What effects can music have on our brains? The Musilience association is looking into the connections between music and health. Interview with Élodie Fraile, president of the association and doctoral student in neuropsychology at the Neuropsychologie et Imagerie de la Mémoire Humaine (NIMH) research laboratory.
” The aim of the association’s events is to make knowledge about music and health accessible to all, particularly through scientific mediation. Participants have the opportunity to discuss with the speakers, who enjoy sharing their knowledge with professionals and students alike. ”
The history of the association
While studying speech therapy in Lyon, Élodie Fraile turned her attention to research in neuroscience and neuropsychology. After obtaining her diploma, she worked as a speech therapist for six years, before pursuing a Master’s degree in research in neuropsychology and clinical neuroscience. After her Master’s degree, Elodie was keen to undertake a doctorate in the laboratory, but as funding was not yet available, “the idea of creating Musilience was born out of this desire to maintain a link with research on the subjects of music and health. I wanted to find out more about what music could do for us. I said to myself, why not set up an association with friends and family and invite specialists from different backgrounds to talk to us about this very broad theme?” she confides. And so, in March 2021, Élodie founded the association, surrounded by Marie, a speech therapist, Rebecca, a musician and music therapist, and Solène, a musician and neuropsychologist. The objective was clear – to create a space where music, clinical practice and scientific research could converge, in order to exchange and share knowledge. A few months after the creation of Musilience, Elodie received a grant from the Normandy region to study the impact of artistic and cultural practices, particularly music, on mental health.
Music and health
The relationship between music and health is complex. In the field of memory, an experiment carried out by Élodie Fraile during her speech therapy studies illustrates the relationship between music and memory. “I was in contact with elderly people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, and they were all asked to choose a song, a particularly popular tune. Then we asked them to tell us about a memory close to their hearts – their wedding, a loved one’s birthday, etc. – and then we created lyrics based on it. – Then we created lyrics to the tune that had been chosen to create personalized songs. Adding personalized lyrics to the melody allowed for sung learning. Comparing before and after, we found that the participants, despite memory problems, were able to remember the elements better after this musical learning“. This experiment demonstrated how music can preserve abilities in people with Alzheimer’s disease.
Music is also linked to language, “As a speech therapist, I used to use music and rhythm a lot to help dyslexic people. I took a course called “Mélodys” which taught us how to use elements of pitch and rhythm to work on written language in an indirect way to improve reading.”
Although music is finding its place as a therapeutic tool, it is still largely under-utilized in the healthcare field. The Musilience association acts as a mediator, providing healthcare professionals with the knowledge they need to improve their practices.
Read Elodie Fraile’s profile of her participation in the Ma Thèse en 180 secondes Normandie 2023 competition.
Upcoming events
The Musilience association is a partner of the University of Caen Normandy. The program for the 2023-2024 season will be punctuated by 3 highlights, to be held throughout the year. This series of events will explore the profound links between music and health.
Concert-debate. On November 27, 2023, at the MDE on Campus 1, pianist Noémie Ochoa will come to play and share her experience – in particular, her very special method of learning the piano.
Webinar. A virtual meeting will be organized with researchers. The theme and date will be defined at a later date.
Concert-debate. Discovery of the Bao Pao, a computer-assisted musical instrument used by people with disabilities.
Alongside these major events, workshops for healthcare professionals will be organized, as well as committees for speech therapists and students studying speech therapy in Caen. This year, a new musical project has been launched, “Workshops will be led by a music therapist and open to Musilience members who so wish. The workshops will be run in duo with EHPAD residents and their caregivers, and will start on September 5 in Colombelles. The workshops will culminate in a concert on October 5, in partnership with the Orchestre Régional de Normandie,” explains Élodie Fraile.
Join the association
Joining the association means being the first to hear about Musilience events via the newsletter, benefiting from preferential rates and having access to event replays.
