Have you ever used music to relax after a long study session? Well, did you know you are doing music therapy? Music Therapy can be very beneficial for your mental health. Playing an instrument, listening to music, or even writing lyrics can be defined as music therapy. Next time you are stress and need a break from reality, music therapy can be the solution.
Make Music Theory Take the Weight off Your Shoulders
Music therapy can help college students relax from all their stress and help them connect with their emotions. College students tend to hold many emotions inside them, which causes them to fall into depression in the long run. That’s where music therapy comes in. Music therapy can make students connect to their problems and releases them. By doing music therapy, students tend to perform better in school and their day-to-day life after just one session. The best thing about it is that it’s free and can be done anywhere as long as you have headphones.
Use Music Therapy to Decrease Anxiety and Stress
College students always experienced stress from assignments, tests, and balancing their personal life with college life. The sad thing is that many college students use partying to decrease their stress, but this can lead to more stress. Music can have many health properties that can be beneficial for people that suffer from depression and anxiety. Clarivel Santos, a former counselor at ASU and a music therapist, explains that students should take advantage of music therapy. Clarivel Santos states his take on what music therapy is and why it’s beneficial. He says that “Music therapy is using music as a tool to meet non-musical goals, whether it is to relieve depression, stress or pain. It even lowers blood pressure depending on the type of music, and it can even stimulate the brain.” Music is so versatile, and using it to your benefit for college is not a bad idea.
There Are Many Ways To Do Music Therapy
Listening to your favorite song can be considered music therapy, but that is not the only way. Clarivel Santos states that another way is to play an instrument to do music therapy. Santos explains that they play percussion instruments to release their clients’ stress and anxiety in their music therapy sessions. He also states that they do, “…We do drum circles. People will play drums together and the sound can be very healing and it provides a sense of community as well. It has become very popular.” The best thing about this is that the individual doesn’t need to be a musician to do it, but instead, it’s about self-expression. Santos also states that “Even (actively) writing a song with some lyrics about their own experience and then the music therapist assisting them in putting a melody to what they wrote can be healing and therapeutic in itself.”
Music therapy can be free and can be done by everyone in the comfort of their home. Students have a lot of stress that they carry on their shoulders, which is not healthy. Playing an instrument, listening to music, or writing lyrics can be beneficial for a stressed-out student. Remember, music therapy can be the solution you might need.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Angel Padilla
Author Spring - 2021
