The Dangers Of Music Therapy

Music has existed for centuries and brought joy to millions of souls. It has ingrained itself into multiple cultures and bears the capability of emotionally moving people with a few strums of a guitar. Music does not only serve as an enjoyable activity to destress; it can become a beneficial tool to help patients cope with illnesses. How could people use such a simple device to help others? The answer is music therapy. Music therapy harnesses positivity and brings smiles to patients’ faces as well as everyone else around them; it has much more power than we give it credit for. This kind of therapy consists of using instruments to support the family and patient. It first got documented in 1789 “in an unsigned article in Columbian Magazine titled

"Music Physically Considered"” (“American Music Therapy Association”). Musical therapy slowly grew into something larger. It’s use has found it’s way into hospices and hospitals as part of their treatments. It can physically heal, soothe, and bond people with their loved ones while they support each other. Music has many benefits that can help people in difficult situations. Although many people listen to music as a benign activity, music therapy helps people cope with physical and emotional issues.
Granted, music therapy can turn harmful if used incorrectly.

Music therapy can harm patients by “triggering negative emotional associations” (Lillieth Grand, “Can Music Be Dangerous? YES!”). Music therapists cannot ensure the emotional safety of the patients; they could cause them more harm than already have to deal with. This occurs when certain patients, like dementia sufferers, do not have the capability of materializing their feeling, “[they] cannot coherently tell caregivers about their musical triggers” (Swayne, “The Dangers of Overestimating Music Therapy"). This can cause the patient to become agitated and upset which defeats the purpose of music therapy as a whole. This issue proves difficult to fix since the therapist does not truly know what would trigger the patient other than trial and error and suggestions from the patient’s family and friends. Although the patient appears to enjoy themselves, no one can verify that know for sure, “We hope that the patient is experiencing joy, but that joy can be laced with anxiety or even terror from being awakened by familiar sounds into an unfamiliar world” (Swayne). The therapist cannot guarantee that the person will enjoy all the music they listen to. Also using music can evoke false memories that may upset patients. The main priority should exist to protect the patients emotionally as well as physically. Evoking upsetting emotions in the patients can lead to increased agitation which would disrupt their

progress.
On the other hand, confronting emotions built up inside can have therapeutic properties,“It can help you get in touch with your emotions to help you heal.” (Deane Alban, "How Music Affects the Brain for the Better"). Some people have trouble dealing with traumatic events and purging them can help them emotionally feel lightened. Crying can heal those who still have not quite accepted their predicament. Music speaks for people when they cannot form the words to express themselves and everyone needs affirmations that they have people who support them. They need to know someone has gone through the same things they have and came out stronger than before. This kind of therapy proves successful since it does not invade a person’s personal boundaries; it leaves room for individuality, brings about a safe aura around it, and can be extremely comforting. The therapy cannot physically harm them. Music therapists have learned how to deal with patients and figure out how to make them more comfortable through schooling and real life experience. The motive of musical therapists does not consist of making patients’ lives more miserable, but more positive, “we use music to make your life better” (Merzenich). They want to bring joy into the world through their talent. Memories can come with different songs that the therapist may play and sometimes the patient develops false memories. This phenomenon remains perfectly normal since the brain naturally wants to fill in the missing pieces to a memory that a person does not quite remember. The memories the patient uncovers, that cause a physical reaction such as crying or shaking, can begin the process of healing suppressed issues or catharsis. Musical therapists have training in how to deal with these kinds of issues and turning them into a positive experience, which can have a beneficial impact on the person’s treatment course. Healing will help the person cope with the situation at hand instead of worrying about something else. They can instead focus all of their energy into healing their body and soul.
Music therapy has physical benefits that people do not always think about.

Dancing and singing can help someone who has trouble breathing or moving around since the music makes them want to move around. In Jake Sibley’s interview with a music therapist, Elizabeth Huss, Huss spoke about her patients and how she worked to help

them:
Well, often for older folks that have trouble breathing, we do a lot of singing to help their respiration. We do that a lot especially with pneumonia patients, because it helps keep the infection out of their lungs. If it settles to their lungs, it can kill them...Also, with my kids, we'll do a lot of singing to work on their speech abilities.
She uses her abilities to help physically soothe her patients as well as mentally making them joyous. Huss shows that she puts thought into every activity she does for her patients and caters them to their specific need. According to Catherine Ulbricht’s article “Music Therapy for Health and Wellness”: “Music therapy may also decrease the risk of heart or brain diseases in elderly dementia patients”. Ulbricht shows the many benefits music therapy has that can become overlooked by those misinformed. Music therapy does not solely consist of making a person laugh, it has a strong purpose to serve in the healing and comforting aspect of a disease. Also music has a peaceful effect on people, visibly calming people. In Lillieth Grand’s article, the patient relaxes due to the music played:
As soon as I started playing the music that would work to help him relax, he let out a huge sigh and visibly relaxed. His heart rate lowered to normal in less than three minutes and his oxygen saturation rate went from 82% to 96% and remained stable.
The patient physically improved more than any other treatment could have. Music can physically support someone without further agitating them, given the right approach. Ablan brings up the point that this kind of therapy helps with depression, anxiety, and discomfort while it supports brain processes and the general condition of the person’s life. When listening or playing music, the person has lower stress hormones. Stress rules as the root to many issues like anxiety, and when it gets eliminated, the issues related to stress gets solved.