The Effects Of Music Therapy On Our Body

The effects of music therapy are deeply associated with the emotions that music awakens in us, well beyond an area that we could consider therapeutic. Let’s think about it: how many moments in our life are associated with music? How many situations are made pleasant by music, which makes that moment unique and special? We are talking about a universal form of communication – and even a lifestyle.

Music therapy derives from music: that therapeutic tool that is based on or makes use of music. In this article we deepen the subject, describing the most important techniques.

What is music therapy?

Music therapy is a method based on music and sound in order to establish the bond and communication necessary to achieve therapeutic goals. The effects of music therapy aim at improving the quality of life and health thanks to the involvement of the physical, emotional and cognitive level.

In particular, those suffering from brain injuries, terminal illnesses, dementia, mental health problems and autism benefit.

In 1950 Paul Nordoff, an American composer and pianist, and Clive Robbins, an English professor specializing in teaching children with special needs, began to work together to create a therapeutic approach that would take music as a cornerstone. Later, they founded Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy, a music therapy association dedicated to improving the quality of life of people with neurological rehabilitation needs.

They found that the opportunity to be an active part of the music creation process allows patients / clients to far exceed their initial expectations. They then found empirical support for the idea that music stimulates our brains to levels still unknown to us. In other words, they showed strong evidence to support the beneficial effects of music therapy.

What concrete techniques does music therapy use?

There are several techniques that can be used in music therapy, both individually and in groups:

• Instrumental improvisation. Vaillancourt (in 2009) defines instrumental improvisation as “the use of musical instruments to express oneself spontaneously”. It consists in providing patients undergoing therapy with tools to manipulate freely.

• Vocal improvisation. It consists in using the voice to express oneself. In this sense, various resources are employed, such as improvisation from words or the imitation of the sounds of the body or nature. For example, with their own voice and different parts of the body, patients can imitate birdsong, the sound of the sea, storm or rain.

• The music therapist plays a song or even plays a musical instrument himself, such as the piano or the guitar. The goal is to induce the patient to reproduce a certain sound and / or make him sing.

• Listening to different pieces of music in order to train the senses.

How does it affect our brain?

Music has certain characteristics that have a positive effect on our brain. It must be emphasized that it stimulates the production of serotonin, known as the hormone of happiness, but also of the chemical phenomena that affect the brain, generating a feeling of well-being.

In this regard, scientist Robert Zatorre describes the neuronal mechanisms on musical perception, stating that the brain’s response to sounds is conditioned by what was previously heard, since the brain has a database with all known melodies.

Zatorre states that the effect of music therapy on our body in the brain is positive. In essence, music can evoke pre-existing neuronal connections, transmitting memories to the center of conscious attention.

Benefits for the cognitive area

Taking up the previous paragraph, music therapy contributes to the recovery of memory when it stimulates certain cognitive areas, such as that of language and that of attention. 

According to musician Javier Alcántara, a native of the Spanish region of Extremadura, musical faculties and musical memory are the last we lose. For this reason, one of the goals of music therapy is to enhance / preserve memory and cognitive abilities, especially in people with dementia.

Expression of emotions, one of the effects of music therapy

From an emotional point of view, as stated by Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy, music therapy allows us to evoke memories and express emotions that otherwise would not emerge.

The goal is to make the patient express through music what he cannot express through other channels. The sounds reproduced and the way in which the subject behaves having the musical instruments available, can give the music therapist a track on the emotional state of the patient / client.

For this reason, music is considered a powerful tool for emotional expression, as it promotes positive aspects such as self-esteem, motivation and, in some cases, opens the door to better management of emotions.

Physiological and muscular effects

As stated by various associations on music therapy and health, with this technique, better breathing and greater relaxation are obtained, since pleasant and interesting stimuli and sounds that come from the individual’s daily life are exploited.

At the same time, music therapy can contribute to the improvement, from a muscular point of view, of the stride and balance while walking, in addition it limits the risk of falls.

Socialization among the effects of music therapy

Music therapy allows you to strengthen verbal expression and increase non-verbal expressive skills. Generally speaking, music stimulates expressive skills and communication skills, since specific fundamental elements are required for its performance, including active listening, the pause between songs, turns.

These fundamental traits can be extrapolated from everyday life and social relationships, with the result that social skills will be better. To sum up, through music we improve relationships with our surrounding environment, facilitating the birth and strengthening of emotional bonds and stimulating the acquisition of better social skills.

Where are the effects of music therapy reflected?

Nowadays, the main purposes of applying music therapy are the following:

• Reduce the effects of dementia in older people. In particular, stimulate cognitive functions such as language and memory.
• Improve motor functions in people with Parkinson’s.
• Mitigate pain and anxiety in hospitalized patients.
• Improve communication skills in children with autism and asperger’s.
• Recover the use of the lost word following brain damage.
• Limit the number of asthma episodes in both children and adults.

The effect of music therapy is reflected on the quality of life, since it represents an alternative channel for expressing emotions. For this reason, nowadays, the cases of application have increased and the number of specialists who specialize in these techniques and who apply them has grown.