Olivia, McLean, VA – “The Reality of COVID” (2020)Chinese American Museum DC
Building Breath Resilience with Music Therapy
The Louis Armstrong Department of Music Therapy at Mount Sinai developed PATHs (Pause, Align, Treat, Heal) program, a trauma-based music psychotherapy model highlighting social, cognitive and neurobiological mechanisms; emotion regulation, anxiety-reduction, pleasure inducing contexts for staff. Their new study is researching how people suffering from long-term COVID symptoms can use singing and wind-play to improve their breathing capacity and overall well-being.
Silence of the Sea (2005) by Bang, Hai JaKorean Art Museum Association
1. Decrease Stress Level with Music Visualization
Guided visualization using music and nature sounds of ocean waves can prove very effective in achieving a state of calm through helping people breathe deeply.
Boy with Harmonica (1957) by Candido PortinariProjeto Portinari
2. Playing a wind Instrument
Easy-to-play wind instruments including harmonica, melodica, recorder, and slide-whistle studied at the Louis Armstrong Center provided an incentive to voluntarily and creatively address diaphragmatic breathing and body posture, which can increase expiratory airways pressure.
The application of specific respiratory techniques, such as Pursed Lips Breathing with wind playing or blowing against resistance may contribute to reduce hyperinflation from trapped air, reinforce respiratory muscles, modify the respiratory pattern (deeper, slower), and enhance diaphragmatic movement, all necessary to help improve your breathing.
Marian Anderson (1944) by Laura Wheeler WaringSmithsonian's National Portrait Gallery
3. Exercise your Breathing with Singing
For patients suffering from respiratory diseases, singing may improve control over breathing and also has an effect on social interaction, pleasure and well-being.
The Louis Armstrong Department of Music Therapy at Mount Sinai - Joanne Loewy, Director
Nikki - NHS Hero (2020) by Clive BryantPaintings in Hospitals
4. Combine These Tools and Improve Quality of Life
Music Therapy protocols involving music visualization sessions, wind playing, breathing experientials and singing can altogether help improve quality of life.
Learn More
Discover more about The Louis Armstrong Department of Music Therapy here.
Voice and Accordion by Cynthia Hopkins
French Horn by Elise Hawkes
Piano by Tamara Sastow
Harmonica by Paul Nolan
Voice and Ehru by Jingwen Zhang
