Tone Deafness and Implications for Music Therapy Strategies for Treatment

This study was purported to examine the definition of tone deafness, various factors for the cause based on literature review of research findings, and to examine therapeutic application of music for treatment of tone deafness. With research, it was found that there can be three different kinds of tone deafness; amusia, agnosia, and asonia. Literature review showed that tone deafness has been frequently dealt in many research in order to verify the causal factors, such as gender, age, and environments. With time, the research trend on tone deafness has shifted towards neurological approach closely examining brain activity, presenting the statement that the brain's capacity to perceive modest pitch changes may be congenitally impaired. Also physiological factors contribute to tone deafness called diplacusis, which is a phenomenon wherein a given tone is heard as different pitches by the two ears, resulting in conflicting bilateral perception of pitch. Music can be used for treatment of various factors causing tone deafness. The most efficient intervention was singing program. Pitch-matching training can be effective training using operant conditioning procedure. Successive approximation or reinforcement of correct response alone was more efficient procedure in helping uncertain singers to sing on pitch. Also progressive breathing exercises helped the training the pitch-matching where one had to coordinate hearing and voice.