Music Therapy Maven » emotions

Book Review: Why We Like Music

Kimberly — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 03:06:46 +0000

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I am super-excited to share with you a book recently introduced to me: Why We Like Music: Ear, Emotion, Evolution. The book was originally published in Italy about 5 years. It has been translated into English by Stephen Thomson Moore and released just two months ago by New World Media.

Here’s the short version of this review: If you love reading Levitin, then you’ll love reading this book! I think it’s a must-read for any music therapist…and for anyone who is interested in why it is music touches us so deeply.

Here’s the longer review…

The author is science writer Silvia Bencivello. According to her bio, Ms. Bencivello is not only a writer, but also a radio and TV personality with a background in medicine. Which tells me–and which is apparent in her book–that she knows what she is talking about…and knows how to talk about it in an engaging and easy-to-read fashion.

What was especially interesting to me was that Why We Like Music not only nicely summarizes the music neuroscience research from the 1990s and early 2000s, but it also goes more deeply into music’s role in our evolution. In fact, Bencivello pulls together research not just from evolutionary psychology, but also animal research, neuroscience, and infant development.

Better yet, Bencivello doesn’t just summarize the research, but she interprets it and describes it in an accessible way. With lots of stories and anecdotes along the way to boot.

The biggest down-side to this book is that it didn’t get published in English sooner! And what if she had written it this year? Who knows what Bencivello would have had to say about all the fabulous music neuroscience research that has happened over the past 5 years.

In short, I highly, highly recommend this book if you are professionally or personally interested in why we like and respond to music. It’s available in print and Kindle edition on Amazon, as well as in the Apple iBookstore.

I leave you, then, with an excerpt from the book…What do you think?

——————————————————————————————-

(page 73-74)

PROTOLANGUAGE…

Tecumseh Fitch is a psychologist at St. Andrews University, Scotland, as well as an amateur musician—his “I Don’t Believe in Evolution,” heard in sneak preview at the Festival of Sciences in Rome in January 2006,10 is certainly not to be missed. Fitch is one of those who believe that all that is needed to dismantle the theory of human beings using music as a sexual attractor are a couple of observations:

In the animal kingdom, it is true, it is almost always the males who sing, and they do so especially during mating season. But there are also splendid examples of species in which males and females sing together, as happens with tropical birds. However, for us this is not the case at all. Among humans, both males and females have the same musical abilities. These abilities appear long before sexual maturity. Indeed, we already hear music while still in the womb! (11)

Thus, the fact that a love song can create the right atmosphere during a date does not mean that music was created in order to make us mate. In the same way, the fact that young musicians—from the guitarist who sings on the beach to the pop star in a boy band—are often surrounded by pretty girls has little to do with the erotic potential of music. This, according to Fitch, is more likely to be linked to music’s emotional content and the ability that any song may have to move us, depending on our personal tastes. Moreover, unlike other animal species, it is difficult in the case of human beings to claim that males and females have different abilities, or even different musical tastes—indeed, it is obvious that interest in music is completely independent of reproductive capacity or sexual orientation.

There is a fundamental difference between how humans and animals make use of music. For us music is above all a pleasure, whereas other species need it primarily for communication.

So even though we may interpret the sounds produced by animals as what we would call music, their function is more similar to what we consider as language.

This is why those who deal with the question of evolution and the origin of our musicality cannot help but focus on the relationships between music and language development. This is also true because of the undeniable similarity between the structures that we use in order to sing and talk, listen to music and follow a conversation: our voices, our ears and our brains.

However, the story of evolution has taught us that our mechanisms of communication did not simply appear just to allow us to talk, in the same way as our eyes did not appear just to let us see, and so forth. These are systems that evolved through a series of chance events and proved to be more advantageous than others because they enabled the development of various abilities (or improved some pre-existing possibilities), which in turn made it easier to survive and to reproduce in a particular environment. In fact, the structures we use to produce our voices and those we use to hear the words of others in a conversation also exist in many other animals. The larynx with the vocal cords and the cochlea in the inner ear are not peculiarities found only in our species, nor is their only function that of letting us speak and sing, even though we humans use them mostly for this purpose. When these structures appeared, they turned out to be highly advantageous solutions to general problems of communication and perception: having vocal cords that vibrate with the passage of air while you breathe out made it possible to create sounds or shouts. The ability to hear the noises made by other animals moving among the vegetation was an obvious advantage, both as prey or predator.

In the struggle for survival, combining the two things—being able to call out to a companion to warn it of the presence of a hunter, safe in the knowledge that the cry would be heard and understood, or then again, being able to frighten prey with a roar and then follow it while it retreated through the foliage by listening to the noise it made—gave animals powerful weapons. Later, humans also learned to use these same weapons in order to talk—and who knows how, when and why, also to make music.

According to Fitch, the connections between music and language are clear: music is a protolanguage from which our spoken communication evolved—and it stuck around even after the birth of language because we nd it pleasing. The first person to come up with this theory was Charles Darwin, according to whom, in addition to being used as means of seduction, early musical vocalizations were the origin of words.

Is It Just Me, Or Does This Really Work?

Kimberly — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 15:50:00 +0000

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You may recall that, in addition to this blog here, I also blog at Psychology Today–though not nearly as often! This morning I published a story about an experience I had a couple years ago where I was able to use music to calm two boys in an active “fight, flight, or freeze” response. You can read the story here.

Blogging about that experience has gotten me thinking again about something I’ve noticed clinically, but can’t yet describe or explain how it works:

Somehow, music opens up our brain for being able to verbally process emotions and emotionally-charged memories.

I’ve seen it over and over again, mostly in trauma-influenced children who often took months to open up to a trusted therapist or staff member, yet who would start sharing with me within weeks.

(The staff at this treatment center joked that they always knew which days were music therapy days because there would be a significant rise in the number of children who started talking about their trauma–thus, more paperwork for them!)

I’ve noticed this elsewhere, too. I remember facilitating a support group for caregivers. After initial introductions, I sang Sarah McLachlan’s “I Will Remember You” as part of a lyric analysis experience. When the song ended, one group member tearfully talked about the emotional struggles she had about her sister’s passing the year before and how she was supposed to be the “strong” one in the family and didn’t have anyone to talk to about this. The kicker? It was this woman’s first time in this group.

I don’t know how or why this works, but it is a common occurrence that my music therapy clients seems to open up more readily and easily to me than they might in other situations.

And I don’t think I’m the only one. My music therapy friend Peggy–the same Peggy I mentioned earlier this week–is beginning some co-treatment work with a psychotherapist. Their clients will start the session with Peggy, who will go through several rhythmic-based experiences. Then they head over to the psychotherapist to begin the talk therapy portion of the treatment. The psychotherapist reports that these clients seem to be able to access their feelings and talk about them more readily. Interesting…

So I don’t have any answers in this post–just observations. However, if you’ve experienced something similar (or, better yet, have insight into this), please share it by leaving a comment below.

And just a reminder–you are invited to “attend” the 1st Annual Creative Arts Therapies Teleconference. Listen and learn from a variety of music, art, and dance therapists…from the comfort of your own home! To learn more, click the pretty pink icon below:

It’s Finally Here…

Kimberly — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 13:00:06 +0000

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…today is moving day!!!

I’m feeling lots of emotions that can be wrapped up in one word: bittersweet. Although I feel like we’re heading on this great new adventure, it’s hard leaving our wonderful friends and this beautiful house my husband built.

Ultimately, though (and as cliche as this is), life is about change. And I embrace change. Change brings exciting possibilities, new opportunities, and nurtures personal growth. I say…bring it on!!!

So I sign off for the last time from sunny, majestic Colorado.

Next time I write you will be from the green, tree-filled plains of the Midwest!

Watch and Learn: The Mirror Neuron Song

Kimberly — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 18:36:06 +0000

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In the 1990s, scientists at the University of Parma were studying motor neurons in monkeys. They attached electrodes to a monkey’s brain cells responsible for movements. These electrodes recorded whenever those cells fired…a.k.a. whenever the monkey moved.

Monkeys like peanuts. The researchers set out peanuts for the monkeys to grab. Monkey grabs a peanut, motor neuron fires, electrode records.

Then an odd thing happened. The monkey watched a human pick up the peanut. Their motor neuron fired. The human picked up another peanut. The motor neuron fired again. The monkey hadn’t moved, but the motor neuron fired as if it had.

And that’s how these researchers accidentally discovered one of the coolest things in our brain: mirror neurons.

Mirror neurons are special brain cells that reside on either side of our head. These neurons fire when you do something…or just watch someone else do something.

You may ask: so what? The “so what” is that mirror neurons help tie us to other people’s actions and their feelings. This is important for:

Empathy. When we see someone feel sad, we feel a little sad. When they’re happy, we’re happy. Mirror neurons help us develop empathy.
Learning: One way babies learn new skills is by watching others. That’s why second children may learn how to crawl sooner than the first–because they’ve been watching older brother crawl. We don’t lose this ability. When we’re trying to learn something new, it helps to watch someone else do it–because of mirror neurons.

It’s also an important concept for therapists to understand…and it provides a bit of job security. We will never replace live therapists. Only a live therapist can show a client or patient how to do something–and let their mirror neurons work to help teach them.

Last December, I posted my first neuroscience-inspired song. I’m proud now to share with you my second–Watch and Learn: The Mirror Neuron Song.

CHORUS:

Watch and learn, watch and learn
Let your mirror neurons do their thing
Watch and learn, watch and learn
It’s time for your brain to change

1) Mirror neurons are specialized
One on each side of the brain
Near Broca’s and the inferior parietal lobe
Sending signals all over the place

2) They don’t care if they do or watch
They’ll fire the same every time
They influence feelings of empathy
Cause if I watch you, I’ll feel in kind

3) Mirror neurons may be fundamental
In how we connect with each other
They let me learn by watching you
Like a babe learns watching it’s mother

4) The implications for mirror neurons
Are vast, it affects therapy
If a client watches while I show them
What to do, their brain syncs with me

5) Some think those with ASD
Or autism, if you know what I mean
Their social challenges may be due
To broken mirror neuron circuitry.

6) Mirror neurons fire the same
No difference if you do or see
We literally change our client’s brains
When working with them through therapy.

What Every Therapist Ought to Remember About the Holidays

Kimberly — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 16:36:23 +0000

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This weekend we “put up Christmas” in the house. I love this time of year, with all the green, red, and gold, the lights, and the memories that come pouring back as I hang each little ornament. I felt happy, relaxed, and excited for the holidays!

Then yesterday, the first Monday after a wonderful Thanksgiving break, I sat and looked at my schedule this month.

So much for feeling relaxed.

The holidays are inevitably a time for stress. On top of maintaining our typical workload, we now have to plan vacation time, make-up work, buy presents, put up decorations, send cards, take finals, deal with busy malls, attend parties, and so on.

But this post isn’t about de-stressing during the holiday season. That topic will be covered ad nauseum in the magazines located in your nearest grocery store checkout line.

This article is to remind you that holidays can be difficult for your clients, too.

How the Holidays Can Affect Your Clients

This can take many forms. For some, holidays may remind them of loved ones they’re not with anymore. Maybe a parent passed away years ago during the holiday season and the “joyful holiday spirit” is just a painful reminder. Maybe they recently lost a spouse to cancer. Maybe it’s the first holiday a child won’t be with his parents because their rights were terminated.

For others, the holiday season isn’t filled with fond memories of Christmases past. Some clients are reminded of horrific family fights, which make it hard for them to enjoy the season.

It could also be that our client’s are stressed because WE are stressed. You know what that’s like–if you are around someone who is feeling stressed, you feel it, too. And it doesn’t necessarily mean that you, the therapist, is stressed. Our clients could be affected by the stress of those around them.

As a therapist, it’s important to be aware of this issue and to adapt accordingly.

For example, with my trauma-influenced children, I make sure to only use familiar, safe songs and interventions during this season. I don’t try and introduce them to a bunch of new tasks and new ideas. Using familiar and predictable experiences helps lower their stress level.

I’m also more sensitive to their excitability and hyper-ness. I think this is true for any child (just ask teachers). The holidays bring a level of hyper-ness that makes it hard for children to concentrate and learn new things.

Finally, this time of year may bring back painful memories our clients need to process. It’s an emotionally-charged season that brings up emotionally-charged memories. Be ready to talk those through, if appropriate.

I imagine that you have other ideas and strategies that you implement with your clients this time of year. Please share them with us! Simply type in your comment in the field below and hit the “Submit” button.

P.S. If you like this blog, please sign up for my newsletter! It’s free and super-easy. Just type in your name and email below, then click “Subscribe Now.”

71 Things Everyone Ought to Know About the Brain (Part 2)

Kimberly — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:00:02 +0000

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This post is the second in a two-part series of ideas, facts, and resources all about the brain. They are based on a workshop I attended last weekend called “Linking Neuroscience to Clinical Practice.” The fabulous speaker was Dr. Martha Burns.

The first article, published on Tuesday, listed the first 35 points.

71 Fun Facts About the Brain (part 2)

36. Humans pay attention to what they’re good at and what they’re motivated to do. That’s why so many struggle in therapy and why therapists often feel like cheerleaders.

37. Agnosia = a modality-specific (e.g. sight, sound, touch) disorder of recognition

38. Functional, outcome-based therapy involves focusing on: 1) safety, 2) independence, 3) quality of life, and 4) client/family involvement in planning goals and strategies for success

39. Episodic memory is closely tied to our sense of self. It’s how we describe ourselves and it’s one of the first things to go in dementia.

40. The average sentence length (for spoken English) is 7 words, 14 syllables. The average ASL sentence is 5 words.

41. The hippocampus does not store memories. It’s simply the recorder and the searcher. It records memories (which are stored somewhere else based on context) and searches for memories we’re trying to recall.

42. Exercising the hippocampus will help keep you young. Do the crossword puzzle. Take tests.

43. The amygdala is the emotional center of the brain. It’s Latin for “almond” because the structure itself is shaped like one.

44. The amygdala supercharges our hippocampus. That’s why we remember so vividly where we were on 9/11–but probably don’t remember what we had for breakfast last Thursday.

45. Thanks to the amygdala, making therapy more emotional will make therapy more effective.

46. Once you know something and know it well, you don’t need the hippocampus anymore.

47. Biologically-primitive structures (e.g. those in the limbic system) are not as plastic as newer structures (e.g. the cortex).

48. It takes 4 minutes of exposure to information (via exposure, rehearsal, and practice) for it to make it through the night.

49. People with autism have a disturbance in inhibition. Everything gets activated. They can’t get rid of irrelevant information.

50. Therapists have the most powerful effect on the human brain. We are sculpting and re-wiring brains.

51. An efficient brain needs to pay attention to and save information that’s important. It also needs to ignore irrelevant information.

52. Brains are designed to survive and procreate.

53. The frontal lobe help our brain prioritize information and tasks.

54. As you age, it’s all about the life story. If you work in geriatrics, help them reconstruct their autobiography using music, pictures, or words.

55. Work with TBI? The CDC has free information for you, your clients, and their families. It’s called “Heads Up: Brain Injury in your practice” and you can check it out here.

56. TBI almost always affects the frontal lobe and the cerebellum.

57. To date, fMRIs are the most useful imaging technology available. There are 2 exceptions: PET scans can help diagnose early dementia and EEGs are great for diagnosing seizures.

58. Get enough sleep. Sleep is a big factor in decreasing aging (and healing) issues.

59. Curry may be one of the best anti-aging “medicines” out there.

60. The foods and spices listed in this article are ones that have been scientifically proven to positively impact our brains.

61. One big predictor of cognitive decline? How complex our writing was when we were younger.

62. We can only expect insurance companies to pay therapists for diagnosing problems and coming up with techniques and strategies to address those problems. We cannot expect them to pay us for practicing with our clients.

63. The more severe a child with autism is on the spectrum, the more he or she is interested in non-speech sounds.

64. Children who are poor readers have problems in at least 2 of these speech areas: phonology (Wernicke’s area), memory (frontal lobe) or rate/fluency (Broca’s area).

65. Children who grow up in a home where at least 1 parent is on welfare are exposed to 13 million words by the time they are 4. Those in a working class family, 26 million words by age 4. And children whose parents are professionals are exposed to 45 million words by the time they are 4.

66. The prefrontal cortex is responsible for working memory. Doing tasks that target working memory skills may help a child’s brain mature more quickly.

67. The brain training software available at Posit Science is neuroscience-based and neuroscience-tested. It can be used to help you work on your working memory skills.

68. Humans may have evolved a prefrontal lobe to help us solve big problems (like how to survive the Ice Age).

69. The anterior cingulate cortex acts as a lie detector. It’s activated when people lie, even psychopaths.

70. Humans have a tendency to go back to what we learned first. If we learned something one way, we lack flexibility to change that. That’s why it’s so hard to eliminate prejudices and biases.

71. The prefrontal cortex recedes and/or degrades during aging. Force someone to do new things to help keep this from happening.

Now I told you there were 71 things to know, but I stand corrected. Thank you @heathvercher for pointing out #72:

72. Brains love CHOCOLATE!

71 Things Everyone Ought to Know About the Brain (Part 1)

Kimberly — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:40:43 +0000

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Have you ever attended a seminar or workshop that got you so excited about something you wanted to start working right away, even though you just spent over 9 hours sitting, listening, and taking notes?

I just did.

If you follow me on Twitter or are a fan of Neurosong on Facebook, you know that I attended a two-day workshop this weekend called “Linking Neuroscience to Clinical Practice.” The speaker was Dr. Martha Burns, a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) in the Chicago-area who teaches at Northwestern, has a private practice, and conducts these workshops and talks all over the country.

The workshop was fantastic! My brain is just full of information and I am busting at the seams to share it with you.

This article is the first in a 2-part series where I will share over 70 ideas, facts, and resources from the “Linking Neuroscience” workshop that I feel may benefit you. My hope is that this information will provide you with some resources and new ideas to get you thinking about what you do, why you do it, and how you can do it better.

If you’re signed up for my email newsletter, you’ve already received this article. Be aware, too, that there are no detailed explanations. So if you have questions, be sure to contact me.

(As a side note, if you ever have the opportunity to hear Martha speak, DO! She is engaging, dynamic, and knows her stuff. It was an incredibly stimulating and enjoyable workshop.)

Enjoy!

71 Fun Facts About the Brain (part 1)

Exercise your working memory to increase your IQ and build brain structures.
Subscribe to a “Nature Reviews” journal (www.nature.com/reviews). Topics include: Neuroscience, Neurology, Cancer, Clinical Oncology, et al.
In 5-10 years, fMRIs will be used as a diagnostic tool, not just a research tool.
The natural maturation of the brain continues into the 40s.
Practicing a skill increases myelination which improves the efficiency.
Myelin thins as we age because 1) we do not exercise our brain (physically or cognitively) and 2) metabolism is not as efficient.
Fasciculi (the “superhighways”) connect functional networks in the brain. The architecture for these superhighways are laid during the critical developmental periods–mostly in the first 3 years of life.
Basic neurodevelopment: 1) Creates superhighways (builds connections between networks) then 2) Paves them (builds myelin for efficiency and speed)
Therapy forces a person to do what they can’t do. The unaffected brain areas send out chemical signals which recruit neurons from other areas to repair the network. This works to re-wire the brain, forcing it to recover the skill they “can’t” do.
Rehabilitation is not about “time” to recover. It’s about “residual function”–is there enough of it to force the brain to re-wire?
The Mirror Neuron system allow the brain to organize itself by watching others. Mirror neurons fire whether you do the task (e.g. throw a ball) or whether you watch someone else do it.
Therapy is a two step process: 1) you stimulate the brain to make new connections and recruit new networks (which only a human therapist can do), 2) you practice the new skill (this builds myelin and improves efficiency and speed. A machine can help you practice.)
Visualization is a type of top-down processing. Doing something (e.g. experiencing it) is a type of bottom-up processing.
The brain develops from right to left and from back to front.
Mirror neurons are the reason we will never be able to replace a human therapist.
Practicing a new skill learned in therapy only works if the patient practices it “correctly.”
In the field of neuroscience, anything discovered before 2002 is considered “historical.”
Neurotransmitters–the “how” of therapy.
Therapy involves changing these 3 neurotransmitters: 1) dopamine (involved in motivation and making new connections “stick”), 2) acetylcholine (makes the client pay attention to you), 3) norepinephrine (works to make new connections)
A therapist’s job: tell the client what to do, tell them how to do it, keep them doing it.
The brain is a “use it or lose it” organ. Keep practicing.
A newborn’s brain is 1/3 the size of an adult brain. The other 2/3 will be based on connections (the “superhighways” or synapses).
The brain develops based on experience. What we expose children to affects their brains forever.
The orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) is impaired in children with autism and in children who have been abused and neglected.
Males are more vulnerable to learning disorders because the neurons responsible for learning are moving (“migrating”) to the left hemisphere at the same time that male genitalia develops. The testosterone involved can affect where those neurons migrate to.
We have 23 chromosomes. Each chromosome has approx. 1,000 genes. You do the math.
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a developmental issue, not a disease that can be cured by drugs.
Every therapist has a responsibility to educate clients on the importance of diet and exercise.
Epigenetics = a fascinating field that studies environmental influences that turn genes on and off.
Physical exercise releases Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF). Just 4 hours of moderate exercise a week will release enough of this hormone to keep your brain growing and plastic.
There is nothing worse on the developing brain than limiting experience.
The recipe for a healthy developing brain? Talk, Sing, Play, Explore to/with the child.
Music and speech are organized sounds.
Don’t haphazardly “praise” your clients for their efforts. Limit your praise and rewards to progressive change towards the positive (or towards the goal). Only this will refine their brain.
Any sensory system can be modified and changed.

Make sure to check back on Thursday for the last 36 points! See you then.

The Traumatized Brain: Discover 3 Ideas that Will Change How You Work With Clients

Kimberly — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:15:12 +0000

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If you are a music therapist, you probably know that our national conference is next week in San Diego (Yay!). This will be a time for us to learn, meet-and-greet, and get inspired being around like-minded people. There are hundreds of presentations and so many people to connect with–I can’t wait!!!

On Saturday November 14, I’ll be giving a presentation titled “The Traumatized Brain: Understanding the Science Behind Trauma and Why Music Works.” I’ve given a similar talk before, but I’m completely changing it because of a training I attended earlier this fall. I’ve been working hard on it this week, so thought I’d take this opportunity to share the basic gist with you.

Many of you know that my very first contract was to develop a music therapy program at the Namaqua Center, a treatment facility for abused and neglected children. It’s a population I had no experience with. So I’ve spent much of the past 4.5 years reading and participating in workshops, learning as much as I can. And since I enjoy teaching, I thought I’d help others jump-start the process by sharing what I’ve learned.

The essential idea is that I am not there to “fix their behaviors.” The “problem” behaviors these children show–aggression, yelling, cursing, hyperactivity, impulsivity–are telling me that something is wrong. So my first task is to understand what’s really happening for these children. What are their behaviors telling me?

There’s a three-prong approach to understanding what’s wrong. All three of these approaches are rooted in neurodevelopment and an understanding that the trauma they experienced affected how their brains developed. The abnormal, or absent, development that has occurred interferes with their ability to function:

Sensory Approach. Our sensory systems develop in a sequential manner. For trauma-influenced children, many of their basic senses (auditory, visual, taste, tactile, vestibular, proprioceptive) have not developed appropriately. They may be hyper-sensitive (it’s too much) or hypo-sensitive (it’s not enough) to certain sensory information. Some children need to wear headphones during our sessions because the volume is too loud. Others need objects to squeeze and play with; having that tactile stimulation helps them focus.
Stress Response. Our most basic biological need is to survive and procreate. Because of this, our brains and bodies are designed to mobilize when we sense a threat. You may have heard of the stress response–also called “fight, flight, or freeze”–which is how our brains and bodies react to a threat. We are also designed to calm down again after the threat has passed. It’s not good for our bodies to stay in that “fight, flight, or freeze” response. The stress response is adaptive–we need it to survive–but it can develop in a maladaptive way, as it has for most of the children at the Namaqua Center. They were reared in threatening, unsafe, chaotic environments. In order to survive, their bodies developed in a constant state of stress, a constant state of fear. Because of this, the children I work with have very extreme stress responses. They become aggressive or exhibit running behaviors very easily. Many have difficulty sleeping, are impulsive, and struggle in school.
Attachment. Attachment simply means an emotional bond. The first (and most important) emotional bond we ever have is with our primary caregiver(s). A loving, caring, and safe (e.g. “secure”) attachment relationship helps babies learn to trust, develop empathy, self-regulate (e.g. calm down after getting stressed), and be able to learn as adults. Our earliest attachment relationship affects our life-long mental health. Most children at the Namaqua Center did not have a loving, secure attachment relationship–instead, they spent their early years in chaotic, unsafe, abusive, neglectful situations. Because of these early experiences, trauma-influenced children have problems with trust and intimacy, difficulty learning, trouble self-regulating, and difficulty empathizing.

Understanding the underlying issues impacts all aspects of my therapy. I don’t address the “behaviors” these children exhibit. Instead, I help them learn and practice what it feels like to be calm. I help them develop and practice pro-social skills. We provide nurturance during the sessions and use interventions designed to help them feel and “get into” their bodies. We work on basic development milestones–crossing midline and developing focus and attention skills. My music therapy sessions provide structure and predictability in a safe space and the interventions are spaced to “practice” getting aroused (“stressed”) and calming down–they practice self-regulation.

If you are interested in learning more, consider coming to my presentation on the 14th. I will go much more in depth and will provide examples of interventions I use that work.

I also think that this information is not just applicable if you work with trauma-influenced children, but also apply to children with autism and other developmental needs. Many children with special needs show similar behaviors because their development has been impacted in similar ways. The reasons their development is affected are vastly different–but the end result is very similar.

If you won’t be at the AMTA conference, but still want to learn more, I highly recommend the following books. They completely transformed how I view and work with the children at Namaqua:

Ghosts from the Nursery: Tracing the Roots of Violence This book gives a fascinating look at how abuse and neglect impact children. It’s chock full of research, but also easy to follow and understand. (I’ve written a review of the book here.)

The Out-of-Sync Child: Recognizing and Coping with Sensory Processing Disorder, Revised Edition This book provides a research-based approach to understanding sensory integration disorder, but since it’s written with parents in mind, it’s not too jargon-y.

Mr. Teachout, Here’s Why We DO Need to Know About the Power of Music

Kimberly — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 19:56:01 +0000

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A couple weeks ago, an article titled “The Mystery of Music: What about it has such power over human beings?” appeared in the Wall Street Journal. The author, Terry Teachout, wondered why it’s important for us to understand music’s effect on our emotions (he was inspired by a study showing that music can influence a person’s perception of a face). Mr. Teachout says he doesn’t doubt that music has a power over humans–he is just questioning why we need to analyze it. It seems he’s worried that music will lose it’s charm if we “think” about it too much.

I disagree. Understanding how music work informs our work as music therapists and can contribute towards a better quality of life:

As a music therapist in a field where “evidence-based practice” is the gold standard, we need to have the…well, evidence to support our work. We often address emotionally-based goals with our clients. Ergo, with a better understanding of how music influences emotions, we can implement more appropriate interventions for our clients.
Mr. Teachout is worried that music will lose it’s charm if people understand why it works. Not true. If anything, a musical experience is enhanced by an understanding of what is happening. Last night I attended a concert where all the works were composed by Michael Daugherty. One of my favorite pieces on the program was his “Red Cape Tango.” I would have enjoyed this piece just by listening to it–but knowing that it was a musical depiction of Superman’s fight with Doomsday that included elements of the Latin chant Dies Irae and the occasional musical depiction of the “Pow!,” “Wham!,” and “Bam!” from the 1960s TV show? That awareness brought his piece to a whole new level.
Knowledge is empowering. If it’s commonly known that listening to certain types of music can affect how you feel, don’t you think people would be more aware of the music they choose to listen to? I think we tend to do this naturally. We have our personal playlists–music we listen to when we are mad, when we’re happy, when we’re cleaning the house, when we’re driving, when we’re getting ready to go out, etc. But if we are armed with knowledge about what music works best, we can be more conscious of our selections.
According to Mr. Teachout, “(Music) sounds terrific, but in the end it gets you nowhere.” Not true. If music sounds terrific, it gets you somewhere–it gets you feeling happy, or puts you in the right mood to finish the task. Isn’t that something? Plus, it’s a passive experience–you don’t have to DO anything, the music will do it for you. What else in our lives does that?
Finally, research that investigates how music works has other, non-musical implications. It helps us understand how our brains and bodies function. Knowing how music affects our emotions also adds to our knowledge of how emotions in general work. Which can help in other areas like, oh say, therapy treatments for children with autism.

I highly recommend you read Mr. Teachout’s article.It’s well written and thought provoking. Plus, he gives interesting examples of how people over the years have tried to define music (which is not that easy).

If you read his article and have any thoughts to add, please leave a comment below or email me directly.

Finally, if you enjoyed reading Mr. Teachout’s article, why not become a fan of Neurosong on Facebook? You will automatically get links to articles just like this and you’ll also be the first to know when the latest Music Therapy Maven article is posted. Simply click the “Become a Fan” button on the right-hand sidebar.

Music Helping Vision? Hmmm…

7 Simple Ways to Calm an Angry Child

Kimberly — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 16:25:38 +0000

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We’ve all made this mistake. It’s human nature. Evolution, really. We can’t help it. We’re wired to respond this way.

A child gets angry. The child cries, yells, hits, pinches. Our blood pressure rises. Our voice gets louder. We get in their face so they pay attention to us. We bark at them.

Does this work? Maybe. Temporarily. But if you’ve been in that situation, you will notice the child calms down in fear. You can see it in their face.

As a therapist, there will be times when the children we work with upset and angry. Most of the time, it’s an important part of the therapeutic process. When a person is angry (or upset or sad or scared), they are in a stressed out, or dysregulated state (and vice versa, a calm person is in a regulated state). Their body’s stress response (e.g. the “fight, flight, or freeze” response) is working. Their brain and body is primed to fight, flee, or freeze.

And we, as therapists, need to learn how to best respond.

The 7 Ways to Calm a Child

The following seven techniques will help a dysregulated child calm down. They are based on principles of neuroscience and what happens to our brain and bodies when we get stressed. These are intended to show a dysregulated child that they are safe, that we care about them, and that it’s okay for them to be angry:

Keep yourself calm and regulated. This means consciously keeping your voice low, which can be tricky since our natural reaction is to raise our voice. This means using open, non-threatening body language (e.g. facing the person, open stance, palms facing out). And if you are getting upset or escalated, you either need to consciously calm yourself down (and process your own feelings later) or switch out with another therapist or staff. It will not help the child if you get upset. Self-awareness here is key.
Focus on your relationship. Likely, as a therapist, you have already developed some sort of working relationship with your client. Use that to let them know they are safe and that you are not going away. Use calming words (e.g. “I care about you”). Use their name when talking to them. Think of the nurturing-types of behaviors you typically engage in: does the child sit on your lap? do you hold them? do you rub their back? Use what you have.
Allow time to respond. When we are escalated, it’s hard to think clearly. How often have we said something we don’t mean in the heat of the moment? That’s because the part of our brain responsible for making decisions takes a backseat to the primitive part of the brain responsible for reacting quickly to stress. What does this mean for our clients? It means that, when dysregulated, they will need time to process and respond to verbal directions. They will need time to calm down.
Provide a physical sense of safety and security. This can mean different things depending on the child and what works for them. It may mean gently rubbing their back. It may mean deep pressure on their shoulders. It may mean keeping away, but staying in the room. Regardless, it’s important for the child to know that you are not leaving. It’s like when a baby gets upset. What’s one way for a parent to calm down the babe? Hold them. Rock them. Physically let them know their safe, you are there to take care of them, you care. Same principle.
Validate the child’s feelings. Feelings are never wrong. It’s okay to feel sad/angry/fearful/happy. What’s not always okay is how we react to our feelings. There is a difference. Let the child know they what they are feeling is okay. Also, a child may not have a label for what they are feeling. You may need to “be their brain.” Say “you’re angry” or “you’re sad.” As anyone who’s ever had an undiagnosed illness, if you ave a label for what’s wrong with you, that can make a world of difference.
Sing a song. I have to include this as a music therapist. If a child really responds to music, I will sing one of their favorite songs. And it’s especially effective if you can incorporate rocking with the song (rocking stimulates a part of our cerebellum that calms down our stress response). Singing a song can also be used to redirect their focus or to focus on your relationship. It once took me 3 minutes (enough time for us to rock to one song) to get two boys completely calm after they had been dysregulated for over 20 minutes.
Remember it’s unconscious. Okay, so this is not really a technique, but it is a very important point. When a child (or anyone, really) is dysregulated, the unconscious brain is in overdrive. Our conscious brain (the neocortex) is not effective. Keep verbal instructions to a minimum (one test I have for seeing if a child is regulated is to have them follow a two-step direction). Keep sentences short and concrete (“You’re safe” “You’re angry” “I’m here”). Use techniques to target the unconscious brain (e.g. singing, soft touch, time to process, etc.).

If you implement these 7 techniques, you will notice that your clients calm down smoothly and easily. These are simple, but powerful ways that work. Try them. And please let me know what you think!