Deafness and hearing loss and music education: We will investigate the processes through which children and adults with hearing aids or cochlear implants engage in music making, and study the enjoyment they experience when participating in music-making. We also will examine the role that vibro-tactile technologies can play in enhancing musical experience among Deaf people. 

Hearing loss in musicians: Professional musicians are often dependent on having and maintaining good hearing health to be successful in their line of work. As such, hearing loss can threaten a musician’s ability to perform well and can have a detrimental effect on their career. We examine this problem by looking at the specific risk factors of developing hearing loss for this population, documenting the consequences and exploring ways to compensate for hearing loss so that musicians can continue to work in conditions that are appropriate for them.

Blindness: We want to study how people who are blind and visually impaired learn music to understand accessible challenges with the idea of designing wearable technologies to assist in the learning process.

Differences in sensory processing: Neurodiverse people, including those with autism spectrum disorder, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, often experience the sensory world differently than those that are neurotypical. We will examine how music can be used as a tool to support sensory regulation, as well as how adaptations to the sensory environment can facilitate musical engagement for neurodiverse populations.

Development of adaptive technologies and performances: We want explore the impacts of various adaptive and assistive music technologies and develop new models for adaptive performances that take into account diverse sensory, cognitive, and physical needs. One of our aims is to better understand how adaptive technologies and performances can facilitate music making among people with diverse minds and bodies.

Motion, flexibility, strength, balance in aging: Although there have been a number of exciting studies recently about how music affects movement characteristics including muscle strength/recruitment, chronic pain and the physical manifestation of aging, we observe great variation in the quality of these studies and the evidence is often weak. Studies with strong design and robust methods are now essential to establish how, and under what conditions, music can affect a person’s movement abilities.

Motor disorders in neurodegenerative diseases: There is growing evidence to suggest that music making can have a positive effect on people with motor deficiencies, such as multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease. We will continue examining the therapeutic potentials of music-based therapeutic approaches for these populations.

Physical disabilities: The most common types of physical disability conditions among older adults are pain and mobility, due to an injury or an accident, as well as amputation and paralysis. Music can play an important role in the process of rehabilitation. Its effects and the mechanisms by which they occur still need to be studied in more detail. Also, increasing evidence demonstrates that rhythm and music can aid in the improvement of mobility and rehabilitation in people with movement disorders such as cerebral palsy, or those recovering from injuries causing physical limitations. We will explore applications in music therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy and music education.

Pain and injuries related to intensive musical practice: In any given year, over 50% of professional orchestra musicians worldwide suffer pain related to the practice of their instrument (and 20% report being forced to stop playing for a while); and more than 80% of music students experience mild to severe pain when practicing their instrument. We seek to develop and disseminate best practices in prevention and remediation for these musicians.

Acquired neurogenic cognitive disorders: Music may help to improve the well-being and quality of life for individuals experiencing cognitive disabilities caused by brain lesions, such as dementia, Parkinson, traumatic brain injury, or stroke. We plan to explore how music-based interventions favorably affect brain function and how such programs may affect cognitive functions with consequences in increased well-being.

Neurodevelopmental cognitive disorders: We study how music may help reach therapeutic goals for people with autistic spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, Down syndrome, and dyslexia, with potential benefits on executive function, self-regulation, affective state, and cognitive processing.

Mood, stress, anxiety and depression: We aim to study how the pleasure and enjoyment of music can affect mental health by contributing to mood enhancement, decreases in depression, relief of stress and tension, as well as promoting group identification, self-esteem, and feelings of achievement.

Burnout and compassion fatigue: Health professionals and family members often experience high levels of stress and work-related psychological distress. Acknowledging this burden, we want to explore how it can be alleviated through music.

Music performance anxiety: Music performance anxiety is common among musicians and music students. It affects their performance and interferes with the quality of their personal life. We will examine this issue and the effectiveness of therapeutic approaches targeting this specific type of anxiety and its consequences.

Social isolation: Social isolation may be experienced by individuals who are living in vulnerable social contexts. People experiencing poverty, as well as newcomers, immigrants, ethnic minority populations, and those living with mental, cognitive, and physical disabilities are all at increased risk of being socially isolated. This experience of exclusion from mainstream life can have many adverse effects, including lower levels of happiness and overall life satisfaction. Music can be a powerful and transformative tool to address this challenge as group music activities provide a social environment for interactions and offer opportunities for community-building, helping to mitigate isolation and build crucial social networks.

Neurodevelopmental cognitive disorders: We study how music may help reach therapeutic goals for people with autistic spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, Down syndrome, and dyslexia, with potential benefits on executive function, self-regulation, affective state, and cognitive processing.

Cultural exclusion: To provide equal opportunities for engagement in the arts, particularly in marginalized communities, it is important to expand the range of music-making options and choices. For example, sensory-friendly or relaxed music performances, with adapted environments and tailored programming, can impact the experience of selected target populations.