The Soothing Power of Music When You're Sick
Monday, July 2, 2012 at 9:28AM
We don't need scientists to tell us that music can make us feel better under all sorts of circumstances. But it's still nice to hear, isn't it? From the Wall Street Journal:
[Gabrielle's Angel Foundation for Cancer Research] supports physician-scientists working in cancer research today. We fund junior investigators whose creative ideas might not otherwise be funded.
We are one of the largest sources of non-governmental grant support for blood cancer research in the nation. In addition to funding conventional medical research, we also provide support for integrative projects and select music therapy programs.
Music therapy offers patients and their families a way to cope with the difficulty of a cancer diagnosis, and a path to soothing the soul during a challenging time.
This summer, the Foundation will serve as a lead sponsor for a Scientific Symposium in collaboration with the University of New Mexico Cancer Research and Treatment Center and the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival in Santa Fe, New Mexico. This symposium will present research on how the development of the brain is influenced by and reacts to various forms of music, and how music can be used to promote healing in patients with serious medical conditions, specifically cancer. The goal is to understand how music can be applied in the art and practice of healing in medicine. I realized that funding these programs was important because I saw first-hand how deeply music had always moved Gabrielle.
Reader Comments (1)
On the other side of the coin is the health risks of too much sound... specifically noise. Noise control in health care environments is often neglected during design and construction phases because of the fear of added "unnecessary" expense.
http://news.nationalpost.com/2011/09/27/noise-of-ers-put-care-at-risk-study/