A sample of 84 participants from a palliative care unit in Heidelberg is randomized to either two
sessions of music therapy or two sessions of a verbal relaxation exercise, each lasting 30 minutes. The music therapy
sessions consist of live played monochord music and a vocal improvisation, the control group uses a prerecorded
excerpt from the mindfulness-based stress reduction program containing no musical elements. Outcome measures
include self-report data on subjective relaxation, well-being, pain intensity, and quality of life, as well as continuous
recording of heart rate variability and blood volume pulse as indicators of autonomous nervous system functioning.