Symphony of science - music therapy in health care: Carly Flaagan at TEDxGrandForks

Summary

The speaker fondly recalls the song 'Fishing in the Dark' as a cherished family memory, highlighting music's profound impact on life's moments. They delve into music therapy's role in healthcare, illustrating its evolution from social science to neuroscience, and its potential in rehabilitation. A vivid example of interprofessional collaboration in a 'Toddler Language Circle' demonstrates music's therapeutic power. The talk concludes with a compelling live demonstration of music therapy, emphasizing music's multimodal stimulation of the brain and advocating for a holistic, interdisciplinary approach to healthcare.

Takeaways

• 🎶 The song 'Fishing in the Dark' holds sentimental value for the speaker, symbolizing love, family, and good times.
• 🌌 The speaker associates the song with various family events, such as camping trips, wedding dances, and celebrations, highlighting the role of music in creating happy memories.
• 🎵 Music is described as being omnipresent in human life, from birth to death, and is a universal part of every culture.
• 💡 The power of music is recognized for its potential in therapy, with a history that dates back to pre-literate civilizations.
• 🧠 Music therapy is presented as a systematic intervention process that uses musical experiences to help clients achieve health goals, affecting cognitive, physical, emotional, and behavioral aspects.
• 🤝 The importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in healthcare is emphasized, with music therapy being a relatively new and important addition to the field.
• 🌉 The challenges of integrating music therapy into an interdisciplinary healthcare approach are discussed, including the need for effective communication and mutual respect among professionals.
• 👩‍⚕️ The speaker shares a personal experience of collaborating with speech-language pathologists in a clinical practicum, illustrating how music can be adapted to meet specific therapeutic goals.
• 🎤 An example of using music therapy to help children with language delays is given, where a song is modified to practice a target word, demonstrating the practical application of music in therapy.
• 🥁 A live demonstration of music therapy is provided, showing how playing drums to a beat can help a patient recover from a stroke by working on specific motor skills.
• 🌟 The multimodal nature of music therapy, involving visual, auditory, and tactile stimulation, is explained as a way to engage the brain and facilitate rehabilitation.
• 🌈 The speaker envisions a future healthcare system that includes music therapy as a standard part of a holistic approach to treating the whole person.

Q & A

What is the significance of the song 'Fishing in the Dark' in the speaker's family?

The song 'Fishing in the Dark' holds a special place in the speaker's family as it is associated with good times and happiness. It has been played during camping trips, wedding dances, and celebrations, creating a sense of love, family, and belonging.

Why did the speaker choose 'Fishing in the Dark' for the celebration honoring their uncle Tim?

The speaker chose 'Fishing in the Dark' for the celebration honoring their uncle Tim because it is a song that brings back fond memories and is associated with positive emotions and family unity, making it an ideal choice for a celebratory event.

What is the role of music therapy in the current healthcare system?

Music therapy is an emerging healthcare profession that uses musical experiences and the relationships developed through them as dynamic forces for change. It is becoming an important part of healthcare, addressing health goals in various realms such as cognitive, physical, emotional, and behavioral.

How has the practice of music therapy evolved over the years?

The practice of music therapy has evolved from a social science into neuroscience, focusing on how music engages and changes the brain. This has allowed for a more systematic approach to using music as a therapeutic medium.

What is the importance of interprofessional collaboration in healthcare?

Interprofessional collaboration in healthcare is crucial for taking a holistic approach to treatment. It allows different medical professionals to work together, using their unique skills and understanding to address the needs of the patient more effectively.

What was the purpose of the 'Toddler Language Circle' (TLC) program mentioned in the script?

The purpose of the 'Toddler Language Circle' (TLC) program was to provide a collaborative environment where music therapy students and speech-language pathology students worked together to address the language goals of children with delays, using music as a tool and motivator.

How did the music therapy students adapt their interventions to fit the needs of the shared clients in the TLC program?

The music therapy students adapted their interventions by taking the language goals designed by the speech-language pathology students and incorporating them into music activities. For example, changing a word in a song to a target word chosen by the speech-language pathologists.

What is the role of rhythm in music therapy and why is it important?

Rhythm plays a significant role in music therapy as it stimulates the brain to move to the beat. Humans are naturally wired with rhythm, and rhythmic musical cues allow the brain to anticipate and predict movement, which can be used therapeutically to improve motor skills.

How did the speaker demonstrate the practical application of music therapy on stage?

The speaker demonstrated the practical application of music therapy on stage by engaging a volunteer in a role-play scenario where they acted as a patient who had suffered a stroke. They used the patient's favorite song and a drumming activity to work on upper extremity movement and crossing the midline with the affected arm.

What is the multimodal aspect of music therapy and how does it benefit the brain?

The multimodal aspect of music therapy involves the combination of visual, auditory, and tactile stimulation. This engages different senses and creates a more stimulating environment for the brain, which can aid in rehabilitation and the formation of new neural pathways.

What is the speaker's vision for the future of healthcare in terms of music therapy?

The speaker envisions a future where collaboration between medical professionals increases and strengthens, promoting a more interdisciplinary approach to healthcare. They hope to see music therapy recognized and integrated as an essential part of holistic healthcare, addressing the musical aspects of every individual.

Outlines

00:00

🎶 The Power of Music in Life's Celebrations and Therapy

The first paragraph introduces the song 'Fishing in the Dark' as a cherished tune associated with family memories and joyous occasions. The song's role in the narrator's life is highlighted, from camping trips to family celebrations, symbolizing love, family, and belonging. The paragraph transitions into the therapeutic use of music, tracing its history from ancient civilizations to modern neuroscience, which studies how music engages and alters the brain. Music therapy is presented as an intervention that can address various health goals, from cognitive to emotional and behavioral aspects. The growing importance of music therapy in healthcare is emphasized, alongside the need for interdisciplinary collaboration among different medical professionals.

05:01

🤝 Interprofessional Collaboration in Music Therapy

The second paragraph delves into the concept of interprofessional education and collaboration, using music therapy as a case study. It recounts a successful program called 'Toddler Language Circle' (TLC), where music therapy students worked alongside speech-language pathology students to address language delays in children. The initial challenges of unfamiliarity and the subsequent development of a strong working relationship are discussed. A specific example of adapting a children's song to incorporate a target word for speech therapy is provided, illustrating how music can be a powerful tool for meeting therapeutic goals. The paragraph concludes with a call for increased collaboration in healthcare, advocating for a holistic approach that includes music therapy.

10:02

🌟 The Future of Holistic Healthcare with Music

The final paragraph envisions a future where healthcare professionals work together more closely, with music therapy playing a central role in a holistic approach to patient care. It emphasizes the interconnectedness of physical, social, emotional, and behavioral aspects of human health and the importance of addressing these comprehensively. The paragraph concludes with a hopeful message about the potential of music to enhance healthcare, suggesting that the integration of music therapy could lead to more effective and complete treatment for individuals.

Keywords

💡Fishing in the Dark

This is a song that serves as a central theme in the video, symbolizing family, love, and good times. It is a musical piece that the narrator's family associates with happiness and has been a part of various family events such as camping trips and wedding dances. The song is used to illustrate the power of music to evoke memories and emotions, and it is also played at a celebration honoring the narrator's uncle Tim.

💡Music Therapy

Music therapy is defined as the systematic process of intervention where a therapist uses music to help clients achieve health, addressing goals in cognitive, physical, emotional, and behavioral realms. The video discusses the evolution of music therapy from a social science to neuroscience, highlighting its importance in the current healthcare system. It is presented as a powerful tool for positive outcomes, with the potential to change brain pathways and rehabilitate physical abilities.

💡Interdisciplinary Healthcare

Interdisciplinary healthcare refers to an approach where various medical professionals collaborate to provide comprehensive care. The video emphasizes the importance of including music therapists in this collaborative model, suggesting that music therapy can offer unique benefits to patients. It is presented as a shift from traditional professional silos towards a more holistic and integrated treatment approach.

💡Cognitive

Cognitive in the context of the video relates to mental processes such as memory, attention, and problem-solving. Music therapy is shown to have cognitive benefits, aiding in the rehabilitation of brain function, especially in cases like stroke patients who may have cognitive impairments.

💡Emotional

The emotional aspect of music therapy is highlighted through its ability to evoke feelings and memories. The video uses the song 'Fishing in the Dark' to demonstrate how music can trigger emotional responses and be a source of comfort and joy, particularly in the context of family celebrations and personal milestones.

💡Behavioral

Behavioral refers to actions and responses that can be modified or shaped. In the video, music therapy is shown to have a behavioral impact, such as when it is used to motivate and encourage physical movement in patients recovering from strokes, helping them to regain motor skills.

💡Rhythm

Rhythm is a fundamental aspect of music that involves the organized pattern of sounds in time. The video explains how rhythmic musical cues are powerful because our brains are naturally trained to recognize and anticipate rhythm, which can be harnessed in music therapy to stimulate movement and rehabilitation.

💡Multimodal

Multimodal in the context of the video refers to the use of multiple感官 modalities in music therapy, such as visual (seeing the drum), auditory (hearing the beat), and tactile (feeling the drumstick hit the drum). This multimodal stimulation is said to be particularly effective in engaging the brain and facilitating rehabilitation.

💡Stroke

A stroke is a medical condition where the blood supply to part of the brain is interrupted or reduced, leading to brain tissue damage. In the video, a role-play scenario illustrates how music therapy can be used to help a patient recovering from a stroke, specifically focusing on rehabilitating arm movement.

💡Client-Centered

Client-centered therapy emphasizes the importance of tailoring treatment to the individual's preferences and needs. The video mentions that patient preference is crucial, as seen when the music therapist uses the patient's favorite song to motivate and engage them in therapy, making the session more effective and enjoyable.

💡Interprofessional Education (IPE)

Interprofessional education refers to when students from different healthcare professions learn together to improve collaboration and understand each other's roles. The video describes a successful example of IPE called 'Toddler Language Circle,' where music therapy students work with speech-language pathology students to address the language goals of young clients.

Highlights

The song 'Fishing in the Dark' holds sentimental value for the speaker's family, being associated with good times and happiness.

Music has a pervasive presence in our lives, from lullabies to the end of life, and is integral to every culture.

Music therapy has been traced back to pre-literate civilizations and continues to evolve with advancements in neuroscience.

Music therapy is a systematic process that uses musical experiences and relationships to aid in achieving health goals.

The current healthcare system is moving towards an interdisciplinary approach, with music therapy being a recent addition.

Effective collaboration between healthcare professionals requires clear communication, understanding, and respect for each role.

The 'Toddler Language Circle' (TLC) is an example of successful interprofessional education involving music therapy and speech-language pathology.

Adapting music interventions to meet the specific needs of clients can lead to effective and engaging therapy sessions.

The multimodal nature of music therapy, involving visual, auditory, and tactile stimulation, makes it a powerful tool for brain engagement.

Rhythmic musical cues are effective in rehabilitation because our brains are naturally wired to recognize and anticipate rhythm.

Music therapy can help restore a sense of normalcy to patients' lives by rehabilitating motor functions affected by conditions like stroke.

The speaker advocates for a holistic approach to healthcare that includes music therapy to address the multifaceted nature of human health.

Music therapy can be a powerful medium for positive outcomes, with the potential to be integrated into various healthcare settings.

The speaker shares a personal anecdote of using music therapy with a patient post-stroke to improve upper extremity movement.

The importance of patient preference in music therapy is emphasized to make sessions client-centered and effective.

The speaker envisions a future where music therapy is more widely recognized and integrated into interdisciplinary healthcare teams.

Music's ability to speak in situations where words fail highlights its unique role in communication and emotional expression.

Transcripts

you are not going fishing in the dark

not effect just count the stars where

the cool grass grows Oh down by the

river

life will be fun in love

the night just moving slow stay in the

whole night through feels so good to be

with

thank you growing up my family and I

always listened to the song I just

played fishing in the dark we listened

to it at camping trips wedding dances

and celebrations and is one of the songs

that we associate with good times and

Happiness because of this I chose the

song to play it a celebration honoring

my uncle Tim recently in which a large

portion of my family would be at I

wasn't surprised when after the first

few notes my family members started

smiling

seconds later a clap started my Aunt

Mary started booty shakin I think soon

the rest of my family was singing along

just hearing the song brings back

memories of roasting marshmallows over

the campfire and laughing with my

cousins for me the song is more than a

musical selection it's about love family

and belonging look back at your life and

think about how many moments music

played a part in making whether it be

graduations celebrations wedding dances

or sporting events music has been with

us from the lullaby to the dirt whether

it was the first song that played at

your wedding or a song that reminds you

of someone you lost music is with us

from the cradle to the grave from the

first views a few days of life to old

age music is so pervasive that it is a

part of every culture because music is

so ubiquitous in our lives it has power

power that can be used for positive

outcomes as a therapeutic medium in fact

the use of music as therapy can be

traced back to pre literate

civilizations and antiquity to

present-day

the use of music as therapy in the past

session in the past years have a vault

has evolved from a social science into

neuroscience the science of music how it

engages and then changes the brain which

can aid in a wide variety of goals in

many realms such as cognitive physical

emotional behavioral etc etc music

therapy the systematic process of

intervention wherein the therapist helps

the client to achieve health using

musical experiences and the

relationships that develop through them

as dynamic forces of change or in other

words using music to help people the

wide variety of special needs means that

music therapy is becoming an important

part of healthcare today

in our current healthcare system we have

a wide variety of medical professions

just to name a few we have physicians

speech-language pathologists

occupational therapists physical

therapists social workers dentists and

of course music therapists

long gone are the days of you know

professionalism when doctors made house

calls administer treatments and were on

the way to the next patient now is

there's a push towards health care

becoming interdisciplinary and we are

starting to take a more holistic

approach towards treatment there's still

room for improvement namely the

inclusion of music therapy because music

therapy is one of the more recent

healthcare professions to emerge there

are still many bridges to cross when it

comes to including it an

interdisciplinary healthcare one of the

longest and for us North Dakotans iciest

bridges Savalas communication in order

to collaborate with your colleagues you

have to be able to communicate your role

to them and to understand their role you

have to be able to discuss your shared

client's needs with the same terminology

and most importantly have respect for

each other and each other's profession I

had the opportunity to collaborate with

students training to become

speech-language pathologists at a

clinical practicum explain placement I

had and I want to tell you about an

example of successful interprofessional

education I was a part of called toddler

language circle or TLC so TLC is this

group of about six children all adorable

of course who have some form of language

delay they were working with three

speech language pathology students and

their speech language pathology

supervisor and I would come along with

my co facilitator Jamie and our music

therapy supervisor dr. night once a week

the idea was that we the music therapy

students would address the goals that

the SLP students had designed for their

clients but using music as a tool and

motivator to do so and I'm gonna tell

you at first it was a little rocky

because we just didn't know what to do

with each other we weren't used to the

idea of working together but as soon as

the SLP saw that we took their goals

seriously and we were able to adapt our

music interventions to fit our shared

clients needs and we saw that the SLP s

were able and willing to help us model

the behavior for the kids a really

beautiful working relationship blossomed

so an example

one of the adaptations that we make in a

session is changing a word in a song to

a target word that SOPs had chosen one

of our first sessions we were working on

the top on the word tiny with the kids

so I started singing the children's song

roll over but instead of singing there

were five in the bed and the little one

said I changed it to there were five in

the bed and the tiny one said after a

few times of singing this I made one

simple change after the kids had learned

the song and learned the words and

actions it went like this there were

five in the bed and the one said that

allowed the kids to use the music as a

prompt to practice saying the word

effectively reaching their goal of

saying tiny and they all did and I was

so exciting and profound so now that

I've told you about an example of

collaboration between medical

professionals medical professions I want

to show you an example on stage so I

need someone to come on stage with me

and I promise it'll be fun

any takers just you can use either these

stairs of these stairs Oh terrific

I get to be the music therapist and

you'll act out the role of the patient

hello and I'm very sorry but you just

had a stroke that damaged the left

hemisphere of your brain what's your

name lon Ellingson and normally I would

know his name and I'm going to act as if

this is our second session together so

hello again lon today I came with your

physical therapist Ross to work on some

upper extremity movement together he

says that in your last session you were

working on crossing the midline with

your Hemi paretic arm meaning the arm

that was damaged in your stroke this

what in your case being the right so

what's your favorite song song lawn

ryan' fishing in the dark

patient preference is very important

it's all about making the session client

centered so your favorite song is every

day of a Buddy Holly so what I want you

to do is I'm gonna hold these drums up

one of the time and I want you to use

the arm you have it in the right arm

that was damaged by your stroke and hit

the paddle drums to the beat and I'm

gonna give you a few measures so you can

get used to the feel of the song and

then be ready for when they go up okay

every day

it's sucking in closer moving faster

than a roller coaster love like yours

will surely come my way

ah hey ah hey hey yeah that was a trick

thank you long you've been great so on a

superficial level it may look as if

we're just having fun playing paddle

drums together and that's true we are

having fun but we don't need the client

to be a great paddle drum player what we

are working on is the non musical goal

of crossing the midline we're using

music to rehabilitate and change the

pathways in his brain so that we can

rehabilitate his arm that way when he's

doing something such as making breakfast

in the morning he'll be able to reach

across his midline and grab some cereal

over here some tea over here and have

some sense of normalcy returned to his

life the reason why were cannot musical

the reason why this activity is so

stimulating to the brain is because we

it's multimodal we have the visual the

drum the auditory the sound of the

mallet hitting the drum and the tactile

stimulation the actual feeling of the

connection between the mallet and the

drum for this intervention to work well

the therapist and the client have to

pick us has to pick a song with a clear

beat in it that way it will stimulate

the brain to move to the rhythm human

beings are wired with rhythm think

heartbeat breath sleep cycles and the

reason why rhythmic musical cues and

songs are so powerful is because our

brains are naturally

trained to recognize that rhythm think

how easily you tap your toes to a song

that you love with the good beat the

space between each beat or period gives

the brain a chance to anticipate and

predict when the next beat will fall

allowing your muscles to get ready to

move

hans christian andersen once said where

words fail music speaks that is true but

why wait for the words to fail one man

called music therapist everywhere is to

say that music speaks in all kinds of

situations a holistic approach to health

care should address and include music

since music is a part of everyone our

physical social emotional behavioral

selves are all aspects of human beings

that do not work alone

rather they're intertwined and complex

in today's healthcare we are still

working towards these goals in

tomorrow's health care I want to see

collaboration between medical

professionals increase and strengthen to

promote a stronger interdisciplinary

approach to health care a tomorrow where

we view our clients as whole people and

address the musical aspects of everybody

and hopefully that can start with a song

thank you