Music therapy: an exceptional remedy4 reading minutes

Le Regard Libre N° 31 - Hélène Lavoyer

Used today in many hospitals and practices, music therapy can improve the quality of life of people suffering from depression, but not only; rhythms and sounds help patients suffering from schizophrenia to re-establish communication with the outside world, Alzheimer's sufferers to recover memories they thought they'd forgotten forever, and alleviate certain symptoms of autism.

A timeless success

In 1729, in Medicina Musica, Richard Browne's first theory describing the use of music in the medical field was published in his book «The Music of the World». However, he was by no means the first to think of its usefulness. Music, in the form of drumming or singing, has been part of human daily life for a very long time. In the Bible, King Saul was cured of an evil spirit by David, who came to play the harp for him. The ancient Greeks, who studied music as a mathematical science, already saw its benefits in regulating passions and moods, but not only that! For thousands of years, music has been present in every corner of the globe, healing and "softening the mood". Amerindian shamanism, too, gives rhythmic circles a special place.

A study born of reflections on rhythmic circles was conducted by Barry Bittman, an American neurologist. The results showed that the use of drums, tam-tams or djembes helps, among other things, to lower cortisol levels in the body. This hormone, if present in excessive quantities, is a stimulant of stress and anxiety. The experiment also showed an increase in so-called «killer» lymphocytes, tiny partner cells of the immune system that play a decisive role in cancer treatment.

Active practice

To find out more about this therapy and how it works in practice, we contacted Yves Gaudin, a music therapist with a diploma from the University of Montpellier. He explains that this practice «has no founding father». For him, it is «the privileged means of accessing the unconscious», as music therapy lies between the non-verbal and the verbal. The aim is to calmly reach the unconscious, enabling it to express itself later in words, in a therapy based on language. The body, too, plays an important role in music therapy: it's the therapist's understanding of the patient's gestures and way of occupying space that enables him or her to engage in a «sonic dialogue».

A range of possibilities

The essence of music, made up of «pitch, intensity, timbre and emotion», acts on a biological level, creating new neural networks. These qualities enable music therapy to be approached in two ways: the patient can be «active», owning and expressing himself through his instrument, or «receptive». Whether it's playing or listening, music therapy has proven its worth today, and its practice is growing. Come to think of it, as Yves Gaudin would say, «everything is music».

But some sounds resonate with us more than others. But does our favorite musical genre influence our mood and attitude? According to Yves Gaudin, who recalls the words of an old teacher - «Tell me what you listen to, I'll tell you who you are.» - the answer is yes. However, he insists on the usefulness of any musical style: «you can also start, for example, by listening to fast music (if you're stressed), and then go through different music to end with something calm (which therefore corresponds to the state you're looking for).»

In this way, any object can become a means of expression in music therapy. In this field, percussion instruments are used just as much as flutes and stringed instruments. Those of you in the know will already have noticed the appearance of a new favorite: the «hang», or «handpan», an instrument born in the year 2000... in Switzerland. Often compared to a turtle shell because of its curved shape, the handpan produces sounds of astonishing purity, and listening to and playing it brings instant relaxation to many. Whether brushed or struck, the handpan reacts to touches of varying intensity, remaining in tune with them, and thus becomes a wordless means of expressing the most serene as well as the most animated emotions.

Reminiscence

Psychosis, neurosis, pain, relaxation: music therapy can treat or at least soothe the symptoms of almost any pathology. Lately, it's been its effects on Alzheimer's sufferers that have been the talk of the town. Although there is currently no cure for this degenerative disease, music therapy appears to have encouraging results. Unlike language or other activities, music does not act on a specific area of the brain. In the researchers' view, it is possible for memories to be stored both in an area damaged by the disease and in a healthy one. In this way, the creation of new neuronal channels by music could encourage the rediscovery of precious moments. A reminiscence.

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