News Release

UPMC Northwest Music Practitioners Promote Healing

March 17, 2006 -- Music can have a profound effect on our emotional and physical health, and its therapeutic use is becomuing more widely recognized as a complementary therapy for persons receiving medical treatment. Recognizing the link between music and healing, UPMC Northwest has hired music practitioners Rebecca Lytle, CMP, and Samantha Phillippi, and has begun providing therapeutic music for patients.

Rebecca holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Delaware and has received her certification as a music practitioner from Music for Healing and Transition program, a nationally certified program for bedside musicians. The harpist also is seeking advanced clinical musician certifica-tion and is studying vibroacoustic harp therapy. She completed an internship at UPMC Northwest last spring and joined the hospital staff in December.

Samantha is a graduate of Eastern University in Philadelphia, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in music education, and she plays the piano, keyboard, and flute. She has been a UPMC Northwest staff member since October and is pursuing certification as a music practitioner through the Music for Health and Transition Program.

Therapeutic music is non-invasive, safe and pleasant, according to Rebecca and Samantha, who say live music is more beneficial to healing than recorded music because it can be adjusted to meet the changing needs of the listener. Live music also
provides the benefit of overtones, which are not produced in recorded music.

“When listening to healing music, the body, soul and spirit work together to create balance, or wholeness, which often leads to feelings of peace and acceptance,” Rebecca says. “Healing in this sense is quite different from curing. Healing music is used in conjunction with medicine, not in place of it, to help make a person whole. It is not used to cure the physical symptoms of disease.”

Samantha says numerous studies show the physical and emotional benefits of therapeutic music including the following: it reduces tension and stress by affecting the body’s natural rhythms of heartbeat, respiration, pulse and blood pressure; it reduces pain and the need for pain medication by increasing beneficial endorphin levels and decreasing the level of stress hormones; it boosts the immune system by oxygenating cells and allowing the body to help itself; and it stimulates digestion and reduces nausea.

Unlike with a music therapist, “there is no plan on how a visit will proceed when a music practitioner enters a patient’s room,” Rebecca says. “The only intent is to provide a healing environment. Patients are empowered to decide whether they want therapeutic music, or whether they want to change the music or stop it. They are encouraged to feel comfortable, rest or sleep, express emotions, etc.”

The music practitioner is led by the patient’s actions, both spoken and unspoken, and the experience often benefits both the patient and any loved ones who are present.
Typically music practitioners offer three strains of music – happy, sad, or
relaxed/soothing – according to Samantha, who says their education equips them to read monitors and use diagnosis and patient rhythms to determine what to play. “If a patient is agitated, for example, we can match his or her state by playing either fitful music or soothing music,” Samantha says. “We can lead the patient into restfulness by gradually slowing the tempo, leading to relaxing music, resulting in the patient relaxing and perhaps providing the ability to sleep.”

Music transcends cultural, geographical, language and time boundaries “to bring balance and healing to those who are suffering,” Rebecca says.

Individuals can learn more about UPMC Northwest’s therapeutic music program by contacting the hospital’s Volunteer Services office at 814-676-7922.