Music Therapy for Children & Families
Our Board-Certified Music Therapists provide music therapy services upon referral to patients and families during their hospitalization. Music therapy services are tailored to each child and family’s needs. The music therapist collaborates directly with the patient’s care team to provide quality and appropriate music therapy services throughout the patient’s hospitalization.
For More Information
Frequently Asked Questions
Music therapy can help patients and families:
- Cope with hospitalization
- Relax and refocus from pain
- Decrease anxiety and stress
- Express feelings
- Be creative
- Cope with tests and procedures
- Bond with family and caregivers
- Be active
- Experience positive interactions through music
The relaxed, creative and playful environment during music therapy sessions can assist your child and family in feeling comforted and connected. During music therapy sessions, your child may:
- Sing
- Play instruments or learn to play an instrument
- Relax to music
- Write a song
- Move to music
- Record music
- “We are very thankful for bringing music into the recovery process. All of the therapists were a great comfort.”
- “By far the best part of our treatment. Thank you.”
- “We loved the way the therapists interacted with our child when appropriate and let her rest when she needed it.”
- “It’s our favorite part of this whole ordeal.”
- “We love it! It is wonderful for our family.”
- “Our little lady loves music and having live music has calmed her and brightened her day! We love how dedicated the U of M staff is to making our stay the best it can be. Thank you!”
- “The music therapist was a wonderful encouragement to our daughter. This is a wonderful program!”
Music Therapy for Pregnancy & Childbirth
Musical therapy related to pregnancy and childbirth is offered at Von Voigtlander Women's Hospital and is facilitated by a board-certified music therapist.
Common goals for music therapy for pregnancy and childbirth include stress management, self-expression, pain reduction, labor and delivery support, mood enhancement, legacy-building, bonding with your baby and relaxation.
- Encourage bonding: the music therapist will help facilitate kangaroo care or lullaby songwriting to create and record original/rewritten lyrics and melody with the use of recording equipment and instruments.
- Reduce anxiety and pain: the music therapist will provide patient-preferred music at the bedside to lead individuals through guided relaxation.
- Promote infant development: the music therapist will help caregivers learn multimodal neurologic enhancement and other techniques to promote development and improve feeding outcomes.
- Support prenatal and postpartum mental health: the music therapist will provide instruments and facilitate opportunities to play and/or learn how to play the requested instrument.
- Affirm birth experiences: the music therapist can assist you in creating a labor and delivery playlist or provide live music during your preferred birth experience.
Music therapy options include but are not limited to:
- Music during kangaroo care or while feeding infants
- Lyric analysis to reflect on experiences
- Lullaby songwriting and recording
- Multimodal neurologic enhancement for infants
- Playlists for sleep, energy or your birth experience
- Instrument play or learning a new instrument
- Guided relaxation
Contact a Music Therapist
To explore how music therapy may be able to support you as a Von Voigtlander Women's Hospital patient, you can either speak with someone on your care team, or you can reach out via email (please include your room number).
Support Healing Melodies: Donate to Sophie's Place
Transform the hospital experience for young patients and their families with the gift of music. When you donate to Sophie's Place, you enable our Board-Certified Music Therapists to offer personalized, therapeutic music sessions that resonate with each child’s individual needs. Every contribution aids in harmonizing the care journey, working in concert with the medical team to enhance comfort and recovery during hospitalization. Give the lasting impact of melody and rhythm—donate today.
