Journal of The West Bengal University of Health Sciences January 2022 Vol 2 Issue 3

Editorial

Music Therapy

Manidip Pal

Music Therapy is the clinical & evidence- 6. Involvement with music starting
based use of music interventions to from learning, rehearsing ultimately
accomplish individualized goals within performing can bring a feeling of
a therapeutic relationship. The healing accomplishment and gratification which
concept of music was known to us from the may heal many mental trauma.
inception of civilization — mother used to
sing to make the baby sleep, music calms Musical perception of brain
down someone’s anger, music elevates
someone’s bad mood etc. Application of The concept of how music therapy works is
music in modern medicine was popularized changing day by day from a social science
by Everett Thayer Gaston, (1901-1970) know-how concept to a neuroscience-guided
“Father of Music Therapy”. He was a version primarily based on brain function
clinical psychologist who promoted the and music notion. This paradigm shift has
music as Therapy. According to Gaston1 : the ability to move music therapy from an
adjunct modality to a principal remedy
1. Music, a nonverbal communication, modality.
derived its potency from its wordless
meaning. Mathematically it is proven that
anticipatory rhythmic templates as vital time
2. Music can lessen the feelings of constraints can result in entire specification
loneliness through active or passive of the dynamics of a motion over the whole
participation motion cycle, thereby optimizing motor
3. Music can communicate one’s good planning and execution. Furthermore,
feeling with another. temporal rhythmic entrainment has
been efficiently prolonged into functions
4. Fears of closeness is dissolved by music in cognitive rehabilitation and speech
as it is nonverbal in nature & allows an and language rehabilitation, and for this
intimacy that is non-threatening. reason turn out to be one of the important
5. The shared musical experience can be neurological mechanisms linking music
a form of structured reality upon which and rhythm to brain rehabilitation. These
music therapist and patient can form a findings furnished a scientific fundamental
bond with some confidence. principle for neurologic music therapy.2

Professor & HOD, Obstetrics & Gynecology,

College of Medicine & JNM Hospital, WBUHS,
Kalyani, Nadia, West Bengal
email: manidip.pal@wbuhs.ac.in Citation: Pal M. Music Therapy. J West Bengal Univ
Health Sci. 2022; 2(3):1-3.

©Journal of The West Bengal University of Health Sciences 1

2 Music Therapy

All components of music, rhythm, pitch, Types of music therapy

tempo, melody etc., are received and reacted
Music therapy interventions are broadly
by different areas of the brain. Melody is a
divided into 4 types –
collection of musical tones that are grouped
together as a single entity; Pitch is the Receptive: The patient listens to the
actual audio vibration produced by voice or music and reacts to the experience in a silent,
instrument; Rhythm is the relative lengths verbal or other manner e.g. art, dance. It
and spacing of notes; Tone encompasses may be live or recorded music, may include
both the frequencies and loudness of a music assisted relaxation, imagination etc.
sound; Harmony is the relation of two or Useful for patient who can’t speak, who like
more simultaneous tones; Timbre is the listening. Intention of such therapy are to :
characteristic difference in sound between 1. Elevate mood, reduce anxiety
two instruments playing the same tone.
2. Promote stimulation or relaxation
Primary auditory cortex of the brain is
situated in the medial part of Heschl’s gyrus 3. Develop auditory skills
(HG) in the superior temporal lobe and within 4. Facilitate memory
the Sylvian fissure. The lateral portion of
HG have the centre for pitch perception. Recreation: A music-centred strategy
Surrounding HG there is a network of higher in which the patient perform or sing along
cortical areas in the temporal, parietal with a pre-composed song, play instruments.
and frontal lobes - auditory ‘association Children with developmental disabilities,
areas’ which process certain properties of person with acquired brain injury, elderly
complex sounds. Posterior to HG lies the with dementia etc. may be benefitted
planum temporale (corresponding in the through this. Intention of such therapy are
left hemisphere to Wernicke’s area) – an to :
auditory association area which is implicated 1. Stimulate self-expression
in the analysis of different attributes of
complex sound sources, including their 2. Vitalize coarse & fine motor skills
spatial location, identifying features (such 3. Encourage socializing
as the acoustic pattern corresponding to a
spoken syllable, or the timbre of a voice or Improvisation: Making music on the
musical instrument), and information about spot by voice or with minimal instruments,
pitch patterns they carry. Anterior to HG or body percussion etc. It is good for patients
is the superior temporal gyrus - engaged in who feel uneasy about expressing themselves
analysis of streams of auditory information directly. Intention of such therapy are to :
e.g. a spoken sentence or musical melody. 1. Help express oneself and communicate,
Adjacent and surrounding areas in the especially in case of limited or
anterior temporal lobe and insula are uncomfortable verbal communication
involved in identification of nonverbal
sounds including familiar music. The lateral 2. Develop personal freedom and decision
temporal and parietal lobes are responsible making capability
for linking auditory information with other 3. Build proficiency in inter-personal
sensory information (especially vision). relationship
Circuits in the parietal and frontal lobes
mediate music & sound’s working memory Composition / Song writing: Patients
and behavioural responses to sound.3 write their own lyrics or music, therapist

J West Bengal Univ Health Sci | Vol. 2 | Issue 3 | January 2022

Manidip Pal 3

may guide them, if needed. The compositions 10. Pain management

may be recorded or performed. Patients with
11. Post-operative (trauma) stress disorder
innovative mind benefitted through this.
Intention of such therapy are to : 12. Labour and delivery, etc.
1. Encourage creativity Music therapy has been used during
regional anesthesia which shows lower
2. Exteriorize feeling
pain level, anxiety, blood pressure, pulse
3. Authenticate innovation rate etc. Music therapy also improved the
behaviour of the care giver by improving
Uses of music therapy empathy, compassion, and relationship
without interfering with technical aspects
Music is widely used to enhance well-being, of the care.
reduce stress, and distract patients from
unpleasant symptoms. It is been used to Music is a low-cost intervention and
treat – it should be applied in medical science
wherever needed and feasible.
1. Depression
2. Insomnia References
3. Alzheimer’s disease 1. Johnson R. E. Thayer Gaston: Leader in
scientific thought on music in therapy
4. Schizophrenia
and education. J Res Music Edu.
5. Autism spectrum disorders 1981;29(4):279-86.
6. Victims of trauma and crisis 2. Thaut MH, McIntosh GC, Hoemberg
7. Terminally ill patient V. Neurobiological foundations of
neurologic music therapy: rhythmic
8. Various general illness e.g. diabetes entrainment and the motor system.
mellitus, cardiac disease, cancer, stroke Front Psychol. 2015;5:1185.
& other neurological disorder etc.
3. Warren JD. How does the brain process
9. Drug addiction the music? Clin Med. 2008;8:32-6.

J West Bengal Univ Health Sci | Vol. 2 | Issue 3 | January 2022