Connecting through music: How music intervention is changing lives in Arizona’s care centers
As the automatic doors rolled open, the light sounds of wind and percussion instruments filled the open corridor surrounding the front desk at Haven Health, a skilled-nursing and rehabilitation hospital in northern Arizona.
You are outpaced by caring professionals heading to their next visit as you follow the music notes down the hallway. Around the corner, you learn that the sounds are coming from an open room where musical instruments are being tuned for a weekly 30-minute music session.
Setting the stage
The musicians arranged an acoustic guitar, handheld drums, a ukulele, and traditional wooden flutes around them for easy access as they blended song to song. While he prepared the wooden flute, Larry Peterson looked up and chatted with the other facilitators about which tune or genre they’d open with.
Peterson is a long-time resident of northern Arizona and is well-connected with the Flagstaff community, especially involving music and music-based treatment, which led to his excitement in joining the study.
“Music-based intervention is a quality program. [It’s] been a positive experience to all the diverse demographics within the study set,” added Peterson.
“Music is also a healing modality. I feel that music is a positive way to incorporate the soul of the environment you are trying to represent.”
Opening the music session 🎵
Craig Yarbrough, facilitator and musician for the project, answered Peterson with suggestions before exchanging nods, bowing their heads, and easing into a calm, steady rhythm with perfect synchronicity. Listen in:
Yarbrough, research assistant and musician with over three decades of experience in music performance and bedside music therapy, held the tempo on the pow-wow drum as the room welcomed participants. The open nature of the sessions allowed participants to drop in as desired, welcoming them to engage on their terms.
While participants for this specific session skewed older in age, Yarbrough expressed that the outcomes from the youth sessions conducted were also very impactful.
“Working with the youth group has been particularly satisfying because many of the adolescent participants had not considered music as a mechanism to help us deal with the difficulties that life can sometimes present,” said Yarbrough.
“Science does not understand WHY music can reduce stress and contribute to improvements in mental and physical health conditions despite abundant anecdotal evidence that it does. Helping young people to discover music as a valuable tool to elevate us above adversity has been an immediate and direct benefit of our study.”
Group music making
During this session, the drum’s low bellowing sound seemed to pierce the center of your chest with each land of the mallet. Handheld bells and drums were placed on tables around the room, encouraging participants to engage in making music. The drum helped anchor the tempo for participants and facilitators as they shaped their unique musical performance.
Outcomes so far
Over the last six weeks, music sessions were held at both Haven Health and The Guidance Center in northern Arizona. Katherine Mommaerts, assistant professor in social work and principal investigator for the project, was excited to report preliminary outcomes she’s gathered from post-session surveys.
The feedback collected included reports of “lessened pain and mental health symptoms, improved connection with each other and the community, and a stronger confidence in who they are,” said Mommaerts. They also received emphatic support from participants for sessions slated for spring, indicating the momentum this project has gained so far.
Importance of Indigenous instruments
The music continued for half an hour, flowing from classic rock to Indigenous melodies that got louder with the addition of participants throughout the session. Over the drums, you could hear airy notes floating around the room and down the halls coming from a small, handheld wooden flute held vertically like a clarinet or recorder.
When asked about the ethereal sounds produced from this instrument, Peterson leapt with excitement to answer:
“This flute was handmade in northern Arizona, and its sound is unlike any manufactured, machine-made flute you’ll hear,” said Peterson. “The nature of the sound is different.”
Instruments like the hand-made flute, and drums made from animal skin are the foundation for creating authentic music that encourages connection to traditional cultures. The group plans to incorporate more Indigenous music into the sessions held this spring, as suggested by participants.
Analyzing results and planning for the future
As the researchers wrap up the pilot project and synthesize results, Mommaerts and co-principal investigator Ariel Roddy will plan the next round of music-based interventions in northern Arizona. Roddy is an Indigenous feminist scholar and assistant professor in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice hoping to lay the groundwork for developing culturally appropriate music-based interventions in northern Arizona.
“Based on a wealth of past research, and the feedback from our community partners, we are optimistic that these sessions will have positive impacts on the health and well-being of the participants,” added Roddy.
“The research team is excited to delve into the data to observe the true impact of music in these unique contexts. We anticipate uncovering valuable insights that will contribute to the growing body of evidence supporting the therapeutic benefits of music, and we are eager to share our findings with the broader community to enhance future interventions and programs.”
Project support
Mommaerts and Roddy are supported by multiple co-investigators and research mentors, Julie Roddy and Julie Baldwin, who bring extensive experience in Indigenous behavioral health to the project.
Roddy is the NARBHA Institute James Wurgler, MD Chair of Criminal Justice and Behavioral Health at Northern Arizona University (NAU) whose research and teaching focus on incarceration, re-entry, substance use, and recovery.
Baldwin also brings extensive knowledge to the project as an Indigenous Regents’ Professor, NARBHA Institute Vice President for NAU Health, and Executive Director for the Center for Health Equity Research (CHER).
Rebecca Maniglia, associate professor in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice and a co-investigator alongside Roddy and Baldwin, adds a unique perspective with her background in developing juvenile justice interventions and her work on using rap music for identity and character development in marginalized communities.
The collective expertise of the study’s team supports a comprehensive, culturally attuned approach to addressing mental and physical disparities through music-based interventions for northern Arizona’s rural and diverse population.
This project is funded and supported through CHER, The NARBHA Institute, and The NARBHA Institute James Wurgler, MD Chair of Criminal Justice and Behavioral Health.