Celebrating Veterans Day

Happy November! Music is not usually as commonly associated with this month as it is with October and December; however, I wanted to share some important music therapy history and some of my favorite Veterans Day inspired musical interventions.

Although music has been used as a therapeutic device for centuries, the use of music therapy began to grow during both World War I and World War II as it was noted to help wounded, sick, or mentally ill soldiers suffering from shell shock or as it is now known, PTSD. The patients' responses to music were remarkable,  and the doctors and nurses continued requesting musicians’ presence in hospitals.Thus, it became apparent that some of the hospital musicians could benefit from prior training. The first music therapy college program was created shortly after. So even though you may not think it, Veterans Day and music therapy are deeply intertwined.

One of my favorite interventions is “Name That Tune.” Often times, I will sing the melody without words of certain songs and see if participants can guess the title as a memory exercise. For Veterans Day specifically, “Name That Tune” is transformed to “Name That Branch.” Each branch of the military has their own unique song associated with it. We sing through each of these songs and I ask the participants to name the branch following each tune. I have found this to be a great reminiscence exercise as it prompts a lot of sharing regarding their experiences in the service.

Following “Name That Branch,” I typically go through the National Anthem or God Bless America to further honor the veterans and their families that are present for the session. I have found that this brings the reminiscence to a close while helping the participants feel appreciated and heard.