Part IV. Music as Threpy: Experiences and Applications

Healing Note by Note by Tom Sweitzer, Music Therapist and Cofounder of A Place to Be

• Tom starts with a story of how music and a Sunday School teacher at the church across the street from his house saved him from a toxic home environment. He then shares several stories of minor miracles he was part of thanks to the power of music therapy. He even needed music therapy himself to help recover from the severe impact a case of long COVID. This chapter is heart warming.

The Potential of Group Singing to Promote Health and Well-Being by Julene Johnson, Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience, UCSF School of Nursing

• Julene summarizes the research on the health benefits of group singing. Findings include a significant decrease in feelings of loneliness and an increased interest in life. Singers experience an overall sense of well-being along with feelings of happiness, enjoyment, compassion, contentment, optimism, relaxation, peacefulness, unity, gratitude, and awareness of beauty. Singers also report an improved self-esteem, self-confidence, social connection, and support.
• Singing relies on many parts of the body including vocal apparatus, motor system, chest and neck muscles, diaphragm, sensory systems, and, respiration. It also makes demands of vocal control. Music creates meaningful experiences throughout life and appears to extend life span.

Sing Your Way Home: How Music Therapy Taught Me to Trust the Journey by Stacie Aamon Yeldell, Music Therapist

• Here Stacie tells what it’s like to be a music therapist. She tells stories that feature frustration and ultimate success. This is a chapter that anyone should read if they are thinking of being a music therapist or engaging in music therapy.

Music and Memory: Exploring the Power of Music to Reach Those with Dementia dn Other Neurologic Conditions by Concetta Tomaino, Executive Director, Institute for Music and Neurologic Function

• Concetta tells of how people with severe dementia who can’t even recognize close family members can remember and even sing songs from their past. Sometime people who are wheelchair bound can get up and dance. They can eventually walk on their own. Music can make behavior calmer and reduce the need for medication. The need for more music therapists is great and there is much work to be done.

Achieving Body, Mind, and Soul Harmony with Multiple Sclerosis by Courtney Platt, a dancer and choreographer who works with MS and Harmony

• Courtney was diagnosed with MS shortly after her dancing career started. Since then she has worked with the MS and Harmony program to help customize music therapy to the unique needs of each MS patient. Music has been found to effect the parts of the brain that regulate emotion and behavior, as well as the areas that control memory and learning. She finds that music helps her deal with low mood, forgetfulness, and brain fog. She knows that she can still enjoy life to the fullest thanks to the fact that she always has a playlist at her side.

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