Music to 2-year-old Jackson McCabe is nothing but fun. The curly blond beams as his new-found friend, Ryan Judd, leads him in a guitar session. The two have been playing together for weeks, strumming their personal hits, like the "Monday Blues," and "Old McDonald."
Dinosaurs decorate the walls of their "recording studio," filled with colorful balls, mats and other props. Their audience in the Pediatric Rehabilitation room at Boulder Community Hospital in Boulder, Colo., generally consists of one true fan, Jackson's mom. To her, the show is much more than fun. She has been using music therapy with Jackson most of his short life."It really helped my son get excited about walking," Daphne McCabe said, adding Jackson did not begin walking until he turned 2, more than a year after most kids take their first steps. "There's something about music therapy with children. The combination of music and movement works really well. It keeps it fun."
Jackson was born with water on the brain, a condition that was diagnosed only after it caused nerve damage on the left side of his body. Overcoming the challenges of his cerebral palsy requires a number of rehabilitative therapies, but his mom says the music version is hands-down his favorite.
Music therapy is not a new concept, but it is one that has gained more widespread acceptance in the health-care arena during the past decade. Using it for anxious surgical patients, confused seniors with Alzheimer's and chemically addicted teens, for example, is becoming more commonplace. Boulder Community Hospital, for example, recently placed a full-time music therapist on staff.
When patients walk into Boulder Community Hospital's main lobby, they might notice something different. The rush of medical staff and urgent intercom pages is softened by the sound of classical music. A player piano sits near the couches, offering calm in place of chaos. The hospital solicits community volunteers to periodically provide live entertainment.
"There are different tiers of music therapy," said Willow Pearson, the hospital's new on-staff music therapist. "This is music in the environment," she said, emphasizing it is separate from her profession. If patient feedback is positive, the hospital will consider giving the on-loan instrument a permanent home.
A player piano will be part of Longmont United Hospital's new tower, expected to open early this year, said Betty Trueblood-Smith, community relations marketing manager. "The whole premise is that music reduces the stress level," she said, adding that hospitals are continually moving toward the concept of administering to the mind as well as the body to enhance healing.
Boulder patients awaiting surgery or other anxiety-inducing procedures are offered headsets, and every hospital room in Longmont is equipped with a television channel that solely broadcasts relaxing music and scenic images.
The BCH pilot program with Pearson and other interns from Naropa University went so well, the hospital made it permanent, said Margaret Van Cleave, vice president in charge of the music program.
"We learned that not only did it address the emotional needs of, for instance, surgical patients, but there were also definite physical advantages.," she said.