Essay Example on Music: Life's Necessity for Moods & Vibes

Introduction

Friedrick Nietzche once said, "Life without music would be a mistake" and that statement has held its weight throughout time. Throughout centuries, music has been an essential part of the culture, ceremony, and everyday life. Listening to opera and punk rock creates a broad range to choose from in any situation in this day and age. However, when listening to any song, the beat, melody, or even the 'vibe' of the song can change an entire person's mood. When listening to an upbeat song, one tends to feel happier or more energetic. When looking at an instrumental song, one tends to feel more relaxed or, depending on the feel of the song, sad. However, music has also been shown to relieve stress and allow for more brain connection, which causes excellent brainstorming moments. Music has also been said to have a calming effect on the brain and can spark ideas, invite change, or even soothe a person. Exploring further the relationship between music, the mind, and therapy provides a better understanding of music therapy. The purpose of this essay is to demonstrate the dramatic positive effect on the brain in participating in musical theory study because analyzing verses affect the brain structure creating more conclusive results than typical cognitive therapy and reduces stress and improves overall life.

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The therapy using music addresses issues of people dealing with PTSD influencing the physical and emotional state of a person. The current typical counseling procedure that PTSD patients go through demonstrate the unfortunate nature of the lack of progress made using traditional techniques. Also, not all cognitive-behavioral therapies work for People going to treatment for PTSD because CBT includes making short term goals, being hands-on with the patients, and a practical approach to problem-solving (Carr et al.). The long term goal is to change the patients' pattern of thinking. However, it does not allow for an emotional response to change. Scholars tested the hypothesis of whether group music therapy would allow for better results in helping patients get to that changed thinking state while showing signs of better emotional health (Carr et al.). The idea was based on the understanding that music has a calming effect, and if brought together with professional treatment, the results would be phenomenal. The testing was done as two different groups were chosen to participate. One group would undergo group music therapy, and the other would continue with CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy). The patients also underwent brain scans during the trial that showed what was going on at the mental state (Carr et al.). The results showed after a course of a few weeks that the study group that was actively participating in group music therapy showed fewer signs of anxiety, lowered depression, and a more active 'happy' state.

A therapeutic relationship with music can instigate a change in young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Children with this disorder are at a disadvantage when it comes to social settings due to how they deal with stress, loud noises, and physical contact (Mössler et al.). Introducing music in a therapeutic environment allows the children to grow in their social behavior and adapt better in social settings. A study was done with five-month-old to 12-month-old children who, during that time, are learning about the world in fast ways, helped in researching the idea (Mössler et al.). At this age, their neurons are making connections quite rapidly, and chemical brain changes are frequent, which made them perfect candidates to undergo a study of this type. The study had organized different groups of kids to be tested and watched for several months. Each child continued in their everyday behavior, but at some point, they were introduced to music while in a calm social setting. The parents would then interact with their children and test them using standardized tools. After several months of activity, the results were positive and conclusive (Mössler et al.). The results showed that after some time, the children were adapting and processing how social settings were taking place in a better fashion. Her research suggests that with time and music, the brain can change and modify in a better manner.

Depression has been a significant issue in the elderly living in nursing homes (Gök Ugur et al. 1280). Medications are typically administered in massive doses in nursing homes, but it is not the best option and may not be as effective as other therapies. However, music has been shown to reduce depression and anxiety on an individual level (Gök Ugur et al. 1281). In a study, patients were chosen at random and assigned to music or control groups where they got studied for their progress. In the music group, they were given a specific schedule they had to adhere to where they were learning music and studying it with other members of their study group. The control group were not mandated anything and therefore kept living their everyday life. The conclusion of the study gave significant outcomes. There were no big markers or differences in depression levels before the study, but the post results margin was substantial. Ultimately, music's introduction helps alleviate feelings of depression and anxiety due to how music interacts with the brain. For the people in the music group, the brain underwent a chemical change that made them feel better.

In contrast, the people in the control group did not undergo any chemical changes and, therefore, had the same results before the study (Gök Ugur et al. 1285). The older margin of people on earth is positively affected by music, healthily reducing their depression and anxiety. Music can be shown to influence everyone from recently born to the elderly living in nursing homes.

Music therapy has been effective in helping to reduce stress. Two studies were conducted where occupational, behavioral therapy was used to help reduce stress while another was done with Music therapy. The music therapy study required 50 minutes of music interaction with the discussion of feelings given by a particular piece. In comparison, the control study group needed 50 minutes of daily activity, such as hygiene, self-management, and hobbies (Poquérusse et al. 3). The first study conducted did not show any significant changes in behavior, mood, or increased cognitive function for those with disabilities or those on the autism spectrum and proved to increase stress in individuals. What was found in study two was that stress got dramatically decreased in those who had music therapy. Overall, the researchers concluded that music allows individuals to express their emotions through music and learn to empathize with others through music. Music therapy's superiority concerns people with ASD and Disabilities as well as the everyday context of comparing occupational therapy to music therapy and giving a cultural framework to people with ASD.

Music therapy addresses the daily living activities, psychiatry symptoms, and cognition of patients with Alzheimer's disease. Music therapy initiates several tenets of cognitive function. It supports physical, social, and emotional needs, including building new relationships, learning, communication, and facilitate the expression of an individual's feelings (Lyu et al. 15). The therapy positively influences individuals' capability of delayed and immediate recall of word in mild Alzheimer disease patients (Lyu et al. 15). In this case, singing arouses the part of the brain responsible for processing music, which might be less used in these patients, helping to improve attention and memory (Lyu et al. 15). Although the effects did not prevail past three months after completion of the intervention, continuous music therapy is beneficial in the long term for individuals. The study results indicated that the patients with mild AD test scores on verbal fluency increased in a music therapy group with the effect remaining until the three months the intervention ended (Lyu et al. 16). Concerning the impact of music therapy on patients with AD, it has been effective in controlling behavioral and psychiatric symptoms for those with a severe case of the disease. Also, music therapy minimized the mental symptoms and the distress of caregivers for patients having chronic dementia.

Music therapy has been found to help patients with cancer. A study done on 19 trial groups demonstrated how music therapy substantially improves the patient's life quality having cancer (Li). More so, it decreased the pain, depression, and anxiety score. Additionally, music therapy helps young individuals portraying symptoms of depression, with the prevalence of depression, and it is an impairing disorder. It is an improvisational music therapy intervention addressing the theory insights, evidence, and clinical practice employed intervention mapping method. The resulting model explained the ways dysregulation of emotions influence depressive symptoms utilizing the theoretical framework of Component Process Model (CPM) (Aalbers et al. 22). Also, it clarified the means improvisational music therapy alters symptoms of depression utilizing emotional resonance and synchronization. The model involved a prototype Emotion-regulating Improvisational Music Therapy for Preventing Depressive symptoms (EIMT-PD) (Aalbers et al. 3). The therapy has also been used in a ten-session manual of improvisational music therapy focused on increasing the regulation of emotion and minimize symptoms of depression. The interactive music group has the potential to counteract the effects of age-related depression.

Music therapy for older individuals involves collaboration between therapists and clients in supporting the social, mental, and physiological resources through utilizing music experience in a participatory, evidence- and knowledge-based, and goal-directed strategy (Werner et al. 1). The people participating in music therapy had lower levels of stress, depression, and anxiety than those who joined in recreational singing. The ones in recreational songs were also found to improve their depressive levels. The influence of interactive music therapy focuses on inner tension, pessimistic thoughts, inability to feel, lassitude, and concern concentration difficulties (Werner et al. 7). Music therapy, in this case, attended to the resource-oriented development and basic needs through addressing social competencies and individual like creativity (Werner et al. 7).

Alternate Position on the Reason for Adding Music Therapy to Traditional Therapy

Traumatic brain injury is a significant cause of disability, creates a considerable burden on society, families, and individual survivors, causing the need to develop novel appropriate rehabilitation techniques (Siponkoski et al. 6). The result indicated neurological music therapy increases EF and creates alterations that are fine-grained neuroanatomical in the prefrontal parts. Considering the evidence, music therapy proves to be very useful for every kind of person and not inclined to one category of people.

Significance of Merging Cognitive Behavior Therapy with Music Therapy

Exploring the idea of merging CBT and music guarantees exponential results when treating depression and anxiety. In this study, participants were referred by psychologists to participate by listening to a song, analyzing it, rewriting the lyrics, and explaining the meaning of the song to them and the overall purpose of the song (Trimmer et al. 7). They were also asked to learn to play an instrument in front of their support group and staff. In doing so, they had to actively understand the musical aspect of what they were doing and be interacting with music on the building block level.