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Global tele-music therapy program reduces pain, discomfort, and stress with enduring effects during COVID–19: A pilot study
Christine Stevens and Shanyyn Fowl
During challenging times, innovative solutions often emerge. Such was the case with the Global tele-music therapy program, which offered a beacon of healing during the pandemic’s darkest hours. Spearheaded by Christine Stevens and her team, this initiative utilized the transformative power of music to provide solace and support to individuals grappling with the effects of COVID-19 and its aftermath. In our quest to delve deeper into this pioneering work, we had the privilege of interviewing Stevens. Alongside her insightful responses, we encourage you to explore the curated playlist of professional audio recordings on SoundCloud (https://soundcloud.com/naturesutras/sets/covid-19-sound-healing-project) and gain a fascinating glimpse into the array of instruments employed in the study (https://youtu.be/bYaS_w8_JYk). This groundbreaking study will be published in the forthcoming issue of the Music and Medicine journal, further amplifying its impact and contributing to the growing body of research at the intersection of music and health.
1. Can you provide an overview of the article and the topics it explores?
The field of music therapy was established during WWII treating soldiers, and I feel like something was birthed during this project due to the way challenging circumstances inspire innovation.
In August 2021, I started seeing people who had COVID-19 online using ZOOM. Eventually, I recruited 2 more music practitioners, to expand our services of individual sessions at no cost to people who fit five criteria; active COVID-19, lost a loved one to COVID, Long haul COVID, vaccine anxiety or burn-out of health care workers, teachers and ministers. Over a year, we treated over 170 people using a collection of instruments that included hand drums, Native American-style flutes, Koshi chimes, monochords, and crystal bowls. Himalayan singing bowls, vocal toning, guitar, and the Sansula kalimba.
We used a 6-step protocol (detailed in the paper) over a period of 30-minute sessions. To study the effectiveness of this program, we used post-session surveys and found a successful reduction in pain, discomfort, and stress with 92% of people experiencing lasting effects. A surprising finding was the amount of spontaneous healing imagery participants described, which was not guided by the therapist. We also recorded professional audio tracks to help support participants in ongoing listening for continued pain and stress reduction. https://soundcloud.com/naturesutras/sets/covid-19-sound-healing-project
2. What inspired you to undertake this particular study, especially considering the unique challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic?
In the Fall of 2021, a friend of mine got COVID 19 and I felt so much sympathy for her and asked myself what I could do to help. So I offered to do a little music therapy session for her on ZOOM. I had been working online so I had all the equipment including a USB microphone and original sound settings on ZOOM. I went with my intuition using a drum, healing chant, toning, and my Native American style flute. I was amazed at how much the 30-minute session helped her, and that experience, combined with my history of providing music healing in disaster areas and war zones inspired this project.
At first, I offered four free 30-minute sessions a week, feeling that I could volunteer my time since many people suffered financial hardship during the pandemic. Each week, I looked forward to meeting new participants, learning about their challenges, and witnessing the positive transformation through the 30-minute session. My skills improved and it grew my heart of compassion. When the pandemic worsened, I invited Gloria Taylor and Aaron Gannon to help so we could offer 2 days a week options.
In September 2022, I contracted COVID-19, and the beautiful thing is that 2 people who had attended my sessions offered music therapy for me in return, including a woman in Switzerland playing her flute for me. Aaron Gannon, in New Mexico, also did a session for me on the second day when I was in pain and very fatigued. I could immediately feel the positive impact of the session I had designed and provided for many others, and how it benefited me. Talk about full circle.
3. What future research or areas of exploration would benefit the field and application of what was discussed in this article?
Music and medicine continue to need research and documentation using gold-standard outcome measures. Based on this pilot study’s success, I hope to continue to study this online methodology in the future with a control group and replication.
Many of the instruments in this project were not part of my music therapy training. I hope that our field will continue to embrace instruments like singing bowls, monochord, kalimba, frame drum, djembe, and vocal toning (https://youtu.be/bYaS_w8_JY). Collaborating with sound healers and energy workers created a more robust protocol. I feel that interdisciplinary collaboration, like this with my co-author Dr Shannyn Fowl, ND, is important in our growing music medicine field.
Building a repertoire of healing chants and songs became important for this project. I’m thankful to my Nigerian and Lakota teachers who gave me permission to use traditional songs with a long history of healing for this project.
4. How do you think this article impacts the current understanding of music and medicine?
First, the impressive effect on reducing pain and stress with lasting effects. Especially at the early stage of the pandemic, there were high levels of fear and concerns about mortality with COVID-19, and no established medicine so the music served in a front-line capacity in the early stages, to help reduce pain and stress.
Secondly, the spontaneous healing imagery was a surprising finding. The power of imagery is well-documented in medical journals. I feel like each instrument had its own imagery associations. The Native Flute and hand drum drew more earth and animal imagery, while the strings of the monochord, crystal bowls, and Koshi chimes drew more etheric images. I feel like live music played allowed participants to discover their own healing imagery. One person with long COVID described seeing COVID sitting in front of her and she was allowed to tell it to go away. Another person shared that she forgave the person who gave her COVID while the buffalo drum was playing a heartbeat pulse.
5. In your opinion, what are the most significant implications of your findings for the field of music therapy and its integration into healthcare practices?
1. What instruments to use and how we played them. Improvisation for pain reduction is a nuance to learn. We found it was best to play a soothing instrument for 8 – 10 minutes. I had to watch the clock at first because playing for that duration was a challenge. But it was interesting to watch people on the Zoom screen relax their breathing, cry, place their hands on their bodies, or smile while the instrument was played.
2. This experience showed the value of working online and creating a 30-minute protocol that three different facilitators could replicate.
3. Individual sessions were powerful. The experience of playing for one or two people was profound, and just allowing the music to do the work. Less talking or therapizing people. Less attention to the story and the challenges they face. Just simply inviting people to receive the sound where they needed it most.
4. How it changed me and the other volunteer therapists. We are always taught to charge for our sessions, however, many people were experiencing financial losses during the pandemic so I wanted to help others who were suffering. Every week, when I did 3 to 4 sessions, I grew my musical and healing skills as well as my heart of compassion for others.
The Global Tele-Music Therapy Program stands as a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the boundless potential of music in healing. As we contemplate the insights and implications elucidated in this interview, we are reminded of the profound impact that music therapy can have on individual well-being and the broader healthcare landscape. We invite readers to explore the forthcoming article in the Music and Medicine journal, scheduled for release on April 27th, which will delve into the program’s methodology, outcomes, and implications in greater detail. For those eager to learn more or delve deeper into this transformative work, we encourage reaching out to Christine Stevens at info@ubdrumcircles.com. Let us persist in harnessing the therapeutic power of music as a conduit for healing, hope, and communal connection on our collective journey toward well-being.
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