Healing

Hello hello!

I apologize for being away for two weeks; just had a lot on my plate!

Last week, I was invited to sit in on an international roundtable that brought together researchers from all over the world to discuss the effects music can have on the brain from both the artistic standpoint and the scientific one. Each of the five days dealt with a different neurological disorder and how music can be used to connect with individuals that have these disorders. Over the course of the next posts in the next few weeks, I would love to share with you all the awesome things that I learned last week during the conference, and hopefully it will inspire you as you gain even more insight into the power of what we do as musicians.

So, as an introduction, let’s just say we were to define what music therapy is. How would you describe it? To be completely honest, none of the researchers in the conference had a clear-cut definition of the job. Many people have the misconception that music therapy is simply just musicians playing for people in senior homes, hospitals, etc. That’s not what it is, though; music therapy has an effect on individuals that can give some sort of “recovery”, or help guide individuals to a goal, like someone who has just suffered a stroke trying to lift their arm again, or an autistic child learning to lengthen their vowels.

Here’s my definition of music therapy. Music therapy is the use of improvisation in music and musical elements to assess and identify client-centered goals. The intentions that go into the improvisation can create the framework for a client’s treatment.

How does this work?

One of the experiments we did during the conference involved one of the music therapists at the conference showing us how she was able to mediate someone else’s breathing. She told her “client” (in this case, a student volunteer) to breathe normally; inhale, exhale. This volunteer probably had about three or four cups of coffee at the time, so her heart was probably racing. The music therapist, guitar in hand, starting picking some chords, placing the downbeats right in line with the student’s breathing. After they had synchronized, the music therapist slowly started shifting the tempo of the music, filling in the beats with more music, breathing and singing along with the student. Everyone who tried breathing along with her was instantly brought to a whole new dimension. Our breathing slowed down with her, and suddenly the rest of the world just fell away. We were connected with our inner selves. I, too, had had way too many cups of coffee, but after this demo, I felt so calm. Energized, but no jitters whatsoever. It was incredible. (I hate people who say this, but… You just had to be there…!!)

So, what does this say about what music therapists do? How does this relate to neurological disorders? Well, of course, the breathing thing is just one example of the activities music therapists do. They use different techniques to find problems with the patient, whether it be difficulty pronouncing certain words or sounds, difficulty in movement, difficulty in remembering things, etc. They also try to find things that the client is good at – following along to tunes, tapping along to rhythms, etc. – and use these strengths to attain the goals they’ve set.

Of course, there are many people out there who think that music is just a way to make people happier; it’s a recreational activity. Where does its place fall in science, then? That was one of the biggest squabbles during the conference; we had the scientists coming from a place of little tiny details, moving towards a bigger picture, saying things like, “We need results, we need them now, and we need to make generalizations to make sure this stuff works and works all the time.” Then, we have the artists, who come from a place of big, abstract ideas, who would tell those scientists first of all to STFU (NOT KIDDING, THIS ACTUALLY HAPPENED), that we can’t get results in such a short amount of time, nor can we make generalizations because music has a different effect on different individuals. Really, the debate didn’t go anywhere until… the last hour on the last day… Funny how some things happen, hey?

So, why music? (:
ALLOW ME TO LIST SOME OF THE REASONS WHY MUSIC IS AMAZING.

The point that most of the researchers made first was that music improves concentration and focus. When you have a musical line to follow, it’s easier to remember. You know where the musical phrase is going, and you want to take it to the end. You want the song to keep going. Your brain has something to hold onto with the rhythm and the melody. I have an amazing story about an 4-year-old child with autism who has the most incredible sensitivity to harmonies, but you’ll just have to wait until next week to read about it…! (Yes. Keeping regular readers. Because I’m cool like that.)

Music reduces agitation and depression. We all know this; we listen to music to match our mood, and it somehow makes the sad things and the frustrating things more bearable. Singing along makes it a whole lot better, too, especially at the top of our lungs. (One thing music therapists really encourage is karaoke. You have no idea how much karaoke came up during the week. I am so pleased.)

Music improves social awareness and interaction. Especially when singing in choirs or making music in groups; making music with other people creates a connection that isn’t possible to have with simple day-to-day communication and interaction. Music brings people together in a way that other things can’t (except maybe dance); music makes our breathing synchronize. We’re living in the same musical space, our heart rates going up and down at the same pace because of the music. For those of you who are of age… There’s a reason why people go clubbing. There’s a reason why people are more attractive in clubs, and no, you can’t put 100% of the blame on alcohol. The music plays a role in that, too. You automatically connect with the people who move in sync with you. It’s an odd little thing that we develop when we’re about four months old. (More on that next week.)

Music increases melatonin levels, which increases feelings of relaxation, which can not only redirect pain, but also can also raise our threshold for tolerance of pain. So, yes, listening to music when you’re giving birth might help. Probably not by much, though… This is why music is also commonly brought into senior homes and hospitals, because it helps patients relax and mute their physical pain, even for just a moment.

Music is a truly powerful thing. (‘:

More on the specifics in the next few weeks! But in the meantime,

Dream big, music-makers!