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Sound Therapy

Anthony "Juan" Boatwright has been in a semicomatose state since he was injured at 14 months old. When Patti LaBelle sang to him, his eyes opened wide and he looked at her, responding to the music. Music therapy uses song to address physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs of patients, and can help improve movement, speech, and trigger positive memories for those in comatose states. In Juan's case, hearing "Over the Rainbow" seemed to invoke a memory and bring him joy.

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220 views1 page

Sound Therapy

Anthony "Juan" Boatwright has been in a semicomatose state since he was injured at 14 months old. When Patti LaBelle sang to him, his eyes opened wide and he looked at her, responding to the music. Music therapy uses song to address physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs of patients, and can help improve movement, speech, and trigger positive memories for those in comatose states. In Juan's case, hearing "Over the Rainbow" seemed to invoke a memory and bring him joy.

Uploaded by

ibedafly
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Anthony DeJuan Boatwright has been with speech impediments,for example, Musicophilia:Tales of Music and the Brain,
semicomatoseand on a ventilatorsincethe sound therapy might help to elicit clearer saysthat in additionto improvingmovement
ageof 14monthsafterhewasseverelyinjured speech.Forthe comatose,it mightencourage and speech,music can triggerthe releaseof
during a d ay ca re accid ent .Now 9, J uan, a personto openhis or her eyesor attemptto mood-alteringbrainchemicalsand once-lost
as he'scalled,barelyopenshiseyes. speak.lt is not a cure-all,but doctorssay it memoriesandemotions.In Juan'scase,Lane
Yet something amazinghappenedthree calmspatientsand cansometimesencourage thought hearing"Overthe Rainbow"invoked
yearsagowhen PattiLaBellecameto Atlanta a motionlesspersonto moverndependently. a memoryand broughthim somejoy.
to sere na deJua n with "S om ewher eO v er "We are wrredto respondto music.In the M u s i c h a s b e e n f o u n d t o g e n e r a te
the Rainb ow." womb, we hear the rhythmic ticking of our pleasure-promotingendorphinsthat can
"His eyes openedwide. He kept looking mother's heartbeat.Even beforewe lmakel boost the immune system. But ultimately,
at her,"saysJacquelineBoatwright,Juan's our first audible cry, we are already pro- sound therapy has different outcomes for
mother."He felt her and heardher singing.lt grammed and sometimesconditionedto differentoeople.
wasthe beautyof hervoice" respondto soundandmusic,"explainsDeforia "When I have sung to people [who are]
Musichashealingpowers.Musictherapyis Lane.Ph.D.,authorof Musicas Medicineand comatoseor hadtheir familessingwith me,
an establishedhealthcare professionthat director of music therapy at Cleveland's there is a noticeablechange,"saysLane."lf
usessongsto addressthe physical,emotional, UniversityHospitalsCase MedicalCenter they don't open their eyes,their blood pres-
cognitiveand social needs of patients, no with the lreland Cancer Center. University sure shoots up or they might mouth the
mattertheirage.Fordecades,it hasbeenused Hospitalsis the siteof oneof the country'stop words even though nothing comes out in
to treat neurologicalconditionsincluding musictherapyprograms. terms of vocal sound. I've had some wake
autismanddepression.
Alzheimer's, Forthose Neur olo g i s t O l i v e r S a c k s , a u t h o r o f up as I'm standingtheresinging."

98 EBONY] JUNE 2O]O

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