Endless Refills on This Prescription: A Courtship Between Music and Medicine?

Everyone seems to have those days or maybe even weeks where the stress overflows, getting a decent night of sleep is a luxury, and feeling moodier than usual is commonplace. As a student, there are several special moments in each semester where tests, papers, and marathon study sessions take their toll. It is these very matters that have driven me to pop in the earphones and listen to music much more than usual. Music helps alleviate some of the anxiety and has the ability to lift the spirit as well. In previous posts, I have kept an eye on where the music industry is heading and how musicians adapt to the times. It is my goal in this post to explore an area that many people take for granted – the power music has over us as a culture and its effects on us as individuals. Although music provides a consistent avenue of comfort for many, including myself, is this a form of therapy that can be incorporated into modern medicine while considering logistical and possible health coverage complexities?

As a musician, it is difficult to escape the reality that I enjoy music because it has a way of playing off on my moods and vice-versa. Attitude and temperament do play an important role in our lives and overall well-being, but enough of a role to explore how music and frame of mind can work together? Dr. Michael F. Roizen, chief wellness officer of the Wellness Institute at the Cleveland Clinic, explains “Listening to finer music and attending concerts on a consistent basis makes your real age about four years younger. Whether that’s due to stress relief or other properties, we see decreases in all-cause mortality, reflecting slower aging of arteries as well as cancer-related and environmental factors. Attending sports events like soccer or football offers none of these benefits.” While this new field of study lacks substantial evidence at this juncture, it is apparent that an exciting conversation has begun in the medical community. Vera Brandes, the director of the research program in music and medicine at the Paracelsus Private Medical University in Salzburg strongly believes in the power of music. Brandes identifies herself as the “first musical pharmacologist.” “In that capacity she is developing medication in the form of music, dispensed as a prescription” according to The New York Times. Upon a visit to your physician, a prescription of music may be given. Sounds a bit wild, but there have been studies that support the notion that music can really alter a person's physical well-being in a very positive way. This recent interest in the healing powers of music has helped drive a new website called Sourcetone.com, which aims to connect emotional well-being to selected music tracks according to current moods. It is in a beta-phase currently, but the content and focus of the website is evident.

In Finland, neuroscientists worked together with music therapists and found that stroke patients recovered substantially faster when listening to music after experiencing a stroke. “Our research shows for the first time that listening to music during this crucial period can enhance cognitive recovery and prevent negative mood,” says Teppo Sarkamo, a doctoral student at the University of Helsinki. “We found that three months after the stroke, verbal memory improved from the first week post-stroke by 60% in music listeners…" he explains. "Similarly, focused attention -- the ability to control and perform mental operations and resolve conflicts among responses -- improved by 17% in music listeners, but no improvement was observed in audio-book listeners and non-listeners.” Statistics at this level really do amplify the thought that music should integrate with medicine, but it is difficult to forget about the other intricacies that come with medicine – such as health coverage, insurance, referrals to specialists, and so on.

Vera Brandes' new program is intriguing, but there is little mention of how music prescriptions will be given out and if this kind of therapy will be covered by insurance companies. As a new venture, it is important to think about the possible conflicts down the road, especially if evidence does lean substantially in favor of a fusion between medicine and music. Another fascinating facet to this issue is that if doctors and researchers are taking this seriously and throwing money behind studies, can this be a unique market for musicians to offer a helping hand while making a living as well? Live music seems to be a favorite among avid music fans because it brings fans one big step closer to those positive feelings they get while listening to headphones at home. If scientists are looking to really explore the effects of music, why not enlist vocalists or musicians to perform regularly for patients? Much like children’s hospitals around the country that support learning, laughter, and growth in the hospital, let us think about the possibility of bringing live music to the bed-side. Celebrities and musicians have travelled abroad for tours among the military bases and hospitals to raise morale, so this is not such an extreme idea.

Obviously, it would be a logistical nightmare to have someone belting out Celine Dion in ICU, so the live music therapy would need to happen when a patient is much more stable and progressing steadily already. Thinking beyond the hospital setting, when someone has sung to me, even karaoke surprisingly, it makes me feel embarrassed but it feels great when someone does it nonetheless. Even when people sing someone Happy Birthday, it elicits a genuinely warm response. As for the data and support that is still needed in this field, it is obvious that more time is needed before there is a definite reason to blend music in with the medical field. However, it does seem thus far that music certainly does affect people’s moods, which can also affect a person’s recovery and general well-being. The day-to-day occurrences that we take for granted, such as silly moments when a loved one sings for another or when a friend embarrasses someone by singing karaoke to them in front of a crowd – it is these moments that we need to learn from and find the possibility of honing-in on this positive power. It is hard to argue that people do not feel special or find enjoyment when someone makes the effort to raise your spirits, especially when you are ill.

Making a Comeback: New Chapters for Veteran Artists

This week I aspired to find fresh news stories about recording artists who are trying to capture the public’s attention, not through the dramatic happenings in their personal lives (i.e. the Rihanna/Chris Brown frenzy), but through pure ingenuity. It seems Veteran R&B singer Macy Gray and superstar Prince have both decided to make distinct career moves this spring in an effort to invigorate their fans as well as attract a few more. Ms. Gray will be heading to the University of California in Los Angeles to gain marketing perspective from students for her upcoming album, which she financed herself. Also, Prince has made the decision to release a three-disc CD set (two new albums plus a third by his protégé, Bria Valente) exclusively through mega-retailer Target for just $11.98. These stories are intriguing wherein both recording artists are trying to revitalize their careers by directly approaching their demographic base. Macy Gray’s choice seems expertly executed, given that she is seeking advice in an environment which celebrates thought and innovation. She used her own money to create this album, why not ask young people, who are hungry for fresh material, for direction and ideas? In a similar effort to show some humility to his base, Prince has created a collection which would easily sell for $25 to $30, if not more on Apple’s ever-popular iTunes store. Instead, he signed an exclusive deal with discount-giant Target to sell the entire set for $12. His audience tends to attract an older crowd in relation to Ms. Gray's which can play in his favor in this instance because the retailer has a solid 30 and up customer following, while consistently keeping the younger generation's attention. In “Prince goes to Target: You don't have to be rich to rule his world,” Margeaux Watson exemplifies the type of “iTunes/digital customer only” reaction I was looking for after I first read of Prince’s deal with Target. She ultimately asks her readers if this deal is a good idea and elicits quite the response. The Los Angeles Times’ Pop & Hiss blog entry "Macy Gray heads back to school: Singer slated to guest at UCLA Extension course" aptly shines a light on the college course at UCLA which gives students the opportunity to craft a marketing plan for Ms. Gray as part of their final. I found this article by veteran blogger Todd Martens to be particularly informative, offering insight on how artists and executives are looking toward the future and eliciting feedback from the public. Below, you will find my comments to these blog entries.

“Prince goes to Target: You don't have to be rich to rule his world”
Comment

Margeaux, you ask your readers: “Do you think this is a good idea?” Releasing an album exclusively with a retailer such as Target is a genius move on Prince’s part and a true steal in this economy – a total of 3 discs (essentially 3 albums) for the mere price of $12? Although I respectfully disagree with the majority of your post on this topic, I must admit I have never been a die-hard fan myself. From a marketing perspective however, I must argue – selling an album solely through a popular retailer such as Target is an excellent business decision on a number of fronts. Target has a large consumer base and Prince has a strong foundation in the music industry – in an economic climate such as this, converging a big-name retailer with a superstar artist seems completely appropriate, if not natural. This contract with Target reveals his appreciation, in my opinion, of his fans and allows his audience to expand. How many successful recording artists have the opportunity to truly save their fans a buck and still pour out respectable music?

It is also important to discuss the closures of most mega music stores such as Tower and most recently, the Virgin chain. Now Target, Bestbuy, and Wal-Mart have taken the place of the music-only stores that many of us grew up with. Moreover, these 3 retailers have all signed similar deals (the Christina Aguilera and Target deal to name one) with other musicians over the past few years and despite iTunes’ popularity, people are still leaving the house to buy cds. The convenience factor of which you reference when you say “I'm so addicted to iTunes that I can't even remember the last time I purchased an actual physical CD, though I'm pretty certain I didn't get it at Target” is understandable, but not completely relatable. Many music lovers buy both digital copies of music and physical cds, especially when special editions or collections are released. Also, fans do not usually take burned cds of their digital tunes to concerts or releases to be signed – it’s an American pastime of which many fans have held onto for some time now to have official cds signed. As I am not a big fan of Prince, as stated above, it is hard to disregard this superb move he made with Target. Music aside, with a price tag of $11.98, it is hard for anyone to argue that he is not reaching out to his demographic and giving the cash-conscious consumer a bargain.

"Macy Gray heads back to school: Singer slated to guest at UCLA Extension course"
Comment

I appreciate the thorough and revealing journalism you offer here on UCLA’s Extension course, where Macy Gray will be a guest lecturer this spring. An educational institution where students can interact with a recording artist and be heard as well as respected is an intriguing concept. On some levels, I would imagine the experience to be a bit surreal to take such an active role in an artist’s album release. This platform seems as though it may serve both student and artist equally. The extensive list of industry insiders who will take part in this course reads like a who’s who of the music industry. My impression is that industry executives are very open and receptive to change, if not fresh ideas at the very least. I think it is an admirable decision for Ms. Gray and other artists to step down and have a face-to-face conversation with the public about their music and its direction.

The presence of such an elite executive body poses a question: If these executives are taking part in a course that has college and non-college students, are they using this outlet to gain perspective on where the public wants to go with music? It would seem as though this is the case after reading some of Professor Jeffrey Jampol’s responses to your questions. More often than not, media outlets put their focus on the superficialities that surround major recording artists. This brief report shows a side of the music industry the public has not seen in the past – executives and artists sitting down to have a candid discussion about the direction of music with the ultimate goal that everyone at the table can walk away with something at the end of the day.

Ticketmaster: A Possibility to Expand?

The controversial merger between Ticketmaster, which controls ticketing at major venues across the country, and artist manager Live Nation has live-entertainment fans across the country fuming. For years, Ticketmaster has been known to tack on a plethora of extra fees when a consumer makes an online or phone purchase. Between service fees, processing fees, pick-up-in-person fees, and even print-the-ticket-at-home fees – this company has received heavy criticism for these practices over the years.

Recently, Bruce Springsteen fans complained to New Jersey Attorney General Anne Milgram about Ticketmaster’s ploy to force fans into paying $200 to $5,000 for $65 to $95 concert tickets. It seems that Ticketmaster’s main Web site indicated there were no tickets available for Springsteen’s upcoming concerts at the Meadowlands. The solution? Ticketmaster directed fans to its subsidiary, TicketsNow, which was charging outrageous prices for each ticket. When the rock star learned about this situation, he immediately condemned the company for ripping off his fans, saying he was “furious.”

“The abuse of our fans and our trust by Ticketmaster has made us as furious as it has made many of you,” Springsteen said. “We condemn this practice.”

Ticketmaster did not admit to any tricks or unethical practices, but issued an apology and has agreed to pay $350,000 to compensate ticket holders.

The merger with Live Nation has Congress concerned that if the two come together to form one major company it will essentially monopolize the industry. CEOs for the two companies did not convince Senators last week that the merger would lower concert ticket prices for the consumer.

“I am disturbed by your unwillingness to discuss the main reason for the merger,” Senator Herb Kohl said to Ticketmaster CEO Irving Azoff.

Another twist in this story is the fact that Live Nation dropped Ticketmaster as its ticketing vendor just one month ago – selling tickets to its own events and directly competing with Ticketmaster. Unfortunately, their initial venture into ticket sales did not go so well. Live Nation’s website had technical mishaps, error messages, and many people could not purchase tickets.

David Colker, Tiffany Hsu and Randy Lewis of the Los Angeles Times argue:

“If there’s no merger and Live Nation succeeds in its ticketing venture, the company could put a significant dent in Ticketmaster’s business.”

This seems to be a point worth discussing – especially when Live Nation did not really put a full-force effort into this new business of selling tickets.

In the Times article, Scott Devitt, an analyst at Stifel, Nicolaus & Co is interviewed as saying:

“Because Live Nation owns its own ticket platform, they would not be sharing fees with Ticketmaster. This had the potential to lower consumer fees. With this possible merger, it takes away the only competition from a ticketing standpoint.”

This is a valid argument, especially when you have such a high number of consumer complaints regarding Ticketmaster’s business practices and enormous fees. There is such discourse on the internet, that ticketmastersucks.org was established. The site offers consumers information regarding current legal troubles Ticketmaster is dealing with, as well as an opportunity to vent your own problems you have experienced when purchasing tickets through the company.

Should these two companies be allowed to merge? Only the Justice Department can block such a move. One important issue that should be on the minds of Congress and our elected officials is in this down economy, consumers are strapped for extra cash and when they want to enjoy a live-entertainment event, competition is celebrated and embraced. People like the idea of being able to shop around to find a good deal. When its time to hit “Checkout” on a ticketing website, the last thing anyone wants to see is the cost of their ticket skyrocketting because of special fees.

There is just something fundamentally wrong when you buy a $12 ticket, have to pay an extra $7.50 service charge, and a final charge of $2.50 to print the ticket yourself.