I heard whispers as I was walking through one of the nursing facilities I provide services to this week — “She’s amazing.”

Well, I appreciate the compliment, and I strive to provide the best, evidence-based music experiences I can, but really, music therapy is amazing!

Using the therapeutic relationship I have developed with my clients and music interventions that are shown to improve cognitive recall, promote self-expression/communication, and enhance quality of life for people with dementia, I see first hand how amazing music therapy is all the time.

Here are some highlights from my groups this week:

-A resident who sleeps through or passively participates in other activities/therapies held her head up, engaged in eye contact, and vocalized/hummed along with the melody of the song

-A resident who minimally communicates/vocalizes attempted to sing, moving her lips along with the words and singing “ahh” along with the melody

-A resident who has significant tremors due to disease progression was able to play the tambourine and entrain to the music, allowing her tremors to decrease and move along with the beat

-A resident who was anxious and agitated, trying to stand up and “go home”, was oriented and comforted through structured singing and able to sit in his seat, show decreased tension/anxiety, and express joy

So yes, I get to experience AMAZING things each day with my clients and I am honored and grateful to be a part of their care.