Forward to the Reimagined, Proposed - 5 Ways to Music Making Well-Beings Benchmark - An AI Reimagined Update to the 2011 neef/NHS Confeeration Report - The 5 Ways To Wellbeing

By Kevin M Thomson & Sally M Thomson – Founders Dysmusia.Foundation

Prepared for tes SEND Show 2024 – A Labour of Love!

In 2008, the UK Government Futures Thinktank sponsored the nef (New Economics Foundation) Foresight Project, resulting in the globally evidenced '5 Ways to Wellbeing.' This groundbreaking report provided a framework for improving mental health and wellbeing across the population. By 2011, an update supported by the NHS Confederation aimed to enhance the promotion and application of these principles.

Given the widespread adoption of the 5 Ways to Wellbeing globally, this 2024 update seeks to reimagine the original report by incorporating the latest advancements in neuroscience and social neuroscience. The objective is to establish music making as the most significant contributor to global wellness and individual well-being.

We propose the introduction of three levels of Music Making Well-Beings, with two new terms that help understand music making not just as a pleasure or career pursuit, but fundamentally as a 'Health, Wellness & Wellbeings Strategy' (see Wellenomics - The Book). These three terms clarify the levels of Well-Being and un-Wellbeing:

Quick Definitions:

1.Musimunity: This term encapsulates the dual benefits of music making providing immunity against stress, ill-health, and un-wellbeing while fostering unity through social connections.

2.Musication: Refers to the 'free' internal medication that music making brings, mental and emotional health through daily application of the tools, technology, teaching, tutoring and training alongside the self-help or mentor facilitated approaches. This level applies to the 20% of SEND Special Educational Needs, the 90% who never tried or ‘gave up’ (ABRSM) 20% + 90%  =  100% who can benefit from the No. 1 Way of Music Making Wellbeings,

From Dysmusicians to Wellsicians

3. Music Therapy: Recognised by the Global Wellness Institute (GWI), as a professional intervention i.e. at Masters Level - for addressing severe un-wellbeing, highlighting that music therapy is only one level of the overall power of creating Wellsicians and helping prevent un-Wellsicians.

The Triad of Treatments! The Three Levels of Music Making for Well-Beings

To further enrich this framework, we introduce three levels of music-based interventions:

Lnoger Definitions - A New Era of Music Making Wellness

1. Musimunity: Utilising the 5 Ways to Music Making Well-Beings as a comprehensive framework to build resistance against un-wellbeing and enhance overall health and wellbeing. Regular engagement in music making—whether singing, learning, playing, or performing—provides natural boosts of oxytocin, dopamine, endorphins, serotonin, and adrenaline. Music making acts as a form of ‘immunity,’ fostering a more resilient and flourishing state of well-being through social connections.

2. Musication: A self-help, teacher or tutor, parent or caregiver, band-mate or orchestra leader -facilitated approach that incorporates the 5 Ways to Music Making Well-Beings Framework into everyday life. Tools such as Apps, LMS-type interventions, training programs, and toolkits can be used by music teachers, tutors, parents, mentors, band/choir/orchestra members, and leaders. Musication serves as a form of ‘medication’ for mental health, promoting continuous engagement in music as a therapeutic practice to enhance cognitive and emotional well-being.

3. Music Therapy: For individuals experiencing severe un-wellbeing, professional intervention from trained music therapists is essential. However, with no formal, universal, framework for Music Therapists i.e. that involves the application of the 5 Ways Framework to provide structured, evidence-based interventions that address specific mental health challenges, the need is open for re-imagining the future!

Therapists can now guide individuals through 5 Ways Benchmarked with their own tailored music making activities to promote healing, emotional expression, and psychological resilience, forming the foundation for a journey towards becoming a ‘Wellsician’ at the two other levels.

Conclusion - The DEmocratisation and Simplification of Music Making Well-Beings