Health Benefits of Music

Anyone who knows me knows that music is like oxygen to me. I can't live without it. I use it in different ways to deepen my experience of moments in life, both beautiful and painful. I look to it as a way to enrich my life, connect with my body, my spirit and with other people.

Someone posted this on facebook and I had to share it. It is clear that these smaller people are allowing music to move them, take over their consciousness for a few minutes uniting them in a shared experience.



All this brings me to music therapy and the health benefits music might provide all of us.

What is music therapy?

Music therapy is the skillful use of music and musical elements by an accredited music therapist to promote, maintain, and restore mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual health. Music has nonverbal, creative, structural, and emotional qualities. These are used in the therapeutic relationship to facilitate contact, interaction, self-awareness, learning, self-expression, communication, and personal development.

Music therapy is used with individuals of various ages, abilities, and musical backgrounds in institutional, community and private practice settings. This includes but is not limited to:

Acquired Brain Injury
AIDS
Autism and other Pervasive Development Disabilities
Critical Care
Developmental Disabilities
Emotional Traumas
Geriatric Care
Hearing Impairments
Mental Health
Neonatal Care
Obstetrics
Oncology
Pain Control
Palliative Care
Personal Growth
Physical Disabilities
Speech and Language Impairments
Substance Abuse
Teens at Risk
Victims of Abuse
Visual Impairments

(taken from Canadian Association for Music Therapy)

When clients come in for sessions, I'm often concerned with finding the right music to fit with their mood or personality. When I started teaching group fitness in 1991, eek! getting old ;), I would spend loads of time thinking about my music choices. Sometimes music just clicks and really adds to whatever experience people are having while they are moving, sweating, grunting and focusing on their well being.

If you haven't found your personal connection with music yet, I would bet you just haven't explored enough genres or artists. Normally, I can point people in the right direction. Don't be afraid to ask.