Music Therapy and Music-Thanatology

Inara Verzemnieks at The Oregonian writes about the role of music-thanatology at the end of life, and the eight new graduates of a two-year program in Portland.

Drawing from a tradition that traces back to the Middle Ages, when the monks of Cluny, France, included rituals of song in their care of the dying, modern-day music-thanatologists use harps and their voices to soothe the pains of people whose lives are ending. In Oregon, several hospitals and hospices and nursing homes offer the services of music-thanatologists to patients receiving palliative care.

To be clear: This is not about playing music for the sake of aesthetics. As music-thanatologists explain it, this is music used deliberately and specifically, like a medicine -- music that is carefully tailored to each person, based on information gleaned from the patient's chart, his or her vital signs, conversations with caregivers, as well as intense observation on the part of the music-thanatologists -- all with the intention of giving the patient whatever respite he or she needs most, whether it's a chance to sleep or to relax or to process bad news.

Paula Spencer at Caring Currents also writes about the benefits of music therapy for caregivers.

Music can't make the demands of caregiving go away, but it can make you more healthfully equipped to plow through those demands.

Music therapy is a fascinating and growing field, and you don't have to be the person who's sick to benefit.

In June, the inaugural conference of the International Association for Music and Medicine explored the countless ways tunes can help heal, whether you're recovering from surgery or cancer, coping with grief, having a baby -- or caring for an aging relative.