Émile Jaques-Dalcroze as a visionary pioneer of Neurologic Music Therapy

Abstract

Émile Jaques-Dalcroze (1865-1950) anticipated contemporary neuroscientific concepts in his educational method of learning and experiencing music through movement, namely Dalcroze Eurhythmics. He developed the idea of sensorimotor integration as it relates to musical experience and thus contributed crucially to the emergence of Neurologic Music Therapy. Here, we comment on his ideas on learning and integration in the light of modern neurosciences, with emphasis on new findings concerning the dynamics of brain plasticity and the existence of mirror neurons. Auditory-motor co-representations develop rapidly when learning to play a musical instrument and constitute the basis of rehabilitation of neurological impairments with instrumental playing. The theoretical background of neurorehabilitation has been broadened during recent years by the emerging concept of embodiment. We exemplify this by describing a therapeutic approach utilising the sonification of arm movements in stroke patients to improve motor control of the paretic arm and to support emotional and bodily wellbeing.