What is Live Therapeutic Music?
Live Therapeutic Music creates a healing environment that helps minimize perception of pain, helps vital signs stabilize and allows patients to relax – even those who are intubated or not responsive.
Live Therapeutic Music guides a patient to a relaxed state.
Live Therapeutic Is NOT:
- Entertainment
- Music Therapy (Music Therapists see their patients for months or years)
- Background music
Sound has the ability to overwhelm a patient’s nervous system. A person may be startled by a loud sound – a huge crack of thunder – an emergency siren – or a screaming infant. The response to the loud or unexpected sound raises the heart rate, blood pressure and breathing signaling the “Fight or Flight” response. Live Therapeutic Music is used to produce the opposite effect – to calm the nervous system.
For a patient in the hospital, the nervous system is almost continually in or on the edge of the fight or flight response. The body in this state is less able to “accept” the medical intervention that is being given on their behalf. The Live Therapeutic Musician’s goal is to lead the patient’s nervous system back to what is called the “Rest and Digest” state so that the patient remains calm and the body focuses on healing.
About Our Program
Live Therapeutic Music is performed by certified Music Practitioners who are trained to understand how sound effects the human body. The musician monitors their patient, paying close attention to their heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation and respiration.
The program is funded by employee donations through the NGHS Foundation, allowing the hiring of certified therapeutic musicians who provide Live Therapeutic Music to patients as part of their care plan.
Meet Our Musicians
Lori Hamrick
Coordinator of the Live Therapeutic Music Program
Pianist, Vocalist, Certified Music Practitioner (CMP)
Lori’s earliest memories in life are of sounds and music – the vibrations of her mother’s singing while holding Lori to her chest, the magnificent pipe organ that shook the pews at church, the life affirming sounds that crackled through her sister’s transistor radio like Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons’ “Sherry Baby”, the Beatlemania of “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” and Burt Bacharach’s timeless ballad “What the World Needs Now” left an indelible impression on her of the power that sound has in life.
Lori has a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Performance, has shared the stage with Barry Manilow, Samuel L. Jackson, the Miss America Pageant System, holds certification in research, plays piano, guitar, sings, composes music, makes sounds on the cello, is a former President of the North Fulton Music Teachers Association and has an extensive background in musical theater. Her favorite roles onstage include Eliza Doolittle in “My Fair Lady”, Lily in “The Secret Garden” and Daisey Mae in “Li’l Abner”. She is a gifted singer whose voice has been called “angelic” and she is often compared to Sarah Brightman, the original “Christine” in “Phantom of the Opera”, Olivia Newton John and Sandy Patti. She likes to tell patients “You don’t have to be a good audience. The best compliment you can pay me is to fall asleep”.
Max Eve
Guitarist, Certified Music Practitioner (CMP)
Max has been playing guitar for almost two decades and is a markedly versatile musician who works with many genres. His evolving fascination with music has lead him to perform in many arenas, from playing rock and roll around the world to Pachelbel’s Canon at wedding ceremonies.
Max has always sought to connect with others through his music, and his work as a CMP has allowed him to do this in a truly meaningful way and as a service to others. When providing therapeutic music, Max often uses instrumental adaptations of classic and modern pop songs and styles them appropriately to the patient or setting. His inclusion of current pop music such as Adele or Jason Mraz makes him particularly effective with younger patients, but songs by the Beatles are perhaps his favorite and most often used. Max is also skilled in improvisation through his influences in Jazz, Classical, Blues and Latin guitar.
Robin Prechter
Harpist, Certified Music Practitioner (CMP)
Music has always been a big part of Robin’s life. Her father taught her sto love and appreciate music through listening to it or playing it herself. Early in her father’s life, he studied to become a classical concert pianist. His interest in medicine drew him even more, and he became a surgeon instead.
Robin was drawn to the harp as an adult while earning her certification to become a Therapeutic Musician. Robin has been playing therapeutic music for patients at the Gainesville campus of NGHS since 2013.