Dear Editor:
RE: Magic of music, Nov. 21.
I appreciated Jaidynn Kottelenberg’s letter as it mentioned music therapy, a profession I have had for over 20 years.
In the 1950s, a few music therapists introduced the practice to Canada and the first training programs were founded at Capilano College, BC (1976); UQAM, QC (1985); Wilfrid Laurier University (1986); and University of Windsor (1990). Since then programs were established at Mennonite University, MB; Concordia University, QC; Acadia University, NS; and the University of Toronto.
Music therapy has grown over the past 20 years with just over 1,000 music therapists certified in Canada. Although this may seem small, program sizes often have 10 or fewer students graduating yearly per undergrad and graduate programs.
During my career, I have seen people of all ages and abilities gain control over their lives through music. Through its grounding properties, music can bring calm, regulate emotions and lessen trauma.
In general, the right brain is responsible for imagination, intuition, dreams, pictures and non-verbal cues and storing traumatic experiences. Yet the left brain is needed for processing and healing from trauma as it is responsible for sequencing, math, facts, linear thinking and language, which helps puts words to these experiences.
Unfortunately, during traumatic flashbacks the left brain (language) is often inaccessible so experiences that happened decades earlier can appear to be really happening. One positive aspect of music is its ability to enter both hemispheres of the brain and help process trauma non-verbally and verbally by pulling traumatic experiences into the left brain (language).
In this way, traumatic experiences are spread out to more areas of the brain to help repair the hurt and lessen the effects of trauma. Thanks Jaidynn for suggesting music as a healing treatment for trauma. For information visit musictherapy.ca.
Carol O’Neil,
Fergus