Ways Music Therapy Supports Breathing

Discover key learnings from the Mount Sinai PATHS to Healing: Trauma-Based Music Therapy Program.

By Google Arts & Culture

The Louis Armstrong Department of Music Therapy at Mount Sinai Union Square

Olivia, McLean, VA – “The Reality of COVID” (2020)Chinese American Museum DC

Inhale - Exhale, Voice and Accordion by Cynthia Hopkins
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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

Guided Meditation, French Horn by Elise Hawkes, Piano by Tamara Sastow
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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

Harmonica by Paul Nolan
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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.
 

Harmonica by Paul Nolan
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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

Voice and Ehru by Jingwen Zhang
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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

Inhale - Exhale, Voice and Accordion by Cynthia Hopkins
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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. 

Mount Sinai Logos by Mount Sinai

Learn More

Discover more about The Louis Armstrong Department of Music Therapy here.

Credits: Story

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

Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.
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