The "Let The Music Play On...And On...And On!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  That is until I re-read a story that I had found in an old Reader's Digest that was stuffed in one of my desk drawers.  The more I read...the more the tears began to flow from my eyes.  Then I thought to myself...this can't be!  Crying while reading a story in of all places...the Reader's Digest.  The title of the story was "When Music is Medicine" and it had to do with a patient at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto, Canada and a young musician named SarahRose Black.  The patient seemed to be struggling and was unwilling to engage with staff or be part of any activities.  The staff told SarahRose that the man was short and grumpy with them and they were wondering if she might be able to help.  He was about to have an upcoming procedure which included chemo and he was in need of soothing.  You see...SarahRose isn't a doctor or nurse, but a musician!  So, on a wintry Wednesday afternoon, she approached the patient and introduced herself.  She asked if she could sit, and offered to play some music.  "If you don't like it, you can tell me to leave," she told the patient.  After a bit of gentle urging, the 70-something man, who had lung cancer, told SarahRose a few of his classical composers that he enjoyed, but then turned away from her.  As she started to play one of his favorites, Bach, on her portable keyboard, the man's arms unfolded, and he turned toward her and started to cry.  SarahRose stopped the music. "Do you want me to continue?" she asked.  "Absolutely," he said through his tears.  SarahRose said, "It was as if the music went places that nothing else could.  He shared with me afterward that he had been holding in so much and had been unable to talk about anything, but the music showed up at a moment when it felt like a hug."  If you have ever felt that same spark of joy when a favorite song comes on your radio at just the right moment or wept along with a singer expressing heartache, you will understand the emotional resonance of music.  Now, a growing body of scientific evidence demonstrates that music can be medicinal, also.  A review of 400 research papers looking into the neurochemistry of music by psychologist and neuroscientist Daniel Levitin at McGill University found that playing and listening to music had mental and physical health benefits, including improving our immune systems and reducing stress.  WOW!!  Perhaps anxiety before a major surgery could be reduced by listening to music!  Another study conducted in 2018 at Barcelona's Hospital Del Mar found that patients participating in a music-therapy program experienced significant decreases in tiredness, anxiety and breathing difficulties, as well as an increase in feelings of well-being.  In 2019, the National Institutes of Health allocated $20 million for research in music therapy and neuroscience.  A session can be as unique as an individual's needs on a given day.  If a patient loves classical music, that's what SarahRose will play.  Maybe it's folk or jazz.  SarahRose said, "One woman spoke no English, but she taught me a Farsi folk song.  She'd sing a line, I'd sing it back, and then we were singing this beautiful song together.  SarahRose is gentle in her approach.  "I make it very clear that pre-existing musical experience or training isn't required.  If I were to ask, "What kind of music do you like?", that might be a difficult question to answer, so instead I ask what they want to feel."  If the goal is pain management, SarahRose might match the pace of her playing with the patient's breathing, and then gradually slow the music down which will give a calming effect to the patient.  Perhaps a patient might need help with their emotions from what they are going through or needs help with connecting with loved ones.  She can play music to help sooth them!  SarahRose said that "Sometimes the patient says, "I'm having such a profound experience.  I have no words!"  She knows from so many wonderful brain studies that music can trigger memories and touch parts of the brain that other mediums cannot.  SarahRose may only be a musician, but not many doctors can touch her when it comes to soothing the soul of those in pain.  Her music is the only way to do that!  Thank you so much SarahRose for your music and understanding.  I only hope that if I ever need help...you will be there for me...ready to play a soothing song for me!  Perhaps a Jimmy Buffett song might do the trick!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.