Trajectories and revolutions in popular melody based on U.S. charts from 1950 to 2023.

In the past century, the history of popular music has been analyzed from many different perspectives, with sociologists, musicologists and philosophers all offering distinct narratives characterizing the evolution of popular music. However, quantitative studies on this subject began only in the last decade and focused on features extracted from raw audio, which limits the scope to low-level components of music. The present study investigates the evolution of a more abstract dimension of popular music, specifically melody, using a new dataset of popular melodies spanning from 1950 to 2023. To identify "melodic revolutions", changepoint detection was applied to a multivariate time series comprising features related to the pitch and rhythmic structure of the melodies. Two major revolutions in 1975 and 2000 and one smaller revolution in 1996, characterized by significant decreases in complexity, were located. The revolutions divided the time series into three eras, which were modeled separately with autoregression, linear regression and vector autoregression. Linear regression of autoregression residuals underscored inter-feature relationships, which become stronger in post-2000 melodies. The overriding pattern emerging from these analyses shows decreasing complexity and increasing note density in popular melodies over time, especially since 2000.

Jazz Musicians and Their Disabilities: Django Reinhardt, Les Paul, and Michel Petrucciani.

Musicians with physical disabilities who achieved stardom are part of the lore of popular music. Guitarist Django Reinhardt contrived alternate fingering patterns necessitated by burn contractures of his left hand. Les Paul, a legend in the development of the solid body electric guitar and multitrack recording, mangled his right arm in a car wreck so severely that his elbow was set permanently at 90° so he could continue to play guitar. Michel Petrucciani suffered from osteogenesis imperfecta, a condition that stunted his growth to the point where he used a special attachment to reach the sustaining pedals of his piano. Their stories show the force of human genius in music.

The Perception and Treatment of People about Abscesses in the Song Period: Focus on Hongmai Yijianzhi.

During the Song period, abscesses were a disease that could affect anyone regardless of their class. This study examines how people at that time explained the cause of abscesses and their efforts to treat them, focusing on the experiences of those who suffered from abscesses and their families. Previous research on disease history during the Song period primarily focused on ailments like colds and infectious diseases , or plagues prevalent in the southern regions of China. On the other hand, examining abscesses as a common everyday illness that could affect anyone and considering them from the perspective of patients' experiences has remained unexplored in previous studies. To reconstruct the experiences of Song period patients, this study analyzes over sixty anecdotes related to abscesses found in Yi Jian Zhi written by Hong Mai. These cases span across the mid to late 12th century, with a majority of the patients being from the literati () class or connected to the literati. These anecdotes exhibit two distinct trends. One focuses on narratives surrounding the onset of abscesses, attributing their cause primarily to the patients' lifestyle. When the cause of the abscesses was unknown, people metaphorically attributed its onset to perceived blasphemy against God, an act of killing, negligence in duties, or other wrongdoings. This trend is evident among the literati class in particular, where abscesses were often linked to factors such as excessive legal executions or exploitation, and even acts of killing people. Except for those cases, in explaining the cause of abscesses in commoners, there were instances caused by a pediculus infestation, while in case of literati, Dansha () poisoning was a common cause. It is interesting to note that the narrative tradition, prevalent in official history biographies, which attributes the onset of abscesses to worries and resentment, was not evident in written records such as Yi Jian Zhi. Furthermore, the detailed description of external similarities, portraying abscesses as traces of punishment from the underground realm, is a narrative characteristic that solidified such stereotypical perceptions. The literati's notion that they should alert people through these related anecdotes contributed to the spread of this perception. Another trend in these anecdotes was centered around narratives of abscess treatment, where the focus shifted primarily to seeking "doctors," unlike the metaphorical explanations of abscess onset causes and processes. When afflicted with abscesses, people generally sought out those renowned surgeons, known as Yang-yi , and those famous for treating abscesses. In local communities, individuals who had "received the divine secrets of abscesses," those possessing their own mysterious abscesses cures, and those famous for generations for treating abscesses by using stone acupuncture were active. Such information about them was shared within the local societies. Their treatment predominantly consisted of surgical procedures to lance abscesses and drain pus, which often led patients to endure significant pain during the treatment process. In many cases, such patients sought treatment from well-known local surgeons and abscess specialists who surgically treated them. The literati, who are said to have influenced the development of pulse-centered medical and academic medicine in China, also sought out surgeons for abscess treatment. Medical formularies compiled by the court as well as privately published ones rarely mentioned surgical methods utilizing tools. The fact that surgical techniques were utilized in local regions at that time indicates a disparity between the official medical practices documented in texts and the practical methods employed in local communities. An analysis of approximately sixty anecdotes related to abscesses shows that abscesses were characterized by unknown causes and excruciating pain. Their onset was often attributed to the patient's lifestyle and wrongdoings, and they were also perceived as punishment for one's wrongdoings. However, as it was a disease where treatment effects could be relatively easily observed through surgical procedures, there was a proactive utilization of the locally formed treatment environment, preferring surgical interventions over relying on religious powers. Contrary to the medical trends and methods outlined in medical literature, surgical treatments were prevalent as the chosen method of treatment among the population in local communities. It appears that the realities experienced, reasoned, and shared by people in the Song period regarding the perception and response to abscesses did not necessarily align with those of mainstream medical practices. Moreover, despite attributing the onset of abscesses to one's wrongdoing, there was a preference for seeking surgeons or Yang-yi over religious methods in their treatment, reflecting a characteristic of the local medical culture surrounding abscesses during the Song period.

Music in an Emergent History of Psychology.

From a historical perspective, 'psychology' can be studied from an abundance of angels. Thus, a selected perspective requires some historiographical reflections, but also a conscious awareness of the actual chosen terms that are at stake. In this study, the historiographical perspective follows an emergent understanding of the history, which implies that the actual chosen terms are dynamically contributing to a web of terms, in which all of them may change in more or less unpredictable directions. In line with this, the aspect of music is consciously chosen, as it probably is one of the most ignored aspects of psychology in historical research. Thus, the findings in this study reveal that music as the 'direct factor' played an overarching role in the nineteenth centuries experimental psychology, but also that the changes in the understanding of music in the early sixteenth century is comparable with the changes the understanding of the soul underwent along with the introduction of the neologism 'psychology'. In the understanding of both music and the soul the sensational aspects replaced the mathematical.

Ludwig van Beethoven-a psychiatric perspective.

Biographical accounts of famous artists usually try to relate the life story to the works (and vice versa). This gives the work a special "colour", often the context for understanding for today's recipients. This interrelation is complex and often judgmental, sometimes manipulative. Thus, medical (including psychiatric), characterological and psychodynamic assessments and interpretations must be made with great caution. Primary sources may be scanty and diagnostic concepts may have changed (Mozart died of hitzigem Frieselfieber [prickly heat fever]; in Hölderlin's lifetime, schizophrenia or bipolar disorder did not yet "exist"). The attempt at a diagnostic classification often says more about the author and his time than about the artist (for example, the assessment of Robert Schumann's or Friedrich Hölderlin's mental illness). Against this background, elements of Ludwig van Beethoven's biography are presented from a psychiatric perspective. In summary, Beethoven can be diagnosed with an alcohol use disorder. A pronounced hyperthymic temperament is likely to have had a clearly positive influence on the course of the disorder. In particular, no influence of the alcohol use disorder on the musical quality of the work can be proven. A clear episodic course of affective symptoms as in bipolar disorder is not demonstrable. The deafness caused a severe reduction in quality of life.

Um curso de história da música para estudantes de medicina? / "A course on music history for medical students?"

RESUMO: A participação em atividades lúdicas e reflexivas poderia aumentar a resiliência dos estudantes ao estresse associado ao curso de medicina. Nesse sentido, a música poderia facilitar o desenvolvimento de sentimentos e atitudes, como inclusão social, equilíbrio, atenção, imaginação e reflexão essenciais à prática clínica. Neste artigo relatamos nossa experiência com a disciplina optativa "Introdução à história da música erudita ocidental". Ela é oferecida anualmente aos estudantes de medicina desde 2015. As avaliações anônimas recebidas por 62,5% dos 64 estudantes que frequentaram a disciplina até o momento evidenciaram uma elevada satisfação (100% de avaliações caracterizadas como boa ou ótima) e o reconhecimento de sua importância para a formação médica (95% de avaliações caracterizadas como boa ou ótima). Estes resultados são encorajadores para a continuidade da disciplina e a introdução de atividades optativas similares no currículo da nossa Faculdade. (AU)

ABSTRACT: Participation in playful and reflective activities could increase the students' resilience to the stress associated with the medical course. In this sense, music could facilitate the development of feelings and attitudes, such as social inclusion, balance, attention, imagination, and reflection, essential for clinical practice. In this article, I report my experience with the optional discipline "Introduction to the history of Western classical music." This course has been offered annually to medical students since 2015. The anonymous evaluations received by 62.5% of the 64 students who have attended the discipline so far showed a high satisfaction rate (100% of the assessments marked as good or excellent) and the recognition of its importance for medical training (95% of evaluations marked as good or excellent). These results encourage the continuation of the discipline and the introduction of similar activities into our curriculum.

Breve reseña de los Himnos de la Enfermería en Iberoamérica. Análisis del Himno de Enfermería Argentina / Brief review about Ibero-American nursing anthem. Analysis of the Argentine's nursing anthem / Breve revisão dos Hinos de Enfermagem na América Latina. Análise do Hino da Enfermagem Argentina

RESUMEN Introducción: Los himnos son composiciones poéticas que expresan júbilo. Este canto se ejecuta por todos a la vez, y se convierte en el símbolo de los sentimientos y de los ideales de un grupo determinado. Objetivo: Describir las características principales de los himnos de la Enfermería en el contexto Iberoamericano haciendo, especial énfasis, en el Himno de la Enfermería Argentina. Método: Se realizó una investigación documental de corte histórico, en la cual se emplearon métodos teóricos que permitieron efectuar un análisis objetivo sustentado en la adecuada interacción de los siguientes métodos: análisis documental, análisis histórico-lógico y enfoque de sistema. Se utilizaron diversas bases de datos bibliográficas; así como el buscador del Google para identificar, a partir de palabras claves, los himnos por países. Desarrollo: Se caracterizó el Himno de la Enfermería del Consejo Internacional de Enfermería, organización internacional, y el Himno de la Enfermería Mexicana, Himno de la Enfermería Española, Himno a la Enfermera(o) Peruana(o), Himno de la Enfermería Cubana y el Himno de las Enfermeras de Costa Rica, con carácter nacional. Por otro lado, se describieron las características y significados del Himno de Enfermería Argentina. Consideraciones finales: El empoderamiento constituye un proceso constante de construcción, lo que precisa de claridad en las metas, en donde los cambios sociales y las expectativas de la profesión calcen en amalgama perfecta. En tal sentido, el empoderamiento exige reconocer la identidad profesional, lo que depende de diversos factores, entre los que podría contribuir en ese proceso de construcción y consolidación el Himno de Enfermería Argentina.

ABSTRACT Introduction: Anthems are poetic compositions written to express rejoicing. It is a music written specifically for group singing and becomes the symbol of feelings and ideals of a distinct group. Objective: To describe main characteristics of Ibero-American nursing anthem, specially, in the Argentine's nursing anthem. Method: A historical documentary research was conducted, in which theoretical methods were used to carry out an objective analysis based on the appropriate interaction of the following methods: documentary analysis, historical-logical analysis and system approach. Several bibliographic databases were used, as well as the Google Search engine, in order to identify, using key words, the anthems used by countries. Development: The International Council of Nurses, as International organization, and the Mexican, Spanish, Peruvian, Cuban, and Costa Rican nursing anthem were categorized as national anthems. In the other hand, the characteristics and meanings of the Argentine Nursing Anthem were described. Conclusions: Empowerment is a constant process of construction, which requires clarity in goals, where social changes and the profession´s expectations fit together perfectly. In this regard, empowerment requires for the recognition of professional identity depending on several factors to be effective, factors in which the argentine anthem is part of and it could contribute to the expected construction and consolidation process.

RESUMO Introdução: Os hinos são composições poéticas que expressam alegria. Essa música é tocada por todos ao mesmo tempo, e se torna o símbolo dos sentimentos e ideais de um determinado grupo. Objetivo: Descrever as principais características dos hinos da enfermagem no contexto ibero-americano, com especial destaque para o hino da enfermagem argentino. Método: Foi realizada uma investigação documental de natureza histórica, na qual foram utilizados métodos teóricos que permitiram realizar uma análise objetiva a partir da interação adequada dos seguintes métodos: análise documental, análise histórico-lógica e abordagem sistêmica. Várias bases de dados bibliográficas foram utilizadas; bem como o motor de busca Google para identificar, a partir de palavras-chave, os hinos por país. Desenvolvimento: O Hino de Enfermagem do Conselho Internacional de Enfermagem, uma organização internacional, e o Hino de Enfermagem do México, Hino de Enfermagem em Espanhol, Hino de Enfermagem do Peru, Hino de Enfermagem de Cuba e o Hino Nacional das Enfermeiras da Costa Rica. Por outro lado, foram descritas as características e significados do Hino da Enfermagem Argentina. Considerações finais: O empoderamento é um processo constante de construção, que exige clareza de objetivos, onde as mudanças sociais e as expectativas da profissão se encaixam perfeitamente. Nesse sentido, o empoderamento requer o reconhecimento da identidade profissional, o que depende de vários fatores, entre os quais o Hino da Enfermagem Argentino pode contribuir para este processo de construção e consolidação.

Cover versions as an impact indicator in popular music: A quantitative network analysis.

In contemporary popular music, covering or adapting previous songs signals a tribute or reworking of popular hits, which implies acknowledgement of the original musicians. This connection can be interpreted as a form of musical impact among artists. A network graph with more than 106k artists and 855k cover versions extracted from the web site SecondHandSongs was created. The objective is to explore the shape of this network, identify the most relevant artists according to different impact measurements and to visualize connections between music genres. This analysis is done from a longitudinal perspective with the aim of understanding how cover versions can inform us about the history of the contemporary popular music. Results show that the number of covers by artist is skewed distributed, diminishing gradually since the 1950s. Different network metrics have allowed to identify the most covered (weighted indegree), the most influential (PageRank) and the most crossover artists (weighted betweenness centrality). The network graph also shows that genre affinity is the main criterion for covering songs between artists, language being the second. Remakes from other genres reflect that Jazz and Pop/Rock are the most influential because they emerge stronger and form the core of their respective sub-networks. Cover songs describe two cycles. In a first phase from 1900s to 1950s, dominated by Jazz and Vocal artists, the covers are more frequent and associated with the notion of reworking (e.g. jazz standards); in a second stage, since the 1950s, when the Pop/Rock emerges, cover songs are less common and seen as tribute.

Theodor Billroth: Surgeon, Musician, and Composer.

Music and surgery have a long and shared history, and the existence of musician-surgeons has been well documented. Best known for his 2 gastric reconstruction operations, Theodor Billroth was also a skilled musician and made valuable contributions to the field of music theory and composition. While he was a prolific composer during his lifetime, most of his works have unfortunately been lost. His 1 surviving composition Todessehnsucht offers insight into his composition process and serves as a testament to the amalgamation of his personal life, his career as a surgeon, and his lifelong love of music. This article seeks to analyze Billroth's only musical composition from a historical, musical, and sociopolitical perspective and to illustrate the close interplay between science and art in one of the most quintessential musician-surgeons in history.

Beethoven´s illnesses and a craniovertebral junction variant? / As doenças de Beethoven e variante da junção craniovertebral?

Ludwig van Beethoven, the great composer, born 250 years ago, had several health problems and a progressive hearing loss. Gastrointestinal symptoms prevailed among his physical complaints, but there were also frequent headaches, eye pain, and polyarthralgia. Likewise, there are many reports about his alcohol intake and frequent walks. There were also peculiar behavioral and awkward physical aspects of the famous composer. All may take part as a determinant for the communicative aspects of his music. Spite Beethoven's corporal structure could be considered just a developmental variant, it can also be congenitally related to many bone-nervous abnormalities such as craniovertebral junction malformation with interference in the Genius' health. In reality, it is almost impossible to cover Beethoven's entire health problem with just one underlying disease. Most likely, he had comorbidities, one of which, although not fatal, was that related to abnormalities in the development of the skull and cervical spine worsened by a baseline autoimmune disorders that injured joints, and maybe even the VIII cranial nerve and inner ear.

Ludwig van Beethoven, o grande compositor, nascido há 250 anos, teve vários problemas de saúde e uma perda auditiva progressiva. Os sintomas gastrointestinais prevaleceram entre suas queixas físicas, mas também houve frequentes episódios de cefaleia, dores nos olhos e poliartralgia. Da mesma forma, há muitos relatos sobre sua ingestão de álcool e caminhadas frequentes. Havia também aspectos físicos peculiares e estranhos do famoso compositor. Todos podem tomar parte como um determinante para os aspectos comunicativos de sua música. Apesar da estrutura corporal de Beethoven poder ser considerada apenas uma variante de desenvolvimento, pode também estar relacionada a algumas anormalidades ósseo- neural, tais como a malformação da junção craniovertebral com interferência na saúde do Gênio. Na realidade, é quase impossível cobrir todo o problema de saúde de Beethoven com apenas uma doença subjacente. Muito provavelmente, ele tinha comorbidades, uma das quais, embora não fatal, era aquela relacionada a anormalidades no desenvolvimento do crânio e da coluna cervical agravadas por uma desordem auto-imune de base que lesionava as articulações, e talvez até o VIII nervo craniano e o ouvido interno.

Letters to the Deaf: Present-Day Relevance of History's Earliest Social Analysis of Deafness.

Harriet Martineau was a 19th-century sociologist who had a progressive form of deafness. Her 1834 essay, Letters to the Deaf, was the earliest historical document depicting the social challenges of hearing loss. Martineau details complex situations that hard-of-hearing people experienced in the 19th century such as social isolation due to frustrations with communication, physician shortcomings, limited music appreciation, and the stigma of hearing amplification devices. Her descriptions of these experiences are commonly faced by hard-of-hearing people in present-day society. Advancements in technology and recognition of the negative social impact of hearing loss have improved the social experience for the hard of hearing; however, social challenges remain relevant. In this article, we review Letters to the Deaf and note the ways in which this essay provides a dual perspective regarding how much we have advanced as a society and how much we still have to overcome in addressing the social challenges of hearing loss.

Will the shepherd be able to play the alpine horn with that huge goiter (XVI century)?

PURPOSE: There are many of the representations in iconography of individuals with goiters reported in the literature. METHODS: The article describe a unique representation of goiter, as observed by the authors in a sculpture in Italy. RESULTS: In a Nativity, in the upper part of the altar of the Church of the Annunciata, Boccioleto (Val Sermenza, Piedmont, Italy), a horn player with a huge goiter, gladdens the Holy Family. Wooden work by Francesco Antonio d'Alberto, 1694. CONCLUSION: This is an appropriate example of the iconography of "real goiter," since in this case the sculptor had the aim of showing person with goiter.

William Wallace (1860-1940): British ophthalmologist and classical music composer.

William Wallace (1860-1940) received the degrees MB, MCh, and MD from the University of Glasgow, and qualified as an ophthalmologist in 1888. Even as he was training in eye surgery, he was already composing music, and Wallace became more attracted to the ear than to the eye and abandoned medicine to become a classical music composer. He never practiced ophthalmology after 1889, except during First World War when he volunteered to serve in the Royal Army Medical Corps. He studied briefly at the Royal Academy of Music in London, but was mostly self-taught. Wallace was influenced by the music of Franz Liszt and Richard Wagner, and thus became a champion for late Romantic music. He wrote many types of music: his most successful were symphonic or tone poems. He was a playwright, music critic, translator, artist, and advocate for composers' copyright interests in Parliament. After the War, he never again composed but held important positions in organized music such as Professor of Harmony and Composition at the Royal Academy of Music. Only about 30% of his compositions were performed or published in his lifetime, but recently, there has been increased interest in performing and recording his music.

[Moment of Shock - What Does This Gap Mean?] / Schrecksekunde ­ was bedeutet diese Lücke?

Ludwig van Beethoven's Opus 119 represents a series of "bagatelles" for piano. On closer inspection, or better listening, one can get to the thought: How should one interpret the pause that the Maestro has woven into bar 65 of the first piece?