The arts in general, as well as music in particular,  are becoming increasingly recognized as powerful and versatile tools for health. The World Health Organization (WHO), in reviewing the global evidence linking the arts and health and wellbeing suggests that engaging with the arts has the potential to exert a positive influence on both mental and physical health across the lifespan.

However, the frameworks used mainly come from a restricted range of geographical contexts. While much of the existing research on music science, music psychology and arts in health thinks of musical engagement in terms of attending concerts or creating online playlists, in many global contexts, musical practices are collectivist, participatory and deeply rooted in local culture and customs.

This was the starting point for the CHIME project in 2017 – to explore the public health potential of existing practices and traditions around participatory music to support maternal mental health.