News

After surviving stroke, man uses healing powers of music to recover

November 06, 2018 - 10:05 AM By Natalie Newport Music can be soothing for some, but a man in Nebraska says it gave him so much more. Ted Gray suffered a massive stroke not long ago and has been recovering ever since. The 57-year-old’s spinal cord was injured when he fell. When he underwent an operation, his carotid artery burst while on the table. "I was in the hospital on a ventilator for a while," Gray said. "I looked kind of bad. They didn't think I was going to make it." As he recovered in rehab, there was one thing that soothed his soul: music. It didn't take long for hospital staff to get wind of his love of sound, and they went the extra mile to bring the gift of music right to him. They......

Good vibrations: Survivors and families find healing through music therapy

November 01, 2018 - 10:05 AM When Shelley Cory got into a car accident a few years ago, her life dramatically changed. Not only did the accident put her in a coma for two and a half months, it also left her with a traumatic brain injury that impacted her ability to speak. Cory is now a client at Liberty Place, a Whitehall-based nonprofit that serves people with traumatic brain injuries. During Cory’s time at the facility, she surprised caseworkers one day when she told them she wanted to sing. She recalled singing to her sister when she was a child and wanted to recapture something that had once brought her joy. That’s when she struck up a partnership with David Parker, a music therapist at......

Rock Docs Bring Healing and Awareness

October 30, 2018 - 10:38 AM Unique Rock Band N.E.D. Helps Patients and Doctors Heal by Spotlighting Cancer Research and Treatment By Michele Sequeira | October 29, 2018 The words ‘no evidence of disease’ sound like the most beautiful music to people with cancer. It means the cancer no longer poses a threat to their health and happiness – and that the treatment they’ve undergone is helping their body keep the cancer at bay. So naturally, a band of musicians – who also happen to be gynecological cancer doctors – chose it as their name. And their music strikes chords with anyone affected by cancer. No Evidence of Disease (N.E.D.) started as a cover band at a......

20 Surprising, Science-Backed Health Benefits of Music

August 16, 2018 - 10:22 AM BY SCOTT CHRIST "One good thing about music, is when it hits you, you feel no pain." Judging from the quote above, Bob Marley was part poet, part scientist. That’s because there’s truth to his head-bobbing lyrics from the song Trenchtown Rock. Research suggests that music not only helps us cope with pain — it can also benefit our physical and mental health in numerous other ways. Read on to learn how listening to tunes can ramp up your health. Music can... Ease pain.Music can meaningfully reduce the perceived intensity of pain, especially in geriatric care, intensive care, or palliative medicine (an area of healthcare that focuses on preventing......

The Ultimate Guide To Stress Management

June 12, 2018 - 08:05 AM Did you know that 79% of us struggle with stress? It's undeniable, learning how to manage stress is a crucial skill in today's world. So in this guide, you'll learn everything you need to know about stress management. 1. What Is Stress? Whilst stress still affects many of us, our stress levels are declining overall, especially in the US. However, it's something everyone faces at some point in their life. Stress can be described as: "Emotional or mental tension in response to a stressor (e.g. work, school, relationship problems)."According to CBS News, the average stress level surveyed among Americans is 4.9 on a scale of 10. 22% of......

Why I Want to Change the World with Music Therapy - Erin Seibert

June 05, 2018 - 08:05 AM Erin Seibert describes the profession of music therapy in detail and how it deserves to be a household name within the world of healthcare. Erin highlights the reasons why music therapy is already changing the world one patient at a time and how increased inclusion of the profession will help healthcare progress.Check out her video here! Erin Copeland Seibert, MT-BC (Board-Certified Music Therapist) graduated with a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Therapy, with a concentration in vocal performance. Currently, she is pursuing her Master of Arts in Music Therapy through Berklee College of Music. She is also a member of the National Institute for Infant and Child Medical Music Therapy,......

Music Makes Dementia Patients Alive - Toshiro Mitsutomi

May 29, 2018 - 08:05 AM A professional flutist, Toshiro Mitsutomi, developed 3 tips to evoke dementia patients’ memory and their life successfully during his 40years career: 1) play close 2) play at the same eye level 3) looking in the eye while playing. He actually demonstrated it by performing his original composition in the TED audience. Music saves health care - Musicians play the role of nurse through the practice of music. Toshiro established the female orchestra “flumus" for the purpose of supporting female artists. He founded the Music Hope project which implements a variety of workshops that strengthen the ties of “music”, “body”, and “heart” through......

Is Listening to Music Good For Your Health?

May 26, 2018 - 08:05 AM If you’re looking for an easy way to transform your mood, cue the music. Studies have shown that music can buoy your mood and fend off depression. It can also improve blood flow in ways similar to statins, lower your levels of stress-related hormones like cortisol and ease pain. Listening to music before an operation can even improve post-surgery outcomes. How can music do so much good? Music seems to “selectively activate” neurochemical systems and brain structures associated with positive mood, emotion regulation, attention and memory in ways that promote beneficial changes, says Kim Innes, a professor of epidemiology at West Virginia......

10 Health Benefits of Music

May 24, 2018 - 08:05 AM Isn’t it interesting how hearing a particular song can bring back a special memory or make you feel happy or calm or pumped up? People are born with the ability to tell the difference between music and noise. Our brains actually have different pathways for processing different parts of music including pitch, melody, rhythm, and tempo. And, fast music can actually increase your heart rate, breathing, and blood pressure, while slower music tends to have the opposite effect. While the effects of music on people are not fully understood, studies have shown that when you hear music to your liking, the brain actually releases a chemical called dopamine that has positive effects......

How Music Can Heal Our Brain and Heart

April 30, 2018 - 09:25 PM Music therapy is an ancient and yet very modern practice that has the power to heal and transform our brains and bodies in significant ways. Kathleen Howland, speech language and music therapist explains how music really does have the power to heal our brain and heart. https://youtu.be/NlY4yCsGKXU Kathleen M. Howland is a certified music therapist and licensed speech language pathologist. For the past 30+ years, she has worked with a variety of clinical populations using music to enhance speech, language, cognition and movement in habilitation and rehabilitation settings. Her doctoral studies in music and cognition have informed and supported her interest in bridging the......

News

After surviving stroke, man uses healing powers of music to recover

Good vibrations: Survivors and families find healing through music therapy

Rock Docs Bring Healing and Awareness

20 Surprising, Science-Backed Health Benefits of Music

The Ultimate Guide To Stress Management

Why I Want to Change the World with Music Therapy - Erin Seibert

Music Makes Dementia Patients Alive - Toshiro Mitsutomi

Is Listening to Music Good For Your Health?

10 Health Benefits of Music

How Music Can Heal Our Brain and Heart

On Air

Find Us

The Team

Lora Cain

Ed Bazel

Terry Anderson

Julie Gates

Catherine Carter

Last photos

The River of Calm Livestream Holiday Concert 2020

The River of Calm Live Stream Concert March 2022 - Flutist Sherry Finzer

The River of Calm Holiday Live Stream Concert 2021

The River of Calm Live Stream Concert Series July 2021 - 10X1

The River of Calm Live Stream Concert Series March 2020 - David Nevue

Our Podcasts

The River of Calm Beyond The Music Podcast - Ed Bazel

The River of Calm - Beyond The Music Podcast - featuring Danielle Archer of The Artist Minds - Fear

The River of Calm - Beyond The Music Podcast - featuring Danielle Archer of The Artist Minds - Imposter Syndrome

The River of Calm Playlist - Study & Chill

The River of Calm Playlist - Chill Music To Study To

Contact us