From the soul-felt bellows delivered by the Queen of Soul, to the spiritual vibrato in every melody pronounced by the First Lady of Gospel, music has catapulted itself into every nook and cranny of the human experience. From every heartbeat down to every foot step, there is a song, melody and/or beat that in revealing a genre of music also reveals a part of one’s own personal story. But in the cases of black women, music presents not only the opportunity to tell one’s story, but to also combat the harsh realities of life.

Beyond definition and categorization, black women wear many hats; hats that further ensure their continuous and indispensable role within and throughout their homes and communities. As mothers (and sometimes fathers), professionals, caregivers, educators, advocates, and an otherwise multi-tasking contributors, black women are charged with duties that counter various challenges and adversities in their plight to manage and survive in their own personal reality TV shows, titled so accurately, Life.

As black women continue to top the list of health related fatalities within the United States, it is more apparent that the various roles that she takes on impact her overall health. Recently, black women continue to find themselves within the bounds of HIV/AIDS, diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, and various forms of cancer. Arguably, the various roles and the accompanying responsibilities of black women only further remove the practicality of personal healthcare, and cause black women to institute different types of therapy. Music, is one of them.

The 411 on Music Therapy

Beyond its everyday practical use, music is now alternatively used by some healthcare professionals as a means to treat various cognitive, emotional, physical, and social disorders. The American Music Therapy Association suggests that music therapy can provide the following health-based interventions:

* Promote Emotional Wellness

* Manage Stress

* Alleviate Pain

* Express Feelings

* Enhance Memory

* Improve Communication

* Promote Physical Rehabilitation

It is with such interventions that music therapy has become a common practice among people who seek to naturally improve aspects of their health.

Music and its Health Benefits

Music therapy and its overall effects on one’s body and psyche are broken down into a science; a science that notes that music’s influence is so great that it can improve one’s heart rate, breathing, state of mind, blood pressure, immunity, muscle tension and various other benefits. It may be a true benefit to black women. Music further aids in physical relaxation, promotes meditation and focus, and increases the effectiveness of stress relief activities such as exercise and general stress management. Various research initiatives have further demonstrated that the use of music in health-based initiatives has proven effective in the treatment of both mental and physical adversities. All signs indicate that music cohesively assists one’s mind and body in staying and/or becoming healthier.

In the late 1990s at the University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee, heart-attack survivors showed signs of relaxation in response to listening to classical music. With the help of music, these patients decreased their anxiety levels within a short period of time, which allowed them to intake less breaths per minute and strengthen the flexibility of their hearts.

Beyond anxiety, music also plays a role in alleviating pain. Case Western Reserve University researchers introduced the smooth sounds of jazz to patients during their post-surgery recovery and noted that patients quickly adopted relaxation skills that further alleviated the pain tensions. Afterwards, an overwhelming percentage of these patients noted that they would recommend music therapy as an additive in any medically induced procedures.

Hospitals and medical centers nationwide have continued in their efforts to assist patients with reducing stress with music. The Memorial Sloan-Kettering Center Cancer further illustrated the benefits of music therapy in the cancer care treatments of its patients. Upon experiencing live-bedside music, patients experienced less physical discomfort and anxiety. Further suggesting that music combats depression and promotes a mental euphoria that truncates the negativity of present conditions.

With such positive examples, music therapy can only excel from here! In the case of women, music therapy has posed an opportunity for researchers to learn more about how it can help improve and promote healthy lifestyles. It has already proven to be an additive in managing the experience of childbirth and continues to be a point of development in managing issues with childrearing and possible learning disabilities. Most recently, music therapy research has focused on the improvement of cognitive and emotional states of women involved in physically and/or mentally abusive relationships. Ultimately, providing black women with a support system and reference base in response to the various hardships attributed to the roles they take.

Music Therapy & The Black Woman

• • Be it the instantaneous empowerment gained from singing “I’m Every Woman”, to dealing with the toils of heartache through the melody “I’m Going Down”, there is a song for every experience. Various in their movements of happiness and sadness, the black woman’s experience is an all encompassing movement in sounds, beats, and rhythms. Not always a smooth melody, health adversities tend to truncate the great movement that is and will always be the black woman’s experience. Yet through music, be it hip-hop, R&B, jazz, classical, or whatever genre chosen, music provides an alternative to unhealthy life practices.
    

Young or old, in the greatest of health or not, we make the choice to choose the life we live. So as we wear our hats and play our roles, we must maintain our health by maintaining our mind, body, and soul. So sit back, relax, and listen to the music. With such we can only generate a physical, mental, and spiritual synergy at its greatest. And as a strong black woman, you can further cement your steps to greatness by maintaining a healthier you.

Interested in learning more about Music Therapy? Please visit the American Music Therapy Association website for more information.

For additional articles on the benefits of music, please follow the links provided below:

Alternative Health

Why and How Music Aids Relaxation