THE BLESSINGS OF MUSIC
by James Schaller C.M.P.
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“MY FATHER ABUSED ME, WE HAVEN’T SPOKEN IN YEARS, HE’S DYING. NOW I KNOW WHAT I CAN DO….I CAN TAKE HIM MUSIC.”
That was the comment that I received after my Mentoring Seminar from a young woman in tears. I never expected that kind of response. Yet I’ve heard that type of emotionally strong response from many who have read and used THE BLESSINGS OF MUSIC.
When I first began to play at the bedside as a Music Practitioner I saw that the need far outstripped the supply of trained therapeutic musicians available. I could only play for a few hours a day…….and what about during the night? What could a patient or caregiver use in the middle of the night?
At the same time I had the growing awareness that most people have little experience visiting with seriously ill people. When the time comes for them to visit often they postpone going….sometimes until it’s too late!
Over and over I heard, “We wanted to go and visit, but we didn’t know what to say.” “We just felt useless, like there was nothing we could do.” I think the final straw for me was when a husband and wife (both outstanding musicians) did not go and visit their friend (another musician!) because they did not know how to visit with a person who was greivouly ill. They thought the music would be upsetting (they were not Metallica : - )
I knew what was needed:
- Give people basic visitation skills i.e. what to say and what not to say.
- Explain in layman terms how music affects our physiology.
- Design music that is appropriate for any type of situation you might encounter when visiting with someone.
50% of NURSING HOME RESIDTENTS RECEIVE NO VISITORS!
That’s right! Studies have shown that a high percentage of residents do not receive visitors. Often the reason is that family members feel uncomfortable and don’t know what to say or do.
THE BLESSINGS OF MUSIC provides you with the knowledge and confidence to visit with someone who is ill AND leads you through the process of introducing therapeutic music to that person.
WHAT MAKES MUSC THERAPEUTIC?
Music that is specifically designed to:
- Reduce anxiety which aggravates pain
- Facilitate deep rest
- Distract from pain and complements other pain treatments
- Elevate the immune system
- Lower and stabilize blood pressure
- Lower the breath and heart rate for better rest
- Soothe and comfort your mind and nurture your spirit
Much of the ‘relaxation’ music out there has been created by studio composers/musicians with no clinical experience, and a fair amount of ‘clinical’ music sounds…..well….’clinical’. THE BLESSINGS OF MUSIC combines and delivers the highest artistic expression and performance by a Music Practitioner with thousands of hours of bedside experience in a very intimate one-to-one setting.
THE BLESSINGS OF MUSIC suggests ideas for conversation and readings. You will discover how to read inspirational material along with the music. Many have read this booklet while traveling to visit a sick family member and written later to tell us how the experience they had feared had instead turned into a beautiful, nurturing experience for themselves and the person they visited.
LEAVE THE SOUSAPHONE AT HOME
If you play an instrument, you’ll find basic ideas and on how you can take your instrument to the bedside and provide a music experience that blesses everyone. I’ve seen many types of instruments effectively used in this work from mountain dulcimer to viola de gamba. You will also find great ideas on how to improvise on any piece of music even if you’ve had no experience improvising!
THE BLESSINGS OF MUSIC is available for download as a pdf.
Thank you very much for introducing us to The Blessings of Music. The music is wonderful and the booklet is very informative.
Barbara Spring, Life's End Institute: Missoula Demonstration Project
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