Music as Medicine - Yahoo! News

Music as Medicine - Yahoo! News [HealthDay]

This article is yet another confirmation that music is good for you, that music is healthy.

Study: Waltzing helps mend hearts

Study: Waltzing helps mend hearts - Yahoo! News (AP)

Let everybody waltz now!

1-2-3, 1-2-3...

Time to crank up the Strauss? "Blue Danube", anyone?

Of course dancing is great exercise, certainly more fun than a treadmill...

As lovers of music, 'We're brothers' - Los Angeles Times

As lovers of music, 'We're brothers' - Los Angeles Times

Great story. I've been following the "adventures" of Nathaniel the classical musician/homeless guy in Steve Lopez's columns for a long time. In today's column linked here, Lopez summarizes Nathaniel's story, writes about his future, and describes a meeting Nathaniel recently had with his once Julliard classmate (yes) Yo Yo Ma while they were all at Disney Hall. Yo Yo let Nathaniel play his cello, too. Apparently Lopez almost had to drag Nathaniel out of Disney Hall - he didn't want to leave. He was at home.

The title is about what Ma said about Nathaniel - how since both of them were such avid lovers of music they were like brothers.

Music therapy helps develop communication

Music therapy helps develop communication - Yahoo! News (AP)

From the article...

It's part of a session known as music therapy, which is used to help people with various medical conditions develop everything from language skills to motor coordination. It can provide a drug-free way to regulate moods in people with depression or foster socialization in those with limited means of communication.

(I do know my mother's love of music and singing played a big role in getting her through her recovery from a stroke.)

Music lets them find missing memories

Boston.com / News / Local / Music lets them find missing memories

Music therapy is interesting - and very effective.

As far as music and art cutting through the fog of dementia, my mother had dementia as the result of a stroke. Right to the very end of her life she enjoyed music and even sang the lyrics to the songs she enjoyed listening to on her Walkman.

Mom couldn't remember what year it was, yet she would remember lyrics.