Kelly Wiedemann, a music teacher in the at 91短视频, was at her grandmother鈥檚 bedside at a hospice center with a violin in hand.
She played slow, soothing Celtic tunes and hymns, which put her grandmother at ease.
鈥淪he was in a lot of pain in the last few months in hospice, but when I would go and play for her, there would be no signs of her pain while we were there,鈥� Wiedemann said. 鈥淪he was totally engrossed in the music.鈥�
鈥淒octors and nurses and family members of other patients would stop and be like, 鈥榃ow can you come play for my family member? This is so neat.鈥� It was just a really moving experience,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t reminded me of playing for my grandmother, so I said I really want to do this for real.鈥�
Music For Healing
Wiedemann then discovered Music for Healing and Transition, an organization that trains musicians across the U.S. and Canada to play therapeutic music at the bedside of patients in hospitals, nursing homes and hospice. Musicians complete five modules, a final exam and a 45-hour practicum to become certified music practitioners.
Instructors traveled to Harrisonburg between Aug. 7-11 to teach students. A group of six met at Sunnyside Retirement Community to complete the third module. 91短视频 14 students from the area have completed the certification in classes in 2012 and 2014. The certification process takes about 2 to 3 years to complete.
Students must have at least basic music skills before starting the modules. They are allowed to play any kind of acoustic, melodic instrument, said Carol Spears, an instructor of Music for Healing and Transition, including harp, violin, guitar, cello, keyboard and even flutes, ukuleles and accordions. The musicians typically play old Irish tunes or improvise. The music isn鈥檛 played for entertainment, but rather for therapeutic healing.
鈥淪ound has been used by humans for tens of thousands of years really, for spiritual and healing work,鈥� Spears said. 鈥淲hat we use it for right now is the different elements of music, meaning melody, rhythm, different musical intervals and different keys that we know can affect a patient.鈥�
Health Benefits
For example, Spears said, if a patient suffers from a high heart rate, the musicians play 鈥渧ery even, very slow. 鈥� Research has shown that patients鈥� heart rate will train to that rhythm and maintain a nice, steady slow resting human heart rate instead of being erratic or too fast.鈥�
Kerstenn Marrero, a senior at James Madison University, signed up for the Music for Healing and Transition program after volunteering at Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community. Marrero is a music education major with a minor in music in human services. Marrero played her violin for the residents at VMRC once a week last spring. She was moved by the positive feedback from residents.
鈥淚 remember one day, it was me and a fellow student, and one of the residents came up to us and she told us, 鈥榊ou know, I actually felt that my blood pressure was lowering when you guys are playing,鈥� and we were super shocked, because music does wonders for people,鈥� Marrero said.
Relaxation
The soothing sound of the harp or violin can improve your health, according to Spears.
鈥淢usic played in a certain manner will help patients to relax. That might sound just kind of pretty or nice, but actually it has health benefits,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hen we relax, it helps our own natural healing, it helps, again, for our heart rate to come down by releasing endorphins into the body, which are natural painkillers. It鈥檚 all to provide a healing environment to patients.鈥�
To get the full healing effect, it鈥檚 important that the music is played live rather than a recording on a CD, Spears said. The 鈥渓oving presence鈥� of a musician in the room makes a difference, as well as being able to change the music depending on the patient鈥檚 condition.
鈥淭hirdly, when you listen to music live, you are actually not only listening with your ears, but the rest of your body is receiving the vibrations of the sound itself, the sound waves, and also receiving harmonics, different pitches that are similar to the fundamental or the main tone you鈥檙e hearing and that also has it鈥檚 own vibration, it鈥檚 own sound, it鈥檚 own energy,鈥� she said.
Harmonics can鈥檛 be picked up as well in recorded music, Spears said, because it鈥檚 impossible for machines to capture the wide variety of harmonics heard in live music.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 come in and poke at them or make them do something,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e just say sit back, relax and listen to music.鈥�
Rewarding Experience
Linda Morrison joined the program after retiring from a 32-year career as a dietitian at Sentara RMH Medical Center. She began taking harp lessons and was inspired to help others through testimonies of people at her church who benefited from the healing music.
Morrison, like the other students who finished module 3 last week, is both excited and nervous to start the practicum in the spring.
鈥淚t probably won鈥檛 be quite as nerve-racking for me because I鈥檓 so used to being in a hospital, but it鈥檒l be different,鈥� Morrison said. 鈥淚鈥檓 used to going in and talking to people about food.鈥�
One of the biggest challenges of the job is staying composed in the emotional, heartbreaking environment. Some patients will be nearing death and their family will be distraught.
鈥淭he emotional aspect of all that I鈥檓 sure will rub off. It鈥檒l be tough,鈥� Morrison said. 鈥淚 asked the last teacher we had, 鈥榃hat if you start crying?鈥� He said it鈥檚 OK, just keep playing. Wipe your face and keep playing.鈥�
But the reward that comes with providing a service to those in need takes precedence.
鈥淚 love [music] 鈥� it鈥檚 my life. … [It鈥檚 rewarding] to do something that will bring comfort to people. … [I]t鈥檚 fun to be able to go and play for people and try to play whatever styles of music that connect with them and give back to them that way,鈥� Wiedemann said.