MUSIC AS THERAPY

By Judy Haughton-James


       Janine and I have been big fans of music over the years and like a wide variety - reggae (our national music), calypso, gospel, soul, disco etc. As a matter of fact we once had an article titled 'MUSIC AS THERAPY' published in one of Jamaica's national newspapers, the Sunday Gleaner. It showed the amazing effect that music has on human beings, plants and animals.  The science called Music as therapy has as its main aim the use of sound as a stimulus to treat, rehabilitate and educate the emotionally, mentally and physically ill. 


        I mainly get my good dose of music on weekends. I also get to enjoy music videos posted by my Facebook friends from time to time. I have even posted some on this Blog and plan to continue doing so.


       Right now I am just hoping that in the not too distant future I will be able to listen to the CDs that Janine and I bought over the years. Above is a picture of some of them. However they are usually safely packed away in a case as I still find it difficult to listen to them. They include some Christmas CDs that we would play at Christmas time every year.  Maybe one of these days when I am on my computer I could slip in one of these CDs and have it going while I am busy doing something. In the meantime I hope everyone gets to enjoy his/her favourite genre of music. As Plato once said "Music is moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, a charm to sadness, gaiety and life to everything." Of course our late reggae super star Bob Marley told us "One good thing about music, when it hits you feel no pain."