According to Preti and Welch, the musical experience
within a hospital setting embraces a few main features.26 One
of the prime intentions behind the provision of music in hospital
is to use its sonic features to elicit particular emotional
responses, such us calm, excitement, alleviation, cheerfulness.
Another important issue is the interconnection between
psycho-acoustic phenomena and emotional responses related
to the communication and evocation of emotions through
music and the effects this process has on different people
involved. Sonic features can also deflect attention from clinical
experiences by the use of slow or fast tempo, changing
pitches and familiar timbres. Many studies recognise the effect
of music on a number of variables concerning people as they
are admitted to hospital. In a hospital setting, especially in
an oncology ward, communication of emotions involves quite
a number of additional variables, including the presence of
pain, fear of dying, stress coming from long hospitalisation, as
well as changes in family dynamics. Other physical or physiological
impacts of music are those concerning the physical,
physiological and psychological condition of a human, and
how these effects improve hospitalisation. The therapeutic
role of music involves different ways or techniques of playing
with music at hospital and their use for different hospital