This past week was eventful for me, it challenged my mental capacity and ability to be creative on the spot.
I was in the Paediatric ward again with my musical instruments and I met what I didn’t prepare for. I had just stepped into the ward only to find that a nurse whom I had promised to do music for some weeks back was on duty. When she spotted me, she reminded me of my promise to share the joy of music with her, this time around adding that I share with everyone in the ward, she said to me “You know they didn’t have valentine with their family”.
I thought through this and decided I was going to do it, I have been so used to bedside music that this was sort of a challenge that I needed to surmount. When administering Bedside Music I could engage a patient in a conversation while trying to figure out his or her interest or the ailment thereby creating music of hope, joy and love but this was a lot different, it meant that I had to address every parent in the ward.
For some minutes, I was just running through chords on my guitar and thinking of Music that will suite the atmosphere, how to address them and so on. I finally got my balance and stood up to address them like a Choir Director (lol), told them of the song we were going to sing and of course taught them. They learnt so fast and in few minutes, I was on my guitar accompanying the music. For me this was so beautiful because initially the ward was echoing with cries from the babies but I noticed that as we sang together there was this calm from the babies.
We were soon done with the first song, Yes you saw that right, first song! They requested for another song because they felt it really lifted their spirits, so I taught them another song and boom! they were singing it so well. I again accompanied the singing with the guitar, it was everything refreshing.
In that moment, it became more real to me that the families of patients need the therapeutic effect of Music also, many of them are walking through very depressing season watching someone dear to them fade away due to an illness, It would interest you to know that some have seen their loved ones die in the space of 1 year, few months and weeks, I mean in succession yet they still spend their earnings and income to make sure this very one’s life is battled for.
I dedicate this post to them and I hope for opportunities to bring soothing relief to what they feel via Music.
This is the #DiaryofAnAspiringMusicTherapist Episode 5. Kindly drop your comments and feedback, I always love reading from you!
Ujunwa is the name I will like to give her, I walked in to see her and realized that the ward was a little crowded. The smile of the nurse on duty was heart-warming and welcoming that it made me extra joyful that I had come again to the hospital.
Uju was totally numb emotionally when I got to her bedside even though she was actively using her mum’s phone, I could tell that she cared less about anyone and she was the last child from what I could infer. She was obviously a well-pampered child in her pre-teen.
Having observed Uju’s personality, I helped myself by starting a conversation with her mum and she told me about the circumstances around her daughter’s birth. For me it was an interesting one and helped me calm a bit before administering music to her daughter.
The conversation switched and I was conversing with Ujunwa, she was really open as she told me in details of the ailment that brought her to the hospital. About a week ago, she experienced a very sharp pain at her abdomen, she was told it was appendicitis and needed to be operated on. The operation was carried out, she felt better but still felt pain a bit.
I asked a number of questions about her school and she was still very open with me. I decided it was time to engage her musically and like I try to do with my patients, I always love to have a feel of their musicality so I ask questions like “are you in your school choir?”, “What’s your best song?”, “Do you play any musical instrument?” and so on.
I found out from our conversation that she didn’t really have a musical sense but she tried to sing a song on her dream, trust me I joined in singing. When she was done, I did a very simple and spontaneous song. These were the lyrics;
God’s plans for you,
They are beautiful
and are good!
When we sang this together, we switched and translated the lyrics in Igbo and sang it together. It was such a beautiful time as she loosened up totally. Her smile was bright and she wasn’t the emotionally numb person I met at first. Her mum said to me when I was about leaving “Thank you for putting smiles on our children’s faces”. These words were honestly priceless, I realized again that the little things matter and people aren’t seeking for things that complicate matters.
At the Hospital last week
There are myriads of cases like this that I see in the hospital and many a times I truly wish I could share all ranging from the child who steals your heart with endless smiles at the sight of your musical instrument to the one who doesn’t want you in her space but suddenly opens up to the eyes that are obviously scared of what tomorrow holds for them to those who are evidently drained of cash to the depressed to those who grieve yet try to put up a facade. In all of these I have learnt and I am still learning not to put up a pity face or organize another pity party that they already dread, I realize always that it’s the little things that matters, they all just want an adrenaline push in their emotions, they don’t want to hear the next discovery in their bodies, they want the simple things of life.
This is the #DIARYOFANASPIRINGMUSICTHERAPIST Episode 2
Kindly drop your questions and feedback. It is always a Joy reading from You!
You know when they say you never understand the value of what you have or what you do until you are in the very place it is needed.
The Hospital is one of the places I enjoy being and this past week I had the privilege of meeting patients again. I entered the hospital in a very nervous state because it was my first time of doing music fully this year in the actual hospital. I like always wondered if this would make sense to the patients, if I won’t get that look of ‘You are wasting your time’. Well I was right, I had those stares of what are you coming to do with musical instruments but it really didn’t matter ‘cos I was prepared for it.
This was me at the Hospital last week
I walked into the Paediatric ward of the Hospital, I scanned through the ward and saw two patients, two parents and a hospital nurse, then there was this joy and nervousness that welled up in my heart immediately I saw them because I knew I would spend quality time with them and have effective results.
My music administration started with a girl in Junior Secondary School who had an accident that almost cost her an arm. From first contact I could tell she was timid, had successfully walked transited the pain of being in the hospital and had found such contentment in solitude since the ward was almost empty.
In my conversation with her, I found out she had been in the condition since the previous festive season, she had missed classes and bills were constantly pumped in just to see that she gets well.
I figured out also that her confidence had been crushed even though she tried to hide it with an innocent smile on her face, so I said to her “Do you know you are beautiful?” and I got that smile again, this time nodding as though she wasn’t sure of it. So I said You sound like you have a good singing voice, are you in your school choir? She replied Yes and I asked her to sing me a song and there we were singing together, this made her loosen up a bit to get her groove after a long while of solitude and what I call loneliness.
We moved and I said “What Kind of musical instrument do you like?” She said “I like this one with you” (referring to my guitar), she added that she’d love if I give it to her. Fam I made her a promise to get her one. Smiles!
Now I knew the atmosphere had lightened up and it was time to do music that restores confidence, so I picked up my guitar and as you might know I love spontaneous songs. I had these short three-line lyrics;
You are beautiful,
You are Special!
You are Light!
That was it fam, the effect of this music on her was palpable that the parent of the next patient had to do a video recording of the session, he asked me to do it again and this time around I was intentional about this girl of mine singing it, this girl was so confident that we went on to exchange contacts. One minute the air was gloomy and she was timid, the next minute she had brightened up and was extra confident.
Fulfillment is an understatement for what I felt, I live for these moments and I love that I live for these moments!
This is the #DIARYOFANASPIRINGMUSICTHERAPIST Episode 1
Kindly drop your questions and feedback. It is always a Joy reading from You!
I think Amazing is my best word, I use it always and I enjoy using it. Anyway that is not even the gist! I’m so excited it’s a new year and a new decade at that. I have honestly looked forward to this year for a very long time and I am excited that we get to see it together.
I ended 2019 with reading a book by an all time favourite Music Therapist, Dr Deforia Lane and it has spurred me like never before to take conscious leaps in the field of Music Therapy.
This year I am committing myself to sharing my journey in the hospital with you as an Aspiring Music Therapist, it is tagged #TheDiaryofAnAspiringMusicTherapist.
Every moment in the hospital ward is filled with stories of pain, hope, much thinking and joy to patients and families of patients at the sound of music. You don’t want to miss these stories.
For every moment I get to administer music as a form of therapy to Patients in the hospital, I promise to share with you which is inclusive of the ugly moments too.
This year I joined the Arts in Medicine Fellowship which is targeted at encouraging the use of arts in Healthcare, I love this fellowship because I am constantly inspired to be better!
This post is dedicated to Adullam Vision Initiative’s project tagged PATIENTS’ DAY and just in case you do not know what it is all about, here it is; Patients Day is a special day in the Nigerian calendar set aside to foster the love, care and commitment of the nation to the mental and emotional wellbeing of patients in Hospitals, Internally Displaced People camps, orphanage homes with the aim of seeing them recuperate.
Music is an integral part of this which has made me actively involved for the past 2 years and in each year I have gained what I could term as lessons that has added value to me. In today’s post, I will like to streamline what I have gained from being part of this event to 3.
Two years ago when I joined in this movement, I was a very timid fellow even though on the outside I looked like someone who was never shy. Being timid was quite challenging for me because it meant I had to go from ward to ward singing to patients in the hospital. I thought to myself what would be the reaction of Health Personnels and patients in the Hospital. Alas! While we went about doing this, It turned out that a lot of persons were encouraged and I had built confidence. Last year, I didn’t have trouble singing to patients despite the fact that the location I was in was the North Eastern part of Nigeria where music is not regarded. I have built CONFIDENCE!
This picture was taken in Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital. Ile-Ife, Osun State. Nigeria and it was my first time of being part of the event in 2017
Another thing I have gained is being able to sing spontaneously without any prior thinking of the lyrics. I think of a line in my head and I’m adding melody to it on the spot and they are songs that stick easily, patients remember easily and sing along with confidence and hope for the future. I have improved musically especially with spontaneous songs.
This was the team that performed in the same hospital in 2018 and it was massive! I was in the North-Eastern part of Nigeria doing same and it was mind-blowing!
I have become more COMPASSIONATE! I used to be someone who was hardly moved by issues that people go through in the hospital and I knew it wasn’t going to be good because one important thing about doing music is that you must connect with people deeply and it can’t be faked because people always know.
Being able to do music at PATIENTS’ DAY every year is always a privilege for me and I’d do it again and again because it keeps adding value to me.
This year’s edition will hold on the 7th of December 2019 by 9am at the following locations; Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital. Ile-Ife, Osun State. Nigeria Seventh Day Adventist Hospital. Ile-Ife, Osun State. Nigeria Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Lagos State. Nigeria.
You can also visit the social media handles of Adullam Vision Initiative to see how previous PATIENTS’ DAY have been. Facebook: Adullam Vision Initiative Instagram: @adullamvision
It’d be so good to have you around!
Let me know what you think about this post. I love reading from you!
In this post, i’d be using the term “persons” more than “patients” because I know that a lot persons who are traumatized have in one way or the other convinced themselves that there isn’t any need to see for a form of therapy as Music. You get words like “I’ll handle it” or “I’ll be fine” yet there are still lingering memories in their minds. I’ll begin with a story of what happened a long time ago.
After the Second World War, soldiers returned with head wounds and traumatic brain injuries or call it battle fatigue or shell shock as it was called during the First World War which is now called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
With many of these soldiers, it was discovered that the pain and misery they experienced could only be helped by music. Medical practitioners in many veteran hospitals made it a call of duty to invite musicians to come and play for these soldiers who were patients, musicians were so excited to bring music to these broken, distressed and wounded people.
It was said of a lady by the name Kitty who had an immense intuitive gift that endeared her to the patients however terrible the issue was. Working with this individual patients called for empathy and personal interaction as much as any formal therapy and Kitty was very skilled at this, she was also an audacious improviser and was very playful both on the keyboard and in life; She helped a lot of person through this art accept what had happened and look to the future with renewed hope.
The recovery process of a person or a patient who is a victim of a traumatic experience is painful and takes time, some persons carry the memories of it for the rest of their lives. Trauma can come in form of rape, war, seeing a loved one die and lots more. Memories can be hard to go off a person’s mind, there is always a replay of the fear or the pain.
However, Music Therapy plays a major role in seeing that persons who are experiencing trauma, accept whatever happened, express emotions, enhance security and most importantly gain self confidence.
Music Therapy reduces stress and anxiety that must have been caused by the event. It brings about positive change in mood. It also brings about positive and active participation during the cause of treatment. It increases or enhances the level of a person’s control, confidence and empowerment. Physiologically it lowers blood pressure, reduces heart rate and relaxes the tension in muscles.
Music Therapy gives traumatized persons the permission to feel while healing takes place so a person begins to let out.
Below is a video that gives a practical side to what this post is all about
More often I get the question “What Kind of Music is administered to Patients in the Hospital?” This question comes especially from people who have difficulty believing that Music can restore a person back to his or her original state and even much better.
I have personally worked with patients who were choosy in the kind of music that should be administered to them, this happened in my days as an undergraduate of Music while writing my final year project.
One of the patients who I tried administering Music to as a form of Therapy was an Igbo girl who suffered Isolation and made it a habit to always talk to herself, she had poor relational skills, she also had tendency of moping.
As always I was seated a particular office in the Hospital, while waiting for an outpatient who would be kind enough to allow me carry out the practical side of my project.
This particular girl walked in at this time and in my excited state I welcomed her into the clinic. I conversed with her mother present in the office and she obliged to my offer, I got to know the genesis of the ailment and the length of time she had been battling with this.
From conversation I noticed this girl was so in love with Igbo Music that was Christian and so I sang quite a number of it with her, she sang a number that I myself did not know which made it more interesting as I did my best to catch up with the song lyrics.
I tried singing the songs and styles she wasn’t familiar with and in a space of seconds I could literally pick the turn off, her focus was off what I was singing. I tried again and again but I lost her attention because I wasn’t singing what she was familiar with.
I came to a conclusion, that the uniqueness of every human being is so important so is also what we love, she was able to flow because I sang songs that took her to the core of her real self, where she is from and who she is.
I learnt from this experience that it is expedient to know who a patient is by connecting deeply with them and not to be in a hurry to sing what I know off my heart.
I also learnt that It is important that we understand that a person or rather a patient is influenced by either the music of culture or environment or personal interest. They are likely to respond to one of these in ways that will blow your mind. One of the things that happen in Music Therapy is that Music is never forced on anyone, there is a freedom of choice because we must achieve the goal of connection and ultimately, wellness.
Can they sing other styles aside the ones they enjoy? Yes very well but it might take time based on patients personality to bring them to that point. It is usually a gradual process and as I always love to let lots of persons know, the administration of Music Therapy has a procedure but then it is so dynamic in nature. You might sometimes have to bend to make the patient satisfied.
I hope you learnt one or two things from my experience with my Igbo Patient as an undergraduate.
Let me know what you think in the comment section.
Every moment in a Music Therapy session is a miracle, why because you see life jerk dead cases, you see impossible cases bring hope.
Tinuola a FIRST class graduate of a prestigious university in Nigeria had a fatal accident on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, this accident was meant to end her life but somehow she survived as some good Samaritans came to her rescue right in time.
She was rushed to a nearby hospital, because of the state of the hospital she was unattended to for some few minutes even though it was glaring that it was an emergency case. This complicated issues as she bled a lot and was in pain.
Alas! She was attended to and a lot of checks, tests, drips and treatment was administered. After the doctor carried out the test, he discovered that she might not be able to walk with her legs again because it had been badly damaged by the accident which meant she had to be on a wheel chair for as long as…
Tinuola wept bitterly knowing this was the time she had to be there for her parents who were doing averagely well, she knew there were lots of responsibilities on her and she there wasn’t enough fund to even take care of her bills. Thinking of this day in day out was both depressing for herself and her family.
She got lots of job offers but she couldn’t walk and work because of the condition she was in. This day a music therapist who earlier volunteered to work at the hospital took note of her and patiently listened to her story, this welled up empathy in him and thought to himself, I need to work on this.
Work started and then this Music Therapist played calming music that would make her mind wander away from the pain, he would also put the stereo on while he was away just to help her express emotions through music. She expressed her fears in tears, the pain of never having to fulfill her dreams and the feeling of what her condition might be causing the family and as days rolled by, she find herself jerking away from all of the fears.
The Music Therapist taught to himself, this might be a good time to work on your mobility, so everyday he made use of his violin to play marching rhythms and on other occasions, he used his guitar in playing marching rhythms, encouraging her with support from the Physiotherapist to move step by step.
This happened for about a month or thereabout and everyday her legs were gradually strengthened, she could stand 2 minutes and could move a short while.
In a month’s time, she found herself moving so well and of
course was later discharged.
I shared this story to let you know that the miracle in Music Therapy does happen in an instant and also happens in a process, it is most times a process, a Music Therapist sees the need to first begin working on the mind of the patient, ripping him or her of the fears and the walls that have been put up due to the accident or an ailment. The Miracle of seeing a patient jerk away from their fears might be so instant, in say maybe 4 or 5 hours thereabout or may even be more.
Let me make it more practical, flash your mind back to probably a time you were so down emotionally and a lot of things made you so fearful about life, putting on this music just all of a sudden brought you succor, making hope come alive in your heart. Can I get a witness on this? That moment when music jerked you off your fears, made you see better and hope again was a miracle produced by music.
However, many a times it is a long process (Had an experience like this in the hospital that I might probably share one of these days). Most times the miracle is in following through step by step.
A number of persons say to me, so patients just get healed like that with one strum on the guitar and I’m like No most times it is a process, sometimes tiring for the Music Therapist and might require them being there every time but always fulfilling at every stance of a miracle.
I hope you got something from this post. Below is a link to a video that helps you understand this better, kindly watch to the end.
Let me know what you think about this post and I love reading from you
Death has always been proud for it seems like no one is
capable of overcoming it. Many are scared of it.
Mrs Chinwe, an important personality in the Federal Ministry
of Works who just rose to the position of the Minister of Works in Nigeria had
just returned from an official trip in the United States.
Having figured that it was already late in the night when
they arrived, she decided she was just going to rest in her home. She told her
Personal Assistant to let her entourage know that she was headed to the house.
The information got to everyone of them and excitement filled the air as many had not seen their family members in 2 months due to series of meetings, trainings and dinners.
As Madam Chinwe headed home, she was having a chit-chat with her Personal Assistant. As she discussed her vision for the Ministry of Works, she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her chest region and before Jack, she collapsed.
For some seconds, everyone was confused. They did not know what to do. Someone among them then screamed “HOSPITAL!!!”.
As they journeyed to the Hospital, everyone had different
thoughts going on in their heads. While some thought it was because of the
stress, others thought she had offended someone in the government who had sworn
to deal with her.
In the midst of all that, they were interrupted by the security man at Alpha Clinic – “Why una plenty laidis? Who una dey find for this kind time of the night?” which simply meant “Why are you guys plenty like this and who are you looking for at this time of the night?” (for my non-Nigerian followers).
Immediately someone responded from the car saying it’s the
Minister of Works, they were eagerly allowed to go through.
When they got into the clinic, a series of test was conducted and it was discovered that she had cancer of the colon which had eaten deep into her body.
The Doctor further mentioned that there was little to which chemotherapy could do as she had about 2 months to live.It was a devastating moment. At least for people amongst them who truly cared about her.
Mrs Chinwe’s family was later contacted and informed. It was
a painful, sober and tearful moment for them.
For the first few weeks, it was a pool of tears and pain in the hospital until this very day the Music Therapist, Fiona Akinwunmi walked into the hospital after returning from her leave of absence. She was moved with so much empathy and then decided to begin taking sessions with Mrs Chinwe and her entire family.
She engaged them actively in music as they sang many songs laced with hope.
Day after day, the family got better and Mrs Chinwe’s death
got nearer. On the final week before her death, they sang the song “When
Peace like a river attendeth thy way, when sorrow like sea billows roar,
whatever my lot thou art taught me to say It is well with my soul”.
As they sang this song, there was still pain.
However, with much hope they began talking about their favourite memories. There was this glow on Mrs Chinwe’s face as they sang and listened to music.
There was peace all over her.
The Music Therapist had helped the family deal with the
painful thought of Death by echoing songs of hope over and over again while
helping them bond. She had also helped Mrs Chinwe approach death with
tranquility.
The Choral of death was sang and it healed their hearts, bringing peace as they approached the death occurrence.
While writing this story, it occurred more to me that a lot of patients with terminal illness will have probably been able to come to terms with their present state with tranquility if music therapy was introduced. I understand that Death is terrible and no one wants to watch their loved ones pass on especially when pain torments them.
Here is what I discovered; Music becomes therapeutic for dying patients and families of dying patients as they approach their last days. It also helps them relive memories that have be long forgotten and if recorded can bring the family succor when the person passes on.
Music Therapy might sometimes not improve a dying patient’s prognosis but it could distract them from the pain, the boredom, fear, frustration, anxiety they feel thereby helping them relax.
You will agree with me that the news of death coming soon for a patient is enough to cause an increase in blood pressure and heart rate, this is where Music Therapy comes in, it lowers blood pressure and heart rate. Patients become less agitated when Music Therapy is administered.
All of these is not to insinuate that Music Therapy does not help terminally ill or dying patients recuperate but to let you know that it can also be administered in a way that it makes them meet death with peace.
Whether Live or recorded music or engaging a patient with song writing, improvisations on a musical instrument, singing, lyrics analysis, guided imagery and so on, Music Therapy works perfectly for dying patients.
I would have loved to keep typing on the benefits of Music to dying patients but I’d not want to make this lengthy, so here is a video and an article below this post that can give a practical side or feel to this subject.
Let me know what you think about this post. I love reading from you.
Having delved into the root of Music Therapy, it is okay for us to see what Music Therapy exactly is. Is it just singing? Does it just have to do with just playing a musical instrument to a patient? Is it just about the therapist doing or about both patient and therapist doing?
Brace Up! This is going to be an amazing ride, Music Therapy is one that has been defined by many but there is a unifying similarity in all of the definitions.
The American Music Therapy Association defines Music Therapy as an established health profession in which music is used within a therapeutic relationship to address physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs of individuals.
Merriam Webster dictionary defines it as therapy based on engagement in musical activities : the therapeutic use of music (as to reduce anxiety, improve cognitive functioning, promote physical rehabilitation, or enhance interpersonal communication) that typically involves listening to music, singing, playing musical instruments, or composing music.
Simply put, Music therapy is medicine in music; it is music in the healing process of a patient.
Music Therapy does not just happen, Music Therapists makes them happen. Who are Music Therapist? Music therapists are the amazing humans who use music to help individuals of all ages who are experiencing emotional or mental problems, or who have learning or physical disabilities or physical illnesses.
More definitions might just bore you but here is it in all of these definitions, Music is the connecting factor between the Patient, the Music Therapist and possibly the family of the Patient.
You might have been asking yourself, how does a Music Therapy session work? Do they just sing or play instruments as an individual or group? The simple answer to this is that Music Therapy sessions are dynamic, it is tailored to the need of an individual or group so it tells you that a Music Therapist doesn’t work by assumption or generalize even when persons having the exact same ailment come to the clinic for a session 2 days apart. There is a lot of observation that goes on before a music therapy session happens.
However even though the sessions are dynamic, you can expect certain expressions like song writing, improvisation through singing or playing of musical instruments, listening to music, discussion on lyrics and so on. All these is aimed at one thing WELLNESS. Music Therapy helps social skills, motor skills, cognitive skills, speech and lots more.
Beneath this post is the link to a video of one way Music Therapy sessions can be conducted, kindly let me know what you think about it.
Kindly leave your comment below on what you think about this post. I love reading from you.
ESCAPE GLOBAL 