Speech-Language Pathology and Music
Music provides the world so much more than we give it credit for. You know folks love to spend a Friday night seeing music, but how does music work its way into other aspects of our society? You can find a powerful example in our friend Michelle’s writing below. An up and coming speech pathologist, musician, and friend to many - she outlines a great example of how music shows up in the lives of those who may need it most. - Ray
Communication is a human right.
Without it, we compromise our sense of self and the ability to connect with those around us; we lose the characteristic that allows us to be uniquely human. When you think about it, music and language are some of the earliest aspects of life we naturally absorb well before we are born. The two (music and language) are hard to separate when we consider that both are some of the most influential ways we connect as humans.
Speech-language pathology (SLP) is a diverse, rigorous field of work that I feel privileged to be a part of. I love being a student clinician in speech pathology because nearly everything is new, exciting and certainly always growing. I am amazed by how far the field stretches into different parts of everyone's world to reconnect people with themselves and their loved ones. In general, SLPs work as healthcare professionals to assess, diagnose and treat communication disorders in addition to feeding/swallowing disorders in people across the entire age spectrum.
So where does music fit in and where does the SLP play a role in facilitating music therapy in their work with others? While it’s not typically the focus of how treatment is conducted in speech therapy, music is certainly a relevant and impactful tool we too can utilize with the people we meet. Simply being experts in communication is an understatement because to truly understand how we communicate with others, one must also have a foundation in neuroanatomy and physiology. When there is damage to the areas of the brain that support speech and language, words become difficult. Incredibly for most, the ability to sing, however, remains intact. We see that the power of musical learning supports changes in brain behavior and function to increase rehabilitation and the overall ability to communicate.
In my final year of SLP graduate school, I have been granted a special opportunity to direct my program's Aphasia Choir which aims to support and uplift those who have experienced stroke, TBI and/or dementia in a way that bridges the gap between language and music therapy. The choir is motivated to bring each person together to unlock and encourage freedom of expression in a way that fosters social communication and a deep sense of belonging; community. When words fail, music speaks.
Michelle “Meesh” Peterson
Speech Language Pathologist
