The video above is a wonderful Tedx Talk of Dr. Deforia Lane presenting on Music Therapy and Medicine. She is an acclaimed music therapist who founded the University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland, OH where she is the Director of Art & Music Therapy. She has been practicing music therapy for approximately four decades. She and her creative arts team oversees their 1000-bed hospital. They have developed a strong rapport with the staff there, and they are constantly doing music therapy research to find ways to add to their work environment.
In this talk, she tells the stories of some the amazing therapy sessions she’s experienced over the years. There’s no use in repeating them for you to read here because the way she relays them is the only way to hear it. There’s one thing that all the stories have in common though; music is the powerful defining factor that can make a true difference.
She also shares her personal battle with breast cancer. She made the decision that as a music therapist that she would use her knowledge of music therapy to help herself. She had specific goals of needing to relax, and so she used recorded music to help her calm down and fall asleep. She also admits to having a difficult time coping with her situation and then goes on to use songwriting to get her thoughts and feelings down on paper.
There’s no denying that music therapy can show tremendous results in varying scenarios, whether it’s in the hospital or not. Her presentation is a must watch!