Asian Protégé is a programme jointly presented by the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music and Kids’ Philharmonic@SG. In this initiative, children and young adults aged 7 and above come together in a concert aimed at raising awareness of how music can support health and well-being across our community.

Read more at: https://asianprotege.com/

The Arts Resource Hub invites you to an Arts and Health Community Gathering

Calling all creative practitioners! 

Join us in person at the Arts Resource Hub for an afternoon to engage with like-minded individuals passionate about arts and health. This Healing Arts Singapore pre-symposium engagement event offers knowledge sharing and peer learning opportunities for attendees to become acquainted with the concept of arts and health, and how to evaluate the impact of arts/cultural activities on health and wellbeing.

Topics and Presenters

• Arts and Health: Overview, Perspectives, and Opportunities (Dr. Michael Tan)

• Art and Health Evaluation: Overview (Dr. Kat Agres)

• Arts Practitioners who have done or developed work in the arts and health sector, across different artistic disciplines:

  • Md Muazzam (Zam), (NAC Arts Scholarship 2025 recipient, Applied Theatre Practitioner and Founder and Artistic Director of Arts for Action (AFA)

  • Lee Sze-Chin, (Artist, Educator, and Art Therapist)

The event is organised by the National Arts Council's Arts Resource Hub, facilitated by Michael Tan and Kat Agres and aims to build communities of practice in the emerging field of arts and health for continued dialogue and learning.

Click here or simply scan the QR Code to register your place!

Announcement

📣 We've reached full capacity!

Thank you for the incredible response — all seats have now been reserved. If you missed out, don't worry! You can still sign up for the waiting list in case spots open up: https://AHETSharing.eventbrite.sg

If you've already registered, please make sure you’re able to attend, to help us make sure every seat is filled. If your plans have changed, kindly release your spot so someone else can join.

We can't wait to see you there!

Are you an arts practitioner, researcher, or part of an arts/cultural organisation? Do you find it challenging to evaluate your work, especially when it’s needed for grants and funding? Join us at the Centre for Music and Health for the launch of our Arts and Health Evaluation Toolkit (AHET) — a new resource designed to support more rigorous evaluation of arts programmes that aim to improve health. 

In this sharing session, we will discuss evaluation methods, best practices, and recommended tools for evaluating the impact of your arts activities/programmes on health, wellbeing, and social connection.

This is an in-person event and light refreshments will be served. Please note, registration is free but tickets are available on a first come, first served basis.

Date: Monday, 7 July 2025, 2-3.30pm
Venue: Steven Baxter Recital Studio, Level 1, Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, NUS (3 Conservatory Drive Singapore 117376)

 To register, please scan the QR code on the poster below, or visit https://AHETSharing.eventbrite.sg

 More information

The field of arts and health is rapidly evolving, with a growing emphasis on bringing arts and cultural activities to communities and clinical populations to improve various aspects of health and well-being. Music has shown promise in enhancing memory for dementia patients, visual arts have helped individuals cope with trauma, and dance can be beneficial for physical rehabilitation (Fancourt & Finn, 2019), to name a few of the many health benefits identified. Despite the increasing popularity of Arts and Health interventions, many artists and arts organizations are not aware of the existing tools available to measure the impact of arts on health and wellness. While they often complete program evaluation, they may be unsure how to conduct outcome evaluation, which is increasingly requested by funders and donors. Further, there are currently few randomized controlled trials (RCTs), the gold standard for evaluating interventions in medicine. In other words, there is a swiftly growing need to conduct formal research and evaluation in the field of Arts and Health. 

To address this gap, we have developed an Arts and Health Evaluation Toolkit (AHET), which provides a set of tools for outcome and impact evaluation of arts activities that aim to improve health, well-being, and social connection. The toolkit includes descriptions of qualitative and quantitative measures for arts-for-health researchers, along with practical guidance, use cases, and an assessment of their advantages and disadvantages. Our goal is to promote consistent and effective evaluation practices, and encourage interdisciplinary collaboration between artists and scientists or clinicians. Visit centreformusicandhealth.sg to learn more about us. 

Supported by the National Arts Council and Tote Board.

ABSTRACT

Biofeedback is a technique that provides real-time feedback on physiological data, such as heart rate and brainwave activity. This talk describes a study that evaluates the effectiveness of biofeedback during music therapy sessions in improving the well-being of terminally ill cancer patients in the Palliative Care Unit of the Hospital del Mar, Barcelona. Music therapy sessions were conducted with and without biofeedback, consisting of EEG, ECG and respiratory data, and their effectiveness was assessed.

Date & Time: Fri, 25 Apr 2025, 3.30pm
Venue: Seminar Room 4, Level 1, Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, National University of Singapore

Abstract

With the advent of new sophisticated neuroimaging technology, human responses to music and music therapy are being viewed through a new lens. As a consequence, new knowledge is being obtained about how music can produce significant improvements in cognitive, social and agitated behaviours,. In this talk we will provide an overview of neurocognitive music therapy projects in Barcelona, Spain. We will describe several evidence-based music interventions in different hospitals and centres in Barcelona. 

Bio

Dr. Rafael Ramirez-Melendez is a Professor and the leader of the Music and Machine Learning Lab at Universitat Pompeu Fabra's Engineering Department in Barcelona. He earned his BSc in Mathematics from the National Autonomous University of Mexico and went on to obtain both his MSc in Artificial Intelligence and PhD in Computer Science from the University of Bristol, UK. In addition, Dr. Ramirez-Melendez has a strong musical background, having trained in Classical Violin and Guitar, and has performed across Europe, America, and Asia. His research interests encompass a broad spectrum, from artificial intelligence, music technology, and music therapy, to their implications in music learning, health, and overall well-being. Specifically, he has explored the therapeutic potential of music in treating a range of conditions, from emotional disorders to palliative care, and he has delved into the modelling of music listening, playing, and learning using machine learning techniques. Over the course of his career, he has contributed to over 130 peer-reviewed international journals and conference publications.

Interfacing disciplines, creating intersections

The Performance and Health Symposium is a collaboration between LASALLE College of the Arts and the National University of Singapore. It will be held from 30 November to 1 December 2023 to create new synergies between disciplines and  examine the multifaceted intersection of performance and health. The symposium will explore new possibilities that can emerge from that intersection and provide space for discussions and future collaborations.

Moderators: Professor Lionel Wee, Professor Leon Rubin

Panelists: Matt Grey, Dr Darren Moore, Associate Professor Lee Geok Ling, Dr Alvin Eng Hui Lim, Associate Professor Liang Peilin, Dr Vivien Wu, Dr Kat Agres, Dr Suen Johan Bin Mohd Zain, Adib Kosnan, Chen Yingxuan, Tan Beng Tian

Click here to register for Day 2 Pass

Interfacing disciplines, creating intersections

The Performance and Health Symposium is a collaboration between LASALLE College of the Arts and the National University of Singapore. It will be held from 30 November to 1 December 2023 to create new synergies between disciplines and  examine the multifaceted intersection of performance and health. The symposium will explore new possibilities that can emerge from that intersection and provide space for discussions and future collaborations.

Moderator: Dr Darren Moore

Panelists: Frank DeMeglio, Dr Kat Agres, Dr June Tan Shere

Click here to register for Day 1 Pass

8.30am - 9.15am: Registration and Opening Keynote by Prof Teo Yik Ying

9.15am - 10.30am: Plenary 1: Population Health

Designing Healthy Buildings: The Role of Architects, Engineers and Behavioural Scientists by Prof Lam Khee Poh

Healthy Longevity Medicine: Optimising Health on Population Level by Prof Andrea Britt Maier

Public Health Response and Individual Choices: Lessons from Covid-19 and Beyond by A/Prof Tan Ngiam Chuan

Oral Presentations: An Augmented Community Health Screening Follow-Up Service for Older Adults Delivered Through Lay Volunteers by Jed Jasman

Panel Discussion

10.30am - 11am Tea Break and Poster Viewing

11am - 12.30pm: Plenary 2: Community Health

Advancing Behavioural and Community Health and Evidence-Based Interventions Through Implementation Science by A/Prof Robyn Mildon

Music, Mind, and Health: Exploring the Therapeutic Benefits of Music for Community Wellness by Asst Prof Kat Agres

Oral Presentations:
Opportunities? Inequities? Sustainability? Community-based tele health in geriatric care: A multi-method study by Zhang Yichi
Slow art plus: Developing and piloting a single session art gallery-based intervention for mental health promotion via a mixed method waitlist randomised control trial by Alicia Teng

Panel Discussion

12.30pm - 1.30pm: Health Coaching Lunch Session Conducted by Ms. Susan Tan, President of SBHS, and Poster Discussion Tours

1.30pm - 3pm: Plenary 3: Organisational Health

Behavioural Nudges Using AI-Driven Chatbots by A/Prof Ngiam Kee Yuan

From Medicine to Management: Leading Health and Wellbeing Strategies in the Corporate World by Dr Andrew Epaphroditus Tay

Movement and Cognition Across the Lifespan: A Mind and Body Connection by Prof Teo Wei Peng

Oral Presentations:
Why do pressure injuries still occur? A multi-centre qualitative study of nurses and caregivers by Wilson Sim
Enhancing well-being amongst older adults with health and mobility challenges: A case study for an open space music making intervention study for open space music making intervention by Carmen Lee
Panel Discussion

3pm - 3.30pm Tea Break and Poster Viewing

3.30pm - 5pm: Plenary 4: Individual Health

Navigating the Challenges of Intimacy: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Relationship Health by Dr Angela Tan
Advances in Addiction Medicine: Impulse Control Disorders and the Asia-Pacific Region by Dr Winslow Munisada
The Effectiveness of a Nurse-Led Home-Based Heart Failure Self-Management Programme (The HOM-HEMP) for Patients with Chronic Heart Failure: A Three-Arm Stratified Randomised Controlled Trial by Dr Jiang Ying
Oral Presentations:
Exploring Possible Selves in At-Risk Adolescents by Howard Smith
The relationship between Financial and Psychological Resilience and mental health: A cross-cultural survey in Singapore and Switzerland

Panel Discussions

5pm - 5.30pm Closing Session

Register here: https://www.sgbehaviouralhealth.com/register-scientific-meeting-2023

Asst Prof Kathleen Agres: Introducing YST’s Centre for Music and Health: Recent Findings and Personal Reflections

In this talk, Dr. Kat Agres will share about YST's newly-launched Centre for Music and Health (CMH), including recent research projects and findings, and new initiatives to support health through music listening and participation. Dr. Agres will also discuss her personal journey, and moments of resonance along her path from being a conservatory cello student to acquiring a PhD in Music Cognition, and finally, to founding the Centre for Music and Health.

Dr Khoo Hui Ling: Resonating in Society - Musical Storytelling in Community Outreach

There has been an increased global emphasis on how music can positively impact mental well-being and the health of society. It is also trending in Higher Music Education Institutions (HMEI) to focus not just on teaching students to be excellent performers, but on equipping students with skills to be future-ready and contribute as musicians to society. For musicians to be such makers in society, we need to first be still in order to listen to the needs of those around us. Only then can we be a healing vessel through which music flows, like a river, to the community.

At the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music (YST), these trends have led to the formation of the National University of Singapore (NUS) Centre for Music and Health (CMH), and to the Leading and Guiding class being a compulsory core course for all sophomores. The Leading and Guiding course is a year-long programme whereby students work in groups to initiate, design and realize their own music community outreach project. Musical storytelling, which is the use of music to tell a person's story or to relate to everyday life phenomena, is a popular approach that student groups use to conduct their outreach projects. This pilot study aims to explore musical storytelling as an approach in music outreach, to ascertain its effectiveness, and to evaluate the benefits that it has on YST students' musical growth. The focus of this study is on two YST Leading and Guiding student projects that used musical storytelling to engage with children with learning disabilities, and intergenerational music-making with elderly. We hope that the findings and results uncovered can help music community outreach organizers to develop useful approaches for connecting with audiences through musical storytelling, and to identify effective methods of measuring the impact of their programmes. Our shared perspectives may also help HMEIs further refine the teaching of professional development modules involving music community outreach.

Acknowledgements:

Prof. Kat Agres, Director of CMH

YST Leading and Guiding students: Alicia Diva Chandra, Bernice Ong, Papat Lertchanvit, Panyakorn Lertnimitphan, Edenia Maureen, Huang Yi, Hoi Khai Weing, Sho Yong Shuen, Cheryn Pandora, Natasha Lee, Lee Ann, Chang Chang-Yen

YST Leading and Guiding mentors: Chong Wai Lun, Syafiqah Adha

Elicia Neo: Pain/Relief --- Linking Generative Technology with Accessibility Design

In the midst of an evolving artistic landscape, the role of the contemporary musician and artist is being rapidly redefined. Against this backdrop, Pain/Relief is a collaborative, multisensorial, and interdisciplinary art piece that seeks to answer the question, "What does pain ___ like?"

Through a journey that explores loss, chronic pain, disability, autonomy, and the healing qualities of the natural world, two artists employ intrinsic movement interpreted in a contemporary dance context to explore the theme of moving through pain with dance and movement-reactive audio motifs. The project blends pre-recorded visuals with generative art, employing the responsive nature of reactive technology to communicate these elements. The incorporation of such technology into the performance lends to the accessibility of the show for disabled and abled artists, as well as offer a truly cathartic experience to audiences. Through Pain/Relief, we hope to create a transformative immersive experience that speaks to the complexity of pain and healing, and invites fellow art practitioners to engage with the possibilities of technology in creating a more inclusive and empathetic art form.

Panel Speakers (AM): 
• Katherine Boydell, Professor of Mental Health, Black Dog Institute, Australia 
• Mary Bernadette Lee, Visual Artist and Educator, Singapore 
• Elaine Yeoh, Manager, Arts Development, Club Rainbow, Singapore

Moderated by Joanne Yoong, CEO and Principal Economist, Research for Impact

Workshop Presenters (PM): 
• National Gallery Singapore
• Singapore Art Museum and Katherine Boydell
• LASALLE College of the Arts

Organised by the National Arts Council, Let’s Connect! is an annual platform where artists and community stakeholders can engage in dialogues on arts engagement and participation. Continuing last edition’s focus on arts and well-being, we will hear from representatives from diverse sectors on how the arts provides a caring space for people to improve their well-being through individual expression and social connection.

In addition to speakers’ presentations in the morning, participants can look forward to gaining deeper, more practical knowledge and perspectives through afternoon workshops and networking opportunities. The workshop will delve into various aspects of arts and well-being including art therapy, emotional and mental health.  

The event will be held in-person. Singapore Sign Language interpretation will be provided.

Let’s Connect! is organised in collaboration with National Gallery (Singapore), LASALLE College of the Arts and Singapore Art Museum. National Gallery (Singapore) is also the Venue Partner for the event.

Register here!

About Let's Connect

The National Arts Council (NAC) provides capability development opportunities through platforms such as Let’s Connect! which allow for community artists to network, share best practices and learn from one another. 

Since 2010, NAC has been organising these sessions annually for artists to create networks within the community arts engagement sector and to develop networks among various stakeholders including place-owners, government agencies, social service agencies, and other parties interested to use the arts to increase arts engagement and participation.

NUS Centre for Music and Health (CMH)

Come visit our booth from 12.30-2pm to learn more about what we do.

In her talk, Dr. Kat Agres will speak about the affordances of music for healthcare and wellbeing, and share exciting new programmes and research projects at this intersection.

She will also reflect on the personal and professional activities that led her to embrace the field of music and health, and to found Southeast Asia's first Centre for Music and Health at YST Conservatory of Music, NUS.

Following the talk, a recent demo of her lab's music-based brain-computer-interface (BCI) will be shared with attendees. Volunteers will be invited to wear an electroencephalogram (EEG) device to control an affective music generation system. This system, known as AffectMachine, leverages music and neurofeedback to help listeners self-regulate their emotion states in real time.

About the Artscience museum mental Exhibition

MENTAL: Colours of Wellbeing offers different perspectives on mental health and wellbeing. It confronts societal bias and stereotypes, encouraging curiosity and connection with ourselves and others.

Click here to read more.

After a hiatus due to the pandemic, your favorite local music research symposium is back!

The 3rd annual Music Research in Singapore Symposium will highlight the exciting variety of music research happening across Singapore. Join us for a diverse line-up of keynote speeches, talks and panels, with topics including the applications of music research in pedagogy and practice, music and health, and the research and funding landscape in Singapore. There will also be a tea break poster session for research sharing, as well as music performances.

Last but not least, we will be publicly announcing YST’s new Centre for Music & Health. Please join us for what promises to be a fun and inspiring day!

Click here to learn more.

Most forget. Some can’t find the right words. Others are present mentally but disconnected physically. But whatever type or form, Dementia eventually renders a person incapable of performing basic tasks that we take for granted.

Yet, this isn’t a story about the debilitating nature of dementia. This is a story about hope.

There might not be a cure for the condition, but more recent science has discovered that choral singing could slow down the decline of one of the most threatening diseases to an aging population.

Inspired by the power and hold of music on the brain, Jason Lai - Principal Conductor of the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory - forms a choir with 9 individuals living with dementia and their loved ones.

Under the tutelage of a capella and vocal trainer Angelina Choo, this unlikely choir undergoes weekly rehearsals designed to prepare them for a Christmas Concert.

Over three-months, we trace their unfolding journeys as they rally together and work towards proving that those living with dementia can shatter the stigma and achieve something truly remarkable in a documentary airing early next year on CNA.