Essay on Music and Epilepsy

Music Therapy is used for many reasons and can be helpful in many ways. Music has been proven to be a therapeutic service to people because it’s helped people to contain themselves and even express themselves through the music that they listen to. This treatment is beneficial to many humans because it’s a good way to help one’s emotions without any medication (American Music Therapy Association). For example, music is used to treat pain and reduce stress. In Amy Novotney’s article about music therapy, she says, “The beep of ventilators and infusion pumps, the hiss of oxygen, the whir of carts and the murmur of voices as physicians and nurses make rounds — these are the typical noises a premature infant hears spending the first days of life in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). While the sounds of such life-saving equipment are tough to mute, a new study suggests that some sounds, such as lullabies, may soothe pre-term babies and their parents, and even improve the infants' sleeping and eating patterns, while decreasing parents' stress (Pediatrics, 2013)” (Novotney). Another example of how music is a reliable therapeutic resource is for people with autism. In Catherine Ulbricht’s article, she states that “People who have autism spectrum disorders often show a heightened interest and response to music. This may

ASD is an abbreviation of Autism Spectrum Disorder, a disorder characterized by “social-interaction difficulties, communication challenges and a tendency to engage in repetitive behaviors”. ASD has become so prevalent that “1 in 68 children are identified with ASD” a number which is higher among certain racial minorities (CDC Press Release). While there are many therapies such as pharmaceutical or behavior correcting therapy, it is music which shows much promise in aiding children with autism. From its start in prehistoric humans to today’s clinical and classroom settings music has had a profound impact on the individual; well documented studies and

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a group of conditions of the brain development. (Vries, 2015). The main characteristic of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), is that they have difficulties to adapt and interact with other people. Also, individuals with Autism have problems with their development of verbal and nonverbal communication. They show a repetitive behavior that is usually recognized during the first three years of life. Approximately one of sixty eight children are affected with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in the United States. (Vries, 2015).

“Musical is a universal experience. With few exceptions, all humans perceive musical pitch, tone, timbre, and harmony. We listen to music to relax, to help us think, to celebrate, and grieve. Our emotional responses to music have been noted in literature, poetry, and drama. The power of music to evoke an emotional response is used by advertising companies, film directors, and mothers singing their babies to sleep. Early education teachers are familiar with using music and rhythm as tools for learning language and building memory. (Foran, 2009) Several musical melodies are used in grade school to learn information. Music is used in my math classes across the world to enhance the learning process of formulas. English classes use music help children learn prepositional phrases, adjectives, adverbs, noun, and etc. However, after most scholars reached a certain grade level, using music to achieve new heights academically became a technique of the past. Most instructors didn’t bother using music in order to help retain information. It was almost as if it was forgotten about. But, if music is so important why isn’t it allowed in most classrooms today? Many teachers are not fond of music in the classroom. To many, it is seen as a distraction. Is it the type of music a person chooses to listen to? Would it be different if the music chosen by

This study attempts to prove that certain music can be used to improve attention, elicit good mood, which will in turn enhance study environment.

In a study done by Jennifer L. Lilley, Crystal D. Oberle, and Jon G. Thompson, Jr. at Texas State University, they tested the effects of grade consequences and music on test anxiety and performance. The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effects of the participants grades if there were consequences and how music effects the participates anxiety and their test performances. There were previous works cited on how people improve their spatial cognitive task performances after listening to Mozart (Ho, Mason, & Spence, 2007). They also included studies where there were no benefits to people’s spatial cognitive task performances after listening to Mozart (Hui, 2006).

One reason that students should be able to listen to music is that kids with ADD/ADHD. It also helps calm people down. According to Danielle Flannigan there is a statistic shows that 79% of workers concentrate to the job they’re doing

For the most part the interesting thing I found regarding this article is that kids with severe ADHD were also more capable of staying focused and engaged while listening to the music during work time. It seems as if teacher and children benefits from playing some classical music in the classroom during certain times of the day.

A new study found that the brains of people with epilepsy react differently to the sound of music. Researchers hope the findings could lead to new therapies to prevent seizures.

The mind is greatly impacted by music by showing healthful changes (www.bellaonline.com/articles/). Doctors now use music for their patients’ treatments in order to help them stay healthy (www.bellaonline.com/articles/). Heart patients acquired the same benefits from listening to classical music for thirty minutes as they did from anti-anxiety medication (www.bellaonline.com/articles/). Musical therapy has been used to help people with heart problems, which worked quite effectively. (www.bellaonline.com/articles/). People who have had migraines frequently, were trained to use music and relaxing procedures to reduce their headaches. Studies have also shown that music helps students with their intelligence levels (www.bellaonline.com/articles/). A majority of students had higher test scores than others because they listened to Mozart before their exam. People who listened to classical music for an hour and a half while revising manuscripts increased their accuracy by 21% (www.bellaonline.com/articles) (Mish 725.).

The article “The effects of music on achievement, attitude and retention in primary school English lessons” by Koksal, Yagisan, and Cekic show the impact music has in the classroom. The Article claims “best learning environment is one that includes music” (Köksal, et al. 1897). Meaning music activates different parts of the brain that coincide with memory. Through an experimental study mentioned in the article shows music has a “increased achievement in English vocabulary learning” (Köksal, et al. 1899). Memory channels are activated and students are able to retain what is being taught through the use of music. Therefore the article suggests music is a method that can be used in primary schools to exercise the mind helping students hold onto what they learn for longer periods of time. The authors argue music brings out a different level of intelligence in the classroom. However the article fails to briefly describe traditional methods, other possible methods, and possible defaults of a music learning environment jeopardizing a overall well conducted study of music used as a source of education.

In recent years it’s become noticeable that students are using all different forms of music to help them while studying or doing homework. When listening to music one may notice how that person may tap their foot or drum their fingers, even though they appear to be focused on the task in front of them. The rhythm of the piece, whether it is fast or slow, causes the listener’s heartbeat to synch with it (How Music Affects Our Mood, 2014). The question however is which music to listen to. In some studies, test subjects show that the louder the music the more distracted the subjects became (Manthei, 2014). Doctor Emma Gray, a clinical psychologist in Britain, says, “If you choose the right music for the topic you are

Imagine the day when you see your child’s report card, and all you see are As, and you are speechlessly staring at your child’s grades. Are you still waiting for that moment to come when you will be proud of your child for getting good grades? Have you ever wondered why your child has not been able to do well at school?It is possibly because your child has not been exposed to listening to music while studying. Listening to musiccould be the golden solution for your child. Students definitely need to be granted the freedom to listen music during classes. Listening to music while studying helps to keep one’s mind relaxed. It also helps in finishing work faster and in memorization.

Aside from emotions, music can also have an impact on mental illnesses like ADHD, depression, and dementia. To combat depression, Cadena states that “music therapy alleviates pain and promotes calmness by slowing the heart rate and other bodily functions” (2). It provides the patient with a means of escape from the stressful and painful ordeals of life, and can even encourage them to recover from depression. To help children with ADHD, music therapy and medications can be used conjointly. Music, Cadena affirms, “can provide a calming, sedative affect and assist a child with focusing on the task at hand” (2). In regards to dementia, a study was done to investigate the effects that music would have on people with the disease. The findings demonstrated that “mean agitation levels were significantly lower while listening to music than before listening to the music” (3).

A song or a piece of music has the power to transform an individual and take them not only to a different state of mind, but quite possibly a different consciousness. Making or singing music also has the power to transform an individual. “There is a resemblance of music in pitch, volume, rhythm, melody and structure to the natural human expression of emotion in voice, demeanor and behavior” (Ushedo, 2006, 1). Making music can create an environment where it indirectly teaches individuals communication and social skills through the emotions brought out by the music. The social interaction between individuals with behavioral problems has been aided by using musical activities. It can “encourage or motivate communication through musical activities, which are responsive to the child to promote eye contact, turn taking, sharing, joint attention” (Stephenson, 2006, 297). While creating a calmer and more relaxed environment with musical activities, behavioral problems can be aided through the use of this form of music therapy.