ABSTRACT

This chapter describes the notion that within motor control as a multi-component process, music alters the spontaneous expenditure of energy for a movement, for instance by increasing the range of motion, altering the acceleration pattern, or increasing the force of a movement. This alteration may be stimulus-related, through aspects of the music that facilitate rhythmic, regularized movement but also individually modulated by subjective motivational experience and distraction from boredom or pain. The idea that providing a temporal structure constrains movements into optimization by completely specifying movement parameters appears to be too simplistic, and expansion of this idea is warranted so that person-specific aspects such as preference, familiarity, and personality, the specific clinical issues, as well as the motivational qualities of the music can be included. Further exploration of the specific impacts of temporal cues as well as motivational aspects of music on bodily movements will allow more specific tailoring of musical stimulus materials to therapeutic goals in health settings.