Hospice Music Therapy is an established health profession in which music is used within a therapeutic relationship to address physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs of individuals at the end of life. Research in hospice music therapy supports its effectiveness in many areas such as: overall physical rehabilitation and facilitating movement, increasing people's motivation to become engaged in their treatment, providing emotional support for clients and their families, and providing an outlet for the expression of feelings.

You may have heard the phrase, “Where words fail, music speaks.” We know from years of research, and personal experiences, that music is able to reach patients and families when words so often fall short of capturing the mystery and gravity of this time.

The Music Therapist’s role as part of the clinical team is to address the needs of patients and families at end-of-life using the modality of music. Music becomes a doorway, a familiar, trusted, and neutral third party that helps facilitate:

• Managing symptoms such as pain and anxiety with a non-pharmacological approach

• Providing opportunities for self-expression and processing emotions

• Reminiscence and life review through music that has held meaning in one’s life

• Creating legacy projects with the patient and family

• Elevating the mood of patients and families during a difficult time as well as holding space for the spectrum of emotions that accompany this journey

• Providing social interaction with families, caregivers, and community

• A regained sense of control through music experiences purposely designed to be successful

Therapeutic music interventions can include but are not limited to, instrument playing, improvisation, moving to music, singing, engaging in music-facilitated reminiscence and life review, lyric analysis and discussion, songwriting, guided imagery, and music, or receiving music-assisted relaxation.

As board-certified professionals, Music Therapists are trained to observe beyond what is visible and make clinical adaptations in the moment. We modify elements of our live music (volume, timbre, tempo, key signatures, modes, cadence, etc.) to uniquely meet the needs of the patient. By providing live, therapeutic interventions we are able to adjust our musicality, knowing how and when to enhance or reduce the physiological responses to music to support comfort and quality of life.