BY GRACE MULLIN

PHOTOS BY COURTNEY SEARCY

Featured in vol 7, issue 3: healing

“We don’t like it to look too clinical,” remarked Chrissy Watson, board-certified Music Therapist at the STAR Center as she pulled out her guitar. The room’s lavender walls and smorgasbord of colorful instruments, complete with Watson’s warm guitar strums, banished any thought of the adjective “clinical”. Yet, this little room holds sessions where tangible healing takes place.

Besides music therapy, the STAR Center offers a variety of services to people with disabilities including assistive technology, speech therapy, employment services, and homecare. From early childhood to senior adults, the STAR Center has resources for every stage of life.

Music therapy is where music and healing meet. This is part of what drew Chrissy Watson towards her career. She grew up loving music, but typical careers for musicians, such as education and performance, did not appeal to Watson. She wanted to help people with her profession, but was unsure of how that may manifest. When she happened upon an article about music therapy, it fit her giftings and interests to a tee. Her fascination for both neurology and music was a perfect match for the field. Music is not only an art form, but can be a powerful tool as well. Watson explains, “Music has just as much of a role in the session as I do. I’m just getting to manipulate those elements to have the desired effect.”

Music therapy works because our brains are organized so that rhythm prompts movement. In a blog post entitled “Feel the Rhythm: How Music Affects Movement,” Chrissy Watson explains: “The areas of the brain that prime or prepare movement have direct pathways that easily recruit the auditory cortex, so every beat or rhythm we hear has a very easy and efficient path to cue movement.” This is why when we listen to music with a strong beat, our bodies dance, sometimes even subconsciously. This neurological reality is the basis for what Watson does. From stroke survivors to those with learning disabilities, music can provide a scaffolding for rehabilitation.

One client Watson worked with was a jazz musician who lost responsiveness in his right arm because of a stroke. He opted to use hard rock in their sessions. They used ACDC’s “You Shook Me All Night Long,” which was something funny enough to make him smile, and familiar enough for him to jam out. The instrument they used was tambourine, because of its sensitivity. He could still move his shoulder, so he was able to manipulate his arm enough to shake the tambourine. Throughout their sessions, they gradually saw more activation in his right arm. These are similar exercises to those done in physical therapy, but the use of an instrument provides immediate audible feedback, encouraging more neural connection.

For clients working on a movement goal, the incorporation of music provides an indicator for automatic coordination without over-explanation. Watson uses an arpeggiated harmonic structure to lead stroke patients working on balance in a sitting-standing movement. This involves an 8-beat pattern for sitting down and standing up. This intentional ascending and descending music pattern triggers the physical sequence of sitting and standing. Afterall, she explained, “Dance is just sequencing with a beat.” Similarly, she often implements a waltz rhythm to prompt shifting weight. This same concept transfers to a classroom setting. When Watson visits classes, she will often use either a straight or swing rhythm to impact the environment. To encourage engagement from the students, she might greet them with a bouncing straight strum of her guitar. However, if the students are full of energy but lacking focus, she might strum a more relaxed swing rhythm. Music affects us in ways we may not even be conscious of, whether it be enhancing engagement or triggering a physical response.

One of Watson’s clients, Gina, entered the room as I interviewed Watson. The third-grader’s gregarious personality lit up the room. From her contagious smile, it was obvious she loves going to therapy. Gina began speech therapy as a toddler, but only in the past few years began utilizing the services at the STAR center.

Recently, she has been working with Watson on sequences and attention. Gina’s mother, Pam Coker, has observed progress not only verbally, but also socially. Gina greets everyone she sees at the STAR center. “It’s become our family,” Coker remarked.

Music can be a catalyst for healing and a thread that knits a community together. It influences us in ways we may not realize. In her work at the STAR center, Watson unlocks music’s therapeutic potential, providing a new avenue for rehabilitation and
growth in clients.

GRACE MULLIN is originally from Crowley, Texas and is a writer with a love for acorn squash soup. When she isn’t writing, you can find Grace making lattes at Starbucks or listening to podcasts while baking. Grace and her husband hope to adopt a tomato frog in the near future.

Featured