| Abstract |
According to the APA, the most common stress coping strategy is listening to music. Virtual Harmony (VH) is designed to apply Virtual Reality (VR) in a Music Therapy (MT) environment to reduce stress. The treatment combines VR and MT to stimulate audition through background music, vision through three dimensional VR, and touch through virtual percussive instruments. VH applies current MT practice in several novel ways. Firstly, by using the second movement of Beethoven’s 7th Symphony, the VH prototype employs a steady tempo about the average heart rate and ten second melodic sequences corresponding to the production of a healthy heart rate and blood pressure. Secondly, VH engages participants in rhythm generation, an important component of MT. A pilot study was conducted among college students, in which participants used VH and provided pre- and post-exposure questionnaire responses about their experiences. 90% of participants reported that VH was effective and worth purchasing, and 32% of participants reported lower stress levels after having used VH. Only 5% reported that their stress increased which may be related to past experiences with severe vertigo. Further controlled experimentation is needed, but these early results are consistent with VH being a promising, affordable, and accessible way for users to manage their stress.
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| Modified Abstract |
Virtual Harmony (VH) combines Virtual Reality (VR) and Music Therapy (MT) to reduce stress. VH stimulates audition through background music, vision through three dimensional VR, and touch through virtual percussive instruments. By using the second movement of Beethoven’s 7th Symphony, the VH prototype employs a steady tempo about the average heart rate and ten second melodic sequences corresponding to the production of a healthy heart rate and blood pressure. VH also engages participants in rhythm generation, an important component of MT. Moreover, users feel less stressed even outside of the therapeutic environment, since the auditory cortex is near where memories are stored. Early pilot study results are consistent with VH being a promising, affordable, and accessible way for users to manage their stress.
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