Dulcetones

People have asked me about what sort of music we do, or just what a typical therapeutic music session would sound like. This video was recorded by Karen Peterson and is a perfect example. Now, I play hammered dulcimer, but the concept is the same, slow, gentle tunes to relax and calm. https://www.facebook.com/karen.the.harper/videos/10155514019004098/

An article from the Washington post on the value of Therapeutic music and how it can be used in place of opioid drugs

here's a talk about therapeutic music by Joshua Leeds and how it works with dogs as well. While this talk is geared specifically towards dogs; the process is exactly the same with people. It will give you some idea of what I do with patients, only I'm playing a hammered dulcimer instead of a piano.

This is so true. I've seen it many times when I've played for residents at the nursing home.

Here's an interesting article on research being done concerning the effects of music on the brain particularly in the developing brain "There is already compelling evidence that in children, music training assists development of language skills, auditory processing, and educational achievement compared with untrained peers,and anecdotally, many top professionals across different disciplines have musical training in their background." It's going to be very interesting over the... coming years to keep on eye on the research efforts in the field of therapeutic music. "Music therapy is now used to improve health outcomes in pediatric cancer, autism, Alzheimer disease, chronic pain, and Parkinson disease, to name a few applications..... Brain scans and wellness outcomes demonstrate that music can be more than entertainment. Through this initiative we seek to shine a light on this field of research and amplify this message to the public. The stage is set for an acceleration of understanding and application, and we invite clinicians, scientists, and the public to lend their voices to the choir." http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2630954

Interesting article on music and medicine from NPR in the US Be sure to listen to the their recording of "The water is wide". It will slow down your heart rate and get you to breathe.