The art of healing through music
It's a Tuesday afternoon and Carol Martin has already sung her warm-up exercises at her Victoria home and crooned her way through "This Little Light of Mine." Now she's attempting to sing "Hey Good Looking."
Michelle Lawrence sings each phrase and waits for Martin to add in the last words, "looking," "cooking," "maybe" and "baby." But the duo just can't get their act together -- because they keep breaking out in laughter.
While this may look like a get-together of music-loving friends, it is actually a music therapy session. Lawrence is a certified music therapist and this is serious treatment for a stroke Martin had about two years ago.
The former government employee was left with aphasia, the loss of ability to produce and understand language. It left much of her speech incomprehensible. Not only did she have a difficult time trying to mouth words, she often couldn't grab the right ones to express herself properly. The power of music therapy
Then, in May 2007, she began music therapy at the suggestion of a friend who had read about it and thought it would suit Martin, who had a musical past. By filling in the lyrics to "This Little Light of Mine," one key word at a time, Martin is now able and confident enough to sing at church and has regained 80 per cent of her speech.
"It was a godsend that Michelle came into my life," says Martin, taking a break from her weekly session. "I still have to learn more, and it's hard work to do it, but it's a lot of fun."
Music and lyrics for injury and disease recovery
Stroke recovery is just one area in which music therapy has displayed its powerful rehabilitating effect. It has also helped with patients suffering from developmental and learning disabilities, Alzheimer's disease and other aging-related diseases, substance abuse, brain injuries, physical disabilities such as multiple sclerosis, and acute and chronic pain.
While researchers are still trying to figure out just why and how music is so effective, hospitals around the world are introducing music therapy to complement other forms of treatment. Not only is music therapy valuable for patients who aren't physically or psychologically ready to start other kinds of rehab, but in its most basic form, music therapy is easy to do -- its beginnings are as simple as popping in a patient's favourite CD and hitting play.
Click to continue to learn what techniques music therapists use with patients...
Page 1 of 5
Michelle Lawrence sings each phrase and waits for Martin to add in the last words, "looking," "cooking," "maybe" and "baby." But the duo just can't get their act together -- because they keep breaking out in laughter.
While this may look like a get-together of music-loving friends, it is actually a music therapy session. Lawrence is a certified music therapist and this is serious treatment for a stroke Martin had about two years ago.
The former government employee was left with aphasia, the loss of ability to produce and understand language. It left much of her speech incomprehensible. Not only did she have a difficult time trying to mouth words, she often couldn't grab the right ones to express herself properly. The power of music therapy
Then, in May 2007, she began music therapy at the suggestion of a friend who had read about it and thought it would suit Martin, who had a musical past. By filling in the lyrics to "This Little Light of Mine," one key word at a time, Martin is now able and confident enough to sing at church and has regained 80 per cent of her speech.
"It was a godsend that Michelle came into my life," says Martin, taking a break from her weekly session. "I still have to learn more, and it's hard work to do it, but it's a lot of fun."
Music and lyrics for injury and disease recovery
Stroke recovery is just one area in which music therapy has displayed its powerful rehabilitating effect. It has also helped with patients suffering from developmental and learning disabilities, Alzheimer's disease and other aging-related diseases, substance abuse, brain injuries, physical disabilities such as multiple sclerosis, and acute and chronic pain.
While researchers are still trying to figure out just why and how music is so effective, hospitals around the world are introducing music therapy to complement other forms of treatment. Not only is music therapy valuable for patients who aren't physically or psychologically ready to start other kinds of rehab, but in its most basic form, music therapy is easy to do -- its beginnings are as simple as popping in a patient's favourite CD and hitting play.
Click to continue to learn what techniques music therapists use with patients...
Page 1 of 5
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