Deforia Lane Music Therapy

Summary: Music Therapy and Medicine

Arghya das

The TED talk, “Music therapy & medicine: a dynamic partnership,” begins with Deforia Lane, a music therapist, explaining one of her first experiences in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) where she provided stimulation to a fetus within the womb of a 20-year old mother who was brain dead through the use of Music Therapy. In this case, the child responded to Lane’s singing from before birth and after birth. After birth, music therapy seemed to help the child deal with stress caused by the environment of the incubator.

Deforia Lane (2016) then went on to share the stories of other clients like Mr. Z, the client that needed a laryngectomy, resulting in complete ability to sing. As a singer, Lane thought it would be

In 1984, when she was diagnosed with breast cancer, music often times helped her relax and get sleep. Which is also supports the research that shoes that those that undergo breast biopsy have reduced levels of anxiety through the use of Music Therapy. In this case, for the Music Therapist herself.

The information shared by Deforia Lane can be supported by the article, “Health Benefits of Music Therapy,” by Peterson Family Foundation (2016). This article highlights the physiological improvements in patients by improving respiration, lowering blood pressure, improving cardiac output, reduce heart rates, and lastly, relaxes muscle tension. Music provides musical stimulus and rhythmic structure to assist in the process. Peterson Family Foundation (2016) states that Music therapy, in addition, has many mental benefits by relieving some common effects of stress like: headaches, muscle tension, fatigue, sleep problems, etc. Which in turn cause a decrease in anxiety, sadness, depression, anger, social withdrawal, and so on. The positive changes music can bring about in an individual’s daily life is