Music Therapy

Posted by Donna Mae Scheib on March 21, 2017

Music Therapy

Music is therapy. Music moves people. It connects people in ways that no other medium can. It pulls heart strings. It acts as medicine. - Macklemore, musical artist

Therapists use music in many different ways to increase memory and communication, alleviate stress and anxiety, improve socialization and quality of life, and impact over all wellness. Although this therapy can be used with participants of all ages, it is becoming more commonly used with the elderly population at various living communities: nursing homes, retirement communities, or other assisted living facilities.

How does music therapy work?

Music therapy is a relatively new form of therapy, having begun in the United States in 1944 with the first undergraduate degree at Michigan State University and the first graduate degree program at the University of Kansas. However, it wasn’t until the mid 1980’s that music therapy revealed evidence that it would help with listener’s attention and focus, reduce isolation, and improve physical health.

Music therapists incorporate ideas from other disciplines such as nursing, medicine, education, and physical therapy. This therapy can take many different forms from using hands-on instruments that create music to listening to actual performers. A music therapist is trained to know how to adapt music to each patient and their needs and abilities so these individuals can gain the most from this experience. Therapists may use particular songs or themes, sound frequencies, and rhythms with either individuals or participants in small group settings.

Music therapy can be a means to unlock people’s memories and experiences. By listening to a particular song, individuals are drawn back to that time period. Think about this... Do you remember a song played at one of your high school’s school dances, a graduation ceremony, or perhaps a family member’s wedding? What happens when you hear those song lyrics today? Do these lyrics help bring back certain remembrances? That’s what typically happens to someone listening to music.

What are some of the benefits of music therapy?

Stress

For seniors, no matter where they reside, music therapy can reduce general stress. Research indicates that listening to music has been found to lower blood pressure, improve heart rate variability, and help to de-stress.

Depression

Music therapy can also help those who are suffering with depression. Studies have shown that music leads to a shift in frontal lobe activity (measured by an EEG) in depressed individuals; music shifts the activity from the right frontal lobe to the left, a phenomenon associated with positive affect and mood.

Dementia

Furthermore, music therapy can help those with dementia to react more positively to their surroundings. In fact, dementia is one of the disorders that is most commonly treated with music therapy. It has been known to improve social behaviors, reduce wandering and restlessness, and lower agitated behaviors for individuals diagnosed with dementia.

Cancer and other life-threatening diseases

And for those experiencing cancer or another life-threatening diseases, music can help deal with the anxiety that comes along with the diagnosis and treatment. Music decreases the levels of the stress hormone cortisol that leads to improved affect, mood, and cognitive functioning which allows the individual to better cope with their disease.

In conclusion

Music therapy is an important technique used by therapists to improve a patient’s health-related quality of life. This therapy has been proven to help individuals and especially seniors deal with stress, depression, dementia, cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Although music has the ability to bring back memories and experiences from the past, it is also a useful activity to impact the present and future lives of patients. 

Music Therapy

Music is therapy. Music moves people. It connects people in ways that no other medium can. It pulls heart strings. It acts as medicine. - Macklemore, musical artist
 

Therapists use music in many different ways to increase memory and communication, alleviate stress and anxiety, improve socialization and quality of life, and impact over all wellness. Although this therapy can be used with participants of all ages, it is becoming more commonly used with the elderly population at various living communities: nursing homes, retirement communities, or other assisted living facilities.

How does music therapy work?

Music therapy is a relatively new form of therapy, having begun in the United States in 1944 with the first undergraduate degree at Michigan State University and the first graduate degree program at the University of Kansas. However, it wasn’t until the mid 1980’s that music therapy revealed evidence that it would help with listener’s attention and focus, reduce isolation, and improve physical health.

Music therapists incorporate ideas from other disciplines such as nursing, medicine, education, and physical therapy. This therapy can take many different forms from using hands-on instruments that create music to listening to actual performers. A music therapist is trained to know how to adapt music to each patient and their needs and abilities so these individuals can gain the most from this experience. Therapists may use particular songs or themes, sound frequencies, and rhythms with either individuals or participants in small group settings.

Music therapy can be a means to unlock people’s memories and experiences. By listening to a particular song, individuals are drawn back to that time period. Think about this... Do you remember a song played at one of your high school’s school dances, a graduation ceremony, or perhaps a family member’s wedding? What happens when you hear those song lyrics today? Do these lyrics help bring back certain remembrances? That’s what typically happens to someone listening to music.

What are some of the benefits of music therapy?

Stress

For seniors, no matter where they reside, music therapy can reduce general stress. Research indicates that listening to music has been found to lower blood pressure, improve heart rate variability, and help to de-stress.

Depression

Music therapy can also help those who are suffering with depression. Studies have shown that music leads to a shift in frontal lobe activity (measured by an EEG) in depressed individuals; music shifts the activity from the right frontal lobe to the left, a phenomenon associated with positive affect and mood.

Dementia

Furthermore, music therapy can help those with dementia to react more positively to their surroundings. In fact, dementia is one of the disorders that is most commonly treated with music therapy. It has been known to improve social behaviors, reduce wandering and restlessness, and lower agitated behaviors for individuals diagnosed with dementia.

Cancer and other life-threatening diseases

And for those experiencing cancer or another life-threatening diseases, music can help deal with the anxiety that comes along with the diagnosis and treatment. Music decreases the levels of the stress hormone cortisol that leads to improved affect, mood, and cognitive functioning which allows the individual to better cope with their disease.

In conclusion

Music therapy is an important technique used by therapists to improve a patient’s health-related quality of life. This therapy has been proven to help individuals and especially seniors deal with stress, depression, dementia, cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Although music has the ability to bring back memories and experiences from the past, it is also a useful activity to impact the present and future lives of patients.