Music Therapy
Music is typically considered entertainment. We listen to it when we’re bored, when we’re in the shower, or on long car rides. Most don’t realize, however, that music can be so much more.
Effect Music has on the Brain
As people do different tasks, different parts of their brain are activated. Studies show that when a person is playing or listening to music, almost every section of the brain is active at once. Music improves mental and emotional health, increases cognitive functions, lessens the effects of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, and can even be used to improve the health of premature newborns. In How Music Effects the Brain Deane Alban writes, “children with musical backgrounds do better in subjects like language, reading, and math and have better fine motor skills than their non-musical classmates.”
How this Relates to Music Therapy
Things like grief, trauma, and chronic depression are all caused by chemical responses in the brain. Making and listening to music has been proven to literally alter the way our brains behave/function. There are two main types of musical therapy: the creative process and the receptive process. As one might assume, in the creative process the subject might write a song or learn to play an instrument. In the receptive process the subject might listen to a song or songs and then discuss/analyze with a therapist the meaning behind it or their personal feelings attached to it.
Why it’s Worth Trying
On many accounts music therapy has helped improve the lives of the traumatized, disabled, and diseased. It can even help improve the already healthy. It’s benefits can be received by anyone from premature infants to the elderly and can help improve anything from Autism to Alzheimer's. There have been numerous studies done on its value and there are no major risks involved. Music has been around since the beginning of man and it’s benefits will continue to be reaped until the end.
