The Power of Music

By Breanna Polk 

A beautiful thing about music is its abilities to heal people in mysterious ways through relaxation. Studies show that when the mind is relaxed, it recharges itself, causing one to think clearly. Music therapy is now used in many facilities to help people overcome diseases, sicknesses, and educate small children.            

An example of music healing in a mysterious way is little Nevaeh from the Make-A-Wish foundation, whose Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome led to her inability to relax her muscles. Amazingly, the only thing that calmed her down was listening to Mary Mary’s music. So as her wish, she got Mary Mary, a multiple Grammy Award Winning Gospel Group, to give her a personal concert and it was truly life-changing to see the difference in Nevaeh’s behavior once they started singing.

Music has been used for generations to teach children about colors, how to spell, continents, the alphabet, how to count, and the days of the week through different songs. When small children sing educational songs, it helps them develop vital speech skills, like how to make a complete sentence. As children learn the songs, they develop speech patterns through repetition, teaching them when and where a phrase ends and another begins.

In Alzheimer patients, music therapy uses music to “evoke emotions that bring memories.” Studies show that many people associate moments in their lives with different songs. So with Alzheimer patients, hearing familiar songs is like playing back the soundtrack to their lives, causing them to remember things that they otherwise wouldn’t have remembered.

It is astonishing to see the improvements music has brought about in sick patients. Though music is heard, its effects make people feel something unexplainable. Music is important to life because it helps relieve stress and serves to relax the mind, body, and soul. 

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Breanna Polk is currently a first year Communications student at Lone Star College - North Harris. After her second year at North Harris, she hopes to transfer to a four-year university where she will study Broadcasting and Journalism to obtain her Bachelors Degree.