"Do Re ‘Me’ (Mi)!"- Music Therapy: an avant-garde approach!

This blog is dedicated to my music teachers. When I was in the ICU, hospitalized for the umpteenth time and had undergone additional major surgeries, all I could hear were monitors beeping, and doctors and nurses discussing my case etc. I had been bed ridden for weeks. Finally when I was out of the woods, I gradually gained enough strength (mental and physical) to access my phone. A friend of mine had sent me a song that I listened to. I couldn’t believe how much joy that song gave me! For just a few seconds, I forgot all about my pain. The song reminded me that there was another world outside these four walls, with beautiful music waiting for me. I had forgotten the joy that music can bring a person.

Since the dawn of time, music has been used as therapy to heal illnesses. In Ancient Greece, healing shrines had both; hymn specialists and physicians. Christian priests used hymns to ease pain while Native American tribes danced, played drums and chanted to heal the afflicted. Aristotle believed that “listening to one’s favorite religious songs produced results similar to those of combined medical treatment and medical catharsis. Hippocrates advocated a “healthy mind in a healthy body,” which influenced mental health care.” Music was used to improve behavior and treat illness during his time. The concept behind this was that “healing the soul through music would also heal the body.” For example the flute and the harp were a treatment for gout!

Today scientific studies confirm what the ancients knew intuitively: Music is medicinal! Scientists have come up with a revolutionary ‘treatment plan’ called ‘Music Therapy.’

What is Music Therapy?

Music therapy is an “established healthcare profession which entails a therapeutic relationship between a patient and a board-certified music therapist.” There are differently designed treatment techniques which target both emotion and physiology thus achieving an improved change in behavior, mood and overall well being. It has been shown that music modifies brainwaves, which has been witnessed through a functional MRI (fMRI).

Health benefits: behold!

Recent studies have revealed that music lowers blood pressure. One study showed that listening to Beethoven’s violin concerto Op. 6, second movement (Larghetto) decreased blood pressure significantly. Music also has a positive effect on dementia patients where scientists hypothesize that music regenerates or stimulates several brain areas while slowing down neurodegeneration! Music improves memory among individuals with multiple sclerosis! Imagine that!

Companies, such as Brain.fm, are creating music that can condition the brain (brain entrainment) to reach specific cognitive states. According to music theorist Peter Wipf, “brainwave oscillations can be synchronized with music to achieve desired states such as relaxation, reduced pain, sleep, contentment and others.” In a meta-analysis of 300 children with autism, music therapy has been shown to improve behavior and mood while other studies have shown improved social and emotional interactions in those on the autism spectrum. Wipf says,“Listening to music for an hour every day produces feelings of empowerment while decreasing depression, discomfort and disability from back, neck and joint pain. It can be an important tool in chronic pain management.” A meta-analysis proved that patient-selected soothing music alleviated a variety of pain such as cardiac, gynecologic, ophthalmological, surgical and urological as measured by reduced pain scores, decreased use of analgesics and improved vital signs.

According to Dr. Manio von Maravic, a neurologist who has spent a large part of his career studying how the brain reacts to music, the ‘right’ kind of music can have a positive impact on your brain. Dr. Maravic equates listening to music to a brain work out as it requires the coordination of all areas of the brain. If you listen to the same positive song on repeat and still can’t stop, that’s because positive music releases hormones in the body such as dopamine and endorphins that stimulate the brain to create positive feelings including happiness and love. Music has been successful in treating anhedonia (the inability to feel pleasure in normally pleasurable activities).But the key, Dr. Maravic says, is to listen to the ‘right’ kind of music. Those who listened to Bach, Corelli and Mozart showed a greater improvement in their depressive symptoms. However if you are already in a bad mood, listening to sad songs can amplify your feelings because negative lyrics and tunes can manipulate your emotions and provoke aggression. I am instantly drawn to sad songs when I am down in the dumps. However in my case I feel this is so because these songs validate my feelings. I feel like I am not the only person in the world who feels the same way; be it loneliness, longing for a loved one, looking for motivation etc. My go to sad songs are ‘Chiquittita’ by Abba, ‘Somewhere over the Rainbow’ and ‘Dreams’ by The Cranberries. In a way these sad songs give me hope as well. This is just my take.

Now we know music regulates mood in several ways. However it also influences each person in different ways, based on their age, personal history of listening to and playing music. My father loves Bollywood music from the 60s, my brother Rock and I love Pop music and Jazz. However each of us cannot stand the other person’s choice of music! I remember this one instance: I was writing my Physics O’Level Board Examination and a 60’s Hindi song started to play in my mind and I was thinking not now! I need to focus and calculate the specific gravity of something! (LOL). Thankfully I did well on the exam or else I would have blamed my father for playing his music too loudly on his old home music system while I was studying! Soothing music can help students relax and cope with stress and anxiety while studying. I listen to classical or instrumental music while I study and it sure helps! Listening to music like Mozart can also improve endurance during long study sessions. Good news for students!

According to Dr. Maravic, active engagement with music, such as learning to play an instrument, raises IQ. It improves memory, concentration, motor, mathematical and language skills, and intellectual development. Learning and playing an instrument creates a sense of achievement, builds self-esteem, self-discipline and teamwork skills. I can vouch for this. My brother and I learnt how to play the keyboard when we were children. Even though we detested waking up early for class, we are grateful that our parents and music teachers gave us ‘the gift of music.’ My brother and I used to play duets. Last year, when we met at our birthplace which houses our father’s organ on which we first learnt to play, we played the same duets together! We had not played together in over 15 years! We were out of practice but surprisingly we remembered each and every note. This was one of the greatest feelings and moments in my life. And this definitely proves that Dr. Maravic is right about memory and music! Recently I had a severe panic attack and couldn’t understand what to do. My eyes suddenly fell on my keyboard and I started to play. While playing I also started to sing and I’ve never done this before! It felt wonderful. Before I knew it my anxiety had vanished into thin air! Studies have proven that music can ease anxiety so I guess that explains it.

As researchers continue their work to perfect the use of music as medicine, individuals and their physicians can experiment with their own music choices and ‘use existing platforms such as brainwave entrainment and EEG feedback to help improve various aspects of health.’

A few things that I do with music that you can too:

1. Playing an instrument: As mentioned before, I play the keyboard. I usually play by ear; I listen to a tune, write down the notes on a piece of paper and give it a go! I would like to share some songs that I play with you. Please find them on the page My Music Videos: https://parneetascorner.wixsite.com/mindovermatter/my-music-videos Hope you like them!

2. Dancing: I love to dance and when I am feeling blue, I play loud, upbeat dance numbers and just dance. My go to numbers are ‘The Wobble’ by V.I.C and Punjabi Songs by Sukhbir. It gets my juices flowing and leaves me in a much better mood. Another benefit of dancing is you get your daily dose of exercise! It’s like killing two birds with one stone! According to a study by Dr. Matthew Hotopf, an hour a week of low-intensity exercise may be adequate enough to prevent depression. So there you have it folks: a remedy for your overall well being.

3. Listening to uplifting music. Some of my favorites are: a) ‘Hall of Fame:’ The Script b) ‘Larger than Life:’ Backstreet Boys c) ‘Brave:’ Sara Bareilles d) ‘Change Your Life:’ Little Mix e) ‘A New Day Has Come:' Celine Dion f) ‘I Can See Clearly Now:’ Jimmy Cliff For more fantastic selections click on this link: “30 Inspirational Songs that Keeps You Motivated for Life:” https://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/30-inspirational-songs-that-keep-you-motivated-for-life.html?ref=mail&mtype=daily_newsletter_v2&mid=20180129&uid=1273278&hash=7c6d7e7a7171806d3e3c3c404c747b80796d75783a6f7b79&utm_source=daily_newsletter_v2&utm_medium=email&action=click&user_type=member

4. Singing: I’m not a professional singer but why should that stop me or anyone? Sing your sorrows away!

Music in other areas:

There’s a reason why lullabies soothe crying babies right? And there’s a reason why Disney movies and many others (Bollywood and Hollywood alike) have songs and dances. As children we learn to recite the alphabet as a song. It made studying easier and fun. Singing also makes monotonous work easier to do: for e.g. ‘Whistle While You Work’ from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Get together with your friends and have a karaoke night or attend operas, musicals, ballets, concerts, music festivals. What a great way to unwind and socialize at the same time. Music, meeting friends, getting out of the house; all lead to positive outcomes by creating different neuropathways, and can thus reduce depression! Music is played on special occasions like birthdays, weddings, Bat/Bar Mitzvahs etc. National anthems are all songs! There are so many singing and dancing reality television shows. Music teaches you discipline and at the same time teaches you flexibility, poise and character. You don’t even need to know the language to appreciate a good song! I listen to songs of different languages and it is wonderful. I would encourage you all to do it too! You learn to appreciate different cultures. Some religions such as Sikhism, Hinduism and Christianity also have hymns and recite prayers in songs.

Music has always been around. Our grandparents used to listen to music on vinyl records while we listen to music from our IPods, YouTube etc. Music has and continues to have a considerable impact on world events. Beethoven said that music can change the world, a case in point being the ‘Free Mandela’ concerts held in 1988. Millions of people around the world detested the South African government for keeping Nelson Mandela behind bars. 600 million activists, including celebrities, flocked from all around the world to rally to attempt to help free him. The enormity of the support from the music and musicians such as Stevie Wonder, George Michael, Whitney Houston was what ultimately led to his release in the 1990s.

Music has had a massive effect on history and political movements. A few examples that come to mind are:

1. 'We Shall Overcome' by Joan Baez’s (1963). This song focused on the Civil Rights Movement.

2. 'A Change Is Gonna Come' by Sam Cooks (1964). This played a significant role in bringing the Caucasian Americans to support the move towards equality especially after Martin Luther King’s demise.

3. 'Heal the World' by Michael Jackson (1992). This is about world peace and helping others in any way possible.

Music is universal. Music sees no disease, race, color or religion. It unites people from different parts of the world. It brings peace and harmony, not only to individuals but to nations as well. A world without music is unfathomable to say the least.

Some fun facts: Have you ever found a particular song stuck in your head and can’t seem to get rid of it? Psychologists call this phenomenon involuntary musical imagery (INMI), more commonly known as “earworms” or “brainworms.” Research shows that individuals who are exposed to music constantly or possess certain personality traits such as obsessive-compulsive or neurotic tendencies are more prone to ‘catching’ earworms. (Great that explains why I can’t get The Chainsmokers & Coldplay’s ‘Something Just Like This’ out of my head!). But on the brighter side, earworm songs may play a role in memory. Supposedly the involuntary tunes may act as mnemonic devices or memory aids. Listening to music while studying may help our memory after all!

To end I’ll leave you with two more beautiful songs:

1. ‘It's Gonna Get Better’ by Sam Martin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjPyYdqV1SU

2. ‘Read All About It’ by Emeli Sande: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzxFSoXj17s

Enjoy life and surround yourself with music!

References:

1. Music as Medicine: Ancient Wisdom, Modern Science: https://www.medscape.com/slideshow/music-as-medicine-6009039?src=soc_fb_171125_mscpedt_ss_mdscp_mdscp_music#2

2. 'Small Dose' Exercise Guards Against Depression: https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/886809

3. Psychologists identify why certain songs get stuck in your head: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/psychologists-identify-why-certain-songs-get-stuck-in-your-head/

4. You Asked: Why Do Certain Songs Get Stuck in Your Head?: http://time.com/5115013/song-stuck-in-head-earworm/

5. A brain workout with music: http://www.youngtimes.com/article/a-brain-workout-with-music/1497?nid=1497&term_id=76