Music Medicine – Soothing Effect

Host: If there is one thing that unites every culture around the world and throughout history, it’s music. Whatever the country or the century, songs have been used to entertain, to evoke emotion, and to express ideas.

Now, after thousands of years, researchers are finally discovering what poets often suggested. And many have long believed that music has the power to heal.

Theresa Konomos is the full-time board certified music therapist working with Southern Medical Center Patients.

Theresa Konomos: Music therapy to me is working with a patient and/or their family, where I can bring the elements of music in to help them achieve a sense of wellness and well-being.

Host: From birth, children began to absorb their surroundings, the sounds, the movement, the lights. But that curiosity can turn to fear when they find themselves in a hospital, from the constant poking and test-after-test to the movement of strange people roaming the halls.

Music therapy gives a child a sense of control in a strange and often scary environment. And for 10-month old baby Jessie, every moment of control is a moment of peace.

Theresa Konomos: Jessie could really benefit from having some gentle stimulation and something to provide comfort to him because his hospital stay is so long, so prolonged and his at the age where he needs to be doing movement.

So, I was asked to come in and to provide some music that might give him some comfort. And when he can’t move, it creates a certain amount of agitation when his heart rate increases and when he can experience something that is comforting to him and it says, “It’s going to be okay”, his body can then begin to quiet down and calm down.

Host: Music reduces stress by providing something pleasurable for the child to focus on, or even participate in. They can forget their anxieties and learn to ignore their pains and discomforts, allowing their bodies to focus more energy on healing and recovery. But many parents are unaware of the benefits or even the existence of music therapy.