Have you ever felt the stirring of your spirit from music? What is music therapy? It is the powerful stimulating power of music, both in the form of listening, playing instruments, and singing to help people overcome life’s challenges.
When you start thinking about the power of music, it makes perfect sense it should be used in a therapeutic means. You are watching a horror movie and the music changes to give emphasis to fear, trepidation, and your heart starts pounding a little faster, you move to the edge of your seat, or cower back in fear. You are watching a love story on the television and the music changes to a heartbreaking song when the couple’s romance is in shambles, and you are almost brought to tears. The power of music is known and used by directors and producers in entertainment.
When you want to lift your spirits and become motivated, you can choose fast moving songs, with inspirational messages. The messages become more ingrained in our ways of thinking as we start singing along with the songs, learning and memorizing the empowering messages. Using music to help ourselves and our families is one of the greatest methods of self-help.
Religion has long known the importance of using music to stimulate the spirit and increase joy. Churches are filled with hymns of joy and praise which has the immediate effect of improving the spirits of everyone listening and singing along. Smart ministers and choir leaders learn to select songs which lift the spirits, increase the joy, and the excitement of their congregation. Their musical choices can make the difference between inspired church members, or someone sleeping in the pews.
How does this power of music relate to our original question of “What is music therapy”? A therapist can recommend and use different forms of music to help stimulate the minds and emotions of patients in all kinds of situations. If you are recovering from depression hearing songs which are more up tempo with a positive message, while staying away from sad, melancholy songs can stimulate your mind in the right direction. For people suffering from Alzheimer’s or other memory loss conditions, hearing songs from their younger years can help stimulate memories.
Music therapy can be practiced by a trained therapist, or by yourself. If you want to change your outlook on life, increase your energy, and reach for your goals, change the types of music you listen to. Do not just listen to the music, but examine the lyrics, too. You want to have music filled with messages you want to ingrain into your mind, and which become part of the words you repeat to yourself when walking down the street with a song repeating in your mind.
What is music therapy? One of the most powerful ways to stimulate your mind. The power of music creates and opens pathways of thought, and by carefully planning your selections of musics you play, sing, and listen to, you can change your behavior, or the behavior of a patient.