Guest guest Posted February 4, 2001 Report Share Posted February 4, 2001 Doc, Here is some of my initial findings. One of the things I am trying to put together is a collection of music for my classroom to help children through a mired of situations. Music that will help them focus, will help them remain calm, and the use of imagery. What I have found in my experiences is just how effective sound is. When a child is full of anger or frustration and unable to vent it in any " safe " way I let him/her scream it off. We first talk about how it is ok to be angry but how being angry can hurt us if we don't get it out. Then we look for a good way to let it out. i.e.... " hitting Johnny is not a safe way because some one gets hurt but you can use a bean bag and throw it at a target on the wall or you can step outside with me and we can scream it all out so that we have no grumpies left inside to hurt us. " We also use imagery as we discuss types of music and how they make us feel. My favorite was a little boy who said the " Flight of the bumble bee " made him see pigs getting run over by a car. Art therapy is also utilizes to express emotions and is often paired up with music. In any case, here is the info. Love and Blessings, Vicki ---------- ----------------------------- Sound Therapy Have you ever listened to a piece of music and a picture formed in your mind? When you are consistently hearing negative sounds do you withdrawal a bit, just as you come forward in life as you hear positive sounds? Sound is energy and everything in our universe has sound which is unique to itself. Sounds can evoke a state of mind or sensation. It can ring balance and harmony or unbalance and chaos. This is described by Leah Maggie Garfield in her book " Sound Medicine: healing with music, voice and song " . There are different ways to use sound. There is voice, music, medicine ( healing songs and life songs), sacred sound, subliminal sound, color and sound (working with chakras is part of this), crystals and sound, in conjunction with the elements and silence. In the Mozart Effect for children author Don Campbell says that " music literally alters the structure of the developing brain of the fetus... " " That a single half hour of music therapy improves children's immune function; and that music relieves stress, encourages social interaction, stimulates language development, and improves motor skills among young children. " He also asks " Why does music create different responses, depending on whether the listener is young or old, sits slumped or straight, listens in the morning or at night? " . ---------- ---------------------------- (the next 3 articles are from www.amc-music.com ---------- ------------------------------ Study Finds Music Therapy Boosts Melatonin Levels - Alzheimer’s Patients Benefit From Lessons; Could Point to Help for All Ages- For the first time, a major research effort has not only demonstrated a link between music and wellness, but has quantified it. A study led by Dr. Frederick Tims of Michigan State University and published in the November 1999 issue of Alternative Therapies showed that patients with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) who underwent four weeks of structured music therapy showed significant increases in their level of melatonin, a neurohormone linked with sleep regulation and believed to influence the immune system. Immediately after the therapy, which consisted of interactive sessions during which subjects were invited to play, drum or sing along with their favorite old songs and new songs, the group of 20 male patients showed a 216 percent mean increase in serum melatonin levels compared to readings taken just before the therapy began. What’s more, the levels had increased even more when researchers checked them again six weeks later. " This is the first time we’ve quantified the effects of music, " says Dr. Mahendra Kumar of the University of Miami School of Medicine, one of the researchers behind the study. In addition to the observed chemical changes, he notes, " Their quality of life seemed to be improved just by this small music intervention. They became very active, they started sleeping better and they became more cooperative with the nurses. " The study also noted changes in other brain chemicals such as prolactin, serotonin, norepinephrine and epinephrine. Perhaps more importantly, it found that the fluctuations in these chemicals correlated with each other to varying degrees, indicating that the music therapy was affecting the larger natural process by which the brain regulates their levels. In particular, other studies have indicated that norepinephrine and epinephrine may play a role in determining melatonin levels. According to Dr. Kumar, this observation may point to valuable insights for the general public. In recent years, the use of commercially available melatonin supplements to regulate sleep has become a popular response to insomnia and jet lag. However, he noted, using a pill to address only one element in the symphony of brain chemicals could disrupt homeostasis, the body’s natural tendency to keep things in balance. " All drugs have bad side effects, " Dr. Kumar explains. " Hormones are interdependent. When you take a pill like melatonin, it will stop its own synthesis in your body. " By contrast, he suggests, a therapy that stimulates the brain to elevate melatonin levels according to its own balanced, natural process – as music therapy appears to do – might be a safer and more effective alternative. He cautions that even if this is true, the theoretical use of music therapy to improve sleep would involve a lifestyle change, not a quick fix: the therapy that produced the research results took place over the course of four weeks. " In my opinion, if someone is depressed and not getting good sleep, this kind of music will take them into a different domain, " Dr. Kumar concluded. The study that produced these results involved 20 male inpatients aged 68 to 90 years at the Geriatric and Extended Care Facility of the Miami Veterans Administration Medical Center, all of whom had been diagnosed with probable AD. None of the subjects was taking antidepressants or any other medication that affected the brain chemicals measured in the study. In small groups of four to six patients each, the subjects underwent music therapy sessions of 30 to 40 minutes, five days a week, for four weeks. After an opening song incorporating the name of each participating patient, each session included singing favorite musical selections from the era of the subjects’ youth, playing handheld drums and improvising to various tunes. Using assays of blood samples, levels of the chemicals under study were checked before the therapy began, the morning after it ended, and six weeks after it ended. Dr. Tims is professor and chair of Music Therapy at Michigan State University. Other members of the research team that conducted the study were professors Adarsh Kumar, David Lowenstein, J. B. Fernandez, Gail Ironson and Carl Eisdorfer of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Miami School of Medicine; research fellow Dean G. Cruess of the University of Miami Department of Psychology; and Chief of Staff Michael J. Mintzer and clinical psychiatrist Rogelio Cattan of the Miami Veterans Administration Medical Center. This study is not the first to suggest that music is linked with wellness. In earlier, separate work, for example, another team led by Dr. Tims found that retirees who took keyboard lessons showed an increase in human growth hormone (hGH) and decreases in anxiety, depression and loneliness. Dr. Kumar indicated that other promising avenues of research might lead from the Miami study, especially with regard to music therapy’s effects on younger people and people without AD. ---------- - Scientific Findings Show That Music Making Increases Human Growth hormone Among Active Older Americans A breakthrough study demonstrates that group keyboard lessons given to older Americans had a significant effect on increasing levels of human growth hormone (hGH). Human growth hormone is implicated in such aging phenomena as osteoporosis, energy levels, wrinkling, sexual function, muscle mass, and aches and pains. This announcement follows the release of findings last month from the same study that showed significant decreases in anxiety, depression and loneliness — three factors that are critical in coping with stress, stimulating the immune system, and improving health. Frederick Tims, Ph.D., MT-BC, Chair of Music Therapy at Michigan State University, who was also principal investigator for a University of Miami Alzheimer’s project on music therapy, led a highly respected team of researchers to conduct the study. Joining in the project were specialists from the Aging Institute at the University of South Florida; the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Miami School of Medicine; Karolinska Medical Institute, Stockholm, Sweden; Appalachian State University; The University of Kansas; and Western Michigan University. Speaking for the research team, Dr. Tims said, " We feel very strongly that the work we are doing here suggests that abundant health benefits can be achieved by older people learning to play music in a supportive, socially enjoyable setting. " Called the Music Making and Wellness project, the study was conducted in cooperation with the American Music Therapy Association and Fletcher Music Centers. The study followed various health measures in 130 people during 1998. The experimental group consisted of 61 retirees taking group keyboard lessons in Florida over a period of two 10-week semesters. The health measures were administered before the lessons and after each semester. The control group included 69 retirees in Michigan not receiving group keyboard lessons, with the health measures administered at the same times as the experimental group in Florida. The Michigan control group was a good comparison group for the Florida group, since both were equivalent with respect to age, gender, and ethnicity. Forty-five men and 85 women participated in the study. Slightly more than one-half of the participants in each group were married. Human growth hormone (hGH) is synthesized in the pituitary gland. Its level decreases with aging: for example, a 60-year-old secretes only 25% of the hGH secreted by a 20-year-old. In this study hGH levels increased dramatically in older students who were taking group keyboard lessons. " These findings, linked with those released last month, present a very compelling argument for further study, " says Dr. Tims. The first round of results indicated important quality of life measures showing a significant change from pre to post-test in the experimental group (keyboard group), with no change occurring in the control group. On the Mental Health Inventory (MHI) Anxiety scores, anxiety decreased in the keyboard group but not in the control group. This decrease in anxiety was evident early on and appeared after only 10 weeks of lessons, remaining after 20 weeks of lessons. Decreased anxiety is related to improvement in cognitive performance, as well as to enhancement of learning, decision-making, and feelings of well-being. On the Profile of Mood States (POMS) Depression/Dejection scores, depression scores decreased in the keyboard group but not in the control group, and took into account differences in life events and social support. Depression is a major problem in the aging population. With decreased depression scores, people report a brighter mood. On the UCLA Loneliness Scale, the loneliness scores of the keyboard group decreased across the span of the lessons, while the control group scores stayed the same. This, according to Dr. Tims, indicates that the keyboard students changed their perception of loneliness, or sense of being alone. Interestingly, the Lubben Social Support scores did not change. This indicates again the positive effects of the keyboard lessons since the Social Support scores measure external support, such as family and significant other support, whereas the Loneliness scale measures internal perception of support. In other words, it was from the lessons that this feeling most likely derived. Loneliness is a major problem with older people, and has major effects on health and feelings of well-being. The project grew out of a decade of research conducted by the Music Therapy Program at the University of Miami on the effects of music therapy on health and well-being. Major funding for the study was provided by NAMM, the International Music Products Association, retailers and manufacturers, and The National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, Inc. ---------- ------------------------------ Your Child's Lifetime of Music Music can have a powerful influence on a child's development from the very youngest age, and the lullabies you play or sing for your baby will mark their first steps on the road to a lifetime of musical enjoyment and expression. It's an important journey, one with incredible benefits. In addition to stimulating creativity and adding social enjoyment, active music making has been shown to contribute to making kids brighter, in ways we're just beginning to understand. Later in life, music continues to provide hidden benefits. It even seems to help curb depression and loneliness in older people. A lifetime of music begins in childhood, and your child will never be more ready to learn than in these early years. What parents should know: * Kids are ready to begin making music even earlier than you may think. Before then, there are benefits to just listening. Hearing music stimulates the mind, improves the mood and brings people together. * A study at the University of California at Irvine demonstrated that young kids who participated in music instruction showed dramatic enhancements in abstract reasoning skills. In fact, researchers have found neural firing patterns that suggest that music may hold the key to higher brain function. * Research at McGill University in Montreal, Canada showed that grade-school kids who took music lessons scored higher on tests of general and spatial cognitive development, the abilities that form the basis for performance in math and engineering. * Kids who make music have been shown to get along better with classmates and have fewer discipline problems. More of them get into their preferred colleges, too. * Playing a musical instrument strengthens eye-hand coordination and fine motor skills, and kids who study an instrument learn a lot about discipline, dedication and the rewards of hard work. * Just listening to music can fill a home with joy and add an extra dimension to kids' lives. People who make their own music enjoy these benefits many times over. What parents can do: * Make music a part of your home. * Expose your children to different types of music. Go to musical events, listen to the radio, enjoy musical performances on television, play CDs — there are lots of ways to explore the world of music. * Make music as a family. Maybe you're an accomplished musician with a gift to pass on to your kids; or maybe you can pass a rainy day making your own instruments out of coffee cans, broomsticks or water glasses. It's fun either way. * Encourage and support your children when they become interested in playing an instrument. * If you are a musician in your own right, be a model for your children. If you're not, you can learn together! ---------- ------------------------------ (the next 2 articles are from http://www.musictherapy.ca/ ) How Music is Used Therapeutically The following examples illustrate some of the procedures used in music therapy. Although these are only a sampling of the methods used by music therapists, they provide a general idea of how music therapy can work. Singing is used to help people with speech impairments improve their articulation, rhythm, and breath control. In a group setting individuals develop a greater awareness of others by singing together. Songs help elderly people to remember significant events in their lives which they may then share with others. Lyrics are used to help people with their mental disabilities sequence a task. Playing instruments can improve gross and fine motor coordination in individuals with motor impairments. Playing in instrumental ensembles helps a person with behavioural problems to learn how to control disruptive impulses by working within a group structure. Learning a piece of music and performing it develops musical skills and helps a person build self-reliance, self-esteem and self-discipline. Rhythmic movement is used to facilitate and improve an individual’s range of motion, joint mobility / agility / strength, balance, co-ordination, gait consistency, respiration patterns, and muscular relaxation. The rhythmic component of music helps to increase motivation, interest, and enjoyment, and acts as a nonverbal persuasion to involve individuals socially. Improvising offers a creative, nonverbal means of expressing feelings. It helps the therapist to establish a bond of trust with a person and serves as a useful assessment technique. Through vocal, instrumental, and movement imp rovisation a person interacts with another and explores feelings which are difficult to express verbally. Improvising offers an opportunity to make choices and deal with structure in a creative way. Composing is used to develop cooperative learning and to facilitate the sharing of feelings, ideas, and experiences. For hospitalized children, writing songs is a means of expressing and understanding fears. For people with a terminal illness, it is a vehicle for examining feelings about meaning in life and death, while creating a legacy to leave behind for loved ones. The healing song, written for and with the client, can facilitate a dramatic moment of self-awareness and/or catharsis. Listening to music has many therapeutic applications. It helps develop cognitive skills such as attention and memory. It facilitates the process of coming to terms with difficult issues by providing a creative environment for self-expression. Music evokes memories and associations. Actively listening to music in a relaxed and receptive state stimulates thoughts, images, and feelings which can be further examined and discussed, either with the therapist alone, or within a supportive group setting. Additionally, listening to music provides a stimulating way to explore and understand our own and other cultures. ---------- - Music Therapy - A Brief History " From the time of the ancient Greeks in the pre-Christian era through the present, philosophers, historians, and scientists have written and spoken of efficacy (or lack thereof) of music as a therapeutic agent " . (Darrow, Gibbons, and Heller, 1985, p. 18) While the Bible was one of the earliest literary works providing evidence of the use of music in treating illness, it was not until the 18th century that reasonably well reported anecdotes appeared in the professional literature and the 19th century that controlled experimentation was recorded. The 20th century witnessed mankind engaged in global warfare which, in turn, provided a need to utilize alternative forms of treatment, including the use of music, to effectively manage the sick and wounded. This was especially true in the field of psychiatry. The profession of music therapy was organized, “with attendant interest in accreditation, certification, dissemination of information, and coordination of research efforts”. (Darrow, Gibbons, and Heller, 1985, p.18) Music therapy in North America received its origins in Britain. The oldest English text concerning music and medicine was written by Richard Browne, a physician, and printed in 1729. Medicina Musica, or, a Mechanical Essay on the Effects of Singing, Musick, and Dancing on Human Bodies has great significance for music therapists in North America: It is the first known English language book to deal directly and extensively with the topic of music therapy. It presented the case for music therapy almost at the inception of modern medicine. It applied the most modern scientific principles then recently developed by the famous philosopher and mathematician, René Decartes, to music therapy. It articulated fundamental principles which to this moment constitute the foundations for music therapy practice. (Darrow, Gibbons, and Heller, 1985, p. 18) Darrow, Gibbons, and Heller (1985) state that Medicina Musica establishes eight arguments that remain central to the theory and practice of music therapy today. These are: that success in music (from a therapeutic standpoint) does not depend on attaining a predetermined level of proficiency; that music can change and evoke moods; that music can stimulate extramusical associations; that stimulative and sedative music can have differing effects on individuals; that music can influence physiological processes; that music can be harmful in treating some conditions; that music has a wide variety of therapeutic applications, and; that music could be useful in preventative health care (p. 18) Some of the earliest know documents in America, regarding the use of music in medicine, originated from the University of Philadelphia where Benjamin Rush (1745-1813), a noted physician, teacher, patriot, and reformer taught. Two of Rush’s students, Edwin A. Atlee and Samuel J. Mathews each wrote papers concerning the use of music in treating illnesses. Atlee’s (1804) An Inaugural Essay on the Influence of Music in the Cure of Diseases recommended the use of music in treatment due to its unique qualities and instantaneous effects. Mathews’ (1806) On the Effects of Music in Curing and Palliating Diseases pointed out that the musical background and training of a client will affect their response to music and that musical preferences vary from one client to another. Research in the field of music therapy has evolved from anecdotal and position papers to descriptive, experimental, and historical investigations. Educational institutions offering degrees in music therapy now stress the equal importance of research and clinical work for those graduates entering the profession arena. Since the early 19th century, the field of music therapy has grown to include three major professional organizations and many undergraduate and graduate degrees offered at many universities in North America. The first association of music therapists was the National Association for Music Therapy (NAMT), founded in the United States in 1950. Since the inception of this organization, another, the American Association for Music Therapy (AAMT) was founded in the US in 1971. North of the 49th parallel, the Canadian Association for Music Therapy (CAMT) was born in 1974. Just recently, (January 1, 1998), the NAMT and AAMT re-united as the American Music Therapy Association <http://www.musictherapy.org/> (AMTA). If you want more information on the CAMT or AMTA, please click here <(Empty Reference!)> for their addresses. Most of this information is taken directly from the following article: Darrow, A. A., Gibbons, A. C., & Heller, G. N. (1985). Music therapy past, present, and future. The American Music Teacher, September/October, 18-20. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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