Abstract
Previous research has shown the positive effects of music interventions on the physical and psychological symptoms of different populations. Based on this evidence, music can be considered a relevant tool for relieving both psychological and physiological negative symptoms. When using music therapy, non-verbal forms of musical interaction are fundamental. Sound allows, regardless of meanings or specific language, a certain form of communication and thus relationality between people. The present symposium aims to provide an overview of the effects of music interventions (both active and passive) in order to underline the relationships between music, rhythm, and well-being. On these bases, three contributions will be presented: (1) “The effectiveness of triadic music therapy in reducing distress levels of parents and preterm infants: a systematic review”: this study is a systematic review aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of triadic music therapy in reducing parents’ and their preterm infants’ distress levels. All the selected studies have shown their effectiveness (e.g., improvement of physiological indices, shorter hospitalization, and a switch to faster oral feeding) after the music therapy interventions at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU); (2)“Video analysis of interaction during music therapy: a single-case study”: it is a single-case study aimed to explore how the behaviors of the music therapist/patient and their interaction changed within the session. Results highlighted a greater agency level of the child (which was more active in the posttest, playing instruments, vocalizing, and watching the therapist) and a greater propensity for interaction: (3) “Don’t STO(M)P the MUSIC”: it is an exploratory study aimed to explore music preferences and to validate the Italian version of the Short Test of Music Preferences (STOMP) with the goal of exploring the relationship between personality characteristics and music propensity. The study’s findings revealed a 5-factor structure of Italian music preferences and their relationship with the traits of dynamism, vulnerability, empathy, conscientiousness, imagination, and introversion. Knowing deeper music’s effect in different ways and contexts like the ones presented for this symposium can be helpful as a base for developing more effective music-based interventions aimed at enhancing well-being from a wide perspective and for different groups of people.