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The Top 10 Most Interesting Music Research Topics

Music is a vast and ever-growing field. Because of this, it can be challenging to find excellent music research topics for your essay or thesis. Although there are many examples of music research topics online, not all are appropriate.

This article covers all you need to know about choosing suitable music research paper topics. It also provides a clear distinction between music research questions and topics to help you get started.

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What makes a strong music research topic.

A strong music research topic must be short, straightforward, and easy to grasp. The primary aim of music research is to apply various research methods to provide valuable insights into a particular subject area. Therefore, your topic must also address issues that are relevant to present-day readers.

Also, for your research topic to be compelling, it should not be overly generic. Try to avoid topics that seem to be too broad. A strong research topic is always narrow enough to draw out a comprehensive and relevant research question.

Tips for Choosing a Music Research Topic

• Check with your supervisor. In some cases, your school or supervisor may have specific requirements for your research. For example, some music programs may favor a comparative instead of a descriptive or correlational study. Knowing what your institution demands is essential in choosing an appropriate research topic.
• Explore scientific papers. Journal articles are a great way to find the critical areas of interest in your field of study. You can choose from a wide range of journals such as The Journal of Musicology and The Journal of the Royal Musical Association . These resources can help determine the direction of your research.
• Determine your areas of interest. Choosing a topic you have a personal interest in will help you stay motivated. Researching music-related subjects is a painstakingly thorough process. A lack of motivation would make it difficult to follow through with your research and achieve optimal results.
• Confirm availability of data sources. Not all music topics are researchable. Before selecting a topic, you must be sure that there are enough primary and secondary data sources for your research. You also need to be sure that you can carry out your research with tested and proven research methods.
• Ask your colleagues: Asking questions is one of the many research skills you need to cultivate. A short discussion or brainstorming session with your colleagues or other music professionals could help you identify a suitable topic for your research paper.

What’s the Difference Between a Research Topic and a Research Question?

A research topic is a particular subject area in a much wider field that a researcher chooses to place his emphasis on. Most subjects are extensive. So, before conducting research, a researcher must first determine a suitable area of interest that will act as the foundation for their investigation.

Research questions are drawn from research topics. However, research questions are usually more streamlined. While research topics can take a more generic viewpoint, research questions further narrow the focus down to specific case studies or seek to draw a correlation between two or more datasets.

How to Create Strong Music Research Questions

Strong music research questions must be relevant and specific. Music is a broad field with many genres and possible research areas. However, your research question must focus on a single subject matter and provide valuable insights. Also, your research question should be based on parameters that can be quantified and studied using available research methods.

Top 10 Music Research Paper Topics

1. understanding changes in music consumption patterns.

Although several known factors affect how people consume music, there is still a significant knowledge gap regarding how these factors influence listening choices. Your music research paper could outline some of these factors that affect music consumer behavior and highlight their mechanism of action.

2. Hip-hop Culture and Its Effect on Teenage Behavior

In 2020, hip-hop and RnB had the highest streaming numbers , according to Statista. Without a doubt, hip-hop music has had a significant influence on the behavior of young adults. There is still the need to conduct extensive research on this subject to determine if there is a correlation between hip-hop music and specific behavioral patterns, especially among teenagers.

3. The Application of Music as a Therapeutic Tool

For a long time, music has been used to manage stress and mental health disorders like anxiety, PTSD, and others. However, the role of music in clinical treatment still remains a controversial topic. Further research is required to separate fact from fiction and provide insight into the potential of music therapy.

4. Contemporary Rock Music and Its Association With Harmful Social Practices

Rock music has had a great influence on American culture since the 1950s. Since its rise to prominence, it has famously been associated with vices such as illicit sex and abuse of recreational drugs. An excellent research idea could be to evaluate if there is a robust causal relationship between contemporary rock music and adverse social behaviors.

5. The Impact of Streaming Apps on Global Music Consumption

Technology has dramatically affected the music industry by modifying individual music consumption habits. Presently, over 487 million people subscribe to a digital streaming service, according to Statista. Your research paper could examine how much of an influence popular music streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music have had on how we listen to music.

6. Effective American Music Education Practices

Teaching practices have always had a considerable impact on students’ academic success. However, not all strategies have an equal effect in enhancing learning experiences for students. You can conduct comparative research on two or more American music education practices and evaluate their impact on learning outcomes.

7. The Evolution of Music Production in the Technology-driven Era

One of the aspects of music that is experiencing a massive change is sound production. More than ever before, skilled, tech-savvy music producers are in high demand. At the moment, music producers earn about $70,326 annually, according to ZipRecruiter. So, your research could focus on the changes in music production techniques since the turn of the 21st century.

8. Jazz Music and Its Influence on Western Music Genres

The rich history of jazz music has established it as one of the most influential genres of music since the 19th century. Over the years, several famous composers and leading voices across many other western music genres have been shaped by jazz music’s sound and culture. You could carry out research on the influence of this genre of music on modern types of music.

9. The Effect of Wars on Music

Wars have always brought about radical changes in several aspects of culture, including music styles. Throughout history, we have witnessed wars result in the death of famous musicians. If you are interested in learning about music history in relation to global events, a study on the impact of wars on music will make an excellent music research paper.

10. African Tribal Percussion

African music is well recognized for its unique application of percussion. Historically, several tribes and cultures had their own percussion instruments and original methods of expression. Unfortunately, this musical style has mainly gone undocumented. An in-depth study into ancient African tribal percussion would make a strong music research paper.

Other Examples of Music Research Topics & Questions

Music research topics.

• Popular musical styles of the 20th century
• The role of musical pieces in political movements
• Biographies of influential musicians during the baroque period
• The influence of classical music on modern-day culture
• The relationship between music and fashion

Music Research Questions

• What is the relationship between country music and conservationist ideologies among middle-aged American voters?
• What is the effect of listening to Chinese folk music on the critical thinking skills of high school students?
• How have electronic music production technologies influenced the sound quality of contemporary music?
• What is the correlation between punk music and substance abuse among Black-American males?
• How does background music affect learning and information retention in children?

Choosing the Right Music Research Topic

Your research topic is the foundation on which every other aspect of your study is built. So, you must select a music research topic that gives you room to adequately explore intriguing hypotheses and, if possible, proffer practically applicable solutions.

Also, if you seek to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree in Music , you must be prepared to conduct research during your study. Choosing the right music research topic is the first step in guaranteeing good grades and delivering relevant, high-quality contributions in this constantly expanding field.

Music Research Topics FAQ

A good music research topic should be between 10 to 12 words long. Long, wordy music essay topics are usually confusing. They can make it difficult for readers to understand the goal of your research. Avoid using lengthy phrases or vague terms that could confuse the reader.

Journal articles are the best place to find helpful resources for your music research. You can explore reputable, high-impact journal articles to see if any research has been done related to your chosen topic. Journal articles also help to provide data for comparison while carrying out your research.

Primary sources carry out their own research and cite their own data. In contrast, secondary sources report data obtained from a primary source. Although primary sources are regarded as more credible, you can include a good mixture of primary and secondary sources in your research.

The most common research methods for music research are qualitative, quantitative, descriptive, and analytical. Your research strategy is arguably the most crucial part of your study. You must learn different research methods to determine which one would be the perfect fit for your particular research question.

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• A Research Guide
• Research Paper Topics

120 Music Research Paper Topics

How to choose a topic for music research paper:.

Music Theory Research Paper Topics:

• The influence of harmonic progression on emotional response in music
• Analyzing the use of chromaticism in the compositions of Johann Sebastian Bach
• The role of rhythm and meter in creating musical tension and release
• Examining the development of tonality in Western classical music
• Exploring the impact of cultural and historical context on musical form and structure
• Investigating the use of polyphony in Renaissance choral music
• Analyzing the compositional techniques of minimalist music
• The relationship between melody and harmony in popular music
• Examining the influence of jazz improvisation on contemporary music
• The role of counterpoint in the compositions of Ludwig van Beethoven
• Investigating the use of microtonality in experimental music
• Analyzing the impact of technology on music composition and production
• The influence of musical modes on the development of different musical genres
• Exploring the use of musical symbolism in film scoring
• Investigating the role of music theory in the analysis and interpretation of non-Western music

Music Industry Research Paper Topics:

• The impact of streaming services on music consumption patterns
• The role of social media in promoting and marketing music
• The effects of piracy on the music industry
• The influence of technology on music production and distribution
• The relationship between music and mental health
• The evolution of music genres and their impact on the industry
• The economics of live music events and festivals
• The role of record labels in shaping the music industry
• The impact of globalization on the music industry
• The representation and portrayal of gender in the music industry
• The effects of music streaming platforms on artist revenue
• The role of music education in fostering talent and creativity
• The influence of music videos on audience perception and engagement
• The impact of music streaming on physical album sales
• The role of music in advertising and brand marketing

Music Therapy Research Paper Topics:

• The effectiveness of music therapy in reducing anxiety in cancer patients
• The impact of music therapy on improving cognitive function in individuals with Alzheimer’s disease
• Exploring the use of music therapy in managing chronic pain
• The role of music therapy in promoting emotional well-being in children with autism spectrum disorder
• Music therapy as a complementary treatment for depression: A systematic review
• The effects of music therapy on stress reduction in pregnant women
• Examining the benefits of music therapy in improving communication skills in individuals with developmental disabilities
• The use of music therapy in enhancing motor skills rehabilitation after stroke
• Music therapy interventions for improving sleep quality in patients with insomnia
• Exploring the impact of music therapy on reducing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• The role of music therapy in improving social interaction and engagement in individuals with schizophrenia
• Music therapy as a non-pharmacological intervention for managing symptoms of dementia
• The effects of music therapy on pain perception and opioid use in hospitalized patients
• Exploring the use of music therapy in promoting relaxation and reducing anxiety during surgical procedures
• The impact of music therapy on improving quality of life in individuals with Parkinson’s disease

Music Psychology Research Paper Topics:

• The effects of music on mood and emotions
• The role of music in enhancing cognitive abilities
• The impact of music therapy on mental health disorders
• The relationship between music and memory recall
• The influence of music on stress reduction and relaxation
• The psychological effects of different genres of music
• The role of music in promoting social bonding and cohesion
• The effects of music on creativity and problem-solving abilities
• The psychological benefits of playing a musical instrument
• The impact of music on motivation and productivity
• The psychological effects of music on physical exercise performance
• The role of music in enhancing learning and academic performance
• The influence of music on sleep quality and patterns
• The psychological effects of music on individuals with autism spectrum disorder
• The relationship between music and personality traits

Music Education Research Paper Topics:

• The impact of music education on cognitive development in children
• The effectiveness of incorporating technology in music education
• The role of music education in promoting social and emotional development
• The benefits of music education for students with special needs
• The influence of music education on academic achievement
• The importance of music education in fostering creativity and innovation
• The relationship between music education and language development
• The impact of music education on self-esteem and self-confidence
• The role of music education in promoting cultural diversity and inclusivity
• The effects of music education on students’ overall well-being and mental health
• The significance of music education in developing critical thinking skills
• The role of music education in enhancing students’ teamwork and collaboration abilities
• The impact of music education on students’ motivation and engagement in school
• The effectiveness of different teaching methods in music education
• The relationship between music education and career opportunities in the music industry

Music History Research Paper Topics:

• The influence of African music on the development of jazz in the United States
• The role of women composers in classical music during the 18th century
• The impact of the Beatles on the evolution of popular music in the 1960s
• The cultural significance of hip-hop music in urban communities
• The development of opera in Italy during the Renaissance
• The influence of folk music on the protest movements of the 1960s
• The role of music in religious rituals and ceremonies throughout history
• The evolution of electronic music and its impact on contemporary music production
• The contribution of Latin American musicians to the development of salsa music
• The influence of classical music on film scores in the 20th century
• The role of music in the Civil Rights Movement in the United States
• The development of reggae music in Jamaica and its global impact
• The influence of Mozart’s compositions on the classical music era
• The role of music in the French Revolution and its impact on society
• The evolution of punk rock music and its influence on alternative music genres

Music Sociology Research Paper Topics:

• The impact of music streaming platforms on the music industry
• The role of music in shaping cultural identity
• Gender representation in popular music: A sociological analysis
• The influence of social media on music consumption patterns
• Music festivals as spaces for social interaction and community building
• The relationship between music and political activism
• The effects of globalization on local music scenes
• The role of music in constructing and challenging social norms
• The impact of technology on music production and distribution
• Music and social movements: A comparative study
• The role of music in promoting social change and social justice
• The influence of socioeconomic factors on music taste and preferences
• The role of music in constructing and reinforcing gender stereotypes
• The impact of music education on social and cognitive development
• The relationship between music and mental health: A sociological perspective

Classical Music Research Paper Topics:

• The influence of Ludwig van Beethoven on the development of classical music
• The role of women composers in classical music history
• The impact of Johann Sebastian Bach’s compositions on future generations
• The evolution of opera in the classical period
• The significance of Mozart’s symphonies in the classical era
• The influence of nationalism on classical music during the Romantic period
• The portrayal of emotions in classical music compositions
• The use of musical forms and structures in the works of Franz Joseph Haydn
• The impact of the Industrial Revolution on the production and dissemination of classical music
• The relationship between classical music and dance in the Baroque era
• The role of patronage in the development of classical music
• The influence of folk music on classical composers
• The representation of nature in classical music compositions
• The impact of technological advancements on classical music performance and recording
• The exploration of polyphony in the works of Johann Sebastian Bach

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Home » 500+ Music Research Topics

500+ Music Research Topics

Music is a universal language that has the power to evoke emotions, bring people together, and express complex ideas and feelings. As a result, it has been the subject of extensive research and analysis across a wide range of fields, from psychology and neuroscience to sociology and cultural studies. Whether you are a music student, researcher , or simply a curious enthusiast, there are countless fascinating and important topics to explore within the realm of music research. From the history and evolution of different musical genres to the impact of music on human behavior and cognition, the possibilities for investigation and discovery are virtually endless. In this post, we will highlight some of the most interesting and relevant music research topics that you can explore in your own studies or simply as a way to deepen your appreciation and understanding of this rich and diverse art form.

Music Research Topics

Music Research Topics are as follows:

• The impact of music on memory retention.
• The evolution of hip-hop music and its influence on popular culture.
• The relationship between music and emotions.
• The role of music in religious and spiritual practices.
• The effects of music on mental health.
• The impact of music on athletic performance.
• The role of music in therapy and rehabilitation.
• The evolution of classical music through the ages.
• The impact of technology on music creation and distribution.
• The relationship between music and language acquisition.
• The cultural significance of music in different parts of the world.
• The influence of popular music on politics and social issues.
• The impact of music on academic performance.
• The role of music in film and television.
• The use of music in advertising and marketing.
• The psychology of musical preferences.
• The effects of music on sleep patterns and quality.
• The impact of music on creativity and productivity.
• The influence of music on fashion and style.
• The impact of music education on childhood development.
• The role of music in memory recall and nostalgia.
• The effects of music on physical health.
• The relationship between music and brain development.
• The impact of music on the immune system.
• The influence of music on social behavior.
• The evolution of jazz music and its impact on society.
• The role of music in cultural preservation and identity.
• The effects of music on stress levels and anxiety.
• The relationship between music and social movements.
• The impact of music on language learning and pronunciation.
• The effects of music on learning and cognition.
• The influence of music on political ideologies and movements.
• The impact of music on academic achievement.
• The relationship between music and cultural assimilation.
• The role of music in international diplomacy.
• The effects of music on physical performance and endurance.
• The impact of music on memory consolidation and recall.
• The influence of music on fashion trends and subcultures.
• The role of music in socialization and identity formation.
• The effects of music on perception and attention.
• The impact of music on decision making and judgment.
• The relationship between music and romantic attraction.
• The role of music in social justice movements.
• The effects of music on motor skills and coordination.
• The influence of music on cultural exchange and globalization.
• The impact of music on language and cultural barriers.
• The relationship between music and cultural appropriation.
• The role of music in community building and activism.
• The effects of music on motivation and goal setting.
• The influence of music on fashion advertising and marketing.
• The impact of music on social inequality and discrimination.
• The relationship between music and cultural hegemony.
• The role of music in political propaganda and manipulation.
• The effects of music on physical therapy and rehabilitation.
• The influence of music on cultural diplomacy and international relations.
• The impact of music on the environment and sustainability.
• The relationship between music and social hierarchies.
• The role of music in cultural exchange and intercultural communication.
• The effects of music on creative thinking and problem solving.
• The influence of music on consumer behavior and product preferences.
• The impact of music on social mobility and economic inequality.
• The relationship between music and cultural diversity.
• The role of music in intergenerational communication and conflict resolution.
• The effects of music on mood and emotional regulation.
• The influence of music on cultural authenticity and representation.
• The impact of music on memory in patients with Alzheimer’s disease.
• The impact of music on recovery and rehabilitation in individuals with physical injuries.
• The role of music in promoting cultural exchange and understanding in international education.
• The role of music in promoting cultural sensitivity and understanding in international relations.
• The role of music in promoting cultural sensitivity and understanding in international human rights.
• The effects of music on cognitive functioning and mental health in individuals with ADHD.
• The relationship between music and cultural representation in the food and beverage industry.
• The influence of music on cultural identity and mental health in individuals with mixed-sexual orientations.
• The impact of music on job satisfaction and retention in the finance industry.
• The role of music in promoting cultural diversity and understanding in international development.
• The effects of music on emotional regulation and depression in individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder.
• The relationship between music and cultural representation in the transportation industry.
• The influence of music on cultural identity and mental health in individuals with mixed-abilities.
• The impact of music on academic performance and motivation in college students.
• The role of music in promoting cross-cultural understanding and acceptance in international cooperation.
• The effects of music on social skills and behavior in individuals with autism spectrum disorder.
• The relationship between music and cultural representation in the entertainment industry.
• The influence of music on cultural identity and mental health in individuals with mixed-language backgrounds.
• The impact of music on creativity and innovation in the tech startup industry.
• The role of music in promoting cultural sensitivity and understanding in international peacekeeping.
• The effects of music on cognitive functioning and mental health in individuals with traumatic brain injury.
• The relationship between music and cultural representation in the travel industry.
• The influence of music on cultural identity and mental health in individuals with mixed-socioeconomic backgrounds.
• The impact of music on job satisfaction and productivity in the education industry.
• The role of music in promoting cultural diversity and understanding in international cooperation.
• The effects of music on emotional regulation and anxiety in individuals with generalized anxiety disorder.
• The relationship between music and cultural representation in the home appliance industry.
• The influence of music on cultural identity and mental health in individuals with mixed-culture backgrounds.
• The impact of music on academic performance and motivation in graduate students.
• The role of music in promoting cross-cultural understanding and acceptance in international diplomacy.
• The effects of music on social skills and behavior in individuals with attention deficit disorder.
• The relationship between music and cultural representation in the construction industry.
• The influence of music on cultural identity and mental health in individuals with mixed-spiritual backgrounds.
• The impact of music on creativity and productivity in the healthcare industry.
• The role of music in promoting cultural sensitivity and understanding in international justice.
• The effects of music on cognitive functioning and mental health in individuals with Parkinson’s disease.
• The relationship between music and cultural representation in the hospitality industry.
• The influence of music on cultural identity and mental health in individuals with mixed-political backgrounds.
• The impact of music on job satisfaction and retention in the automotive industry.
• The role of music in promoting cultural diversity and understanding in international diplomacy.
• The effects of music on emotional regulation and depression in individuals with major depressive disorder.
• The relationship between music and cultural representation in the telecommunications industry.
• The influence of music on cultural identity and mental health in individuals with mixed-ethnic and racial backgrounds.
• The impact of music on academic performance and motivation in high school students with disabilities.
• The role of music in promoting cross-cultural understanding and acceptance in international trade.
• The effects of music on social skills and behavior in individuals with borderline personality disorder.
• The relationship between music and cultural representation in the fashion industry.
• The influence of music on cultural identity and mental health in individuals with mixed-heritage backgrounds.
• The effects of music on cognitive functioning and mental health in individuals with schizophrenia.
• The relationship between music and cultural representation in the technology industry.
• The influence of music on cultural identity and mental health in individuals with mixed-race identities.
• The impact of music on job satisfaction and retention in the hospitality industry.
• The role of music in promoting cultural diversity and understanding in global development.
• The effects of music on emotional regulation and anxiety in individuals with social phobia.
• The relationship between music and cultural representation in the toy industry.
• The influence of music on cultural identity and mental health in individuals with mixed-faith backgrounds.
• The impact of music on academic performance and motivation in high school students.
• The effects of music on social skills and behavior in individuals with oppositional defiant disorder.
• The relationship between music and cultural representation in the beauty industry.
• The influence of music on cultural identity and mental health in individuals with mixed-ethnicity backgrounds.
• The impact of music on creativity and productivity in the fashion industry.
• The role of music in promoting cultural sensitivity and understanding in international aid.
• The effects of music on cognitive functioning and mental health in individuals with dementia.
• The relationship between music and cultural representation in the fitness industry.
• The influence of music on cultural identity and mental health in individuals with mixed-gender identities.
• The impact of music on job satisfaction and productivity in the technology industry.
• The role of music in promoting cultural diversity and understanding in international tourism.
• The effects of music on emotional regulation and depression in individuals with anxiety disorders.
• The relationship between music and cultural representation in the pet industry.
• The influence of music on cultural identity and mental health in individuals with mixed-education backgrounds.
• The impact of music on academic performance and motivation in middle school students.
• The effects of music on social skills and behavior in individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder.
• The relationship between music and cultural representation in the home decor industry.
• The influence of music on cultural identity and mental health in individuals with mixed-sex identities.
• The impact of music on creativity and innovation in the gaming industry.
• The role of music in promoting cultural sensitivity and understanding in international conflict resolution.
• The effects of music on cognitive functioning and mental health in individuals with bipolar disorder.
• The relationship between music and cultural representation in the sports industry.
• The influence of music on cultural identity and mental health in individuals with mixed-nationality and mixed-linguistic backgrounds.
• The impact of music on job satisfaction and retention in the retail industry.
• The role of music in promoting cultural diversity and understanding in global governance.
• The effects of music on emotional regulation and anxiety in individuals with panic disorder.
• The relationship between music and cultural representation in the electronics industry.
• The influence of music on cultural identity and mental health in individuals with mixed-citizenship backgrounds.
• The impact of music on academic performance and motivation in elementary school students.
• The role of music in promoting cross-cultural understanding and acceptance in international security.
• The effects of music on social skills and behavior in individuals with conduct disorder.
• The relationship between music and cultural representation in the agriculture industry.
• The influence of music on cultural identity and mental health in individuals with mixed-religious backgrounds.
• The effects of music on cognitive functioning and mental health in individuals with traumatic brain injuries.
• The influence of music on cultural identity and mental health in individuals with disability identities.
• The role of music in promoting cross-cultural understanding and acceptance in the healthcare industry.
• The effects of music on emotional regulation and anxiety in individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
• The influence of music on cultural identity and mental health in individuals with LGBTQ+ identities.
• The impact of music on job satisfaction and productivity in the gig economy.
• The role of music in promoting cultural sensitivity and understanding in education policy.
• The effects of music on social skills and behavior in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
• The influence of music on cultural identity and mental health in individuals with mixed-age identities.
• The impact of music on creativity and innovation in the advertising industry.
• The role of music in promoting cultural diversity and understanding in urban planning.
• The effects of music on cognitive functioning and mental health in individuals with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
• The relationship between music and cultural representation in the food industry.
• The impact of music on job satisfaction and retention in the nonprofit sector.
• The role of music in promoting cultural understanding and acceptance in international business.
• The effects of music on emotional regulation and depression in individuals with chronic pain.
• The relationship between music and cultural representation in the gaming industry.
• The influence of music on cultural identity and mental health in individuals with mixed-sexual orientation identities.
• The role of music in promoting cross-cultural communication and understanding in foreign policy.
• The effects of music on social skills and behavior in individuals with social anxiety disorder.
• The relationship between music and cultural representation in the craft industry.
• The influence of music on cultural identity and mental health in individuals with mixed-disability identities.
• The impact of music on creativity and productivity in the media industry.
• The role of music in promoting cultural sensitivity and understanding in corporate social responsibility.
• The effects of music on cognitive functioning and mental health in individuals with substance use disorders.
• The relationship between music and cultural representation in the automotive industry.
• The impact of music on job satisfaction and productivity in the education sector.
• The role of music in promoting cultural diversity and understanding in international law.
• The relationship between music and cultural representation in the wellness industry.
• The influence of music on cultural identity and mental health in individuals with mixed-nationality backgrounds.
• The impact of music on academic performance and motivation in adult learners.
• The role of music in promoting cultural understanding and acceptance in global governance.
• The relationship between music and cultural representation in the furniture industry.
• The influence of music on cultural identity and mental health in individuals with mixed-generational backgrounds.
• The impact of music on creativity and innovation in the film industry.
• The role of music in promoting cultural integration and social cohesion in diverse communities.
• The effects of music on cognitive functioning and mental health in individuals with multiple sclerosis.
• The relationship between music and cultural representation in the tech industry.
• The influence of music on cultural identity and mental health in second-generation immigrants.
• The role of music in promoting cross-cultural communication and understanding in diplomacy.
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• The relationship between music and cultural representation in the publishing industry.
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• The impact of music on creativity and innovation in the workplace.
• The role of music in promoting cultural awareness and sensitivity in the criminal justice system.
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• The effects of music on emotional regulation and anxiety in individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
• The influence of music on cultural identity and mental health in individuals with mixed religious backgrounds.
• The impact of music on academic achievement and retention in community college students.
• The role of music in promoting cultural exchange and understanding in international development.
• The effects of music on social skills and behavior in individuals with bipolar disorder.
• The relationship between music and cultural representation in the luxury goods industry.
• The influence of music on cultural identity and mental health in individuals with immigrant parents.
• The impact of music on creativity and productivity in the tech industry.
• The role of music in promoting cultural sensitivity and understanding in journalism.
• The effects of music on emotional regulation and depression in individuals with chronic fatigue syndrome.
• The relationship between music and cultural representation in the wine industry.
• The influence of music on cultural identity and mental health in individuals with non-binary gender identities.
• The impact of music on job satisfaction and productivity in remote workers.
• The role of music in promoting cultural diversity and understanding in international relations.
• The role of music in promoting cultural awareness and sensitivity in diplomacy.
• The effects of music on emotional regulation and self-esteem in individuals with body dysmorphia.
• The influence of music on cultural identity and mental health in individuals with immigrant grandparents.
• The role of music in promoting cultural understanding and acceptance in global advertising.
• The effects of music on social skills and behavior in individuals with borderline intellectual functioning.
• The relationship between music and cultural representation in the fragrance industry.
• The influence of music on cultural identity and mental health in individuals with mixed-citizenship status.
• The impact of music on creativity and productivity in the creative industries
• The relationship between music and social cohesion in diverse communities.
• The role of music in social justice movements and protests.
• The effects of music on pain management and perception.
• The influence of music on cultural hybridity and globalization.
• The impact of music on social identity and self-esteem.
• The relationship between music and cultural imperialism.
• The role of music in therapeutic settings for children and adolescents.
• The effects of music on language development in bilingual children.
• The influence of music on cultural representation in the media.
• The impact of music on interpersonal relationships and communication.
• The relationship between music and cultural hegemony in the digital age.
• The role of music in community-based initiatives for social change.
• The effects of music on mental health in marginalized communities.
• The influence of music on cultural identity and self-expression.
• The impact of music on academic engagement and success in at-risk students.
• The relationship between music and cultural appropriation in popular culture.
• The role of music in cultural diplomacy and international relations in the 21st century.
• The effects of music on cognitive processing in individuals with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
• The influence of music on cultural hybridity and transnationalism.
• The impact of music on social justice advocacy and awareness-raising.
• The relationship between music and cultural resistance in marginalized communities.
• The role of music in the negotiation of cultural identities in the diaspora.
• The effects of music on language processing and learning in second language acquisition.
• The influence of music on cultural exchange and intercultural communication in the digital age.
• The impact of music on academic achievement in students with disabilities.
• The relationship between music and cultural hegemony in the music industry.
• The role of music in the socialization and empowerment of girls and women.
• The effects of music on physical health in individuals with chronic pain.
• The influence of music on cultural authenticity and representation in the tourism industry.
• The impact of music on the construction of gender and sexuality in popular culture.
• The relationship between music and cultural appropriation in the fashion industry.
• The role of music in promoting cross-cultural understanding and empathy.

About the author

Muhammad Hassan

Researcher, Academic Writer, Web developer

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Table of Contents

Audio signal processing, exemplar-based music learning, acoustic research, modeling, and sound synthesis, music perception and cognition, gestural control of sound synthesis.

The Music Technology Group is active in research related to multimedia, signal processing, human-computer interaction, information retrieval, musical acoustics, psychoacoustics, and music perception and cognition.

The M.A. and Ph.D. graduate programs offered in Music Technology at McGill University are heavily based on technological and scientific research, with applications to music and sound. While our program is administered through the Schulich School of Music, our research goals share many similarities with those found in engineering and science faculties.

Our group's main expertise relates to:

• Sound Analysis and Synthesis
• Sound Processing and Digital Audio Effects
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Gestural Control in Multiparametric Environments
• Music Information Retrieval and Digital Libraries
• Optical Music Recognition
• Acoustic Modeling and Psychoacoustics
• Musical Acoustics

A more detailed description of the research interests of each staff member can be found below.

Dr. Philippe Depalle

My research in digital synthesis and processing of sound mainly concerns the analysis and re-synthesis of audio signals. The fundamental component of my work is the systematising of the “analysis/synthesis” point of view in the conception of computer music tools. For the user, it unifies sound synthesis and sound processing into the same framework. For the researcher, it directs mainly his work toward the analysis part, since the major difficulty in studying sound signals is to track precisely their temporal and spectral evolutions. Sensitivity and precision of the human ear reinforce this difficulty, which imposes high quality results.

The basic goal of analysis/synthesis is to conceive relevant models of acoustical signals. Once a synthesis model has been chosen, a sound signal is represented in this model by a set of temporal functions often called control parameters. These temporal functions are extracted from a pre-recorded sound during the analysis process. When the analysis becomes sufficiently precise, re-synthesis produces a signal that sounds perceptually identical to the original sound. By modifying and substituting control parameters, this analysis-synthesis scheme can provide for very refined and precise processing of sound material. For example, it may allow one to produce a family of synthetic sound signals derived from a single original source or to carry out a morphing between two key sounds.

The significance of this research is multiple: scientific, industrial and artistic. In science, the study of musical instruments and musical sounds gives the opportunity for innovative research on non-linear oscillating systems or fast time-varying systems, room-acoustics, psycho-acoustics, etc. It provides simulation tools for psycho-acoustic experiments and coding hypotheses among others. For the industry, it brings knowledge to design audio processing, audio recording, transmission systems and electronic musical instruments. In the artistic field, it provides composers and multimedia artists tools for the creation and the processing of sounds. It should be noted that the requirements for high quality in musical application have always been an incentive for prospective research in applied acoustics, signal processing and computer science.

Dr. Ichiro Fujinaga

My research goal is to provide technological tools for musicians, music scholars, and researchers in other music-related area such as psychology, psychoacoustics, and neurosciences.

Current primary research focus is on learning. In particular, the exemplar-based learning model. This type of learning, I believe, is at the core of learning about music and other perceptional learning. This is in contrast to the traditional rule-based understanding of music, which in my opinion has not been successful at explaining how we hear music. The computer implementation of this cognition model using k-nearest neighbour classifier and genetic algorithms is being developed. This research grew out of my work on the optical music recognition system where application of this model has been extremely successful.

Application possibilities using this model include: music instrument recognition, conducting gesture learning, music style recognition, expressive performance, counterpoint, and harmonization.

Other research interests include: distributed digital libraries, music information retrieval, software synthesis, virtual concert stage, vibrato analysis, and continuing research in optical music recognition.

Dr. Gary P. Scavone

The shape and design of most acoustic music instruments, refined and advanced by craftsmen through empirical, “trial and error” methods, have changed little over the past century. The study of the acoustic phenomena underlying the operation of these instruments, however, is a relatively young science. My research is focused on, but not limited to, woodwind and string music instruments and includes:

• measurements and analyses to gain a theoretical understanding of the fundamental acoustic or vibrational behavior of music instruments and other sounding objects;
• the development of computer-based mathematical models that implement these acoustic or mechanical principles as accurately as possible and which can subsequently be used to study variations in instrument design;
• the creation of efficient, real-time synthesis algorithms capable of producing convincing instrument sounds;
• the design of appropriate human-computer interfaces for use in controlling and interacting with real-time synthesis models.

Recent acoustic analyses have focused on vocal-tract influence in woodwind instrument performance and fluid-structure interactions in wind instrument systems. My acoustic modeling work is concerned with the characterization of the various interdependent components of a music instrument system, such as the mouthpiece, air column, and toneholes of a clarinet. This approach is commonly referred to as “physical modeling”. A discrete-time technique called “digital waveguide synthesis” is often used to efficiently and accurately implement these acoustic models. Recent synthesis developments have been focused on aspects of woodwind instrument toneholes, conical air columns, vocal tract influences, and reed/mouthpiece interactions. Several human-computer interfaces have been developed in the course of this research for the purposes of experimenting and performing with the real-time synthesis models.

Acoustic and perceptual experiments also play a role in this research. In many instances, acoustic theory must be validated by experimental measurements. Perceptual studies can aid in the development of efficient and convincing synthesis models by helping identify acoustic features of a system which have less perceptual importance for human listeners.

To support the design and implementation of real-time synthesis models, a software synthesis environment called the Synthesis ToolKit in C++ (STK) has been developed in collaboration with Perry Cook at Princeton University. STK is a set of open source audio signal processing and algorithmic synthesis classes written in C++. The ToolKit was designed to facilitate rapid development of music synthesis and audio processing software, with an emphasis on cross-platform functionality, real-time control, ease of use, and educational example code.

This research has applications in the development of commercial sound synthesizers for the creation of common acoustic instrument sounds, as well as sounds based on physical, yet unrealizable, instruments. In addition, continuing developments in our understanding of acoustic principles will make possible computer-based prototyping tools which will ultimately lead to improvements in music instrument designs.

Dr. Stephen McAdams

My research goal is to understand how listeners mentally organize a complex musical scene into sources, events, sequences, and musical structures. In my laboratory, we use techniques of digital signal processing, psychophysics, computational modeling of auditory processing, cognitive psychology, and music analysis.

The origin of music is in sound-producing objects. We seek to understand how listeners perceive the events produced by such objects in terms of the mechanical nature of the objects and the ways objects interact to set them in vibration (impact, friction, blowing): a new field that I have dubbed “psychomechanics” since we try to quantify the relation between the properties of mechanical objects and perception of the events they produce.

One of the most mysterious of musical properties of sound events, very closely related to source properties, is their timbre. Timbre is a whole set of dimensions of musical perception such as brightness, roughness, attack quality, richness, inharmonicity, and so on. We try to understand how this palette of attributes is organized perceptually, how it depends on both the acoustic properties of sound events and on the context in which they occur, and how the timbres of events and sequences are committed to memory. In music, many sound sources are often playing at the same time, which means that the listener must organize the musical scene into events and sequences that carry musical information about the behaviour of those sound sources (a musical instrument playing a melody, for example). However, composers can play with sound in ways that make a listener hear several sources as one (blending sounds), or with sound synthesis to make a single sound split into several (sound segregation).

Music happens in time and the ephemeral world of temporal experience is another concern in my laboratory. We are interested in how cognitive processes such as attention, memory, recognition, and structural processing, as well as more emotional and aesthetic experience of music, take place in time and are related to musical structure. We have developed and employed various techniques for measuring and analyzing continuous responses during music listening in live concert settings to probe the cognitive dynamics of musical experience.

We are also interested in how timbre can be used as an integral part of musical discourse through orchestration. Studies involving analysis of scores and writings about orchestration, audio analysis, and perceptual analysis will contribute to the grounding of elements of a theory of orchestration in perception and cognition.

Dr. Marcelo M. Wanderley

The fast evolution of computer technology has produced current personal computers powerful enough to synthesize high quality sound in real-time. One of the utmost research problems concerning music technology nowadays is how to use this processing power as part of novel musical instruments - digital musical instruments (DMI) - where sound is generated by the machine.

But what does it mean to play a digital musical instrument? Can one actually play a computer in the sense one plays an acoustic instrument? Can similar levels of control subtlety be achieved with this new paradigm?

At the Music Technology area at McGill, we focus on the analysis of performer-instrument interaction with applications to gestural control of sound synthesis. This goal is pursued through a two-pronged approach:

• the study of a generic digital musical instrument, its constituent parts, and the suggestion of novel approaches to its design
• the analysis of acoustic instrument performances with the aim of eventually finding cues to improve the design of current DMIs.

In the first approach we explore the notion of gesture in music and consider ways to devise gestural acquisition and the design of input devices, including the proposition of evaluation techniques derived from human-computer interaction suitable in a musical context. This is complemented by the analysis of mapping strategies between controller variables and synthesis variables. Applications include the prototyping of novel gestural controllers and digital musical instruments, as well as software systems such as ESCHER, a real-time system developed in collaboration with researchers at IRCAM.

In the second approach we perform and analyze quantitative measurements of instrumentalists' expressive movements - those not produced in order to generate sound - during the execution of pieces. We also focus on the acoustical influence of performer expressive movements, and the modeling of this effect. This research suggests that expressive movements can be used as extra synthesis parameter and eventually improve the design of existing digital musical instruments that simulate traditional ones.

Music, Science, and Technology

Stanford's CCRMA (Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics) has remained a thriving center and community since the 1970s. CCRMA conducts research in computer music, composition and performance, music perception and cognition, audio signal processing, instrument and music-software design, virtual reality, intermedia, and more. And as one of the largest computer music centers in North America, CCRMA offers courses encompassing more than 40 areas—as well as a Ph.D. program in Computer-based Music Theory and Acoustics, a Master’s program in Music Science and Technology (MST), and an undergraduate MST Concentration as part of the Music Major.

Jonathan Abel

Mark Applebaum

Constantin Basica

Jonathan Berger

David Berners

Marina Bosi

Chris Chafe

Hongchan Choi

Paul DeMarinis

Pierre Divenyi

Hassan Estakhrian

Takako Fujioka

Doug L. James

Blair Kaneshiro

Jarosław Kapuściński

Fernando Lopez-Lezcano

Gautham Mysore

Paul Phillips

Eleanor Selfridge-Field

Stephanie Sherriff

Malcolm Slaney

Julius Smith

Matt Wright

Music 1A : Music, Mind, and Human Behavior Music 11N : Harmonic Convergence: Music's Intersections with Science, Mathematics, History, and Literature Music 15N : The Aesthetics of Data Music 32N : Sculpting with Sounds, Images, and Words Music 101 : Introduction to Creating Electronic Sounds Music 128 : Stanford Laptop Orchestra: Composition, Coding, and Performance Music 153 : Online Jamming and Concert Technology Music 153B : Internet Ensemble Tech Force Music 154A : Sound Art I Music 155/255 : Intermedia Workshop Music 192A : Foundations of Sound-Recording Technology Music 192B : Advanced Sound Recording Technology Music 192C : Session Recording Music 192F : Sound Installation Music 201 : CCRMA Colloquium Music 203 : Audiovisual Performance Music 220A : Fundamentals of Computer-Generated Sound Music 220B : Compositional Algorithms, Psychoacoustics, and Computational Music Music 220C : Research Seminar in Computer-Generated Music Music 220D : Research in Computer-Generated Music Music 222 : Sound in Space Music 223 : Composition for Electronic Musicians Music 223B : Sonic Experiments in Composition Music 223D : Sound Practice: Embodiment and the Social Music 236 : Future Media, Media Archaeologies Music 250A : Physical Interaction Design for Music Music 250C : Interaction - Intermedia - Immersion Music 251 : Psychophysics and Music Cognition Music 253 : Symbolic Musical Information Music 254 : Music Query, Analysis, and Style Simulation Music 256A : Music, Computing, Design I: The Art of Design Music 256B : Music, Computing, Design II: Virtual and Augmented Reality for Music Music 257 : Neuroplasticity and Musical Gaming Music 258A : Computational Music Theory & Analysis Music 319 : Research Seminar on Computational Models of Sound Perception Music 320A : Introduction to Audio Signal Processing: Spectra Music 320B : Introduction to Audio Signal Processing: Filters Music 320C : Software Projects in Music/Audio Signal Processing Music 351A : Seminar in Music Perception and Cognition I Music 364: Data-Driven Research in Music Cognition Music 422 : Perceptual Audio Coding Music 423 : Graduate Research in Music Technology Music 424 : Signal Processing Techniques for Digital Audio Effects Music 451A : Basics in Auditory and Music Neuroscience Music 451B : Neuroscience of Auditory Perception and Music Cognition II: Neural Oscillations Music 451C : Auditory EEG Research III: Coordinated Actions and Hyperscanning

Music 11 : Harmonic Convergence: Music's Intersections with Science, Mathematics, History, and Literature Music 32N : Sculpting with Sounds, Images, and Words Music 101 : Introduction to Creating Electronic Sounds Music 128 : Stanford Laptop Orchestra: Composition, Coding, and Performance Music 153: Online Jamming and Concert Technology Music 154A : Sound Art I Music 155/255 : Intermedia Workshop Music 192A : Foundations of Sound-Recording Technology Music 192B : Advanced Sound Recording Technology Music 192C : Session Recording Music 192F : Sound Installation Music 203 : Audiovisual Performance Music 220A : Fundamentals of Computer-Generated Sound Music 220B : Compositional Algorithms, Psychoacoustics, and Computational Music Music 220C : Research Seminar in Computer-Generated Music Music 220D : Research in Computer-Generated Music Music 222 : Sound in Space Music 223B : Sonic Experiments in Composition Music 223D : Sound Practice: Embodiment and the Social Music 236 : Future Media, Media Archaeologies Music 250A : Physical Interaction Design for Music Music 250C : Interaction - Intermedia - Immersion Music 256A : Music, Computing, Design I: The Art of Design Music 256B : Music, Computing, Design II: Virtual and Augmented Reality for Music

Music 320A : Introduction to Audio Signal Processing: Spectra Music 320B : Introduction to Audio Signal Processing: Filters Music 320C : Software Projects in Music/Audio Signal Processing Music 422 : Perceptual Audio Coding Music 423 : Graduate Research in Music Technology Music 424 : Signal Processing Techniques for Digital Audio Effects

Music 1A : Music, Mind, and Human Behavior Music 251 : Psychophysics and Music Cognition Music 253 : Symbolic Musical Information Music 254: Music Query, Analysis, and Style Simulation Music 257 : Neuroplasticity and Musical Gaming Music 258A : Computational Music Theory & Analysis Music 319 : Research Seminar on Computational Models of Sound Perception Music 351A : Seminar in Music Perception and Cognition I Music 364: Data-Driven Research in Music Cognition Music 451A : Basics in Auditory and Music Neuroscience Music 451B : Neuroscience of Auditory Perception and Music Cognition II: Neural Oscillations Music 451C : Auditory EEG Research III: Coordinated Actions and Hyperscanning

Academic Programs

Explore the Major & Concentrations

The undergraduate major in Music is based on a course of study that combines breadth of musical experiences across multiple dimensions with depth in a chosen area, allowing students to develop an array of tools as part of their aesthetic and musical formation. Theory, performance, history, cultural contextualization, technology, and science all contribute to a curricular foundation for all majors. 

Explore the 24-Unit Minor

The music minor allows students to explore music through a flexible program of study. The minor can focus on Composition, History, Performance, Conducting, Theory, or Music, Science & Technology (MST), or on areas not currently served by the major, such as Ethnomusicology, Jazz, or Musical Theater. The minor can also focus on musical aspects of a non-music major such as American Studies, Anthropology, Area Studies, Computer Science, CSRE, TAPS, etc.

Learn about the Performance Certificate

The Performance Certificate program is open by audition to undergraduates who demonstrate a high degree of accomplishment in their area of music performance, study privately with one of the Department of Music's faculty, and wish to inform their performance studies with coursework from the Department of Music's other areas of academic focus: history, theory, computer music, and composition.

Explore more of What We Do

Composition, Songwriting, Sonic Arts & Intermedia

Instrumental Performance, Orchestras & Ensembles

Jazz, Improvisation, and Popular Music

Music History and Ethnomusicology

Music Theory

Vocal Performance, Opera, Musical Theater, and Choral Ensembles

• Help & FAQ

Key research in music technology and music teaching and learning

• Music Studies

Research output : Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Research on the use of technology in music teaching and learning continues to grow in both quality and quantity. This article summarizes some of the important work since 2000, placing an emphasis on studies completed in the last few years. Both conceptual and philosophical publications are included as well as qualitative and quantitative work on technology in service to composition, listening and performance. One major conclusion is that we need more substantial studies on teaching strategies that use technology, issues of gender and technology, equity in accessibility to the best resources and the real effect of technology's use on long-term learning in music for professional musicians and the educated public as a whole.

• Constructing
• Music technology

ASJC Scopus subject areas

• Computer Science Applications

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• 10.1386/jmte.4.2-3.115_1

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• Link to the citations in Scopus

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• Music technology Arts and Humanities 100%
• Music learning Arts and Humanities 100%
• Music teaching Arts and Humanities 100%
• Teaching Methods Social Sciences 100%
• Effects of Technology Social Sciences 100%
• Technology Teaching Keyphrases 100%
• Conceptual Arts and Humanities 50%
• Professional Musicians Arts and Humanities 50%

T1 - Key research in music technology and music teaching and learning

AU - Webster, Peter R.

PY - 2012/2/15

Y1 - 2012/2/15

N2 - Research on the use of technology in music teaching and learning continues to grow in both quality and quantity. This article summarizes some of the important work since 2000, placing an emphasis on studies completed in the last few years. Both conceptual and philosophical publications are included as well as qualitative and quantitative work on technology in service to composition, listening and performance. One major conclusion is that we need more substantial studies on teaching strategies that use technology, issues of gender and technology, equity in accessibility to the best resources and the real effect of technology's use on long-term learning in music for professional musicians and the educated public as a whole.

AB - Research on the use of technology in music teaching and learning continues to grow in both quality and quantity. This article summarizes some of the important work since 2000, placing an emphasis on studies completed in the last few years. Both conceptual and philosophical publications are included as well as qualitative and quantitative work on technology in service to composition, listening and performance. One major conclusion is that we need more substantial studies on teaching strategies that use technology, issues of gender and technology, equity in accessibility to the best resources and the real effect of technology's use on long-term learning in music for professional musicians and the educated public as a whole.

KW - Constructing

KW - History

KW - Knowledge

KW - Music technology

KW - Research

KW - Teaching

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84870927015&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84870927015&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1386/jmte.4.2-3.115_1

DO - 10.1386/jmte.4.2-3.115_1

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84870927015

SN - 1752-7066

JO - Journal of Music, Technology and Education

JF - Journal of Music, Technology and Education

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Music Dissertation Topics

Published by Carmen Troy at January 4th, 2023 , Revised On May 16, 2024

Music is one of the most beautiful forms of art that involves an organized and hierarchical sound and silence. It is generally performed in terms of pitch, rhythm, and sound quality. Music is a passion that many enthusiasts aspire to pursue. While the art of music can be an innate ability, it can be pruned with proper learning. Therefore, musicology is an academic field that offers the teaching of music.

Suppose you are an avid music learner, you have chosen musicology for higher studies. Then, you need to complete your degree with a final dissertation. If you are unsure what dissertation to write about, you can check out some of the topics suggested by experienced, professional experts in music.

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Latest Music Dissertation Topics

Topic 1: examining the benefits of using music therapy for curing mental health patients – a study on the hospitals under nhs foundation trust..

Research Aim: The aim of this study is to identify the benefits of using music therapy for curing mental health patients. The study will mainly focus on the use of music therapy in hospitals under the NHS Foundation Trust.

Objectives:

• To figure out the key advantages of using music therapy to cure mental health patients.
• To elaborate on how music therapy is being used by the hospitals under NHS Foundation Trust aims to cure mental health patients.
• To share a stringent set of recommendations for the hospitals under the NHS Foundation Trust to strategically use music therapy for curing mental health patients.

Topic 2: A detailed study on the transformation of British electronic dance music (EDM) over the last 10 years.

Research Aim: The study aims to conduct research on the transformation of British electronic dance music (EDM) over the last 10 years.

• To share knowledge about the key aspects and specifications of British electronic dance music (EDM).
• To provide a comprehensive analysis of the transformation of British electronic dance music (EDM) in the last decade.
• To develop an understanding of how overall EDM practices can be improved and led towards advancement thereby aligning with the British culture.

Topic 3: Examining the growing influence of electronic and digital technology on music education in the UK.

Research Aim: The present research study aims to examine the growing influence of electronic and digital technology on music education in the UK.

• To shed light on the changes in modern-age music education alongside the increasing dominance of advanced technologies.
• To demonstrate how the growing use of electronic and digital technologies is redefining music education in the UK.
• To recommend how electronic and digital technologies can be used in the best possible way to influence music education in the UK.

Topic 4: Describing the benefits of using music for children’s learning specifically during the stage of early development – a study on the UK government's changing perspective and investment in children's music and art.

Research Aim: The aim of this research study is to describe the benefits of using music for children’s learning specifically during the stage of early development. The UK government’s changing perspective and investment in children’s music and art will be emphasised in this study.

• To identify the key benefits of using music in children’s learning, especially during their early development.
• To exemplify the changing perspective of the UK government and how the government is investing in children’s music and art.
• To recommend strategies that can help in the use of music in the best way to support children’s learning at their early development stage.

Topic 5: Investigating the impacts of removing gender disparity on music composition and performance in the British music industry.

Research Aim: The aim of this study is to investigate the impacts of removing gender disparity on music composition and performance in the British music industry.

• To contextualise the importance of maintaining gender equality for maintaining healthy practices in music composition and performance.
• To describe how the removal of gender disparity may help in music composition and performance in the British music industry.
• To suggest strategies to eliminate gender discrimination and inequality in the British music industry.

More Music Dissertation Topics

Topic. 1: major music platforms in the world:.

Research Aim: There are many channels through which we can stream music. Each of the platforms has its perks and flaws that either excite or infuriate the users. The aim of the research will be to critically analyze the major music platforms in the world. 

Topic. 2: Impact of music talent shows on music:

Research Aim: Almost all countries around the world produce music talent shows usually aimed to find out new, young, emerging talent. The music talent shows have significant effects on the music, musicians, and music industry. Now, whether the impact is good or bad, the research will aim to find it out. The focal purpose of the study will be to identify the positive and negative repercussions of music talent shows. 

Topic. 3: Health benefit of music:

Research Aim: We all have heard that music is the food for the soul, but it is yet to find out if it is any good to our body. However, it is true that music cheers us up and helps us unwind things. It is significant to study if it aids an ailment. The research will aim to find out if music has health benefits and explore the details about the ailments and the remedy.

Topic. 4: Pop music in the contemporary world

Research Aim: Pop music was the undisputed king in the back times. Today, although we get to see the spark of pop in music, it is not truly pop. The research will analyze and evaluate the nature of pop music today and how it is amalgamated with contemporary music all around the world. 

Topic. 5: Role of technology in music

Research Aim: Technology is a crucial determiner that cannot be overlooked. It has affected all of the significant aspects of our lives, and music is no exception. The music that existed without technologically driven machines used to be different from what it is today. The aim of the research is to make a comparison and contrast between the nature of the two products of music and understand their similarities and differences under the light of technology. 

Topic. 6: Music in Hollywood

Research Aim: The main aim of the research would be to make a standard music format that is followed in Hollywood. The type of music produced in Hollywood is different from other major film industries. The researcher will analyze and evaluate the music and create a generic algorithm of music production followed by music composers in Hollywood. 

Topic. 7: The obsolete music instruments

Research Aim: Today, not all musical instruments are in their original shape. In fact, most of them have been buried inside a land do a lack of marketing and usage. The researcher will conduct thorough research to investigate the obsolete musical instruments that are unfamiliar to most people of a specific area. 

Topic. 8: pros and cons of legal music sharing platforms

Research Aim: The aim of the research will be to find out and highlight the advantages and disadvantages of legal music-sharing platforms. It will also investigate their impact on the music itself and discover the user’s inclination or motivations for using the platforms.   

Topic. 9: Music piracy in the age of the internet

Research Aim: Music piracy has always existed, but in the age of the internet, it has become predominant. The aim of the research will be to explore and find out how easy or difficult it has become to pirate music because it has significant outcomes in both ways. 

Topic. 10: Role of music in human life

Research Aim: When we are happy, we listen to music. When we are sad, we listen to music. Music has something to offer to each of our moods, and therefore, it is an integral part of our lives. This research will deeply analyze the role of music in human life and in what ways it affects our feelings, mood, actions, behaviors, and mundane activities. 

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Topic. 11: How does music therapy work:

Research Aim: Music therapy is practiced in a large proportion of the world. The researcher will monitor people taking music therapy and identify its level of effectiveness. 

Topic. 12: Music and economy:

Research Aim: Good music transcends boundaries and therefore gets most disseminated and widespread. As a result, it is able to generate more money. The counties whose music is listened around the world have music as a key contributor to their Gross domestic product. The aim of the research is to survey and find out the statistics of music and its contribution to the economy. 

Topic. 13: music and culture

Research Aim: There are different kinds of music produced around the world, much of which depends on the culture of the respective area. The research will study the influence of culture on music and vice versa. 

Topic. 14: Role of music in spirituality

Research Aim: Music has a unique and close relationship with spirituality. Music is an instrument used to invoke feelings of spirituality. The researcher will study different religions and their way of connecting to God through music. 

Topic. 15: Music bands- their relevance today

Research Aim: The popularity and craze of music bands were very high in the 90s than what it is today. The aim of the research is to find out the potential of music bands in the contemporary music industry in different ways. 

Topic. 16: Music and patriotism

Research Aim: Music and poetry are used all around the world to boost the patriotism and nationalism of the inhabitants. The researcher will broadly study and investigate the instrumentation of music for patriotism and how music is used for political gains and at avenues. The researcher can do case studies and find accurate answers to the research questions. 

Topic. 17: Understanding the music market

Research Aim: The music market is just like any other product market: it is vast and diverse. You cannot make an audience persona for music, but you can make audience personas for different genres of music. And this research will do that. The research will aim to make audience personas of varying music genres understand the music market. 

Topic. 18: Most influential musicians today

Research Aim: The main aim of the research would be to explore and understand the current trends in music and pinpoint the most influential musicians today. Different musicians will be evaluated against different variables such as music they have produced, outreach, and followers, etc. 

Topic. 19: Music in the 21st century

Research Aim: Music has evolved significantly over the period of time, and there is no doubt that it will keep on transforming in the coming years. The aim of the research is to study and evaluate the current nature of music produced in the world and, more particularly, about the taste of people. 

Topic. 20: The evolution of music:

Research Aim: The researcher will delve into the history of the music to learn about its roots. The main aim of the research is to find and evaluate the evolution of music than how it developed over time and the phases that it went through to reach its current position. 

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The effect of using digital technology in the music education of elementary school students

• Published: 10 October 2022
• Volume 28 , pages 4003–4016, ( 2023 )

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• Ling Lyu 1 &
• Alla Sokolova 2  

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There is little research about using information technologies in music education. The issue of comparing the approach to music education based on modern technologies with the traditional approach is of particular interest. Thus, the purpose of the study is to compare the effectiveness of music education based on modern technologies with the traditional approach to learning music. The study was conducted at Lishui Music School. The level of musical skills and abilities of music school students was assessed for the period of 1.5 years. The study involved children aged 5–6 years who had no prior musical experience. The control and study groups consisted of twenty-four children each. The children learned to play the piano and solfeggio. The study group trained in accordance with the New way of Music program. The control group followed the traditional curriculum. At the end of the study, there was an exam. The students performed program pieces corresponding to the study period. The expert committee evaluated the following performance parameters: the number of errors in the reproduction of the musical text, the performance rhythm, the artistic expressiveness of the performance, continuous and complete performance, the performance dynamics, mastery of strokes, as well as positioning of the body and hands during the performance. Except for the last parameter, the study group performed better than the control group. The results obtained justify further expanded studies of the New way of Music program to be subsequently widely introduced in music schools.

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Lyu, L., Sokolova, A. The effect of using digital technology in the music education of elementary school students. Educ Inf Technol 28 , 4003–4016 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-022-11334-8

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60 Most Interesting Technology Research Topics for 2024

August 22, 2024

Scrambling to find technology research topics for the assignment that’s due sooner than you thought? Take a scroll through these 60 interesting technology essay topics in 10 different categories, including controversial technology topics, and some example research questions for each.

Social Technology Research Topics

Whether you have active profiles on every social media platform, you’ve taken a social media break, or you generally try to limit your engagement as much as possible, you probably understand how pervasive social technologies have become in today’s culture. Social technology will especially appeal to those looking for widely discussed, mainstream technology essay topics.

• How do viewers respond to virtual influencers vs. human influencers? Is one more effective or ethical over the other?
• Across social media platforms, when and where is mob mentality most prevalent? How do the nuances of mob mentality shift depending on the platform or topic?
• Portable devices like cell phones, laptops, and tablets have certainly made daily life easier in some ways. But how have they made daily life more difficult?
• How does access to social media affect developing brains? And what about mature brains?
• Can dating apps alter how users perceive and interact with people in real life?
• Studies have proven “doomscrolling” to negatively impact mental health—could there ever be any positive impacts?
• How much can bots truly shape or manipulate opinions on social media? Is their influence positive or negative?
• Social media algorithms can contribute to the spread of sensationalized or controversial stories. Should social media companies be held accountable for misinformation on their platforms?

Cryptocurrency and Blockchain Technology Research Topics

Following cryptocurrency and blockchain technology has been a rollercoaster over the last few years. Since Bitcoin’s conception in 2009, cryptocurrency has consistently showed up on many lists of controversial technology topics, and continues to undergo massive shifts in popularity as well as value.

• Is it ethical for celebrities or influential people to promote cryptocurrencies or cryptographic assets like NFTs ?
• What are the environmental impacts of mining cryptocurrencies? Could those impacts ever change?
• How does cryptocurrency impact financial security and financial health?
• Could the privacy cryptocurrency offers ever be worth the added security risks?
• How might cryptocurrency regulations and impacts continue to evolve?
• Created to enable cryptocurrency, blockchain has since proven useful in several other industries. What new uses could blockchain have?

Artificial Intelligence Technology Research Topics

ChatGPT , voice cloning , and deepfakes continue to be a major source of conversation (and contention). While people have discussed artificial intelligence for ages, recent advances have pushed this topic to the front of our minds. Those searching for controversial technology topics should pay close attention to this section.

• OpenAI –the company behind ChatGPT–has shown commitment to safe, moderated AI tools that they hope will provide positive benefits to society. Sam Altman, their CEO, recently testified before a US Senate committee. He described what AI makes possible and called for more regulation in the industry. But even with companies like OpenAI displaying efforts to produce safe AI and advocating for regulations, can AI ever have a purely positive impact? Are certain pitfalls unavoidable?
• In a similar vein, can AI ever actually be ethically or safely produced? Will there always be certain risks?
• How might AI tools impact society across future generations?
• Countless movies and television shows explore the idea of AI going wrong, going back all the way to 1927’s Metropolis . What has a greater impact on public perception—representations in media or industry developments? And can public perception impact industry developments and their effectiveness?
• Is it ever okay to use voice cloning or deepfakes without the person’s knowledge or consent?

Beauty and Anti-Aging Technology

Throughout human history, people in many cultures have gone to extreme lengths to capture and maintain youth. But technology has taken this pursuit to another level. For those seeking technology essay topics that are both timely and timeless, this one’s a gold mine.

• With augmented reality technology, companies like Perfect allow app users to virtually try on makeup, hair color, hair accessories, and hand or wrist accessories. Could virtual try-ons lead to a somewhat less wasteful beauty industry? What downsides should we consider?
• Users of the Perfect app can also receive virtual diagnoses for skin care issues and virtually “beautify” themselves with smoothed skin, erased blemishes, whitened teeth, brightened under-eye circles, and reshaped facial structures. How could advancements in beauty and anti-aging technology affect self-perception and mental health?
• What are the best alternatives to animal testing within the beauty and anti-aging industry?
• Is anti-aging purely a cosmetic pursuit? Could anti-aging technology provide other benefits?
• Could people actually find a “cure” to aging? And could a cure to aging lead to longer lifespans?
• How might longer human lifespans affect the Earth?
• Should social media influencers be expected to disclose when they are using augmented reality, filters, or Photoshop on their photos?

Geoengineering Technology Research Topics

An umbrella term, geoengineering refers to large-scale technologies that can alter the earth and its climate. Typically, these types of technologies aim to combat climate change. Those searching for controversial technology topics should consider looking into this one.

• What benefits can solar geoengineering provide? Can they outweigh the severe risks?
• Compare solar geoengineering methods like mirrors in space, stratospheric aerosol injection, marine cloud brightening, and other proposed methods. How have these methods evolved? How might they continue to evolve?
• Which direct air capture methods are most sustainable?
• How can technology contribute to reforestation efforts?
• What are the best uses for biochar? And how can biochar help or harm the earth?
• Out of all the carbon geoengineering methods that exist or have been proposed, which should we focus on the most?
• Given the potential unintended consequences, is geoengineering ethical?

Creative and Performing Arts Technology Topics

While tensions often arise between artists and technology, they’ve also maintained a symbiotic relationship in many ways. It’s complicated. But of course, that’s what makes it interesting. Here’s another option for those searching for hot-button technology essay topics.

• How has the relationship between art and technology evolved over time?
• How has technology impacted the ways people create art? And how has technology impacted the ways people engage with art?
• Technology has made creating and viewing art widely accessible. Does this increased accessibility change the value of art? And do we value physical art more than digital art?
• Does technology complement storytelling in the performing arts? Or does technology hinder storytelling in the performing arts?
• Which current issues in the creative or performing arts could potentially be solved with technology?
• Should digital or AI-generated art be valued in the same way as more traditional art forms, like drawing, painting, or sculpting?

Cellular Agriculture Technology Research Topics

And another route for those drawn to controversial technology topics: cellular agriculture. You’ve probably heard about popular plant-based meat options from brands like Impossible and Beyond Meat . While products made with cellular agriculture also don’t require the raising and slaughtering of livestock, they are not plant-based. Cellular agriculture allows for the production of animal-sourced foods and materials made from cultured animal cells.

• Many consumers have a proven bias against plant-based meats. Will that same bias extend to cultured meat, despite cultured meat coming from actual animal cells?
• Which issues can arise from patenting genes?
• Does the animal agriculture industry provide any benefits that cellular agriculture may have trouble replicating?
• How might products made with cellular agriculture become more affordable?
• Could cellular agriculture conflict with the notion of a “ circular bioeconomy ?” And should we strive for a circular bioeconomy? Can we create a sustainable relationship between technology, capitalism, and the environment, with or without cellular agriculture?

Transportation Technology Research Topics

For decades, we’ve expected flying cars to carry us into a techno-utopia, where everything’s shiny, digital, and easy. We’ve heard promises of super fast trains that can zap us across the country or even across the world. We’ve imagined spring breaks on the moon, jet packs, and teleportation. Who wouldn’t love the option to go anywhere, anytime, super quickly? Transportation technology is another great option for those seeking widely discussed, mainstream technology essay topics.

• Once upon a time, Lady Gaga was set to perform in space as a promotion for Virgin Galactic . While Virgin Galactic never actually launched the iconic musician/actor, they launched their first commercial flight full of civilians–who paid $450,000 a pop–on a 90-minute trip into the stars in 2023. And if you think that’s pricey, SpaceX launched three businessmen into space for $55 million in April 2022 (though with meals included, this is actually a total steal). So should we be launching people into space just for fun? What are the impacts of space tourism?
• Could technology improve the way hazardous materials get transported?
• How can the 5.9 GHz Safety Band affect drivers?
• Which might be safer: self-driving cars or self-flying airplanes?
• Compare hyperloop and maglev.  Which is better and why?
• Can technology improve safety for cyclists?

Gaming Technology Topics

A recent study involving over 2,000 children found links between video game play and enhanced cognitive abilities. While many different studies have found the impacts of video games to be positive or neutral, we still don’t fully understand the impact of every type of video game on every type of brain. Regardless, most people have opinions on video gaming. So this one’s for those seeking widely discussed, mainstream, and controversial technology topics.

• Are different types or genres of video games more cognitively beneficial than others? Or are certain gaming consoles more cognitively beneficial than others?
• How do the impacts of video games differ from other types of games, such as board games or puzzles?
• What ethical challenges and safety risks come with virtual reality gaming?
• How does a player perceive reality during a virtual reality game compared to other types of video games?
• Can neurodivergent brains benefit from video games in different ways than neurotypical brains?

Medical Technology

Advancements in healthcare have the power to change and save lives. In the last ten years, countless new medical technologies have been developed, and in the next ten years, countless more will likely emerge. Always relevant and often controversial, this final technology research topic could interest anyone.

• Which ethical issues might arise from editing genes using CRISPR-Cas9 technology? And should this technology continue to be illegal in the United States?
• How has telemedicine impacted patients and the healthcare they receive?
• Can neurotechnology devices potentially affect a user’s agency, identity, privacy, and/or cognitive liberty?
• How could the use of medical 3-D printing continue to evolve?
• Are patients more likely to skip digital therapeutics than in-person therapeutic methods? And can the increased screen time required by digital therapeutics impact mental health?

Now that you’ve picked from this list of technology essay topics, do a deep dive and immerse yourself in new ideas, new information, and new perspectives. And of course, now that these topics have motivated you to change the world, look into the best computer science schools , the top feeders to tech and Silicon Valley , the best summer programs for STEM students , and the best biomedical engineering schools .

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Mariya holds a BFA in Creative Writing from the Pratt Institute and is currently pursuing an MFA in writing at the University of California Davis. Mariya serves as a teaching assistant in the English department at UC Davis. She previously served as an associate editor at Carve Magazine for two years, where she managed 60 fiction writers. She is the winner of the 2015 Stony Brook Fiction Prize, and her short stories have been published in Mid-American Review , Cutbank , Sonora Review , New Orleans Review , and The Collagist , among other magazines.

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SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article

Using music technology creatively to enrich later-life: a literature review.

• Faculté de Musique, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada

Background: A growing body of evidence has demonstrated significant social and emotional benefits of music-making amongst senior citizens. However, several as-yet unresolved age-related barriers to “musicking” have been identified. Positioned within the emergent field of gerontechnology, concerned with the interface between aging and technology research, this review of literature thus explores the potential for music technologies to function as a vehicle for creative musical opportunities in later-life.

Methods: ERIC, PsychInfo, and Web of Science databases were searched, focusing on the intersection between music, technology, and aging. The criteria for inclusion were that the paper should: (1) be in English; (2) report empirical research involving the use of music technologies intended to support receptive (listening, interpreting, reflecting) or active (playing, creating, performing) engagement with music amongst older persons, defined as being aged 60 years or above ( United Nations, 2017 ); (3) be published as a peer reviewed journal article.

Results: Of 144 papers screened, 18 papers were retained. 10 studies focused on using technology to support musicking in the form of listening, reflecting, and interpreting. Just five studies explored the utility of technology in promoting singing or playing instruments, while a further three were focused on music and movement.

Conclusions: Overall, the literature reviewed suggests that older people, even those with complex needs, are capable of, and interested in using music technologies to access and create personally meaningful music. The limited research that does exist points to multiple and significant benefits that may be derived from receptive or active musicking supported by a range of music technologies.

Introduction

Questions concerned with the potential for music technology to support creative and positive aging are framed within a context where we are witnessing an unprecedented longevity revolution. The world's population aged 60 and above is set to rise from 962 million in 2017 to over two billion in 2050 ( United Nations, 2017 ). Particularly steep increases in absolute numbers of older people will occur in developing countries. All over the world, though, the proportion of the population aged 60 and over is increasing; by the year 2050 some of the most aged countries will be Japan, Spain, Italy, Germany, and Portugal, where those aged 60+ will account for between 38 and 43 per cent of their populations ( United Nations, 2013 ). The year 2050 will see half of the global population living in countries where at least 20 per cent of people are aged 60 years or above ( United Nations, 2017 ). The aging population internationally represents a triumph of public health policy yet poses significant challenges with regards to sustained quality of life, with particular risks of depression and loneliness, chronic disease, cognitive impairments, and sensory declines ( Chang-Quan et al., 2010 ; Sixsmith and Gutman, 2013 ; World Health Organization, 2015 ; Chambers et al., 2016 )

In response to these quality of life challenges, a growing body of evidence has demonstrated significant social and emotional benefits of music-making amongst senior citizens ( Creech et al., 2013a , 2014b ; Fung and Lehmberg, 2016 ). However, several as-yet unresolved age-related barriers to “musicking,” referring to listening, playing, creating, performing, interpreting, and reflecting ( Elliott and Silverman, 2015 ), have been identified ( Jansen, 2005 ; Withnall, 2010 ; Hallam et al., 2012 ). These barriers include ageist attitudes, psychosocial factors, as well as issues relating to the social or physical environment, accessibility of conventional tools (e.g., musical instruments), inclusion, and modes of communication. There is now a pressing need to consolidate and develop our knowledge concerning the potential for innovative music technologies to mitigate these barriers, thus maximizing the potential for access to the creative, psychological, and physiological benefits of musical engagement in later-life.

In this paper I therefore review the literature concerned with the utility and efficacy of music technology in later life contexts, addressing the following question: What is the potential for music technologies to function as a vehicle for promoting access to, and engagement in, musicking in later-life?

The Power of Music in Later-Life

Listening to music and playing musical instruments have been described by community-dwelling elders as “restorative activities” ( Jansen and von Sadovszky, 2004 ): activities that “enable a person to feel refreshed, rested, at peace, clear-headed, and mentally able to take on new tasks and challenges” ( Jansen, 2005 , p. 37). By “restorative,” Jansen (2005) refers to activities that enhance well-being through fostering a sense of “being away” (p. 37), either physically in a new location or metaphorically allowing the mind to wander to another place. Restorative activities such as music listening or music-making offer the scope for a person to “feel in a whole other world,” with their interest fully engaged and a high degree of “fit and harmony between the activity and the person's interests, wishes, and abilities” (p. 37).

From a more proactive perspective, it has been argued that creative spaces offer older people the opportunity to protest against a narrative of decline and instead perform creative acts, explore new ways of “becoming” and experience a humanized old age and continuing sense of citizenship. Writing through the lens of very old age, Erikson and Erikson (1998) reflect that the final life stage need not be solely concerned with withdrawal but, rather, may be experienced as a period of growth and creative expression that is accessed through “contact with one another and […] a regaining of lost skills, including play, activity, joy, and song […]” (p. 227).

A body of research supports the view that receptive or active musical engagement may function both as a restorative and as a creative space. ( Jenkins, 2011 ), for example, reported that participation in music was one significant predictor of positive changes in well-being amongst a sample drawn from the English Longitudinal Study of Aging ( n ≈ 6,000). In a similar vein, Cohen (2006) found that creative musical opportunities were associated with improvements in general health and a reduction in health risk factors. It has been reported that older people who were actively engaged in musical activities felt that they had greater control over their lives, experienced more pleasure and felt more cared for than those participating in other leisure activities; these positive outcomes were found amongst older people who identified themselves as “beginners” in music as well as those who said they were more experienced ( Creech et al., 2013b ). Creech et al. (2014a) reported that older people formulated aspirations in relation to possible musical selves through playing and performing in musical groups. Reported cognitive advantages include improvements in attention and concentration ( Bugos et al., 2007 ). Describing an ethnographic study in the context of residential care for older persons, Allison (2008) reported that a song writing group provided a space where older people could transcend the limitations of chronic ill health and institutional care, engaging in creative music-making. Thus, the accumulated evidence suggests that engagement with music, including listening as well as making music, offers a context where older people may continue to experience a positive and creative quality of life.

The Digital Divide

Within our current context, characterized by an aging population alongside the accelerated use of digital technology ( Warschauer and Matuchniak, 2010 ; Poushter, 2016 ), the field of gerontechnology has emerged, concerned with the scientific study of the interface between aging and technology ( Fozard et al., 2000 ). Increasingly, attention has been directed toward the possibilities offered by technology for enhancing the quality of later life, for example with technological innovations relating to connection with the outside world, ambient-assisted living, e-health, home-monitoring, robotics for independent living, and digital games ( Kaplan et al., 2013 ; Helfert et al., 2015 ). According to the World Health Organization (2015 , p. 36) “emerging technologies, particularly those used to foster communication and engagement,” may make the goal of aging in place “more achievable.”

Although anxieties relating to technology use have been noted amongst older people, Heinz et al. (2013) also found an openness to using technology, particularly innovations that offered potential enhancements to quality of life and independence. This suggests important opportunities exist to explore the potential benefits of integrating technology within the domain of practice of later-life musicking ( Stige, 2012 ; Elliott and Silverman, 2015 ). Music technology with younger people is now well-established within special education ( Farrimond et al., 2011 ), music education ( Ruthmann and Hebert, 2012 ) and within music therapy contexts ( Hahna et al., 2012 ; Magee, 2013 ; Stensaeth and Magee, 2016 ). However, there has been limited attention focused on the use of music technology as a medium to promote access to the holistic and social praxis of musicking ( Elliott and Silverman, 2015 ) in later life , particularly in non-therapeutic contexts.

Notwithstanding these technological potentials and some evidence of increasing later-life engagement with technology, a persistent generational digital divide has been noted, whereby older people, in comparison with younger people, remain less likely to engage with technology ( Charness and Boot, 2009 ; Allen, 2013 ; Poushter, 2016 ). This so-called digital divide may be related to attitudinal barriers, including those expressed by older people themselves about what it means to be an older person ( Jansen, 2005 ). The generational digital divide has furthermore been linked to obstacles relating to “age-related changes in perceptual, cognitive, and motor systems” (Charness and Boot, p. 255) which may include lack of training; physical challenges when using peripheral equipment such as keyboards; accessibility issues related to tremors, arthritis or limited vision; or cognitive challenges such as difficulty in understanding menu structures.

Amongst music technology users, a digital divide has likewise been observed, contrasting “digital natives” who have grown up with technology with “digital immigrants,” for whom technology represents a foreign and somewhat unwelcoming territory ( Magee, 2013 ). Ambivalence toward music technology, amongst older people, may be related to “an industry-wide focus on youth which has led to a systematic disregard for the needs, preferences, and capabilities of older adults” ( Damant and Knapp, 2015 , p. 18). Accordingly, technological challenges and accessibility issues may be conceptualized as limits of the technology and its application, not deficits in the users. This approach is derived from the cognitive system engineering framework ( Hollnagel and Woods, 2005 ) which takes the perspective that the human agent and the information system form a single unit (the joint cognitive system). Consequently, the purpose of the system—here, music technologies—is to work in conjunction with the human user in an efficient and integrated manner. In other words, one must adapt a system to fit the human capacities and limits. In this way, music technologies may be mobilized and adapted in creative ways that address quality of life issues in later-life contexts.

Creative Music Technologies in Later Life

According to Himonides and Purves (2010 , p 123–124), music technology can “enhance our lives through experiencing music in new ways; facilitate the communication of our musics […]; provide wider access to other people's musics […]; and provide access to music for people with special needs and requirements.” Four key terms, drawing upon these principles of inclusion and access to communicative musical experience, frame a design ethos that underpins the development of creative technologies that may be relevant for older people. Accessible or assistive devices differentiate for specific physical or cognitive constraints, while inclusive or universal devices are intended to enhance usability through recognition of a wide spectrum of capabilities ( Samuels, Himonides and Purves (2014) .

Broadly, creative music technologies comprise electrical or digital tools to select, listen to, create, manipulate, analyse, or record musical sounds. These technologies comprise listening devices, sound generators (e.g., synthesizers or samplers), musical instruments and interfaces (e.g., MIDI controller keyboards; distance sensors; assistive digital instruments) and visual realities (e.g., software that translates musical sound into visual representations and feedback ( Farrimond et al., 2011 ). Sound generators provide a rich musical palette that can be easily accessed and manipulated to meet individual musical preferences. Digital musical interfaces offer the vehicle through which individuals may access and control the sound generators; a range of interfaces are available, and specific interfaces may be chosen for creative reasons or to meet the physical, sensory or cognitive abilities and needs of an individual, while visual realities may be used as motivational feedback tools, and to promote multisensory creative musical expression. Owing to the availability of inexpensive and powerful technology, there is ever-increasing availability of creative music technologies that meet a wide range of diverse needs, including specific needs that may be related to aging.

Cappelen and Anderson (2014 , p. 4) have coined the term “Musicking Tangibles” designed to function as an arena for “positive and empowering” musicking experiences within special needs contexts. Arguing that Midi-based assistive music technology, with its emphasis on control of the interface, can be aesthetically limiting and tiring, Cappelen and Anderson advocate a focus on “motivating social interaction, co-creation, and musicking.” Four generations of Musicking Tangible design are described, including multi-sensory and interactive soft objects and spaces that can be “open to many interpretations, interaction forms and activity levels” (p. 5). To date, the reported applications of Musicking Tangibles have focused on families with children with severe disabilities, although the principles of co-creation and empowerment may have significant implications for the design and use of music technology across many life stages and contexts.

Weisberger (2013) , who facilitated an elders' song writing group within a Hispanic community adult day center, has described the potential for widely available technologies to support collaborative musicking with older people. Her aim with the group, which included several participants who lived with dementia as well as physical constraints, was to use culturally-relevant music as a unifying medium for the group, many of whose participants had experienced significant isolation related to their cognitive and physical challenges. Early sessions focused around acoustic instruments, which posed many barriers to participation. As Weisberger (2013 , p. 284) explains, although the group members could identify the music that “moved” them, “we would lose the beat, get out of tune, forget the words, and get distracted.” GarageBand was adopted as a tool for exploring potential solutions to the limitations experienced with the acoustic instruments, and the group proceeded to create an album of 20 original songs. GarageBand provided a framework within which the group could explore tempo, rhythm, timbre, harmony, and melody. Group members also became confident in using the microphone to experiment and record their singing, learnt new technological language, and contributed to editorial decisions. Weisberger notes that in addition to supporting the exploration of communication and expression through music, GarageBand served as a vehicle for helping to normalize the wider technological world. She further notes that a range of non-directive as well as directive facilitation strategies were necessary in order to support the participants effectively in reaching individual as well as group goals. For example, while some participants strove to enhance memory or language, others used the musical activities as a context for reducing anxiety, and these goals were situated within a group context that prioritized mutual support and reciprocal recognition of individual expressions of feelings or experience. Weisberger captured individual expressive ideas using multiple tracks, loops and layering, achieving a sense of the whole being aesthetically, greater than the sum of its parts. Finally, Weisberger observes that the option of listening back to recorded performance contributed to and sense of pride in the group identity, as well as boosting self-awareness and self-esteem.

The background literature thus suggests that there may be an important role for music technology to play in facilitating access to creative music opportunities for older people, including frail elders who may be living with significant cognitive or physical challenges. However, to date there has been limited empirical research in this area. The purpose of this review was therefore to synthesize the previous research concerned with music technology in later life, with a view to identifying key messages and themes, as well as areas for future exploration.

Three databases were searched: ERIC, PsychInfo and Web of Science, with the Web of Science database refined to include items in the categories of music, education, gerontology, interdisciplinary social sciences, rehabilitation, and multidisciplinary psychology. Focusing on abstracts, search terms were: music, technology, aging (aging, elderly, seniors, older people, older adults). Searches were therefore carried out in the following manner: (1) music + technology + aging; (2) music + technology + aging; (3) music + technology + elderly; (4) music + technology + seniors; and so on. The criteria for inclusion were that the paper should: (1) be in English; (2) report empirical research involving the use of music technologies intended to support receptive (listening, interpreting, reflecting) or active (playing, creating, performing) engagement with music amongst older persons; (3) include research participants who may be classified as “older people,” defined as being aged 60 years or above ( United Nations, 2017 ); (4) be published as a peer reviewed journal article. After removing duplicates, a total of 144 records were found through database searches, and their titles and abstracts were screened against the inclusion criteria. One hundred and twenty-six records were excluded at that stage, while 18 records were retained. A further five records were identified and added, through the process of scanning the reference lists of these 18 retained records ( Figure 1 ). Full texts for the sub-total of 23 retained records were located and read in full. Five papers were excluded for reasons that included: (1) the role of music was as a stimulus rather than as a medium for musicking, according to the categories proposed by Elliott and Silverman (2015) ; (2) the focus was not on musicking, but on media more broadly; (3) the paper was descriptive or theoretical rather than empirical; (4) the paper was not a peer reviewed article. Thus, a final total of 18 full-texts were retained for inclusion in the review.

Figure 1 . Records searched and sources retained.

The 18 papers included in this review are listed in Table 1 . Information extracted included study design, purpose of the study, facets of musicking addressed in the study, number and ages of participants and whether the study focused on participants living with dementia, and key findings. Overall, the majority (10) of studies focused on using technology to support musicking in the form of listening, reflecting, and interpreting. Just five studies from the total of 18 explored the utility of technology in promoting singing or playing instruments, while a further three were focused on music and movement. Ten studies focused on persons living with dementia, and of those, six focused on using technology to support listening, while three included an element of promoting movement with music and just one included making music with a digital instrument.

Table 1 . Full text sources retained.

Using Technology for Accessing Preferred Music

A growing body of evidence indicates that older people are capable of learning to use music technology to support access to listening and reflecting on their preferred music. For example, Lancioni et al. (2014) reported that older people living with mild to moderate Alzheimer's Disease were able to engage with a technology set-up comprising a laptop computer, amplifier, user interface (switch), and speaker intended to support the process of choosing and accessing their preferred music. Four participants aged 75–89 took part in an intervention (preceded by guided practice attempts) that comprised 10 min sessions where they were invited to use the technology to access their music choices. Prior to this experimental intervention, control baseline sessions took place where staff played recordings for the participants, without the aid of the technology set-up. Video recordings of the baseline control sessions and the experimental intervention sessions were evaluated using a social validation check that included indicators of happiness, self-determination, and social image. Results revealed that participants were able to use the technology, and the social validation scale differentiated between the control and experimental (technology) sessions, with more positive scores found in the experimental sessions where participants used the technology.

The idea of using simple technologies as an interface for enabling access to preferred music was also explored by Davison et al. (2016) . In their within-subjects experimental study, 11 participants aged 76–95 and living with dementia completed a protocol that involved learning to use a Memory Box–a laptop computer configured in such a way as to provide easy access to personally meaningful music, photographs, movies, or messages. Over 8 weeks, each participant spent a total of two and a half hours learning to use the Memory Box with researcher support (the experimental intervention), and an equivalent amount of time in visits from a researcher who read the newspaper and discussed local events (the control condition). Measures for anxiety, agitation, and depression were completed pre and post intervention. Overall, participants showed a preference for music and photographs, and several (six out of 11) were able to use the system independently. Anxiety and depression were both found to decrease, over the period of the intervention. These findings added to an earlier study by Garland et al. (2007) , who carried out a within-subjects experimental study with older people living with dementia. Thirty participants were exposed to a music listening condition, which was compared to a simulated visit (audio tape of a familiar person), a placebo (audio tape of a gardening book), and no intervention. Observations were made, using a time sampling approach before, during, and following each of the conditions. Listening to personally meaningful music was found to have moderate and variable positive effects for physical agitation. A key finding here was that a simple technology (in this study, a cassette player and headphones, with a playlist comprising personally significant music) could function as a tool to alleviate physically aggressive behavior among older persons with dementia.

In a similar vein, Sixsmith et al. (2007) demonstrated that older persons with a dementia diagnosis expressed a desire to use technology and were able to do so in order to access preferred music. Their observational study aimed to understand the factors that could best support older people with dementia in engaging with computer activities. Twenty-seven nursing home residents with an average age of 85 were offered the opportunity to take part in daily computer activities (including a range of choices that included music, games, video, email, and internet searching) over the course of 7 weeks. On average, participants voluntarily attended three sessions per week of approximately 25 min each. Participants engaged successfully with an average of two activities per session, requiring just 2 min (on average) of technical support during each session. The researchers noted that the most liked activity was listening to personally meaningful music that accompanied slideshows or videos.

With a similar focus on using technology to enable autonomous creative choices and access to preferred music, Sixsmith et al. (2007) describe a user-led research and development initiative in the UK, focusing on the creation of a simple music-playing device that would meet the user needs of older people. An ecological model of quality of life, taking account of personal attributes (e.g., cognitive and psychological characteristics, preferences), contextual factors (e.g. social support, physical characteristics of the immediate environment), and socio-cultural factors, framed an iterative process that led to the development of a device intended for use by individuals living with dementia. This ecological model “focused on the everyday activities of the person and highlighted opportunities for targeting technology and design solutions” (p. 87). Through initial interviews with 26 participants living with dementia and subsequent stakeholder focus groups, both music and creativity were identified as key themes related to quality of life. “Music was important … Music provided a context for a variety of forms of interaction and participation and had beneficial emotional effects” (p. 89), and “promoting the enjoyment and use of music” (p. 90) emerged as a priority area on the technology wish list. A prototype was developed, involving input from a range of perspectives (e.g., engineers, designers, gerontologists, dementia researchers), including testing and feedback from end-users (persons living with dementia). Sixsmith et al. (p. 92) explain that “this ensured that technology development took place in a way that was based on the experiences and needs of people with dementia and their caregivers rather than being based on a technology-driven approach.”

Focusing on accessibility and the potential wider benefits of technology, Vahia et al. (2017) investigated the use of tablets as a non-pharmacologic intervention intended to reduce anxiety amongst patients at a geriatric behavior health inpatient unit. Two iPads were each loaded with 70 applications (apps), including music and musical instruments as well as communication, games, video entertainment, news, and photography apps, rated for level of complexity. When patients became agitated or restless, they were given an iPad and directed toward apps that matched their individual preferences. Music playing apps, and particularly harp and piano, were amongst the five most commonly used. Time spent engaged with apps, the specific apps chosen, and a rating of restlessness after app use were recorded. The authors reported that all of their 39 participants tolerated the use of the tablets, although time spent using the app as well as the level of app complexity were negatively related to severity of dementia. Those diagnosed with mild dementia benefitted the most with regards to reduction in agitation.

The specific technologies of choice for accessing music, among community-dwelling adults, have also been explored. Miquel-Romero and Montoro-Pons (2017) carried out a structured questionnaire study, using a quota sampling method to achieve a representative sample of 315 Spanish residents aged 18–70, 34% of whom were aged 46–70. The questionnaire gathered information about music listening habits including devices used, opinions about music, and socioeconomic data. The researchers found that overall older people were not enthusiastic about accessing music using new digital formats, preferring to rely on hi-fi systems, DVDs, or the television, suggesting that the music industry must recognize the continuing need for supporting these formats. However, the authors also point out individual differences, and highlight that older adults are only likely to engage with new technological interfaces when these are perceived as being personally relevant and meaningful.

Overall, the research concerned with using technology to enable access to preferred music in later life contexts demonstrates that technologies can mitigate barriers to personally meaningful musicking in the form of listening and reflecting. The key messages are that the technology must be relevant to the needs of the user, and that “under caregiver supervision, even persons with severe impairment may use simple and intuitive apps, especially when they are matched to each individual's preferences and level of cognitive function ( Vahia et al., 2017 , p. 863).

Using Music Technology for Reminiscence

The significance of music technology for supporting reminiscence has been highlighted. For example, Lazar et al. (2014) carried out a systematic review of technology as an aid for reminiscence therapy and found that eight out of ten studies that described using multi-sensory reminiscence approaches had integrated recorded music alongside other stimuli. Reminiscence therapists used technology, in these instances, as a tool to harness musical responsiveness, described as a continuing ability that persists long after other abilities may have become compromised.

Music technology as a specific tool for reminiscence and life-review was investigated by Duffey et al. (2008) , who developed a Musical Chronology process, a structured approach whereby clients recollect and share popular songs that are accessed using technology and mapped against significant points in their life journeys. The Musical Chronology has been applied with older adults where there have been reports of “multiple areas of personal growth, including increased self-awareness and self-acceptance, the development of new relationships, increased comfort with being open and authentic in relationships, progress in dealing with grief, a renewed appreciation for life, and hope for the future” [ Somody, 2010 , p. v–vi]. Duffey et al. (2008) describe the adaptation of the Musical Chronology as a framework for collaborative life review between adult children and their parents, using one case study to demonstrate how music sharing rituals, supported by technology, offered the opportunity “for older adults to reflect on their pasts, share memories with loved ones, and productively integrate their experience” (p. 60), the latter point referring to a major later-life developmental task ( Erikson and Erikson, 1998 ).

Intergenerational musical review was also investigated by Connell (2012) , who explored the role of music and music technology in the construction of generational identity. Over 4 years, four community projects took place, involving a total of 48 older people aged 50+ to 80+, alongside a total of 29 young people aged between 12 and 18. The participants were trained in the use of DJ equipment, and given access to this equipment as well as a supply of vinyl records, over a series of four worksops. The workshops were found to provide a powerful context for enhancing intergenerational understandings. Overall, although the 1950s was identified as a period where there had been a paradigmatic shift in musical identities, the workshop activities revealed more generational accord than discord. As Connell reports, “one of the more striking findings so far is that actually, for older people aged 70-something or less, many of their tastes are not so far away from those of teenagers as initial stereotyping might suggest” (p. 275).

In these examples, it is clear that the technology becomes a means to an end, functioning as the tool with which users may explore their unique lifecourse narratives. Technology may also serve as a tool for using music as the focus of intergenerational dialogue, enhancing relationships and reciprocal understandings of generational values and identities.

Music Technology to Support Singing

Significant wider benefits of singing in later life have been demonstrated ( Clift et al., 2008 ), but there has been limited research focused on ways in which technology can be harnessed to support older people in engaging with singing. Reid et al. (2017) adapted a commercially available iPad application (SingFit) and tested its efficacy as a technology-based method for conducting longitudinal studies of regular singing and song learning in older adults. Forty-eight musically inactive participants (i.e., they had not engaged actively with music-making for at least 40 years) aged 65–84 were allocated to singing, listening, or control groups. The singing group used the app as a “sing-along” aid to learning and re-learning to sing favorite songs. The listening group used the app as a listening device, also focused on their favorite songs, while the control group did not use the app. The researchers were interested in the feasibility of using the app to promote singing, and whether daily singing or listening over a period of 5 weeks could have a positive effect on cognitive function. Although no significant effect was found for cognitive function (possibly because the 5 week protocol was too short to reveal any such effects), a key finding of this study was that the app functioned as an accessible gateway to singing. Older adults used the app with minimal support, with the majority of participants finding it motivating and enjoyable some reporting that they intended to continue singing after the research protocol had ended.

Technology to Support Music Perception and Appreciation

It is known that hearing loss is widespread among older people, and that there are significant challenges associated with this ( Lin et al., 2011 ). One such challenge may be the loss of music perception, and consequently diminished enjoyment of musicking, in any of its forms. Accordingly, some researchers have focused on the potential for technology to serve as a tool to support rehabilitation in relation to music perception, among adults with cochlear implants ( Smith et al., 2017 ).

Smith et al. (2017) recruited 21 adults aged 32–82 and living with a cochlear implant, who participated in a study to determine if a self-administered computer-based rehabilitation program, HearTunes (Rehab), could improve their music appreciation and speech understanding. The software presents musical patterns structured in such a way as to incrementally improve listening and focus. A novel feature of this software was its holistic nature, encompassing all aspects of musical perception rather than focusing solely on isolated musical tasks. Participants, who were categorized as having high or low musical ability (according to data gathered regarding musical background), engaged with the software for an average of 3.5 h per week, over 4 weeks. Pre and post tests were carried out, measuring music enjoyment, music perception, and speech understanding; the tests were repeated again 6 months after the study had finished. Significant improvements in enjoyment of music were found after 4 weeks, for the low-ability music group. At the 6 month follow-up, improvements in enjoyment of music were also found for those designated as having high musical ability. With regards to the tests for aural acuity, perceptual ability, and speech recognition, the software seemed to be most effective for those in the low musical ability group, although the significant improvements from pre to post training were not always evident at the 6 month follow-up. The researchers suggest that a longer rehabilitation period, initiated closer to the activation of the cochlear implant (CI), may be necessary in order to achieve long-lasting results, and reflect that “more complex and challenging versions of the software may also be necessary to develop to elicit more significant improvements in those CI users with more experience and background in music” (p. e267). Overall, a key finding of the study is that technology can be mobilized for supporting older adults in regaining and sustaining the capacity to engage with music, notwithstanding hearing loss. However, once again this study demonstrates the need for technology to differentiate for specific user needs and characteristics.

Collaborative Musicking Supported by Technology

Very few studies have focused on the potential for later-life active and collaborative musicking supported by music technology. However, technology as a vehicle for group music making was investigated by Pike (2011) , who explored the experiences of older people making music together using portable MIDI keyboards connected through a mixer, with the cohesive group sound broadcast through portable speakers. Thirty-five older people aged between 65 and 95 participated in the group over the course of 8 years. Data were collected from the participants via questionnaires, interviews, and recorded observation. While none of the participants had previous experience of using MIDI keyboards, this did not pose a barrier to learning but rather enhanced the overall musical experience. Specifically, the music technology was perceived to have enabled the participants to play at a more musically sophisticated level than they would be capable of otherwise, and supported sustained engagement in the learning process. Participants highlighted that the MIDI technology enabled participants to hear their individual parts within the group, served as an important tool for supporting the group in developing an internalized sense of pulse, and that the option to gain immediate aural feedback promoted discussion focused around creative choices relating to timbre, orchestration, and articulation.

The implications for music education values and priorities were explored by Laes (2014) , who carried out narrative interviews with older women who, as musical novices, participated in a rock band within a formal music education context. As Laes (p. 11) explains, “ music pedagogues of today are challenged to have a responsibility to engage third-age learners with music learning, for example by exploring the use of technology and the design of collaborative learning environments, and both these goals are easily realized in a rock band context for third-age learners.” The key themes emerging from Laes' study were that the rock band was a context for learning and participation where the participants had the opportunity to explore their musical identities, and where they experienced a sense of social affirmation, pride and success, as successive challenges were overcome.

Intergenerational asynchronous collaboration using an online platform was the focus of a study reported by Belgrave and Keown (2018) . In their research, an established music therapy choir comprising older adults aged 61–79 collaborated in a project with a youth choir, aged 9–14. The groups engaged in two “virtual exchanges,” in the form of recordings of themselves shared via Dropbox. The first of these recorded exchanges consisted of an introduction to their choir, followed by a recorded performance of a piece of music that was deemed to be representative of the choir. The second exchange comprised a teaching demonstration, whereby each choir provided an audio recording of themselves teaching a favorite song to their counterparts. Following the virtual exchanges, the two choirs met in a face-to-face workshop and performance. The participants filled in pre and post measure of intergenerational attitudes and expectations of the intergenerational experience. A key finding of the project was that the use of a simple and free computer technology supported communication, learning, and enhanced relationships between the opposite generations. As the authors noted, “both generations reacted positively to the interactions and cited the [virtual] interactions as one of the top enjoyable factors of the project” (p. 7).

The reported research concerned with using technology to support collaborative playing and performing is scarce. However, there seems to be some indications that even simple technologies can indeed support musical learning amongst older people, that older adults happily engage with musical activities involving technology, and that there may be important potential wider benefits associated with the use of music technology in intergenerational contexts.

Music and Movement With Creative Music Technologies

One interactive and creative music technology that has perhaps been under-researched (although used widely in special needs contexts) is the Soundbeam, described as an “elastic keyboard in space that allows sound to be created without the need for physical contact with any equipment” [( Swingler, 1998 ), p. 2]. The Soundbeam works on the same principle as the Thereminvox, in that high frequency ultrasound beams, inaudible to the human ear, are emitted and movements within those beams are transformed into musical sounds. However, in contrast to the Thereminvox, the Soundbeam, which translates distance and movement data into a digital code that is interpreted by any electronic instrument or sound, offers infinite possibilities for the quality of soundscape that is created. A second key difference that distinguishes the Soundbeam from the Thereminvox is that the beams emitted by Soundbeam can be adjusted to lengths varying from a few centimeters to several meters, making it possible to control musical sound with movements ranging from very small to very big. In addition, the sounds created can be transposed, making it possible to integrate the Soundbeam within collaborative music-making involving acoustic instruments. Finally, the Soundbeam offers scope for adjusting the number and sequence of notes captured within each beam (e.g., a particular scale with a specific number of octaves), to define the articulation required to trigger sound, and to adjust specific qualities of the sound produced. Thus, individuals with varying degrees of mobility are enabled to participate in intentional and collaborative musical activities, with the scope for making aesthetic choices, expressing imaginative ideas, exercising choice, developing listening skills, enhancing confidence, developing spatial awareness, and refining motor skills ( Russell, 1996 ; Swingler and Brockhouse, 2009 ).

The Soundbeam has been found to be “the single most frequently used electronic music technology” by UK music therapists ( Magee and Burland, 2008 , p. 125). A survey of 22 special educational needs schools in the UK revealed that 30% of music therapists within those contexts had used music technology, and of those 30, 76% had used the Soundbeam in their practice ( Farrimond et al., 2011 ). However, the overall use of assistive technology in music therapy is not yet widespread, and much of the published evidence in that domain is concerned with the use of electronic music technologies with children or adolescents ( Magee, 2013 ). For example, Hahna et al. (2012) carried out a survey of technology use within music therapy contexts in Australia, Canada, the UK and the USA. Overall, 71% of survey respondents reported using music technology in their clinical practice, but of those just 16% used technology with clients over the age of 65.

A notable exception is Ellis (2004) , who reports a longitudinal case study example of using digital music technologies with an elderly resident (aged mid-80s) within a long-term care context, who had been languishing following a stroke. Aiming to improve communication, motor control, and well-being, Ellis had developed the Vibroacoustic Sound Therapy (VAST), comprising exploration with a microphone and sound processor (supporting enhanced interactive communication skills), music-making with the Soundbeam (supporting independent physical movement and control, extending listening range, awakening curiosity, enabling self-expression), and dedicated time relaxing in the “Soundchair,” where recorded low-frequency calming music is intended to promote physical and mental well-being and to potentially trigger memories and reminiscence.

Ellis (2004) describes a layered approach to analysis of video recordings of several sessions over time, where VAST was applied. In the layered approach, significant moments from each session are extracted and layered one after another, creating a chronological representation of progression concerning specific behaviors or responses. Engaging with the Soundbeam, the participant “spontaneously started to use her left arm to control sound in most expressive ways,” and after several weeks she was reported to be generally more calm, communicative, cheerful, and sociable. These findings are framed by a summary of field notes gathered over several years, documenting the effects of VAST for over 35 individuals in later-life therapeutic contexts., where Ellis reports having observed improved communication, mobility, opportunities for individual exploration and control, deep relaxation, pleasure, well-being, and self-esteem. The importance of facilitation strategies is highlighted by Ellis, who cautions that technology must be mobilized in such a way as to support intrinsic motivation and a locus of control in the user.

With a similar focus on using technology to promote interaction with sound, a more recent Research through Design project, whereby prototypes are developed through a reflective process involving user engagement in the field, addressed the question of whether a music player could inspire seniors to be more physically active ( Rosseland, 2016 ; Rosseland and Culén, 2016 ). The researchers describe the development of RepMoves, articulating “a generic interaction design concept to motivate physical activity through rhythmic interaction with music” ( Rosseland and Culén, 2016 , p. 108). Using a motion sensor, the RepMoves prototypes adjusted the tempo of its music to the tempo of five specific movement patterns performed by the user. Essentially, the user's role is conceptualized rather like an orchestral conductor, with his or her body movements such as arm swings or body sways dictating the tempo of the “orchestra” (in this case, the music player RepMoves). RepMoves prototypes were tested with groups of older people diagnosed with early stage Alzheimers Disease. Through exploratory sessions using familiar songs, collaborative movement with RepMoves was found to be possible, stimulating entrainment, or moving in synchrony with one another, a phenomenon that has been associated with positive well-being ( Gill, 2012 ). Visual feedback in the form of photographs and videos was also added, offering an experience close to a virtual reality. The researchers illustrate that, through the conceptual exploration with older people, they “were able to explore and understand how a range of contextual, personal and social factors could influence the future adoption of the RepMoves concept in specific contexts” ( Rosseland and Culén, 2016 , p. 116).

The idea of using motion sensor technology was likewise explored by Scott Reis et al. (2012) . Their research and development project was framed by the underpinning principles of accessibility, inclusion and social participation. The aim was to develop a bespoke music technology for use by the elderly that would “allow musical expressiveness through motion, solely using the resources available in an ordinary home computer” (2012, p. 211). A prototype was developed that recognized motion (using a computer camera), and translated it to an audio signal that was then reproduced as audio, with low latency. The prototype was tested with a group of eight older people with an average age of 83, none of whom had background experience with music-making or with using computers. The participants were curious, excited and happy to explore the new technology, and seven out of the eight participants succeeded in making expressive musical sounds within 10 min trials.

Overall, the limited research that has thus far addressed the question of how technology can encourage expressive movement with music points to strong potential within gerontechnology for the development of music technologies that support enhanced mobility, expressivity through music, with implications for positive well-being.

This review of literature has demonstrated that the design and use of creative music technologies intended to enrich later life remains an under-researched area. Much of the literature that does exist focuses on music technology as an assistive tool within therapeutic contexts, while there is very little research, to date, that explores the affordances or challenges relating to engagement with music technologies amongst older people living independently within the community. Furthermore, there is limited research concerned with what inclusive practices using music technologies in the community, with intergenerational or later-life groups, might entail. However, this review does synthesize a growing body of research, design and practice that has recognized the significance of music as a continuing ability that may be supported in personally meaningful, creative and differentiated ways with accessible music technologies ( Lazar et al., 2014 ).

The literature reviewed in this paper suggests that older people, even those with complex needs, are capable of engaging with technology and using technology in a range of ways that support their musical perception, learning and participation (e.g., Pike, 2011 ; Laes, 2014 ; Smith et al., 2017 ). This evidence is in accordance with research concerned with later-life musical engagement more generally, where it has been demonstrated that older learners develop compensatory strategies to mitigate physical or cognitive constraints ( Gembris, 2008 ). Technologies that support receptive musicking (e.g., listening devices) as well as active musicking (e.g., motion sensor devices, digital musical instruments, singing apps and music composition or improvisation technologies) have been found to support access to the multiple personal, social, cognitive, and physical benefits that have been associated with musicking (e.g., Ellis, 2004 ; Rosseland, 2016 ; Reid et al., 2017 ; Vahia et al., 2017 ). Furthermore, music technologies have been shown to function as creative tools that may have the capacity to provide “restorative spaces” ( Jansen, 2005 ) that privilege reflection and reminiscence, personal healing and problem solving ( Duffey et al., 2008 ; Somody, 2010 ; Connell, 2012 ; Lazar et al., 2014 ). These activities may be of particular importance at a stage of life where the potential for creative growth and expression ( Erikson and Erikson, 1998 ; Weisberger, 2013 ) may be overshadowed by narratives of decline ( Findsen, 2005 ). Thus, the creative use of music technologies, as evidenced in this literature review, offer strong potential to serve as a vehicle whereby older people may overcome barriers to musicking and, through music, make substantive connections in their lives ( Duffey et al., 2008 ) and engage in purposeful and enriching activities.

What then are the underpinning theoretical principles that could be said to frame the design of creative music technologies that enrich the lives of older people? The literature reviewed here demonstrated that that effective and innovative design of music technologies for older adults requires cognizance of the diversity amongst the intended audience. Indeed, it has been argued that as people accumulate life experience they become more different than similar, and that attempts to characterize older people as a homogeneous group thus risks being /misguided and ageist” ( Withnall, 2010 , p. 119). The evidence that diverse groups of older people can and do engage with music technologies may thus encourage designers to reflect upon their own underlying assumptions about older people and to engage with research and development approaches that place the users at the heart of a design process with a strong element of user testing and feedback in the field ( Sixsmith et al., 2007 ). Approaches to the design of later-life music technologies may be particularly salient. When they are: (1) inclusive in embracing an ecological model of quality of life ( Sixsmith et al., 2007 ) that recognizes the prior experience and wider socio-economic and cultural characteristics of participants' lives; (2) accessible, in facilitating engagement and allowing older adults to recognize and implement compensatory user strategies; (3) are assistive, in enabling interdependent creative expression, learning and participation, and (4) universal, in the sense that the technologies function as a space for the collaborative and social practice of musicking.

Some limitations to this review relate to the rapid advances in technology itself. As the review was limited to published peer-reviewed journal articles, some cutting-edge innovations in the use of music technology in later-life contexts, not yet the focus of published empirical user-studies, may have been omitted. Indeed, excluded records included, for example, conference proceedings that reported the design and development of piano-playing robots intended to foster positive affective states among older people ( Park et al., 2008 ), computer software using motion technology to foster musical expressiveness ( Reis et al., 2012 ), as well as mobile Apps intended to promote easy access to personally meaningful music ( Nezerwa et al., 2014 ; Wang and Tan, 2015 ). Notwithstanding their non-inclusion in the systematic review reported here, these sources reinforce the key finding that older people can and do engage with technology, and that the development of technologies that facilitate (1) access to preferred music and (2) the use of music to reduce stress, particularly among persons living with dementia, has been of particular interest. A further limitation is language. This systematic review represents peer reviewed studies published in English; yet our aging population is a global issue of concern to researchers worldwide working in the interdisciplinary fields of gerontechnology and music, health, and well-being.

In conclusion, notwithstanding the limitations noted above, this review provides a strong rationale for exploring and developing the landscape comprising music technologies for older people in a range of diverse contexts. Arguments focused around quality of life, cognitive function, social interaction, and supporting mobility all point to the need for research and development in this area. Perhaps the strongest argument of all though is the view that innovative music technologies may enable access to joyful, creative, and restorative experience, throughout our later lives.

Author Contributions

The author confirms being the sole contributor of this work and has approved it for publication.

This review was supported by funding from the Social Sciences Research Council of Canada, grant number 890-2017-0021: Creative later-life in a digital age: mobilizing music and creative technologies for inclusive later-life musical learning and participation, creative expression, digital literacy, and quality of life.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The author declares that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Acknowledgments

The author wishes to acknowledge the support of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

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Keywords: music, technology, creative, aging, later-life

Citation: Creech A (2019) Using Music Technology Creatively to Enrich Later-Life: A Literature Review. Front. Psychol . 10:117. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00117

Received: 12 November 2018; Accepted: 14 January 2019; Published: 30 January 2019.

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*Correspondence: Andrea Creech, [email protected]

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