What are the Benefits of Music Therapy?

“ MUSIC THERAPY is a scientific and experimental method to use music as a therapeutic tool in various aspects of mental and physical diseases through different measures like listening, composing, playing a musical instrument, etc.”
                                                                                                                         
Music therapy, today, is a promising solution to many problems faced by society in different age groups from a pre-mature infant to an old age person. Origin of music as a therapeutic tool goes back late 18th century and the earliest known reference regarding Music Therapy is an article published in a Columbian magazine under the title “Music Physically Considered” in 1789.

 The very first institutional recorded music therapy intervention (Blackwell’s Island Asylum, New York) as well as the first music therapy recorded systematic experiment, were both done during the early 1800s.

Music and Psychotherapy started gaining vast acknowledgment during the post World War era. During that period, all types of musicians from various communities started visiting hospitals around the country to play for thousands of people to help them cope with both physical and mental trauma from the war. This gave identity and progress to music therapy which further led to the need and demand of music therapy professionals. E. T. Gaston, also known as the ‘Father of Music Therapy’ achieved the milestone in progressing the profession forward during the early 20th century. Today, institutions to educate and train music therapists are available all over the world.
 
 In today’s world, there have been enormous kinds of studies, researches, and experiments by various institutions as well as scholars to observe whether music can help people to cope with their daily life issues, what kind of illnesses can be treated using music therapy and to what extent? Different studies have shown different results regarding different age groups and diseases. Music Therapy has been proven to have a rather significant positive effect n various physical and mental aspects.

Music therapy has been observed to be helpful in various situations. For example, it was observed in a study that listening to music before undergoing surgery reduces the stress and the patients are calm about the surgery. Another study shows that the patients who listened to music while getting an IV inserted reported significantly less pain and distress. Music therapy has also been increased for the treatment of Substance Use Disorders [SUD]. Music also has a significant effect on the treatment of Autism, Movement and Sensory Disorders, Stress [related to work or social life], Intellectual and Motor Disability, etc.

Another study observed that music is also helpful in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit [NICU]. It was observed that pre-mature infant responds to music and it also helps to boost their feeding speed and sensors resulting in a reduction to the hospital duration. Therapists also treat memory loss through music and it has been quite helpful to the patients suffering from Dementia.
Patients suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder [PTSD] have a significant response to music. Depending on the type of music one prefers, relaxing music can alleviate stress through lowering CORTISOL [hormone released in response to stress] levels. Also, familiar music can trigger the brain’s nucleus accumbens resulting in the release of feel-good neuro-chemicals like DOPAMINE & SEROTONIN [an integral part of the pleasure, reward and motivational systems, and plays a critical role in learning].
Not only humans but plants have also been studied for their response to music. It has been observed that plants which were under musical atmosphere regularly grew much faster and healthier than the ordinarily growing plants.


Music therapists use different procedures including improvisations, lyric interpretations, playing a musical instrument with the patient, songwriting and listening to and singing along some familiar music. They use a variety of tools and music genres depending on the preference of the patient and the nature of their illness. Music therapists work within a context of mutual relationships. They are trained in psychological, biological and neurological aspects which help them provide optimal services to patients irrespective of their age.

The term “music healing” doesn’t mean a cure, but it certainly can help. Dr. Alice H. Cash, Ph.D., said, “Healing has to do with decreasing symptoms, physically, physiologically, psychologically, emotionally, or spiritually. Music healing is the process of using already composed music in a passive (listening) or active (singing, playing an instrument) way to ameliorate symptoms and help a person to feel better. Music healing has a spiritual component; not religious but spiritual.”

 Here i am giving music list for music therapists, I have provided the best music to download from YouTube. However, YouTube doesn't give permission to download videos from YouTube. But there are many youtube to mp4 downloader and converter tools through which you can easily download YouTube Videos to MP3, MP4 format easily and free.

List of Music:

1. Buddha Spirit
2. Sleep Deeply
3. Classical Indian Music for Healing and Relaxing
4. Quiet Mind