During any health journey, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by what can become a routine of new challenges. Whether traveling to multiple appointments or worrying about the next course of treatment, stress and other side effects can begin to pile up, leaving patients wondering if there is any escape.

For some of these patients, music wellness sessions have provided an effective avenue to restoring harmony during what can be an extremely challenging and unpredictable time. Research has shown that music, experienced in a variety of forms, can be a helpful way for patients to deal with stress and improve overall wellness.

At Fox Chase Cancer Center, patients, caregivers, and staff have the opportunity to participate in the Music Wellness Program, where they can be either an active participant by singing or playing music or just benefit by listening and participating in guided exercises. The program, which was funded by a generous donation from the Martin Guitar Charitable Foundation and launched last year, is a partnership between Fox Chase and the Music Therapy program at Temple University’s Boyer College of Music and Dance.

“Music is a universal language, and while no musical experience is required for these sessions, many people who come to music wellness sessions have a deep personal connection to music in some way,” said Kelly Meashey, a music therapist and Professor at Boyer. “These sessions allow patients to process their emotions and experiences in a way that doesn’t require words.”

The Science of Music

This wellness practice has proven beneficial for many patients experiencing different health challenges, ranging from depression, stress, and sleep problems to cognitive impairment and Parkinson’s Disease.

Research has shown that different musical activities offer health benefits in several populations of patients and that shared music listening enhanced social connections and mood in older adults and hospital patients. Group singing was shown to support cognitive health for several groups, including those with lung disease, stroke, dementia, and mental health challenges. The study also showed that singing in a group positively affected cognitive function and mood.

A growing body of research also suggests that music-based interventions may be helpful, specifically for addressing several types of distress in people with cancer, according to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. In fact, a 2021 review showed that music interventions may help reduce anxiety, relieve depression, and have a significant effect on quality on life for patients with cancer.

“Pain, stress, and isolation are really core features of the cancer patient experience, as well as for cancer caregivers, who often have just as high levels of distress as the patients themselves,” said Pamela Handelsman, a health psychologist at Fox Chase.

“We know from the research that music-focused interventions increase hopefulness and, overall, decrease distress. So this program, which is free and open to everybody, plays a role in creating community, reducing distress, and even reducing the intensity of pain,” she added. 

Getting Comfortable With Music

For some, the idea of participating in an expressive activity like music can be daunting. Perhaps a patient doesn’t feel comfortable singing or playing an instrument in front of others, or perhaps music in a group setting is just an entirely new experience altogether.

“Most people are really self-conscious about the idea of music wellness. They aren’t sure what to expect. There’s something very vulnerable about expressing yourself with your voice or with your rhythm. I know that a lot of people, myself included, were nervous when they first started,” said Handelsman.

This was particularly true for one patient who has made music wellness sessions a regular therapy. Elizabeth Ulmer, who has been a patient at Fox Chase for six years, had no experience with music before coming to her first session. After attending regularly, however, she said the sessions have helped her reshape how she approaches obstacles in her life.

“For the first two meetings, I think I was the only person here,” Ulmer said during a break at a recent session. “But during those sessions, we did more humming and listening and I realized just how much I liked it. It was as simple as that. I kept coming back and now I really cherish this time.”

Above: Patients and staff participating in the Music Wellness Program, which is a partnership with Temple University’s Boyer College of Music and Dance.

Customized Sessions

Because this experience varies so greatly for each individual, Meashey and Peggy Tileston, who is also a music therapist and Professor at Boyer, base the sessions on the interests of the individuals who attend.

“My job is spontaneously arranging and designing each well-being session. That means really figuring out what music each individual responds to. Some patients just want to sit and listen, and it’s important that they know that that’s OK. It’s what we call a receptive music experience,” said Meashey. “Others really like to participate. If someone really feels stress release from, say, playing a conga drum, we have those here. So at every session, we’re determining what that specific group of people needs.”

During a recent session with five attendees, Tileston opened with a guided meditation. As she struck different notes on a steel drum, she encouraged participants to take deep breaths and focus on thoughts and feelings that helped them relax.

Then, Tileston and patient Kathleen Rich led the group in song as they played “Moonshadow” by Cat Stevens, which explores finding gratitude even in the midst of life’s struggles, on guitars. The group then sang a song titled “You Matter Too,” a song composed by regular program members.

For some patients like Rich, these sessions have not only helped in coping with pain and stress, but have also fostered new friendships.

She has been coming to music wellness sessions at Fox Chase for several months and makes an effort to attend both sessions every week. During this time, she finds comfort not only in playing her guitar, singing, and writing songs, but in meeting with friends she has come to know and appreciate through the group.

“This program is much more than I pictured it would be. I didn’t know what to expect, but I was happy when I met the people who attended sessions,” said Rich. “There’s so much more to a person than you see, and I look at this as a time to share and to be shared with. I get a lot from these other patients. They are incredible.”

Giving Back With Music

Sharing experiences through music is exactly what prompted the creation of the program, which is funded by the Martin Guitar Charitable Foundation. The foundation was started in 1996 by Chris Martin, Executive Chairman of Martin Guitars, and his wife, Diane, who died in 2022 from a recurrence of metastatic breast cancer. The foundation is aimed at supporting nonprofit music, arts, education, environmental action, and human services groups.

The creation of the Music Wellness Program is part of the charitable giving that has come from the Martins for over a decade. As both Chris and Diane sought treatment at Fox Chase over those 10 years, they were able to experience how medicine and community converge and resolved to help create new ways for that connection to continue at Fox Chase.

“These sessions are really a time to engage with your emotions in a productive way and to be able to share an experience with others,” said Tileston.

“The idea is that when people leave these sessions, they are leaving with a sense of ease. We want those who attend to feel better than when they walked in. Hopefully, they’ll also have a renewed sense of purpose and connection. It’s not something that can be easily explained, so I think the best way to understand it is to just attend a session and experience it for yourself.”

PHOTOS BY JOE HURLEY