The newly redesigned David Ott Lab for Music and Health is an innovative space for research and education on the role of digital music technologies in the promotion of human wellbeing in its various forms. The Lab is equipped with current digital music technologies and serves as a resource for students, music therapists, and other members of the community to learn about the role of digital music in health-promoting practice and research.
Lab equipment includes:
- A recording studio equipped with Logic Pro X, Ableton Live Suite10, Arcade by Output, Splice, Ableton Push 2, MOTU UltraLite mk4 interface, Korg microKey and nanoKey Studio, and recording microphones.
- A beat-making station equipped with the latest drum machines, samplers, and synthesizers from Korg (Volca series, electribe series, kaossilator 2) and Akai (MPC Live).
- A DJ station with Pioneer controllers and Serato software.
- A portable recording studio with the latest mobile recording software and digital music applications including iPad Pro, IK multimedia iRig Pro Duo Studio Suite with MIDI keyboard.
These four stations can be configured in a variety of ways allowing for new discoveries into health affordances of digital technology.
The David Ott Lab for Music and Health will provide our community a space to innovate new research methodologies and discover new health-promoting applications of digital technology in music therapy. It also provides an educational space for current students to learn about advanced methods of clinical practice using digital technologies.
Current and Upcoming Projects:
- Entering the Ambient: Music Therapists’ Experience with Group Improvisations using Digital Technology: Dr. Michael Viega, Ph.D., MT-BC, LCAT; Victoria Druziako, MA, MT-BC, LCAT; Josh Millrod, MA, MT-BC, LCAT; Al Hoberman, MA, MT-BC, LCAT; Dr. Brian Abrams, Ph.D., MT-BC, LCAT
- Remixing Pivotal Moments in Music Therapy: Dr. Michael Viega, Ph.D., MT-BC; C’airra Cotte and Claudia Orozco (Undergraduate Music Therapy, MSU).
- Exploring the Validity of Creating a Digital Music Application Pain Profile (DMAPP) for Use in the Assessment of Chronic Pain: Drs. Michael Viega and Brian Abrams (Music Therapy, John J. Cali School of Music, CART), Dr. Rachel Lyons (School of Nursing), Dr. Julian Keenan (Biology), and Dr. VJ Manzo (Music Technology, Worchester Polytechnic Institute).
Presentations Related to The David Ott Lab for Music and Health
- Entering the Ambient: Music Therapists’ Experience with Group Improvisations using Digital Technology: Michael Viega, Ph.D., MT-BC, LCAT Victoria Druziako, MA, MT-BC, LCAT Josh Millrod, MA, MT-BC, LCAT Al Hoberman, MA, MT-BC, LCAT Brian Abrams, Ph.D., MT-BC, LCAT https://youtu.be/THtsKhTv2cs
- Understanding Transgenerational Trauma and Grief Through Digitally Remixing Music of the Holocaust: Brian Abrams, Ph.D., MT-BC, LCAT Michael Viega, Ph.D., MT-BC, LCAT https://youtu.be/nZDCY_Kn2XU
- The Politics of Noise: Digital Music Cultures and Identities in Music Therapy: Dr. Michael Viega, Ph.D., LCAT, MT-BC and Dr. Alexander Crooke (Australia). https://youtu.be/v5e4TTha4fM
- Every Door Will Open: Artistic Design and Performance in Music Therapy Research https://youtu.be/NmvpySLHCus
- Remixing Pivotal Music Moments in Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy (featuring Graduate Students, (Claudia Orozco and C’airra Cotte) https://youtu.be/KZo1q-TCxCE
BEATS FROM THE HEART
Beats from the Heart brings a diverse array of music technologies and music production equipment directly to the community to support the social and emotional wellness of middle and high school students who have recently arrived to the United States from Spanish-speaking countries. The program provides a safe space for these youth to express themselves through songwriting, beat-making, composition, instrumental music and video creation, with a goal of centering their own agency towards increasing resilience in the face of the challenges they face, and promoting community empowerment through music. Beats from the Heart was piloted in the Fall of 2022 with Entrenadores Escolares, part of Montclair Fund for Educational Excellence, a nonprofit educational program in Montclair, NJ that provides after-school bilingual tutoring and social support to middle and high school students in the public schools. Montclair State University students studying music therapy, under the direction of dedicated faculty, lead a weekly program during the school year. The healing and sense of empowerment that the program provides is evident: Entrenadores Escolares students have formed their own musical group, Musica del Mundo.
