Humans
have been making music ever since they realized that tapping two sticks
together could create an engaging beat. Music can foster feelings
of joy and unleash our creativity. Ever versatile, music can set
the tone for fun or relaxation, and can impel us to move our
bodies, whether for exercise or self-expression.
Music therapy includes creating, singing, playing an instrument,
movement/dance, and listening to music.
Music therapy provides an avenue for communication that can
be helpful for those who find it difficult to express themselves in
words. It is an outlet for
the expression of one’s feelings. Integrating
music and all of its elements can provide healing of mind, body, emotion
and spirit.
Drumming, shaking a rattle, or using a singing bowl has been used for
centuries to raise vibrations and help to clear stagnant energy.
Movement to music either in the form of dance or through yoga and
tai chi can have an effect on both the body and the mind.
There are many ways that music can help to increase one’s
ability to deal with life’s stressors and improve overall quality of
life.
In those dealing with cancer, music therapy can help to reduce
pain and relieve chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. It may also
relieve stress and provide an overall sense of well-being by lowering
heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing rate, and by reducing
depression and sleeplessness.
Jodi
Picoult (Author of the bestselling book Sing You Home):
"Music
therapy, to me, is music performance without the ego. It’s not about
entertainment as much as it’s about empathizing. If you can use music
to slip past the pain and gather insight into the workings of (the)
mind, you can begin to fix a problem. "
Barbara
Crowe (past president of the National Association for Music Therapy):
"(Music
therapy) can make the difference between withdrawal and awareness,
between isolation and interaction, between chronic pain and comfort --
between demoralization and dignity."
Sen.
Harry Reid:
"Simply
put, music can heal people."