Music is medicine

Music is Medicine

Last week at Met, Cindy and I created a legacy song for a young palliative girl on the peads floor. Cindy is another graduate of the University of Windsor music therapy program. I have recently extended some of my Transition to Betterness grant money to her so that more kids would be seen at met. While we began to play the song we had wrote for her, the doctor’s came in the room. They filled in one by one till there was not much room to move. Often, and not to their fault, many of the doctor’s take over the consult and we wait till their finished to proceed with the patient. This time the head doctor asked us to start the song from the beginning, so we did and gave a good intro to the song and why we had created it. We played the song to the awesome patient, with camera phones all around recording (that’s another story). The patient smiled contagiously and there were many tears in the room. Once we finished playing the Head Doctor said “I don’t want to talk medicine, I can’t. This is the true healing.” I want to try and get a copy of the video and post it on here, as well as get a statement from the doctor. These moments are so beneficial, and rewarding. I feel rich in the opportunities I’ve been given to see extraordinary glimpses into the human heart. I do have a rough copy of the song here: As an update, I received an email regarding this post stating: I am a music therapist working at St. Charles Hospital (Port Jefferson, NY, USA). St. Charles is part of a larger health care collective (CHS), and I am giving a presentation on Friday for a group of CHS health professionals on using music therapy in palliative care. I came across your blog in my research, and was especially taken by Tanisha’s Song. I would love to play it at the conference, as an example of a legacy song, with your permission. CHS is considering adding MT to the services offered in palliative care (currently I am working in inpatient rehab). So I’m making the video link available through this link: <!– /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-520092929 1073786111 9 0 415 0;} @font-face {font-family:"Baskerville Old Face"; panose-1:2 2 6 2 8 5 5 2 3 3; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin-top:0cm; margin-right:0cm; margin-bottom:10.0pt; margin-left:0cm; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-size:11.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt; font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} .MsoPapDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; margin-bottom:10.0pt; line-height:115%;} @page WordSection1 {size:612.0pt 792.0pt; margin:36.0pt 57.6pt 36.0pt 57.6pt; mso-header-margin:36.0pt; mso-footer-margin:36.0pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} –> TANISHA’S STRENGTH Verse 1: G G/F# Em9 C2 A smile so big, that brings light to everyone G G/F# Em9 C2 Eyes of wonder, they want to see it all G G/F# Em9 C2 Always the one to sing, and dance in her own way G G/F# Em9 C2 Her way is beautiful, her mother would say PRE-CHORUS: Am7 G C2 A song that will forever be Am7 G C2 Tanisha’s strength lives inside of me CHORUS: G G/F# A girl like no other Em9 C2 A love without the strings G G/F# Trade the obstacles Em9 C2 for possibilities G G/F# Em9 C2 On the broken road, the angel found her song Am7 G C2 INTRO INTERLUDE: G G/F# Em9 C2 (2x) Tanisha’s strength lives on. INSTRUMENTAL after 2nd chorus: F D/F# G Am7 (3x)….F C D VERSE 2: G G/F# Em9 C2 A life of purpose, to live in perfect time G G/F# Em9 C2 No limitations, too big for her to climb G G/F# Em9 C2 One Direction and “What Makes You Beautiful” G G/F# Em9 C2 These are the memories of “Just The Way You Are”. Words and Music: Cindy Detmar & Joe Graham (October 11, 2012)