Often when a person is receiving palliative care or hospice services, the physical discomfort, emotional pain, anxiety, and stress levels are like no other time in their life. Every person going through this life passage has delicate and immediate needs. Their condition can change in a moment. The live therapeutic music being offered, if by a Certified Music Practitioner (CMP), or other trained and certified professionals, can also change to support the patient’s physical and emotional state. When offering live therapeutic music, the practitioner uses their specialized training as well as their science-based intuition to determine what type of music to play/sing, what tempo and volume to play it, as well as other considerations that a CD playing on a machine just cannot offer.
The Music for Healing and Transition Program (MHTP) trains and certifies musicians to become Certified Music Practitioners to be able to play for all patient conditions, including those receiving palliative care and hospice services. CMPs use a wide range of melodic, acoustic instruments to offer this service including violin, viola, cello, harp, banjo, silver or Native American Style flutes, ukulele, harmonica, accordion, autoharp, hand pan, recorder, piano, hammered and mountain dulcimers, and more.
Those receiving palliative care and hospice are perhaps the population most in need of relief from suffering. According to the National Standards Board for Therapeutic Music, the following lists some of the benefits of live therapeutic music that may support this special patient population:
•Distracting and disassociating from the present situation
•Altering the sense of time
•Relieving anxiety
•Reducing stress
•Augmenting pain management
•Bridging communication between loved ones
•Relieving body and mental tension
•Easing the dying during transition
•Stabilizing vital signs of acute patients
A research project published in 2019, Music Intervention as a Tool for Improving Patient Experience in Palliative Care by Cynthia S Peng, Kelly Baxter, Kate M Lally (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30045627), demonstrated how live therapeutic music affected patients. It reported that, “standard care for patients receiving a hospice or palliative care helps to decrease in pain, anxiety, nausea, shortness of breath, and feelings of depression along with a significant increase in feelings of well-being. Opioid use in time periods after the music intervention trended toward decreased usage when compared to the equivalent time period before. Finally, compiled personal narratives of patients' and families' experiences of the music intervention demonstrated common themes of spirituality, comfort, relaxation, escape, and reflection.”
Live therapeutic music is a service offered for comfort, not for entertainment or performance. A difficult and painful situation can be relieved by the use of live therapeutic music. No one has to look at a chart or a calculation to understand the additional benefit of the human connection component at such a time of high need. Imagine how a caring human being, highly trained to support a specific condition, can sit at the bedside, carefully attend to the patient as they play, and create a healing environment with music that promotes relaxation and rest.
MHTP supports certified therapeutic musicians through special trainings and events including their biennial gatherings, such as the 2023 Enrichment Day in October of 2023 and the upcoming MHTP International Conference is October of 2024. Compassionate and highly skilled CMPs and active students going through the program gather to learn about the latest research in the field of live therapeutic music, attend stellar presentations from community leaders, earn Continuing Education Units, and have an opportunity to discuss their interests and concerns with other CMPs and students, such as their work in palliative care and hospice settings.
MHTP's 2023 Enrichment Day took place on the same day as the annual World Hospice and Palliative Care Day. This day of observance is dedicated to recognizing and celebrating the crucial role of hospice and palliative care in providing relief, comfort, and support to individuals with serious illnesses.
If you have a loved one receiving palliative care or hospice services and would like to learn more about how you can support their condition through live therapeutic music, visit the MHTP website to find a CMP in your area. Additionally, some CMPs offer their services online, making remote services possible.
If you are a musician with a compassionate heart who wishes to be trained and certified to serve others with your music, learn more about this highly rewarding and supportive work, to make your music matter.