Thomas Breeden 
    Staff Writer

In clinics and programs across the country, counselors and psychiatrists use music therapy to help ease the burden of breast cancer patients.

Music therapy, according to BreastCancer.org, is “the use of live or recorded music to help provide distraction from symptoms and side effects and to promote relaxation.” These methods provide much-needed support to patients by increasing positive feelings and reducing anxiety or physical symptoms such as pain and nausea.

Music functions as a pain reliever by addressing the mental strain associated with the stress of a disease like cancer. It releases dopamine and other feel-good chemicals and stimulants that reward the brain with sensations of pleasure. Music therapists are trained to provide specialized care to each individual depending on his or her needs. Therapists must maintain certification through the Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT) to prove they are qualified to assess and provide this type of care, just like any other medical professional.

Local music therapy provider Allegro Music Therapy offers “individual and group music therapy and education in a variety of settings” to meet the needs of its patients. Allegro focuses on a therapeutic relationship between the provider and the patient in which a bond is formed towards achieving the patient’s goals.

The benefits, they say, include the reduction of anxiety, positive changes in mood, increases in social interaction and self-esteem, creative expression, non-pharmacological pain management, development of communication and motor skills, memory and focus development, and increased overall wellness.

Jane Maydian, the owner of the practice, says that they work with breast cancer patients in partnership with Randolph Hospital. This sort of collaboration provides a positive, non-clinical opportunity for patients to deal with the struggles of a difficult disease.

Though music therapy is a newly recognized field it is not a new concept. The use of music in medical practice dates back to the Ancient Greeks. Philosophers Pythagoras, Aristotle and Plato wrote about the tool of music in the process of healing. Evidence in Native American, African, and Chinese cultures dating back thousands of years suggests similar uses of healing songs and musical rites.

Modern day practitioners like Maydian and her colleagues carry on this tradition, but with scientific evidence to back up what’s been widely accepted about music. Research has shown the calming effects of music; it’s ability to reduce anxiety; to help individuals cope with depression; to foster sociability and communication; and countless other benefits.

The late neurologist and writer Oliver Sacks, who passed away this past August, published “Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain” in 2007. He discussed the connections we as humans have with the music that surrounds us, and how it affects our every day lives. A song has the power to evoke precious memories or assist in learning or imbue us with emotion.

Music therapists use this type of knowledge to adapt their practices to be best suited to their patients. Outside of breast cancer, music can also help patients with dementia or Alzheimer’s to remember material they otherwise could not easily access or a patient with Autism to use musical mnemonics to learn tasks.

Researchers from Drexel University performed trials with 1,891 participants wherein a music therapist played recorded music for them. The music spanned genres from classical to jazz to new age to Spanish and beyond. The researchers noted that listening to the music improved their heart and respiratory rates as well as their blood pressure.

Music therapy cannot outright cure the diseases, like breast cancer, that it attempts to assuage, but it can alleviate much of the stressors associated with battling a disease. It improves quality of life for patients and can make chemotherapy and other treatments more bearable.

Sessions usually last between 30 to 60 minutes, and the therapist might ask the patient to play or listen to music at home between those sessions, according to Cancer Research UK. Activities during the sessions include listening to music, dancing, singing, making music, writing or discussing song lyrics, or using guided imagery alongside the music.

These short allotments of time make a world of difference in the lives of patients who desperately need. Sessions take place in hospitals, clinics, cancer centers or even in the patient’s home. You don’t need to be a professional musician, or even a musician at all—anyone can benefit from music therapy.

Music plays a role in all of our lives, but the potential power of music through these professionals is life changing. Allegro Music Therapy collaborates with the Greensboro Cultural Center to provide its services to the community. The classes are taught by Jane Maydian and are open to all ages. They aim to give “positive outcomes through the power of music.”

Classes are currently offered on Thursdays. Allegro Music Therapy is accepting new students for the spring semester.