Maybe it’s Mariah Carey’s “All I want for Christmas” that gets your adrenaline going and your shopping list done. Brenda Lee singing “Rockin’ around the Christmas Tree” is the motivation I need to do my decorating. Of course, there’s the slow sipping of my eggnog tunes like Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas” and Anne Murray’s “Silver Bells”.
Whatever your Holiday playlist, one thing’s for certain: music moves us! Regardless of what stage you’re at in brain injury recovery, music is a well proven therapeutic tool. I wouldn’t recommend Alvin and the Chipmunks if you’re struggling with brain confusion. Best to choose the Holiday fireplace channel and a much calmer ambiance.
Our bodies respond to the pace and rhythms of music. It fascinated Aristotle as far back as 350 years B.C. He recognized the power of music and its healing benefits to the body. Dr. Daniel J. Levitin is a Professor at McGill University in Montreal, and author of the bestselling book I heard there was a Secret Chord. In his book he discusses the ability of music to release chemicals such as serotonin and dopamine. This can relieve pain, reduce blood pressure and stimulate our brains to create movement.
Music has played a vital part in helping people recover from stroke and brain injury. Joni Mitchell suffered a debilitating stroke. Her therapists used music with very successful results. Roseanne Carter Cash underwent brain surgery to correct a benign malformation. She too experienced a remarkable recovery with music as part of her therapy. When my brain becomes fatigued, bewildered, I sit down at my piano and let my fingers take me where they may! This simple exercise of muscle memory combining with tone and pitch can bring an old song back to mind complete with lyrics I had forgotten!
A friend invited me to take part in a community production of “Handel’s Messiah” a few years ago. I was hesitant as I feared the stimulation of so much music would overwhelm me. Reluctantly I agreed. It proved to be one of the best decisions I have made! As I memorized my part, the music strengthened my ability to recall words and enunciate. The orchestra was magnificent! Every instrument resonated with a visceral vibration releasing my physical tension right down to the core.
Perhaps it’s the silence you crave. Joni Mitchell wrote the song “River” in 1971. The lyrics exemplify the emotions many of us feel during the Christmas season, the desire to get away from the busyness. Winter brings its own quiet solace. The English carol “In the Bleak Midwinter” captures that stillness. It reminds me of my childhood in northern B.C. I close my eyes and visualize what silence feels like:
Frost etches white lace on my window, hushed masterpiece drawn in the long winter night.
Evergreens exhale their winter fresh breath, heavy with scent of cedar and pine.
Fingers of ice spread over the pond, polished glass in dawn’s pink glow.
All morning sound is muted beneath a quilt of feather soft snow.
This holiday season, adjust the volume to a setting that’s comfortable just for you. Be it “Jingle Bells” or “Silent Night”, give yourself the gift of music and enjoy a very Merry Christmas!
