 |
|||||||||
|
July 2010 |
|||||||||
|
|||||||||
| The Power of Lullabies for Healthy Bonding | |||||||||
|
Singing to your newborn or even your unborn baby is such a natural thing to do! Since the beginning of time mothers have sung to their babies...to soothe them, to calm them, to comfort them. You don't have to know the words to any specific lullaby to sing to your child, grandchild, or any child effectively. Their is an entire body of knowledge devoted to "lulling." The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines lulling as " to calm or send to sleep, typically with soothing sounds or movements: "the rhythm of the boat lulled her to sleep". Where does the "power" come in? When baby comes early, often this premature infant has a dangerously low birth weight. This alone causes all kinds of problems with maintaining body temperature, stabilizing blood pressure and body weight. Music therapy researchers have done numerous studies on the benefits of a mother singing to her newborn or preemie. Research strongly suggests that if a mother has sung to her baby before birth, singing to this preemie now comforts them and helps them to gain weight faster because they are calmer and eat better and for longer stretches. Since the mother's voice is the one that the baby has heard for at least five months in utero, that is the one that the baby is most attached to and familiar with. For a newborn or an unborn baby, the mother's voice is absolutely the one that they most need to hear and the one that will be most healing, comforting and soothing to that baby. When you are pregnant, the very best thing you can do for your soon to be born baby, is to choose 6 or 8 calm and soothing songs that you know well and enjoy singing (or hearing) and gently sing or hum those songs several times a day to your baby. This is a much more important thing to do than to put headphones on your belly and play music for the baby that is coming from an unfamiliar instrument, voice or ensemble. Much better is to let your baby hear your voice singing the same 6 or 8 lullabies daily. Research at UCLA showed that when these same songs or lullabies are sung after the baby is born, they will calm and comfort the baby almost immediately because they baby heard them in utero. When the baby hears that familiar voice and that familiar melody, they feel safe and instinctively move toward staying alive, nursing, and being close to Mom. Lullabies and soft, soothing songs are very powerful and again, simply humming the melodies or sing la-la or other vowel sounds is just as effective, if you don't know the words! Please see the "Lullaby Special" at the end of this month's ezine. |
|||||||||
| My Favorite Music Therapist: Deforia Lane! | |||||||||
|
Many people assume that I am a music therapist but I am not. I was trained originally as a concert pianist, then as a musicologist, then as a clinical social worker. I love performing, researching, and teaching and have put them all together in a career called "Music Medicine." However, the field of music therapy is much better known and has degree programs and credentialing that is very valuable and important. Music therapists work in a wide variety of settings such as hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes, and many, many other settings. In some large cities you can also find music therapists with private practices. For many decades the state of Kentucky (where I live) tried to get a music therapy degree program started and the proposals were turned down again and again. In 2000, the University of Louisville became the first college/university in Kentucky to have a degree program in music therapy. The coordinator of that program is Dr. Barbara Wheeler and they have already graduated many fine music therapists who work around the state now as well as in other states. The field of music therapy is rich with clinicians and researchers and today I'd like to introduce my readers to one of the best and definitely my favorite, Dr. Deforia Lane. Deforia works at the Ireland Cancer Center and Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital in Cleveland. Both are part of the University Hospital System there. This is a great video of Deforia working her musical magic with a variety of different patients and situations and will give you a great picture of how powerful music can be in a hospital setting.
Visit msnbc.com for
|
|||||||||
| This month's "Healing Music Special Package" | |||||||||
|
Every month I offer a special digital package of healing music products to my list, depending on what the emphasis of that month's ezine has been. This month I'm going to offer you a very special and temporary price drop on my "Lullaby" download. This download includes 22 well-known, classic lullabies, played on a Steinway grand piano! As of about six months ago, this download now includes the complete lyrics to all 22 lullabies! For a 50% discount off the usual price of $19.97, you will receive an immediate download of the 22 lullabies with complete lyrics to each one! I can't afford to leave it up for long, so get yours immediately! You can save it to your computers hard drive and enjoy it for years to come. You can also upload it to your iPod or burn yourself a CD! Here is your July "Healing Music Special Package" Please note the the "Lullaby Special" I'm offering this month is something that children and adults of all ages purchase and report that it puts them to sleep very easily and quickly. Do you suffer from insomnia or the inability to STAY asleep? Are you concerned about taking Ambien or Lunesta? What not take a musical sleeping pill?
Enter the coupon code: sleep See you next month!! Alice Cash |
|||||||||
| Chantdoc's Social Networksl Join or Just Enjoy | |||||||||
|
|||||||||
| About Alice Cash | |||||||||
For nearly two decades, I've has been helping people use the music that
they already love to heal their lives and increase their wellness
quotient!
 I
am one of the world's only clinical musicologists and hold
Bachelors and Masters degrees in piano performance, a Ph.D. in
musicology and a Master of Social Work in clinical social work. I
am also a licensed clinical social worker. I work with people and
diagnoses of all kinds, enabling them to find healing, acceptance and
hope. To hear me speak, and watch me in action "is to have a day
that will amaze, educate, motivate, and inspire you!" To hire me
as a keynote speaker for your association or organization click
here.
|
|||||||||
|
|||||||||
