Not many advancements are being made with music therapy, so it was hard to find a recent article. The most recent one posted in the NY Times talked a lot about the miraculous effects music can have on our body. Something that stuck out the most to me was when the author mentioned how music can be used as a sort of meditation for patients.
Emily Caudill, a previous cancer patient, mentioned how music therapy had a large impact on her life since she was a musician and didn’t want to damage her ears using chemical treatments. She ended up training as a board certified music therapist in an attempt to spread the benefits of this option.
She works at Indiana University’s Simon Cancer Center, where she used to receive care. Ms. Caudill uses non-traditional instruments to provide her patients with a more unique experience. By using things like reverie harps, people are able to be more involved since “these instruments can be played by anyone without creating dissonance”. Breathing in and out during exercises and while playing can only increase the calming effects of using music therapy for pain and stress relief.
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