Analysis of the impact of music therapy techniques on the emotional well-being, quality of life and anxiety of students at a Professional Conservatory of Music

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.35699/2317-6377.2026.61085

Keywords:

Music therapy, Scenic anxiety, Emotional well-being, Professional Conservatory of Music, Life quality

Abstract

Performance anxiety is a prevalent problem among students at professional music conservatories, significantly affecting their performance and emotional well-being. This study analyses the impact of music therapy techniques on the emotional well-being, quality of life and anxiety of 39 students at a Professional Music Conservatory using a quasi-experimental design. Participants were divided into an experimental group (19 students) that received music therapy intervention and a control group (20 students). The STAI (state-trait anxiety), EBS20 (subjective well-being), KMPAI-E (musical performance anxiety) and EVA (subjective post-listening perception) scales were applied before and after the intervention. The results revealed statistically significant differences in the KMPAI-E memory subscale (p=0.046) and a significant interaction effect on the EVA scale (p=0.005), indicating improvements in subjective post-listening perception in the experimental group. Music therapy proved to be an effective complementary tool for improving well-being in music students.

Author Biographies

  • Mayte Sancho Herreros, Professional Conservatoire “Rafael Frühbeck”, Spain
    Active teacher at the "Rafael Frühbeck" Professional Music Conservatory in Burgos. Since 1992, she has taught various subjects, including music theory, choir, piano, and supplementary piano. Since 2021, she has taught "Introduction to Music Therapy" at the Burgos Professional Music Conservatory, becoming the first teacher to introduce this subject in a professional music conservatory in Spain. She has completed internships as a music therapist with children and adolescents at risk of social exclusion at Cáritas (Burgos, 2020). Master's degree in Music Therapy from ISEP, Madrid (2018/2020). Qualified as a Professor of Solfège, Music Theory, Transposition, and Accompaniment from the Valladolid Conservatory (2000). Qualified as a Piano Teacher from the Burgos Conservatory (1992). Training in Music Pedagogy. Santiago de Compostela Higher Conservatory (1999/2000). Training in choral conducting (240 hours), Early-Baroque Music, Classical-Romantic and Contemporary-Folklore. Castillo de la Mota, (Valladolid) (1993/1995).  

     

  • Manuel Sequera Martín, Huella Sonora Musicoterapia, Spain

    Master's degree in Music Therapy from the University of Extremadura. PhD (with honors) from the Universities of Salamanca, A Coruña, Murcia, and Valladolid (2021), with a dissertation entitled "Study on the Prevalence of Burnout Syndrome and Job Satisfaction in Music Therapists in Spain." Specialized in Music Therapy, Geriatrics, and Neurorehabilitation. Co-director of Huella Sonora Music Therapy. His work focuses on clinical intervention, training, and research. He participates as a speaker at numerous national and international conferences. He coordinates the Master's program in Music Therapy at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Extremadura. He teaches in various postgraduate courses at the Catholic University of San Antonio of Murcia, the University of Extremadura, the University of Barcelona, ​​the International University of Valencia, the Rey Juan Carlos University, and the University of Liepaja, Latvia. He is a trainer specializing in Geriatrics, disability, and the business perspective in Music Therapy at universities, associations, and public-private centers.

  • Vicente Alejandro March Luján, Catholic University of Valencia, Spain

    Currently, he is a University Professor in the Faculty of Teacher Training and Educational Sciences at the Catholic University of Valencia “San Vicente Mártir” (UCV). With a six-year research grant awarded by ANECA, he combines this work with research on topics such as gamification in the music classroom, on the one hand, and music therapy, on the other. Regarding his studies, it is worth noting that he holds a Higher Diploma in Music (specializing in tuba) from the Valencia Higher Conservatory of Music, a Master's degree in Music Therapy from the University of Barcelona-IL3, and a PhD “cum laude” from UCV (2017), whose dissertation focused on a group adaptation of the GIM (or BMGIM) music therapy method for patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). He has been the director and lecturer of the Master's program in Music Therapy at UCV, and currently collaborates on several Master's programs in Music Therapy throughout Spain. He is a music therapist specializing in the BMGIM method (member of the American Association of Music and Imagination, AMI) and a technician in the Benenzon model. He holds Spanish accreditation as a Supervising Music Therapist. In the recent past, he was a member of the Professional Music Therapists Activity Committee (CAEMT), served as president of the Spanish Federation of Music Therapy Associations (FEAMT), and was a member of the Valencian Music Therapy Association (AVMT). He has participated in numerous congresses and scientific events, in some of them as a member of the scientific and organizing committee (both national and international), and has been an invited speaker in countries such as Argentina, Colombia, and Mexico. He has several high-impact publications related to Music Therapy and Music Education, and is also a member of the Editorial Board of several journals on these same topics. She has received several awards throughout her professional career, including the 2nd prize of the IX edition of the Prévere Bernat Beny Foundation Research Prize 2021 with the title "Study on the influence of the application of active methodologies and gamification on the motivation of students of different stages in the music classroom", as well as the "1st National prize for Good Practices in Music Therapy", awarded by the Tony Wigram Foundation in June 2018.

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Published

2026-05-03

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Vol. 27 (2026): General Topics

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Articles in Portuguese/Spanish

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“Analysis of the Impact of Music Therapy Techniques on the Emotional Well-Being, Quality of Life and Anxiety of Students at a Professional Conservatory of Music”. 2026. Per Musi 27 (May): 1-22. https://doi.org/10.35699/2317-6377.2026.61085.