| Music therapy, dating back to preliterate medicine where it was used
for healing rituals, has an extremely long and interesting tradition. Pythagorus, considered the father of music therapy,
was known to prescribe music, along with diet, to restore and maintain harmony
of the body and soul. Ancient Egyptians used music to influence the
fertility of women, while David used the harp to aid in sleep and alleviate the depression
of King Saul. Ancient Hebrews
and Greeks as well as the Romans, used music for various ailments including
indigestion, insomnia, and mental disorders.
Confucius, Plato,
Aristotle, Hippocrates were all known to write about the benefits of music on
the sick.
During the Renaissance, music was used by physicians to treat depression in
European kings. Certain American Indian tribes have used music, along with dance, to drive away
the "evil spirit" in order to heal. (Henry 1995)
More recently, Florence Nightingale , in the 19th century, described certain types of music as beneficial, and others as harmful to a
hospitalized patient - "wind instruments, including the human voice, and
stringed instruments, capable of continuous sound, have generally a beneficent
effect- while a piano playing forte will damage the sick" (Reilly 1999).
As quickly
as music became recorded, it was used at the bedside. In the late 1800s, music
was used to induce sleep, allay anxiety associated with surgery, and assist with
local anesthesia. After WWII, music was used for veterans who were
"shell-shocked", wounded, and disabled. (Johnston 1996)
As music and its therapeutic effects became more popular, organized groups
(i.e. The National Association for
Music Therapy) were established.
|
