master the technology.”

This ties in with what Artur sees as a mishandling of technology caused by the omnipresence of smartphones: "Globally, we have accepted the smartphone’s presence (and that of technology in general) in every context without question. Our work as therapists is to be careful that we apply technology mindfully, not mindlessly, in the delicate human situations we face within a therapeutic context. A smartphone or AI is interesting, but does it necessarily add more value than a conversation or guitar music? We want to teach our students to think critically about applying technology to their therapeutic practice.”