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Annapurna Ravel
Music 458
Grasso
July 16, 2014
Celtic Rebuilding:
A Nationwide Form of Music Therapy
While a society's culture is often the strongest bond that directs daily life, it is also a
delicate infrastructure consisting of a careful balance of ideas flowing in and out. In a world
dominated by massive countries with histories of forceful and successful colonization that seek
to impose their own cultures, it is rare to find small nations that have persisted against these odds
and held fast to their roots. Despite being a country submitted to constant persecution for
centuries by various authorities, Ireland has not only maintained a distinct tradition but is also
known for its resilient optimism. While it's difficult, oppressive past may seem at odds with the
way we think of modern Ireland, the Gaelic Revival can be seen throughout the 20th century as a
driving force in bringing about the changes that shape our perceptions today. At first look, the
Gaelic Revival seems to have simply resurrected the vanishing Gaelic culture by means of
emphasizing the appreciation and the practicing of its traditions. However with closer
observation, the musical aspects of the Gaelic Revival's success can be attributed to Ireland's rich
tradition of oral transmission and its allowance for a massive scale of music therapy. This
phenomena is essential in emphasizing the integral interaction between society, music, and
morale. Through the study of how music is processed in the brain, the mechanism of oral
memory, and modern techniques and biological mechanisms of music therapy, an explanation of

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Ireland's resilience and revival is brought to light.
In order to fully understand and appreciate the macro effects of music therapy that were
applied to the Irish population, one must first be familiar with the basics of auditory perception
within the singular human mind. As sound first enters the ear and resonates against the eardrum,
the sound waves are transmitted from the outer to the inner ear during which they are amplified
to a magnitude 22 times more powerful than their initial intensity (Pritchard, 1875). These waves
then reach the cochlea where a Fourier transformation occurs, translating the time equation of the
waves into frequencies that are spread along an inner fluid membrane and converted to electrical
signals by hair follicles (Wagenaar). These electrical signals are then sent to a small structure in
the within the brain-stem known as the superior olivary nucleus. This structure assesses the aural
level and tempo of the sound and serves as the first site of convergence for the input from both
ears and allows us to experience sound uniformly (Moore, 2000). This uniform sound then
moves upwards in the brain to the inferior colliculus where the sound is localized and the source
recognized. Continuing its journey upwards into higher-functioning regions of the brain, the
sound is further processed within a centralized relay center known as the medial geniculate
nucleus between the inferior colliculus and the thalamaus for more detailed pitch and intensity
(Demanez, 2003). Sometimes thought of as the switchboard of the brain, the thalamus finally
relays the information to the auditory cortex where it can be further processed for detail and
stored within memory in order to be perceived as a connected and comprehensive phenomena
(Demanez, 2003). This bottom-top cognitive processing of music and sound and the widespread
areas of the brain involved becomes essential in understanding the mechanisms of various types
of music therapy.

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A modern branch of therapeutic psychology, music therapy is continually being
broadened and developed into various modes that target specific needs. This method is defined
as helping to improve facets of health, functioning, and quality of life through the use of musical
experiences. The three major types of music therapy utilized in the Gaelic rebuilding are as
follows: neurological, social, and neuroendocrinological (America Music Therapy Association).
A well-known researcher of music cognition known as Dr. Michael Thaut once said, The brain
that engages in music, is changed by engaging in music (Dreifus, 2010). His words perfectly
outline the philosophy behind the neurological model of music therapy. As previously discussed,
the brain processes music globally through a hierarchy of data transmission, as opposed to
processing it within a single and localized region. The way this occurs is through the firing of
neurons to transmit this information, a phenomena that can create substantial, physical change
through chronic use. When the brain observes pathways being used frequently, more capillaries
are built around these regions in order to provide extra oxygen to the neurons that are constantly
firing. This increase in capillaries is accompanied by an increase in grey matter, the filler regions
of the brain that contain capillaries and cell bodies and serve as storage space for memories
(Kholb & Whishaw, 2003). Musicians were found to have increased grey matter, with increased
amount of grey matter being directly proportional to the skill level of the musician. The specific
regions that grey matter increase was observed was in the following areas: somatosensory cortex,
primary motor cortex, premotor cortex, anterior superior parietal areas, and inferior temporal
gyrus (Gaser & Shlaug, 2003). The significance of these events arises when it is observed that
functioning such as language, general motor skills, and other areas of functioning also increase.
In a study inspired by a YouTube video of a cockatoo dancing to a Backstreet Boys song

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(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7IZmRnAo6s), it was found that vocal learning causes
activation of the centers for hearing and movement to overlap, therefore a strengthening in one
also leads to a concurrent strengthening in the other (Patel et al., 2009). Similarly, the activation
in auditory regions also overlap with language centers of the brain, therefore indirectly
promoting language functioning (Gill & Purves, 2009). Musical experience overlaps with
numerous areas of the brain, in this way other aspects of human functioning that are deeply set in
the brain and otherwise inaccessible can also be improved via indirect strengthening. This
phenomena provides the basis for the neurological model of music therapy.
Equally important to the Gaelic music revival, the social model of music therapy is
centered around the chemical Oxytocin, often called alliterative nicknames such as the cuddle
chemical, love hormone, and hug hormone for its unique properties. Produced by the
hippocampus and released by the posterior pituitary gland, Oxytocin has been found to be an
essential promoter in many behaviors including those surrounding social recognition, pair
bonding, and the inhibition of anxiety (Lee et al., 2009). Previously thought to be specific to
sexual interactions and childbirth, group music sessions were recently shown to cause an
increase in Oxytocin levels in each of the participants. Musicians within the studied group
reported increased feelings of happiness, relaxation, and community after participation (Grape et
al., 2003). This chemical release is utilized in the social model of music therapy, often in
treatment for autistic patients who lack social skills and comfort. However, its strong importance
in Celtic rebuilding will later be discussed.
The neuroendocrinological model of music therapy ties into the social model as it
concerns the reduction of stress and therefore overall increase in health. The activation of the

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Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis leads to the output of cortisol, the most well-known of
stress hormones in today's society. Its chronic activation can lead to subsequent chronic
activation of the immune and cardiovascular systems, causing allostatic load due to overuse
which leads to malfunctioning and damage. This damage can result in ulcers, blocked arteries,
and lower levels of dopamine in the brain (Killer Stress, PBS). Remarkably, while the biological
mechanisms are still uncertain, musical interventions such as the listening of soothing music
have reported suppression of the HPA-axis and moderated stress reactivity, therefore leading to
healthier immune and cardiovascular systems (Chanda & Levitin, 2013). In addition, the study
of increased pain suppression and tolerance in response to musical intervention is also gaining
ground. Here at the University of Oregon, the lab I am a part of, the Social
Psychoneuroendocrinology Lab (SPEL), has also found evidence through trials that supports this
hypothesis, though publishable results are not yet available.
While these forms of music therapy have only been employed at a clinical level, I believe
that the Gaelic Revival used these methods on a massive, national level. A prominent association
within the Gaelic Revival movement, the Gaelic League sought to revitalize Gaelic culture
through the promotion of traditional poetry, literature, music, dance, and language. Competitions
and festivals were hosted to promote traditional culture and create an Ireland for Irish people.
Facing the post-famine era in Irish history, this promotion of traditional culture was ultimately
employed to renew the sense of Irish nationalism that had been dealt a brutal blow by both the
famine and British imperialism (Focus: Traditional Irish Music, pg. 69). The mass gatherings
centered around music in a tradition where communal over solo playing was encouraged,
contributed greatly to the revival of Irish tradition and interact strongly with the previously

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discussed methods of music therapy. On a social level, these events centered around a shared
musical experience correlate strongly with the philosophy of musical therapy that uses group
musicianship to activate the release of Oxytocin in the brain. The plausible increased release of
Oxytocin at music festivals and competitions during the Gaelic revival period may have directly
induced feelings of social bonding and promoted a sense of community. These cognitive
changes may have influenced the greater sense of nationalism and membership of traditional
Irish culture that was the intended goal of these events.
Additionally, it was mentioned earlier that the Gaelic revival faced the context of a
beaten, post-famine Ireland in which to accomplish its goals. The widespread musical movement
that was a facet of the cultural resuscitation may have produced a type of healing effect on the
Irish population. In alignment with the neuroendocrinological model of music therapy, the
suppression of the HPA-axis due to musical experiences may have had a salutary effect on
individuals' cardiovascular and immune systems. Poor health in Ireland was rampant due to the
famine's toll, but the effects of music may have begun the healing process, in a physical sense.
While culture is an immense, multifaceted manifestation, language is an essential
foundation upon which it rests as it allows for civilized and complex human connection. One of
the most celebrated movements of the Gaelic revival was the emphasis placed upon the revival
of Gaelic, the language itself (Focus: Traditional Irish Music, pg. 161-162). As seen in the
neurological form of music therapy, through oral learning the centers for music greatly
overlapped with the centers for language, an attribute that serves as an advantage in the treatment
of those with speech disabilities as it strengthens the mind's ability for language acquisition as
well as memory. In the case of the Gaelic revival, the strong presence of an oral music tradition

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would have simultaneously strengthened the brain's ability to learn, or for some, recall, the
traditional language of Gaelic.
With the exception of the neuroendocrinological model for music therapy and its
application to the Gaelic revival, the other forms presented were made possibly due to the
existing tradition of oral transmission in the Irish music culture. This method of musicality
enforces a group environment for traditional music playing, whether informally or formally
through competitions and festivals. In this way, the therapeutic effects of Oxytocin as well as the
strengthening of language centers in response to oral/aural music traditions were felt as well.
Had the notation-centered art form of music been present, communal musicianship would be
relatively unnecessary and the full potential of the music would have been lost, likely hindering
progress towards a revitalized national Irish identity.
Ultimately, the Gaelic revival may partially owe its success to the therapeutic effects of
music that aided revitalization efforts. While Ireland's past of oppression is bleak, perhaps its
strong roots in musicality helped it hold fast to its culture and persevere through unrelenting
persecution.

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