"Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center took part in a study to find out if cancer patients would respond to music therapy. Members on the medical team were surprised to find out that it was just as effective as cognitive behavioral therapy or talk therapy. The Melody Study paired patients up with music therapists for a seven-week trial that involved activities that span from passive (listening to music) to active (creating music themselves)."
"New York DJ Cynthia Malaran, a breast cancer survivor, says the program did a lot to change her perspective. "After my double mastectomy, I felt frozen. But when it came to music, I could raise my arms and go like this and feel like, 'Oh, I forgot this even happened!' And when you can forget, even for three minutes this has happened to you - that's a win," says Malaran."
A seven-week music therapy program paired cancer patients with music therapists for activities ranging from passive listening to active music creation. Medical staff observed comparable reductions in depression and mental health symptoms compared with cognitive behavioral therapy and talk therapy. Participants reported emotional release, temporary respite from physical and psychological pain, and increased creative expression. One participant regained physical movement and produced an introspective song after humming and vibration exercises unlocked emotional material. The program facilitated breakthroughs through embodied vocal work, improvisation, and songwriting that translated clinical benefits into personalized artistic outcomes.
Read at ABC7 Los Angeles
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