11 Quotes That Get At The Heart Of Music Therapy

Words From Those Who Heal and Have Healed

We’ve all experienced that indescribable sensation when listening to music. We listen to a sad tune when we need to let it out, an uplifting beat when we feel joyful, and ambient sounds when we need to soothe ourselves. If it’s possible to feel so much through music alone, imagine what can happen when adding therapy to the mix. ‍

Music therapy is an up-and-coming set of mental health work that’s becoming increasingly popular. Using music, therapists offer a free-flowing experience to help soothe their patients. This might mean playing music for patients, teaching them to play, or simply experimenting with sounds that evoke feelings. Of course, there are also specific goals one might have when seeking out music therapy.

Some of these might include increasing one’s ability to express themselves, relax, acquire new coping skills, etc. 

Music therapy has also been shown to be effective physically as well as psychologically. It can aid in pain reduction, stress reduction, and increasing brain activity in people who live with neurological disorders.

Music therapy is special because it meets these goals by connecting us to the part of ourselves that receives feelings.

Here are ten quotes that capture music's healing power:

1. “Music can lift us out of depression or move us to tears- it’s a remedy, a tonic, orange juice for the ear. But for many of my neurological patients, music is even more--it can provide access, even when no medication can, to movement, to speech, to life. For them, music is not a luxury, but a necessity.”

           --Oliver Sacks, neurology professor, best-selling author, and physician

2. “Imagination is tapping into the subconscious in a form of open play. That is why art or music therapy, which encourages a person to take up brushes and paint or an instrument, and just express themselves, is so powerful.”

         --Phil ‘Philosofree’ Cheney, author of multiple books including Energizing Your Life and Brion and Freya

3. “Music should be a part of every analysis”

        --C.G. Jung, world renowned psychoanalyst

4. “Listening to music has a positive impact on our health, by helping us recover faster when we experience stress, and through the reduction of the stress hormone cortisol, to help us achieve a calm state or homeostasis.” 

       --Alex Doman, Music Producer and author of Healing at the Speed of Sound

5. “Music can heal the wounds that medicine cannot touch.”

        --Debasish Mrihda

6. “When words fail, music speaks.”

       --Hans Christian Anderson, prominent fairy-tale author

This couldn’t be more true. Music therapy provides a medium for those who have trouble expressing their emotions through words. In certain terms, music  therapy allows an alternative ‘language’ for those seeking it out.

7. “As a music therapist, having produced an album about the human condition--about anxiety, ADD, and the whole spectrum of what we’re doing, it’s...it’s just such an honor to create art that does more than entertain.”

      --Jon Samson, Music Therapist accepting a Grammy for his work on the album, Ageless: Songs for the Child Archetype.‍

This is an important moment for both Samson and the music therapy field, to say the least. Getting recognized by the highest music award organization provides an opportunity for visibility. People who may never have heard of music therapy may now open themselves up to the concept, bringing it further into the mainstream. 

8. “Music is the only thing we can engage with that activates every part of our brain.”

       --Dr. Annie Heiderscheit, Music therapist

       Since music lights up both sides of the brain, one can imagine music therapy to be healing in a way that is unique to the treatment modality. 

9. “Music has always been a matter of energy to me, a question of Fuel. Sentimental people call it inspiration, but what they really mean is Fuel.” 

       --Hunter S. Thompson, American Journalist and author.

       This point emphasizes the point of music being a driving force for growth. Music can be used as medicine for things as common as everyday stress, to our deepest pain.

10.  “In a world full of separation, anger, prejudice, fear, judgement and pain, perhaps by expanding our familiar musical tastes we could slowly develop a listening ear for others who may not fit into our comfortable genres.” 

       --Amy Camie, breast cancer survivor and classically-trained harpist

11. “Music can be a profound step in the exploration of self, in the conscious act of honest reflection that goes by many names--mindfulness, meditation, self-discovery, self-empowerment, and enlightenment.”  

      --Amy Camie, cont’d‍

As an entity, music has the power to heal us daily. Whether listening after a long day of work or in a hospital setting, it has therapeutic value that differs from so many treatment options available. Music therapy is still largely considered niche, but it’s slowly taking its rightful place on the psychological stage. If you’re looking for ways to soothe everyday stress or activate joy, check out Incadence for more information!

Edited by Cara Jernigan at incandence