Page 58 - Senior Link Magazine Winter 2022 - Online Magazine
P. 58

SENIOR RESOURCES







             T     he           Healing
             The Healing



                              POWER OF
            Music








            by Bari Wenglein, Hospice of Lubbock Volunteer Service Coordinator



                    enry Wadsworth             experiences of music for health     discusses their goals, needs, or
                    Longfellow, professor      treatment.                          concerns. She can assess each
            Hand American poet,                According to the AMTA, Music        patient’s current situation and
            proclaimed, “Music is the universal   Therapists must have a bachelor’s   adapt their music therapy visits
            language of mankind.” The best     degree or higher in Music Therapy   accordingly.
            explanation for this lies in the   from one of AMTA’s 72 approved      As a credentialed Music Therapist,
            fact that the foundation of any    colleges and universities, including   Cheyenne uses music as an
            language is its ability to convey a   1,200 hours of clinical training.   intervention to address each of
            message. We can, therefore, agree   They must hold the MT-BC           her patient’s cognitive, spiritual,
            that everyone, regardless of their   credential, which is issued through   physical, social, and emotional
            culture or personal background, can   the Certification Board for Music   needs. Examples include working
            appreciate and distinguish basic   Therapists. This credential protects   with adults to lessen the effects of
            emotions in music.                 the public by ensuring competent    dementia, working with children
            World renowned singer, composer,   practice and requiring continuing   and adults to help reduce symptoms
            and pianist, Sir Elton John, stated   education. Furthermore, to obtain a   of pain, and assisting people with
            that “Music has healing power.”    degree in Music Therapy, one must   Parkinson’s disease regarding their
            What exactly did he mean? What is   acquire knowledge in the areas of   motor function. Additional Music
            it about the art of music that touches   psychology, medicine, and music.   Therapy interventions may include
            people so deeply?                  Once board-certified, a Music       music improvisation, receptive
            Philosopher Karen Marie Higgins    Therapist must adhere to the CBMT   music listening, song writing,
            (2012), in her book The Music      Code of Professional Practice and   lyric analysis, music and imagery,
            Between Us speaks of “music’s      recertify every five years through   singing, music performance,
            uncanny ability to provoke, despite   either a program of continuing   learning through music, and music
            its myriad forms, across continents   education or re-examination.     combined with other arts.
            and throughout centuries, the sense   Cheyenne Gordon, MT-BC, is the   While there are examples of
            of shared human experience.”       Music Therapist at Hospice of       therapeutic music that are
            As we explore human experiences    Lubbock. She graduated from West    noteworthy, it is important to note
            through the science and healing    Texas A&M University and has        they are not considered Clinical
            process of music, we find the      had several years of experience     Music Therapy. These examples
            study of Clinical Music Therapy    working as a Board-Certified Music   include groups performing at
            (according to the AMTA-American    Therapist. While Cheyenne’s focus   hospitals or nursing facilities,
            Music Therapy Association) to be   is serving the needs of her patients   providing background music for
            the only professional, research-   holistically, the goals for each of her   patients while dining or sleeping,
            based discipline that actively     patients are different.             playing a piano or guitar in the
            applies supportive science to the   Upon meeting her patients,         lobby of a hospital or nursing home,
            creative, emotional, and energizing   Cheyenne learns about them and   etc.




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