Insights in Music and Culture
What is the function of Music and Art? What I learnt from interviewing 10 Artists and Musicians.
In 2021, I undertook the Xook project for the City of Sydney. The project was a series of interviews with 10 artists and musicians that sought to explore individual attitudes and perspectives to music, art, and artistic practice. What we found was that each artist used their art to penetrate deeply into life, culture, and society. Whether as way to connect with ancestral legacies, continue cultural traditions, alleviate stress, or to know themselves more deeply, we found that music and art defined their physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being.
The Multi-Sensory Nature of Music Rituals
It is well-known that music affects our emotions, alters our states of being, and is used to treat various diseases from Alzheimer’s, trauma, pain, to Parkinson’s (Levitin 2024). Yet, we often forget that the context in which music is experienced is critical to the successful outcomes of music as therapy. This article argues that music is most powerful when considered within the context in which it is experienced, a holistic practice known as ‘music ritual’. Music rituals use a variety of methods- aural, kinaesthetic, conceptual, olfactory, visual, psychological to create an immersive environment where music can have the most impact.
The Psychology of Music: Transitions
How is music used to create altered states ?
In this article we explore the musical techniques that enable musicians to craft music that pushes audiences into trance and altered states. Based on research in music psychology, ritual, and global cultural practices, this article aims to change the way we think about music and its role in our lives.
