Of Me I Sing!  ... Doctors Are Discovering Music's Power To Soothe and Heal
By DEBORAH HARKINS

05 Oct 2004

Singing! It triggers pure elation in the human brain — an effect perceived, no doubt,
at the dawn of history. And now, thousands of years later, we know why.

"When you listen to your favorite music, there comes a certain moment when you
get chills down your spine," notes Concetta Tomaino, director of the Institute for
Music and Neurologic Function in the Bronx. "Researchers at McGill University, in
Canada, have shown that the music you love [and only that music, not someone
else's favorite melody] can stimulate the same areas of your brain that release
dopamine and other opioids that make us feel euphoric."

Reaching those removed

The institute Dr. Tomaino directs — a nonprofit research center that's an affiliate of
the Beth Abraham Family of Health Services — conducts studies of, and informs the
public about, music's extraordinary power to awaken, stimulate and heal. On its
Web site (www.bethabe.org; click on "Music Institute") you'll find information on its
research projects. And on the Web site of the American Music Therapy Association
(www.musictherapy.org) you'll discover how to locate well-credentialed music
therapists — licensed professionals who work to bring not only joy but physical
improvement to patients who've suffered severe neurological damage.

In her 25 years as a licensed music therapist, Tomaino has seen music positively
affect patients' learning ability, language processing, emotional expression,
memory, and physiological and motor responses.

She has seen singing or playing an instrument decrease agitation and stimulate
memory in patients with dementia; help stroke patients recover the power of
speech; strengthen muscle groups and increase range of motion in patients beyond
the help of traditional rehabilitation; and even help certain patients with Parkinson's
disease, traumatic brain injuries, stroke or other neuromuscular problems regain the
ability to walk.

But first, and universally, music brings joy. People with late-stage Alzheimer's —
patients who can no longer speak or recognize a loved one's face — routinely retain
the power to sing along to the music they used to love. "Caregivers find it so
comforting," Tomaino says, "to know that this afflicted person can be reached —
can have moments of interaction with others and some connection to himself …
very likely a moment of happiness."

Depression antidote

Louise Montello, Ph.D., a music therapist and director of the creative arts therapy
program at the New School, loves her work. "Every day," she says, "I get to watch
people glow, heal, release negative feelings and embrace hope through the power
of music." One client she has seen embrace hope is an 88-year-old man with some
cognitive impairment. For 10 years he'd been in therapy for depression —
unsuccessfully. When he began coming to Dr. Montello for music therapy, he'd
bring in his favorite music scores — requiems, symphonies, concertos — so he and
the doctor could sing or hum the music in harmony for an hour.

"After three sessions," Montello says, "he told me, 'What was I doing in that other
therapy? It didn't work. But this does! I don't feel depressed anymore.' Of course,
it's clear that when an 88-year-old man to be all right wherever I go.'" Those who'd
like to "Sing Your Way to Health and Healing" are invited to sign up for Montello's
workshop of four weekly sessions at the Hospital for Special Surgery ($25; 212-606-
1057 or www.hss.edu/shopping), which begin Oct. 12. First they'll do breathing
exercises so they're "using the whole body to sing." After that, "some fun sound-
making exercises" will open up the muscles of each singer's face, neck, shoulders
and rib cage. Then there'll be a song fest featuring ballads from the '40s and '50s,
and after that, improvisation and songwriting.

What's the usual response? After Montello's previous (one-session) workshop, she
says, "the participants didn't want to stop. They talked about organizing a group that
would meet weekly so they could keep on singing."

Singing Around Town

Visit the Vocal Area Network http://www.van.org/choirauditions.htm for links to more
than 300 choirs in the metropolitan area, including many looking for new members.

At the monthly meetings of the New York Gilbert & Sullivan Society, G & S mavens
get to see concert versions of the effervescent operettas. But they also get to belt
out the canon's exuberant choruses — the likes of "Come, Friends Who Plow the
Sea" — as the featured singers perform (meeting schedule, www.g-and-s.org).

Today's seniors grew up singing the really great ballads. And so, in the weekly song
fests held at most senior centers (to find the nearest one, call 311) you can lift your
voice to the melodious likes of "Embraceable You," "Sweet Georgia Brown," "Along
Came Bill," "The Man I Love," "My Darling Clementine …"

Originally published on October 5, 2004

SOURCE: New York Daily News
http://www.nydailynews.com/city_life/story/239043p-205139c.html

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