There is no doubt that music is an intrinsic part of our lives and plays an important role in our health and well-being. Over recent years, we have been reminded of this as we witnessed the beauty and power of digital choirs to unite people, the devastation of silent stages across the world and the thrill of shared music-making as neighbours in lockdown stood on balconies and played together. It reminded us of the value of shared musical experiences and the power of music. Music itself can also be very personal, it can evoke strong memories, emotion and become an anthology of our lives. Music can serve so many different functions across the continuum of health and well-being, including music therapy.
Music therapy is a research-based allied health profession that uses music, its elements and the therapeutic relationship to support people to achieve health, functioning and wellbeing. Music therapy in the paediatric setting supports patients with a broad spectrum of needs, including pain and anxiety management, procedural support, coping and adjustment, and end of life. The music therapy program at the Queensland Children’s Hospital, funded by Redkite, is a well-established program supporting patients and their families along a complex and often difficult path. In this presentation, Karen will present music therapy as part of a continuum of music for health and well-being, providing examples to illustrate how the use of music changes across the continuum. Karen will also provide clinical examples from her work in paediatric oncology to showcase the colours of both song and music-making, and the ways music therapy can enhance health and well-being for both patients and their families in this setting.