Full Articles/ Reviews/ Shorts Papers/ Abstracts are welcomed in the following research fields:

1. Foundations of Music Therapy

This core area focuses on the clinical and evidence-based use of music to accomplish individualized goals.

• Clinical Populations

  • Neurodevelopmental disorders (Autism Spectrum, ADHD)

  • Neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s)

  • Mental health (Depression, Anxiety, PTSD)

  • Hospice and palliative care

• Methods and Models

  • Recreative: Learning or performing existing music.

  • Compositional: Writing songs or lyrics to process emotions.

  • Receptive: Guided imagery, music-assisted relaxation, and "The Bonny Method."

  • Improvisational: Spontaneous music-making to facilitate communication.

• Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT)

  • Sensorimotor training (rhythmic auditory stimulation)

  • Speech and language training (melodic intonation therapy)

  • Cognitive training (auditory perception and memory)

2. Music in Complementary & Alternative Medicine (CAM)

These topics explore how music is used alongside or instead of traditional Western medical treatments.

• Vibrational Medicine

  • Sound Baths: Using Gongs, Tibetan singing bowls, and crystal bowls.

  • Binaural Beats: Brainwave entrainment for sleep, focus, or meditation.

  • Vibroacoustic Therapy (VAT): Applying sound vibrations directly to the body via specialized furniture.

• Energy Healing & Sound

  • Chakra balancing through specific frequencies or vowels.

  • Tuning fork therapy (applied to acupuncture or trigger points).

  • Mantra chanting and its effect on the Vagus nerve.

• Integrative Pain Management

  • Music-induced analgesia (using music to reduce the perception of pain).

  • Pre-operative and post-operative music interventions to lower cortisol.

3. The Science of Sound & Physiology

Understanding the "why" behind the healing power of music through biology and physics.

• Psychoacoustics

  • The perception of pitch, timbre, and rhythm.

  • The "Mozart Effect" vs. Long-term arousal-mood hypotheses.

• Neurobiology of Music

  • Dopamine release and the "chills" phenomenon.

  • The role of the Amygdala and Hippocampus in musical memory and emotion.

  • Neuroplasticity: How musical training changes brain structure.

• Bio-Musicology

  • Entrainment: How the heart rate and breathing synchronize with an external beat.

  • The effect of low-frequency sound on cellular regeneration.

4. Ethnomusicology & Cultural Healing

Exploring how different cultures have used music as medicine throughout history.

• Indigenous Healing Practices

  • Shamanic drumming and altered states of consciousness.

  • African healing circles and polyrhythms.

• Eastern Philosophy & Sound

  • Nada Yoga (the Yoga of Sound).

  • Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and the Five Element music theory.

  • The use of Solfeggio frequencies in ancient chants.

5. Modern Applications & Technology

The intersection of music health with 21st-century tools.

• Digital Therapeutics (DTx)

  • Apps for rhythm-based gait training.

  • AI-generated "functional music" for productivity and sleep.

• Biofeedback

  • Using heart rate monitors to control generative music in real-time.

• Environmental Music Design

  • Designing "healing environments" in hospitals and dental offices to reduce patient stress.