Preamble
This note describes one of 12 areas listed in Overview of Music Statistics: Other Sources, outlining the potential and actual contribution of sources other than the Australian Bureau of Statistics to knowledge of the music sector. The indication is that statistics may be available but this remains a note until this can be achieved.
Statistics
Music and health is becoming an increasingly important area, ever since the Australian Music Therapy Association (AMTA) was founded in 1975 (see Music Therapy). More recently, music health has been accepted more generally, as illustrated by the title of a one-day pre-conference for the 4th European Public Health Conference in Copenhagen (10-12 November 2011) called “Music as public health”. The program booklet explains how it differs from the more clinical field of music therapy:
“Music as in therapy is well established as an evidence based treatment modality all over the world, so we know a lot about how and why music can help people with physiological or psychological problems and pathologies. Music and health is a broader field where the use of music experiences to promote health and well-being in everyday life is studied and promoted. Music psychologists, music therapists, musicologists and health professionals are creating a knowledge base for the focused application of music experiences and activities in a public health perspective.”
A third concept is to optimise the health and well-being of musicians, singers and other members of the music sector, as explained in the article Music Health.
It would be difficult to capture these activities statistically apart from what is available from AMTA, suggesting music and health would be covered only partially. Any suggestion as to collecting further statistics, say, on the number of practitioners beyond the field of music therapy, would be most welcome.
Author
Hans Hoegh-Guldberg. Entered on knowledge base 14 November 2011 as part of a general overview of statistical sources other than the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Made into independent article 12 February 2012.
Hans founded his own consulting firm, Economic Strategies Pty Ltd, in 1984, following 25 years with larger organisations. He specialised from the outset in applied cultural economics — one of his first major projects was The Australian Music Industry for the Music Board of the Australia Council (published in 1987), which also marks his first connection with Richard Letts who was the Director of the Music Board in the mid-1980s. Hans first assisted the Music Council of Australia in 2000 and between 2006 and 2008 proposed and developed the Knowledge Base, returning in an active capacity as its editor in 2011. In November 2013 the Knowledge Base was transferred to The Music Trust, with MCA's full cooperation.
Between 2000 and 2010 Hans also authored or co-authored several major domestic and international climate change projects, using scenario planning techniques to develop alternative long-term futures. He has for several years been exploring the similarities between the economics of cultural and ecological change, and their continued lack of political clout which is to a large extent due to conventional GDP data being unable to measure the true value of our cultural and environmental capital. This was announced as a major scenario-planning project for The Music Trust in March 2014 (articles of particular relevance to the project are marked *, below).
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