MUSIC AND HEALTH INITIATIVE: LECTURE SERIES
UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO MEDICAL SCHOOL-All are welcome!
Music has been intimately entwined in the human saga since as far back as can be determined by archeological digs . From eighty-thousand year-old ancient flutes to modern day synthesizers, there has yet to be a culture discovered where music was non-existent. What is it about music that moves human’s so deeply? How is it that music has become so interwoven with the human condition that our very physiology can be changed in the presence of song? Older people affected by the late stages of dementia can still recognize sentimental melodies. People living with mental illness can find refuge and empowerment through musical expression. Stroke survivors who can no longer speak are able to rehabilitate their expressive communication through singing. Music is a vessel that can connect patients to the healthy side of who they are. It is undeniably powerful, and yet appears to be underutilized in Canadian healthcare.
The Music and Health Lecture Series will bring together professionals (musicians, music lovers, scholars, scientists, researchers) across Toronto to discuss various aspects of how music can impact health, wellbeing, and the lives of our future patients. By attending these talks you will gain a deeper understanding of the field of music therapy, music cognition, and the broad applications of music in modern healthcare.
The Music and Health Initiative will exist to provide medical students with an unprecedented insight into how music (in all its forms) can be used to benefit the lives of patients of all ages and across countless diagnoses and medical conditions. It looks to bring together those in the medical class who have a music background and wish to learn how to apply music in patient care, and those who do not play music but who are interested in learning about the science and benefits of exposure to music and music therapy.
Main Goals of the Initiative:
– Learn what Music Therapy is and its many applications in healthcare settings
– Learn about the benefits of exposure to Music and Music Therapy for diverse patient populations
– Connect and stay updated with research from the Music and Health Research Collaboratory in Toronto
– Listen to experts in the field, ranging from music therapists to researchers and physicians who are researching the use of music in medical practice and in enhancing resilience and wellbeing
– Become an advocate for the field so that the use of music in clinical settings can become more widespread across Ontario and all of Canada
Please feel free to direct any questions to:
Adriano Mollica
adriano.mollica@mail.utoronto.ca
289-228-7991