Music for Health and Well-being Conference
Date of conference: 10 March 2021
Site: Online event
Registration deadline: 7 March 2021
About the Conference
Playing or listening to music improves the health and well-being of communities and individuals. In this conference, we will gather investigators and professionals to share their work on different relations that exist between music and well-being.This conference will be held online, a platform through which we hope to encourage the presentation of research and work in the field equally.
This conference is organized by the Sing for your health project team and framed within the ISCTE Health initiatives.
Free participation if previously registrated.
Program Discover the Sing for your health project Committees

Program
09:30 – Welcome session
Moderation : Prof. Luisa Lima, IscteIn attendance: Minister of Culture
Chairman of Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Almada
Chairman of Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa
Chairman of the Board of Directors of OPART / São Carlos National Theater
Director of São Carlos National Theatre
Dean of UAL
Dean of Iscte
10:00– Keynote by Prof. Glenn Schellenberg (Univ. of Toronto e Iscte)
‘When does exposure to music have positive side effects?‘
10:45 – 11:00h – Break with music from Pedro Baião
11:00 – Presentations session 1
Research and interventions involving music and health
-
Iolanda Galinha (CIP-UAL): “Singing for your health”:
Experimental study of the effects of a group singing program on the well-being of the elderly -
Diego Pinal (Psychology Research Center, UM):
The role of social and physiological variables in cognitive improvements: results of the “Sing for health” Program -
Helder Miguel Fernandes (CIDESD-UTAD and RECI_Piaget):
Effects of the choir singing program “Singing for your health” on the physical and mental health of the elderly -
Maria João Lima (CIES-Iscte, OPAC, Portuguese Observatory on Cultural Activities):
Singing in chorus: sociability and well-being -
Ana Paula Góis (Portuguese Association of Music in Hospitals and Solidarity Institutions):
Music Project in Institutions
12:30 – 13:30- Lunch break
13:30 – Presentation of the project “Singing for your health”: the project seen through the eyes of the protagonists and a “making of” documentary
Participation from the artistic, scientific and social teams as well as representatives from the senior participants
15:00 – Presentations session 2
Research and interventions involving music and health
-
Vera Lúcia da Silva Tavares (EMA – School of Music and Arts):
"Play at being musicians" in the Inpatient Pediatric Ward of the Hospital Garcia de Orta, a case study -
Maryléa Elizabeth Ramos Vargas (A Different Symphony Project - RS):
Adapting music therapy for autistic spectrum disorders to the remote environment -
Fabiana Leite Rabello Mariano (Universidade Nova de Lisboa):
Impacts of an educational music project on the daily lives of babies and small children from the families’ perspective -
Nuno Miguel Pinto Amaral (EMA – School of Music and Arts):
Music in Psychiatry
16:15-16:30 – Break with music from “Singing for your health”
16:30 – Keynote by Prof. Hilary Moss (University of Limerick, Rep. of Ireland): ‘Singing for health and well-being: lessons learned and avoidable mistakes!‘
Moderation: Prof. Henrique Martins, Iscte-Saúde17:15h – Closing session: overview and final thoughts
Moderation: Dr Américo Rodrigues, Director-General of Arts Arts Rapporteur: Prof. José Neves, Director of OPAC – Portuguese Observatory for Cultural ActivitiesCommittees
Organizing Committee
Prof.ª Maria Luísa Lima, Iscte, Lisbon (Chair)Prof.ª Cristina Camilo, Iscte, Lisbon
Dr.ª Maria Assis Almeida, Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Almada
Dr.ª Etelvina Ferreira, Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa
Prof. João Pina, Iscte, Lisbon
Comissão Científica
Prof.ª Iolanda Galinha, Univ. Autónoma de Lisboa (Chair)Dr.ª Anabela Pires
Prof.ª Sibila Marques, Iscte, Lisbon
Prof. César Lima, Iscte, Lisbon
Prof. Henrique Martins, Iscte, Lisbon
Honor Committee
Ex.ma Sr.ª Doutora Graça Fonseca, Minister of CultureEx.ma Sr.ª Doutora Marta Temido, Minister of Health
Ex.mo Sr. Dr. Américo Rodrigues, General Director for the Arts
Ex.ma Sr.ª Dr.ª Inês de Medeiros, Mayor of Almada
Ex.mo Sr. Dr. Edmundo Martinho, President of Santa Casa da Misericórdia of Lisboa
Ex.mo Sr. Dr. Joaquim Barbosa, President of Santa Casa da Misericórdia of Almada
Ex.ma Sr.ª Doutora Ana Jorge, Coordinator of the Mission Unit of Santa Casa da Misericórdia of Lisbon and former health minister
Ex.ma Srª Professora Doutora Maria de Lurdes Rodrigues, Dean of Iscte
Ex.mo Sr. Professor Doutor José Amado da Silva, Dean of UAL
About the project
The Sing for your health project was developed by Anabela Pires, presented and financed within the Participatory Budget Portugal 2017, under the heading “Singing Groups for Seniors.”Several groups, involving a total of 150 seniors, participated in the singing programs throughout 2019 and 2020, which aimed to evaluate effects on the well-being, cognitive functioning, and overall health of the participants.
The results were analyzed by specialist investigators in four areas of psychology – psychosocial, neuropsychological, psychomotricity, and health. Scientific coordination of the project was led by Professor Iolanda Galinha from Universidade Autónoma de Lisboa and Professor Luísa Lima from Iscte, with the collaboration of Professor António Labisa Palmeira from Faculdade de Motricidade Humana.
Direção-Geral das Artes implemented and coordinated the project in partnership with Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Almada, Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa, CEU-UAL, ISCTE-CIS-IUL, and OPART/Teatro Nacional São Carlos, with scientific direction from Doctor Iolanda Galinha (UAL) and Doctor Maria Luísa Lima (Iscte), artistic direction from Anabela Pires and João Frizza, and musical direction from Sérgio Fontão.
Câmara Municipal de Almada (Convento dos Capuchos, Fórum Municipal Romeu Correia), Universidade Lusófona, Faculdade de Motricidade Humana, and Centro de Medicina Laboratorial Germano de Sousa are also associated with the project.
See here the scientific article published about this project.
