Music Therapy

Restorative Rhythms: The POWER of MUSIC THERAPY

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Today I wanted to share a video produced by my friend and former Loyola University colleague Seth Laucks who is a Board Certified Music Therapist. This short documentary has earned accolades from the Global Film Competition, Garden State Film Festival, Impact Doc Awards, and the Telly Awards.

The documentary features footage of a music therapy group with older adults and also expert commentary explaining the many facets and benefits of a music therapy group. Music therapy is much more than a performance or entertainment and is best performed by a Board Certified Music Therapist.

Spatial Awareness & Rock Music

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Music and movement are very intimately connected, not just in society but also deep within the very structures of our bodies. The urge to rock out to loud music at a concert has specific correlations to structures in our ears and neck muscles that create reward responses. Our hearing and structures in the ear are associated … Read more

Community Engagement Changes Research for the Better

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The National Endowment for the Arts released a guide in December 2016 to assist and encourage researchers and community arts providers to team up in research pursuits. It has been long-documented and is well-known the benefits of the arts in society, but research on its benefit is often stunted by a lack of partnership between researchers … Read more

Video: Katy Perry and CHLA’s music therapy program

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Katy Perry Gets Emotional Talking About Music Therapy at CHLA: Skip to 1:00 to see her talk about the music therapy program. Katy took the stage along with Drew Barrymore and Josh Gad at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles ‘Once Upon A Time Gala’ honoring long-time supporters The Billy and Audrey L. Wilder Foundation as well … Read more

The Difference Between Music and Noise

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Someone nearby is rhythmically tapping their toe. Is this an irritating noise or an organized, musical sound? As it turns out, the difference depends almost entirely upon the listener. The best indicator we have of knowing whether a particular person will interpret a sound as noisy or musical is their age: It is more common that older … Read more

Why listening to an iPod is not music therapy

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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

Music therapist produces songs with patients’ heartbeats

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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

Music Therapy and the Brain

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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!

Music Therapy and Medicine

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The video above is a wonderful Tedx Talk of Dr. Deforia Lane presenting on Music Therapy and Medicine. She is an acclaimed music therapist who founded the University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland, OH where she is the Director of Art & Music Therapy. She has been practicing music therapy for approximately four decades. She and her creative arts team … Read more

Live Music vs Recorded Music in Music Therapy

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You’ve probably had a moment (or more) where you put on your favorite song and either relax, get pumped up, or allow yourself to react to it in some way. Recorded music is truly a wonderful thing that helps add to our everyday lives. But have you ever thought about how different live music is from … Read more