by Ashley Winters | The St. Louis American
- Music therapy isn’t just one thing. It can sound like a tambourine over a bass guitar rift, or a child singing about how silly they feel. It can even sound like a heartbeat. Anything can be music and, for 15 years, Maryville University Kids Rock Cancer has used music therapy to help young patients cope with cancer.
- The university provides board-certified music therapists to help children, aged from newborn to 18, and their families use music and songwriting as a therapeutic vehicle for self-expression.
- This year’s annual benefit is a special Mother’s Day Tribute Concert titled “Mom’s Playlist.” It’s the program’s signature event, and it’s being held on May 8 at the Sheldon Concert Hall at 7 p.m. St. Louis’ own Brian Owns is the featured performer.
- Kids Rock Cancer is an innovative program that helps children and their loved ones manage the unique emotional challenges caused by cancer or blood-related disorders.
- The program was established in 1972 by former Development Director Dr. Cynthia Briggs, who heard about a similar program in Texas called Purple Songs Can Fly. It is the sole provider of music therapy degree programs in the St. Louis area, boasting full accreditation from the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) and approval by the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA).
- This program underlines music therapy’s role as a significant force in healthcare, utilizing music to facilitate change across various clinical environments.
- Lead Music Therapist Alison Cole says a music therapist assesses the patient and, based on research, training, and music preferences, the therapist and the patient create a musical strategy. “Music can help people stay on track; the rhythm affects their movement and emotions,” said Cole.
- Crystal Weaver, the programs director said, “Music is the tool that our students learn how to use to help patients with their goals.”
- The kids sometimes experience intense treatments, and lengthy hospital stays, and the diagnosis affects the whole family. The therapy session gives the kids a much-needed sense of control and empowerment, Cole said. “My goal is to allow them to control our whole session.”
- “The more choice and control the kids get during the music session helps improve their compliance during their cancer treatments,” added Weaver.
- Kids Rock Cancer partnered with Healing Reimagined, which was started by Dr. Michelle Goetz through the Mercy palliative clinic. Healing Reimagined is designed for patients with serious conditions like heart failure, PTSD, cancer, or dementia. Healing Reimagined introduces a myriad of tools to manage pain. “We have to take a more whole-person approach,” said Goetz. She suggests developing a medical plan that includes other holistic approaches like music therapy, yoga, and breathing exercises.
- “What we’re able to bring in this is something unique to Healing Reimagined,’’ Weaver said. “The program recognizes that pain of that potential cancer diagnosis is not just the patient that has the diagnosis, but it is systematic throughout the entire family.
- “This is for their entire family unit, who have also been affected by the cancer diagnosis, being that catalyst with Kids Rock Cancer for that family.”
- According to Weaver, Maryville University’s program is the only one in the country based out of the College of Health Professions. Most music therapy academic programs are based out of the College of Arts and Sciences. The music therapy students are immersed with nursing students, physical therapy students, and occupational therapy students. “It is a part of the culture at Maryville that music therapy is a health profession,” said Weaver.
- The kids use a popular app called GarageBand on the iPad or tablet to create music – becoming a mini producer in their own right. Sometimes the kids will introduce songs to their music therapist as well. “This gives them the opportunity for them to teach me some things,” Cole said.
- Adjunct faculty at Maryville Alex Edithteaches music therapy students in the areas of digital technology and music notation technology. He assists Kids Rock Cancer with the production of original songs composed by Cole to help children achieve goals beyond the therapeutic songwriting sessions. The goals focus on pain management, appropriate emotional expression, and self-expression.
- According to Edith, the digital and technical side connects with the kids, allowing them to explore different sounds and how that sound connects with their feelings. “It’s about how do you recognize yourself, your emotions, and how do you preserve inside of that,” said Edith. “The process stretches your ‘emotional muscles’ allowing you to concentrate on how the music makes you feel, whether you feel calm, whether it brings up an old memory, etc.”
- There is ample research to prove that this method of medicine adds value to the patient’s life. Nevertheless, only a few medical schools and hospitals include it in their curriculum and medical care plans.
- Weaver said she believes the timing is right for cancer centers to add music therapy to their respective tool kits.
- St. Louis University Cancer Center, which is now a part of SSM Health, has had music therapy services for almost 15 years. The university is a partner of the program at Maryville University. Cardinal Glennon is also a partner in the music therapy program. “It is about the powers that be, different health care institutions understanding the value and the benefits of music therapy,” she said.
- Ashley Winters is a Report for America reporter for the St. Louis American.
