The underlying secret of music in daily life
Most of us love to start and end our day with unique energy derived from engaging in any form of music. It could range from listening to calm or pop music to playing different musical instruments.
Music becomes an integral part of one’s daily life as it has powerful effects on our minds. Individuals rely on music to get through the morning commute, feel relaxed after a tiring day, feel energetic when cooking meals or doing assigned tasks, stay pumped while working out etc.
Effects of music
The effect of music helps individuals experience a wide range of emotions such as happiness, excitement, thoughtfulness, sadness etc. For instance, if you feel stressed and depressed about your workplace tasks most days, you may hope to relax by listening to music that would make your mood better.
No matter what body colour or gender we are, race and cultural background we hail from, music has proved to be an expression of love and faith that brings together people to experience unity in their emotions.
Dual role of music
Even when music as a significant mood influencer is considered a creative outlet for many individuals, an equal ratio of music lovers views music as a calming therapy. For many years questions have arisen regarding the latter view which led to extensive research in this field.
What is a Music Therapy?
Mental health professionals define music therapy as the use of musical intervention to accomplish goals within a therapeutic relationship to address individuals’ social, emotional, physical, and cognitive needs.
Often being conducted in clinical settings, music therapy is practised by credentialed professionals who have pursued majors in approved music therapy programs as well as in cognitive neuroscience, psychological disorders, communication and so on.
How does Music Therapy work?
Research has found that the population diagnosed with mental health issues like depression, anxiety, developmental and learning disabilities, autism, trauma, stress etc., are those who require music therapy compared to healthy controls.
Even when how music therapies work remains unclear it has been reported that during the sessions, the primary goal of the music therapist is to reach the ‘moment of change’ that would strengthen their bond with the client.
The music therapist attempts to build rapport with their client that would enhance the client’s confidence, quality of life and encourage emotional expressions. Repeated sessions have also proved to improve the awareness, attention span and communication skills of the client.
Music therapies are of several types:
- Some involve making the client listen to music to feel relaxed while talking
- Other effective method includes playing music instruments, primarily carried out for those who have verbal communication difficulties.
- Yet some other methods are aimed at healing depression, dementia, stress which turn out to be effective in the long run.
- A commonly used method to facilitate decision-making and cognition is the Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music. The client is required to describe images that are processed in his/her mind on hearing music played by the therapist.
The Benefits of Music Therapy
Recent research revealed that music therapy improves the quality of life for the individual experiencing physical health issues along with promoting emotional and mental health. The following are few benefits of music therapy:
- Acts as a calming or regulating mechanism for various psychological disorders like schizophrenia, trauma etc.
- Serves as an essential tool for managing mood, self-expression and feel stress relief.
- After receiving music therapy, individuals are encouraged to offer ideas, music themes or alternative lyrics that apply to their life obstacles and treatment.
- Individuals are also encouraged to write songs that allow them to be creative and express their emotions in rewarding and positive ways.
- Music helps to connect with people and gather more self-confidence and feeling of belongingness and many more.
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