Music and your Brain-What Can Music Do For You?

• Music is found throughout the entire brain not just where you hear auditory sounds! Its in the vision cortex (occipital), frontal lobe, parietal, hippocampus, amygdalla, limbic system etc)

• Music Therapists use music interventions to help form new pathways in the brain and retrain learning of speech, movement rehabilitation with Stroke and Parkinsons as well as help assist children with neurological movement disorders!

• Music can help us learn new information and change behaviors through repetition of tasks

• Music can boost your immune system, decrease/ increase heart rate, blood pressure and decrease stress or improve relaxation and sleep

• Music stimulates dopamine that gives us those happy good feelings, confidence and motivation

• Music activates movement and can override damaged neurological pathways in those with stroke, parkinsons through the use of music therapy to improve walking/gait, speech rehabilitations

• Singing is used by speech therapists & music therapists to retrain speech in stroke patients

• Music initiates memories, thoughts and can help our focus and attention

• Music can stimulate feeding in premature infants

• Music can change our mood, wake us up in the morning and remind us of a past event

• Music can modulate pain pathways decreasing our threshold for pain perceived

• Playing music can provide a sense of accomplishment, belonging with community, confidence, independence, leadership

• Playing drums or singing songs with specific community groups can help express feelings or work through PTSD symptoms related to past events with veterans and trauma survivors

• Promoting fun and motivation in the work place

• How has music been beneficial to you?

For more information on how music can benefit you or others please contact daisie@suttonmusictherapy.com or visit http://www.musictherapy.org to learn more!