Tag: WELLNESS

F E A R

Posted on by Escape Global

Three years ago I had a patient, in fact the first patient I administered music to as an undergraduate which I think was wishy-washy because I had just little knowledge on the guitar. This patient was a beautiful woman from the south western part of Nigeria who was already a grandmother at the time I think, she had Diabetes and other ailments I can’t remember now.
I somehow took special interest in this woman because she was friendly and welcoming despite the pain. At first sight you would tag her happy woman with less worries, at the time her leg was to be amputated due to the ailment.
That’s not even where I’m headed to, lots of persons who look happy, post stuffs on their status and other social media handles encouraging others are 80% of the time dealing with one fear or the other yet putting up a façade.

Back to my story, I visited this hospital weekly, encouraging her with music that gave her hope and helped her faith in God because she was Christian and somehow I saw her loosen up, she began to confide in me with tears in her eyes. I mean this is a woman you would tag strong because she seemed so welcoming but from conversations with her I realized it isn’t what it is. She had lots of fears especially the fear of her leg being amputated; the money that had been spent and would still be spent was also a major fear. All these happened in an atmosphere of music, as we sang short spontaneous songs together, she would loosen up and tell me very personal things that I didn’t feel worthy to be privy to but I noticed one thing, it freed her from all her fears as she spoke while I sang or after I sang whilst communing with her creator, she realized she was better, hopeful and guess what in a couple of weeks she was well and about to be discharged. Greater news was that her leg wasn’t amputated, call it a miracle!
Fear kills faster than the ailment or issue a person might be experiencing.
It is said from research that music has the ability to alleviate pain, anxiety and free anyone from fears. Call it a miracle again!

Fear weakens the immune system. When a person is happy it makes their immune system strengthened to function better.
If fear weakens the immune system faster than the ailment or issues, that means we probably should not be hosting a pity party around it.
I believe that one of the major things that has killed so many persons who were diagnosed with Coronavirus is the fear that they’ve been told that it kills or probably they have read that its a deadly virus, it simply means If we get fear out of the way we would have more recoveries.

I believe that Fear can be cured with music.
When a person isn’t fearful, his spirit can still sustain his infirmity till he jerks back to life and wellness.

Have you ever been fearful?
Did Music help you?
Kindly share with me how music was of help to you.

I miss reading from You 💕

Link to my podcast here; https://anchor.fm/mercy-kay/episodes/F-E-A-R-eivfp3

The Music Miracle: General or Specific Music?

Posted on by Escape Global

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.

I love reading from you!

Lots of Love!

What then is Music Therapy about?

Posted on by Escape Global

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.

Thank You

SOURCES: https://www.musictherapy.org/about/musictherapy/ https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/music%20therapy

VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIsiC0Cf95I