Music Therapy
Music has been a known stress reliever over the decades. Those who participate in choir or voice lessons have often referred to their experiences as therapeutic. Various studies have indicated that music therapy can go so far as helping those suffering from dementia uncover old memories and come back into the present. Music therapy includes more than just listening to a song or two, it is more interactive and helps a patient fully get into the music that is being played. The traditional definition of music therapy is the inventive way of using music to help introduce, maintain, and reestablish emotional, physical, and spiritual health. Music therapy for children is helpful in boosting their confidence, encouraging the children to think on their toes and work their brains to come up with new tunes or adding harmony to original pieces, in a group it helps strengthen the children’s sense of awareness of other people, and improving a child’s ability to focus and as well as coordination. Normal sessions for all ages involve movement and dancing, along with singing or going into a conversation of what a particular song means to the client. Music therapy can be used in tandem with other specialties of therapy as well, such as grief therapy or trauma therapy. Singing releases that rush of the “feel good” hormone oxytocin, so singing in groups or as a collective such as a choir creates an extra sense of stability for someone who is going through grief or needing to process any emotions. Because singing and playing or listening to music are such auditory and physical sensory stimuli, it stands to reason that the brain benefits greatly by using this therapy as a mental exercise.
There are many benefits that come from music therapy and singing. Some of which are that it can reduce anxiety and create more production of the hormone Oxytocin, allowing the patient to have a sense of freedom and security. People tend to get hung up on the idea that they aren’t able to carry a note and that because of that they aren’t allowed to sing or that they can’t play an instrument so even for therapy they can’t play something. That is furthest from the truth, in fact, studies show that being nervous about not being able to sing or play an instrument actually is helped by doing the thing that one is nervous of doing. This is because it helps get over the initial shock and fear. Those who have been born with stutters are great examples because music therapy has been proven to help clients who stutter rewire their brain so that they can talk more fluidly. The most relevant example is the singer and songwriter Ed Sheeran, who through singing learned how to control his stutter and gain more confidence in his abilities. Music therapy reaps many benefits for all clients of all ages. It boosts confidence and raises oxytocin levels, and in groups it helps create a sense of connected and togetherness.
Written by Kylie Hamacher, Undergraduate Intern