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Music Rx®

Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach hit a high note when it teamed up with the Children’s Music Fund (“CMF”) for “Let’s Jam!,” bringing the first full “hospital concert” to hospitalized patients. The Children’s Music Fund is a non-profit organization whose mission is to provide musical instruments and music therapy to children, adolescents, and young adults with chronic and life-altering illnesses, and to support research on the effects of music therapy through creating an afternoon of high energy and interactive music to patients at Miller Children’s.

Music therapy soothes hospitalized children and their families with the healing power of signing, playing instruments and writing songs. Research shows that listening to music lowers blood pressure, promotes a more positive state of mind, reduces stress and anxiety levels and can even help reduce pain through the release of endorphins. At Miller Children’s, a music therapist, child life specialists, and volunteers all work together to deliver bedside music therapy, group music interactions, hallway performances and an interactive mobile music cart that travels through units and playrooms.

CMF guest artist 15-year-old Kaile Goh, a LAVA/Universal Republic Records recording artist from Singapore, began the afternoon by performing on the Giggles Show, a Miller Children’s special, child-oriented show designed just for patients. Kaile moved to the Miller West and Hematology/Oncology Playrooms for a short performance. Vanya Green, CMF’s Director of Music Therapy and singer/multi-instrumentalist, joined in to facilitate an afternoon jam session with Miller Children’s patients and music therapists.

“Today’s hospital concert was amazing,” states Laurel Terreri, MA, MT-BC, music therapist, Miller Children’s. “Listening to music can be very soothing and therapeutic and our patients were enjoying every minute of the performances and jam sessions.”

“The Children’s Music Fund was thrilled to work with the music therapists and the Child Life team at Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach for ‘Let’s Jam,’” says Vanya Green, CMF’s Director of Music Therapy and singer/multi-instrumentalist. “The jam sessions were so much fun and playing music with the children was the best part of the day.”

Music Rx® soothes hospitalized children and their families with the healing power of music. A music therapist facilitates bedside music therapy and group therapy sessions. An interactive state-of-the-art mobile music cart is part of the program, and has 100 musical instruments, song writing software, a custom-built iPod docking station, a video screen and the power to help children by bringing the healing touch of music directly to children and their families.

In addition to improving a child's creativity, music cultivates and improves skill development in children that can benefit them for the rest of their lives—such as academic achievement, social and emotional development. Children who practice self-expression and creativity often become better communicators later in life.

Music therapy also assits patients to gain skills they may have lost during the process of their disease, illness or injury, such as speech and mobility. In addition, music therapy is used as a distraction for patients that are experiencing anxiety, pain or undergoing painful or scary procedures. The positive effects of music in the development of children are overwhelming, so it is no wonder music therapy is used to support healing at Miller Children's.

Hallway Music Program

Not only is it beneficial for children to play music, but listening to it promotes a relaxing and healing environment for patients and their family members. Research shows that listening to music lowers blood pressure, promotes a more positive state of mind, reduces stress and anxiety levels and can even help reduce pain through the release of endorphins.

For these reasons, Miller Children’s has expanded its Music Rx® program—which uses music as a form of therapy for patients during hospitalization—to include a hallway music program. The hallway music program helps lift patients’ spirits while they are in the hospital, and is especially beneficial this holiday season when patients and families can feel a little down about hospitalization.

Semi-professional/professional musicians are stationed in general patient care areas for two hours, with at least one hour’s worth of repertoire. A spin off of traditional caroling, the “hallway musician” plays a musical instrument, such as guitar, violin, viola, cello, flute or clarinet (possibly with piano accompaniment) for patients, families, visitors, and the hospital care team.