I was simply blown away when the presenter shared the results of this study. I already knew that when a patient with Alzheimer’s disease listened to music that they knew, that they were often able to sing the words and it brought a smile to their face. I had witnessed that in numerous sessions in the past, but what I didn’t know was just how much the music penetrated the brain of the patient. In a pilot study by Fischer, Churchill, Leggieri, Vuong, Tau, Fornazzari, Thaut and Schweizer, researchers examined both musicians and non-musicians. Investigators stated, “The purpose of our study is to examine whether a program involving listening to…
Music Therapy in US Corrections: Philosophy, Practice, and Protocols of Music Therapists Working with Incarcerated People in the US Kayla Stubblefield, MT-BC When you think of settings in which music therapists work, the first facility that comes to mind may be a school, a hospital, or a nursing home. Oftentimes, people are surprised when hearing that music therapy can benefit those in correctional facilities. The United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world, having 1 out of 5 people incarcerated in the United States. Approximately 7 million people who are serving parole or probation are under oversight of the U.S. correctional system, with roughly 2.3 million people being…
Leah is a music therapist originally from St. Marys, Ohio. She received her Bachelors of Music in Music Therapy at Ohio University with an added minor in Psychology. Leah completed her music therapy internship at Florida Music Therapy in Melbourne, Florida. Mental health and making music more accessible to everyone is her primary focus when it comes to her work in music therapy. She loves creating spaces and environments intentional for sensory needs and accessibility. Leah enjoys collecting, fixing, and repairing instruments in her spare time. When it’s time to take a break from all things music she enjoys reading and being outdoors.
Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most common type of heart disease in the United States. A typical cause of CAD is a buildup of plaque, which causes coronary arteries to narrow, limiting blood flow to the heart. Symptoms can range from chest pain to a heart attack while treatment options include lifestyle changes, medications, angioplasty, and surgery. While receiving treatment for CAD, various psychological symptoms such as pain, agitation, anxiety, depression, and disorientation may emerge depending on factors like painful procedures, unusual environment and people, disease, not being sufficiently informed about treatment, and implementation. Music therapy research supports that music interventions, when facilitated by a music therapy professional,…
Kelsey became a board certified music therapist in 2006. Receiving her associate’s degree in Psychology from BYU – Idaho in 2001 , her Bachelor of Music in Music Therapy in 2005 from Radford University in Virginia, and then completed her internship at The Kardon Institute for Arts Therapy in Philadelphia. Kelsey’s passion has always been working with young children beginning with her career at The Academy of Community Music while living in Pennsylvania. Since moving to Ohio she has worked with private clients through WeJoySing and teaches music lessons from her home. In 2022 Kelsey joined the COMT team and reimmersed herself in groups and individuals from early intervention ages & school…
Jasmine Dabney is a music therapist from Columbus, Oh. Jasmine has always been passionate about music and has been singing since the early age of 3. Jasmine finished her coursework at Ohio University. During her time there, Jasmine was apart of Choral Union and served in various roles for Anointed Ministries; A ministry on the college campus. One of those roles was choir director for Anointed Praise. Jasmine recently finished her internship at Bridgeway Academy in Columbus, Oh. In her free time, Jasmine enjoys sleeping, spending time with her family, watching K-dramas and serving at her church!
When I tell people that I am a music therapist, I am usually asked if I work with children in schools or older adults in nursing homes. Rarely do people assume that I provide music therapy services for adolescents. An article published in Voices: A World Forum for Music Therapy aimed to research and report how music therapists from around the world are clinically trained to work with adolescents as well as how they are currently working with this population. The researching music therapists at the helm of this report sought out to answer these questions and review the current literature available for music therapy and adolescents. The music therapy…
The benefits of music therapy for people living with dementia have been studied time and time again. Music therapy can facilitate mood elevation and relaxation, maintain motor skills, promote increased socialization and engagement, and provide opportunities for reminiscence. Reminiscence is defined as recalling memories from your past, either actively or passively. Music therapists who work with this population have always used a participant’s preferred music to evoke memories and emotions that may arise from hearing a beloved song. Music therapists can use a variety of interventions with individuals with dementia to work on the goal of reminiscence, including song discussion, therapeutic singing, and therapeutic songwriting. Music therapy groups in an…
The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is something that expecting parents are never fully prepared for. The transition into parenthood, for the first time parents or parents with 3 kids all ready, is interrupted. This interruption presents a number of emotional, mental, and financial challenges. And while the care that babies receive in a NICU is outstanding, it leads one to question the quality of care that the parents themselves receive. Constantly being in the hospital and watching their child go through so much at such a young age is, quite frankly, a lot to handle. This clinical pilot intervention aims to demonstrate that music therapy can provide parents of…
Once again, if you have been following my blogs on the Central Ohio Music Therapy, LLC website or our Facebook page, you are familiar with my dual role as a music therapist and music educator. Having to conduct music therapy sessions virtually (and usually with only 1 – 4 patients at the most), I was fascinated to learn what challenges music educators had with trying to teach virtually and have a full classroom! This article looks at what music educators learned during the COVID-19 virtual learning school year in 2020 – 2021. Draper’s article was written just prior to the vaccine rollout and discusses the importance of getting students with…