Brianna Shaffer 
You’ve probably self-medicated with music before–most of us do it frequently! You listened to an upbeat song to motivate you for cardio exercise, you were soothed by a melancholy album during a rough patch, or maybe you put on something slow and relaxing while you were trying to fall asleep. You maybe thought about the power of … Read more
It’s no secret that we live in a rapidly-changing world. The internet and smart phones have drastically changed nearly every aspect of our culture in just a few short years, including our work force. Artificial Intelligence (like the iPhone’s Siri), ride-sharing like Uber, 3D-printing, and self-publishing your own music, books, articles, videos, etc. are all quickly … Read more
Date: Saturday, August 13th, 2016 at 10:00am (check-in begins at 9:00am) Venue: Colonel Bill Barber Memorial Park Location: 4 Civic Center Plaza, Irvine, CA 92673 The Orange County Walk for Children with Apraxia of Speech is an event geared toward raising funding for programs and research on apraxia, raising awareness and, above all, is “a chance … Read more
Originally from the Associated Press by Mike Householder A music therapist at a Michigan children’s hospital has made dozens of unique recordings as a gift for patients’ parents and other loved ones. Bridget Sova uses a specialized stethoscope recorder to capture the thumping, rhythmic heartbeats of young patients then blends them with a recording of her … Read more
There’s a reason why many of us love taking a walk, watching a beautiful sunset, or having a nice picnic. Exposure to nature and the outdoors correlate to many emotional, mental, and physical benefits, such as improved attention span, lower anxiety, an improved immune system, and more. Nowadays, hospitals make an effort to give patients a … Read more
In 2011 Radox Spa, a British company which sells shower gels, commissioned the band Marconi Union, the sound therapist Lyz Cooper, and researchers at The Mindlab to create “one of the world’s most relaxing musical tracks.” The song was tested on participants who were hooked up to biofeedback machines, monitoring things like their heart rate … Read more
Chances are you know the feeling, as research tells us anywhere from 55-86% of the population experiences “frisson” (free-sawn), or the full-body chill induced by an emotional sound or image. A movie trailer, a power ballad, or even a particularly moving photograph can trigger this response. The reason why is still being investigated, but research … Read more
This infographic from imamusictherapist.com shows how music therapy enables and contributes to neuroplasticity, or a fancy word for your brain’s ability to grow and change. Music has been shown time and again through research to be a powerful tool for rehabilitation, learning, and development. There’s a reason why you learned your ABCs with a song!
If you’ve ever been told that you’re “tone deaf” or “can’t carry a tune,” don’t give up! A new study from Northwestern University suggests that singing is more like playing an instrument than you might think: singing on pitch is a skill that can be taught and developed, which means even the singers who have … Read more
According to research in this Forbes article, piano will make your kid smarter. It’s commonly known that knowing how to play piano, or knowing how to read music in general, can make you “smarter” but what is defined as being “smarter”? We usually hear about how being smart is split up into two categories: street smarts and … Read more