The healing power of music

As we are learning more about our brain, we are realizing more and more that music, due to its inherent nature, can help us heal with its power. I believe that even the oldest cultures intrinsically knew this. As primitive mankind learned to make tools to meet their needs, they also learned to create percussion instruments. From the beginning, these instruments were considered sacred and magical; they were associated with religious and healing rites. In many cases only chosen individuals were allowed to play these instruments. The players were often priests or shaman, using their percussion instruments to drive away evil spirits and to cure sickness.

It is interesting to note that our physicians today are rediscovering the healing power of music, albeit without the driving away of spirits. Regardless if we are driving away spirits or in modern day terms, releasing anxiety and depression, we have come to realize that music releases the neurotransmitter serotonin, one of the most abundant neurotransmitters in the brain which plays an important role in the regulation of mood and a key role in the treatment of depression. Another activity which increases serotonin thereby releasing endorphins, a hormone responsible for increasing a feeling of pleasure is exercise; so if you are depressed and feeling lethargic, time to go out dancing, giving yourself a blast of both music and movement.

Maria

Tags: Anxiety And Depression, Cultures, Evil Spirits, Exercise, Healing Music, Healing Power, Key Role, Mankind, Music And Movement, Music Releases, Neurotransmitter Serotonin, Neurotransmitters In The Brain, Percussion Instruments, Physicians, Pleasure, Power Music, Power Of Music, Priests, Shaman, Treatment Of Depression

Stroke victims regain speech with song

I read, on Sunday February 21, 2010, this article and found it fascinating as it gives hope for the treatment of many medical conditions. Here’s one.

“US scientists have restored speech to stroke victims by getting them to sing words instead of speaking them, says a leading neurologist.

Gottfried Schlaug, an associate professor of neurology at Beth Israel Deaconness Medical Centre and Harvard Medical School, has found that patients who have suffered a stroke in the left side of the brain and are unable to speak words are often able to sing them.

He showed reporters at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) on Saturday a video of a patient with a stroke lesion on the left side of the brain, whom he asked to recite the words of the birthday song.

The patient was unable to comply, and merely repeated the letters N and O.

But when Schlaug asked him to sing the song, while someone held the patient’s left hand and tapped it rhythmically, the words Happy birthday to you came out clear as day.

This patient has meaningless utterances when we ask him to say the words but as soon as we asked him to sing, he was able to speak the words, Schlaug said.

Another patient was taught to say, I am thirsty by singing, while another patient who had a large lesion on the left side of the brain and had for several years tried various therapies to try to regain the power of speech, all unsuccessful, was taught to say his address.

Images of the brains of patients with stroke lesions on the left side of the brain – which is typically used more for speech – show functional and structural changes on the right side of the brain after they have undergone this form of therapy through song, called Music Intonation Therapy (MIT).

Schlaug is currently running a randomised clinical trial of MIT with a view to gaining acceptance of the therapy in the medical field.

In the United States, MIT could potentially help up to 70,000 nonverbal stroke victims to retrieve the ability to speak, Schlaug said.”

This article reminds me of one of my students a number of years ago when I taught music at The Atlantic Provinces Special Education Authority for the Visually Impaired, (APSEA). I am not sure if she had had a stroke; her speech was very limited although she could sing both melody and harmony and, for the most part, understood what you wanted her to do. Even when she spoke her few short phrases, they were in a sing-song vocal style, reaffirming the studies that the part of the brain used for speech is different than the part utilized when one is singing. More on that topic in future posts.

Maria

Tags: Association For The Advancement Of Science, Birthday Song, Clinical Trial, Gottfried Schlaug, Left Side Of The Brain, Lesion, Lesions, Power Of Speech, Stroke Victims

Autism and music

Last year I taught music to a close to non verbal boy with autism named Stephen. We played a game in the class called Jingle at the Window. It involved the children sitting in a circle passing a tambourine from one child to the next. Each child held the tambourine just long enough to play 3 beats on it in time to the music. Not only did Stephen take the tambourine, play his 3 beats and pass it on to the next child in time to the music, he judged where the tambourine would be in a particular part of the circle, ran to a point just beyond that, and succeeded in getting himself another turn out of the deal; very forward thinking I thought. He is about 7 years old now and has gone on to play the drums. It is clear that he has great musical talent which is nurtured by his family.

Maria

Tags: Autism, Music, Musical Talent

What is on your plate?

This is a great way to teach kids of all ages about different foods. The song can also be used to teach children about world wide dishes. Regardless as to whether the kids call out the foods that they know or are learning about foods from different cultures, they are using their verbal and cognitive skills to play the game and sing the song. Once they get the hang of it, they love hollering out their favourite foods.

Two four six eight, Tell me what is on your plate!

Spaghetti!!!

Even the smallest kids will attempt to pronounce that word.

Here is a sample of the song Jelly, Jelly in my Belly

Maria

Tags: Cognitive Skills, Different Cultures, Different Foods, Jelly Jelly

Feel the beat

Kids have an intrinsic feel for the beat of most music. To start off the very little ones, ages 18 months to 3 years, hand out percussion instruments such as wood blocks, maracas, drums, jingle bells, tambourines, etc. Show them the beat by playing a 4/4 bar.

1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4. Sing a familiar song such as “The Ants Go Marching”, “The Grand Old Duke of York” or “Itsy Bitsy Spider”, playing the beat on a drum to show them how it should sound. They will learn visually as well by watching you play. After they can play a steady beat they may enjoy marching to a couple of these songs. Their hands and feet go together, 1, 2, 3, 4, as body movement is an extra aid to the memory process.

Check out my sample of “Six Little Ducks” which is also a great one for keeping a steady beat.

Maria

Tags: Percussion Instruments