MUSIC is the most accessible and most researched medium of art, healing, and wellness. There has been a principal emphasis on the soothing capacity of music and its ability to offset overly technological approaches to care. I n particular, music therapy has been shown to decrease anxiety, increase healthy well-being, and over all calmness. The pleasure shared by participants in the healing process through a music therapy program, whether the music is played or heard, can help to restore emotional balance as well. There is also evidence of the effectiveness of auditory stimulation along with a strong indication that such stimulation abolishes pain. Music can be a powerful strategy for achieving control over pain. Music engagement encourages positivity, well-being, awareness, and over all happiness.
Cassandra Milcharek, www.steinbachartscouncil.ca