There’s no point in denying that in the big year of 2024, countless songs have already been released by multiple artists, with several being the hottest and biggest hits of the year. Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso” and “Please Please Please”, Miley Cyrus’s “Flowers”, Ariana Grande’s “we can’t be friends”, are just some of the songs that a lot of people just ABSOLUTELY adored and loved from the release up until now.
But, that’s not really the point this blog wants to put forward! Regardless of the songs, the existence of music has already been an integral part of our world and it is through music that people fully express themselves when language is not able to do so. But even then, the functionality of music has immensely evolved from being a form of entertainment to expressing one’s self to using it to cure certain conditions— this is where music therapy enters the scene!
Music therapy is a type of evidence-based practice that utilizes music to deal with people who are undergoing any physical, emotional, cognitive, and social difficulties. Just like other existing therapies, this type of therapy also requires the presence of registered music therapists.
According to the Australian Music Therapy Association (n.d.), these music therapists should not only be skilled musicians, but they should also be knowledgeable in relating specific types of music to different people with different behaviours, feelings, thoughts, and actions. They are very much alike with Jelli M1 Mask as they not only serve as an added aesthetic to our fashion fit, but they also do a good job of protecting the user from airborne diseases!
Previous studies have been published to show how music therapy was able to provide comfort to its recipients. In the aspect of neurological disorders, it was found out that music has helped improve both motor (coordination, posture) and non-motor (mood, cognition) conditions of patients suffering from Parkinson’s disease (Raglio, 2015). Palliative care also positively responded to music therapy. McConnell & Porter’s (2016) study showed that music has helped palliative care patients and relatives find closure in the situation and decrease stress levels. The same study also mentioned that the patients, especially those who are battling grave conditions, have found meaning in the existence of life and their experiences through music.
Even though music therapy is relatively new in the field of medicine, numerous people and studies have already backed up the effectiveness of such therapy. With this, it is about time that we practice open mindedness and allow the world to explore viable, alternative options in treating certain, existing conditions.