TheraMusic Information

There is also another side of art therapy, which uses both art and science. The best example of this would be in music therapy. The market is flooded with so-called “relaxation” music, but few of them put scientific research into their music. David Bradstreet is one of those few.

Bradstreet has been a working musician in Canada for over 35 years. He is widely known as a composer, a songwriter and a vocalist. He has 18 albums and won the Juno Award for Best New Male Vocalist in 1977. He has also created music for film and TV.

Bradstreet was always fascinated with the relationship between music and mathematics. He was looking for something alternative to do, so he teamed up with Amy Clements-Cortés, a graduate of the Honours Bachelor of Music Therapy Program at the University of Windsor and music therapist from Toronto’s Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care. Together, they created a music label titled TheraMusic. Their first CD, Therasleep, the science of music, is advertised to be both relaxing and pleasant to listen to, as well as good for helping people fall asleep. Bradstreet explained that, through using different variations of sound, the music entrains one’s brain and allows them to fall asleep.
He also said that North America is behind in the times when it comes to music therapy. “If you look at places in Europe, they’ve got records like this selling in drugstores,” he says. “However, it is becoming a more accepted treatment method over time. It’s kind of like acupuncture, in the way that it took a while to be accepted.”
What Bradstreet and others like him are hoping for is that the public will be drawn to a drug-free alternative for stress and insomnia relief.
“It’s also very much an art form,” he explains. “There is a frequency designed for brain entrainment, but it’s not just a scientific formula. There is a melodic structure to it as well.”

But the combination of art, science and therapy does not stop there. In New York, there is a company called Brain Music Therapy (BMT). They will record an individual's brainwave patterns and convert them into unique musical sounds. These pitches and frequencies correlate to certain brainwaves. BMT’s website claims listening to these sounds is proven effective in the treatment of depression, anxiety, insomnia, stress and even productivity.

The connection between art and therapy may seem simple after all. When you think about yourself and how you are affected by the art in your life, it is easy to see how art can be therapeutic. The only difference is, now art therapy is catching on as a viable method in the modern medical landscape.




	An Artistic Remedy by Ethan Rotberg Many of us can think of a certain piece of art we find particularly moving. It could be a favourite painting, a song that brings back memories, or even a poem given to us by a loved one. There is something about art that is so engaging that it can have a profound impact on you. It is this very principle that makes art therapy possible. From ancient times through to the present, philosophers, historians and scientists have written and spoken of the arts as a therapeutic agent, but it was not until the 1970s that it was taught as art therapy. These days, many different forms of art, from painting to photography to music, are being used therapeutically in some way. Art therapy started out focusing mostly on the treatment of the severely emotionally disturbed or physically handicapped. More recently, however, it has been used as a therapy for substance-abusers, AIDS patients, homeless people, and survivors of trauma. “Art is really revealing,” said Jen Herbert, who is completing her Masters in Art Therapy in New York. “In the case of a trauma or sexual abuse victim, you can really see (their pain) in their art.” Through her studies, Herbert has worked with many patients dealing with HIV and AIDS and says, because of the secrecy often associated with the illness, they are able to bring up issues in their art that they would not be able to talk about. She also points out that different artistic media have been used more effectively in certain situations. “Working with clay can allow you to work through aggression by pounding on it, while something like using a pencil is more rigid so it will have a more intellectual response.” Art therapy is much more than just a way of expressing your feelings. Practising art therapists will often use art to help a patient cope with stress and build motor skills. “Sometimes if there has been injury where there was trauma to the brain, doing simple tasks like creating different forms of art can enhance their motor skills.” Herbert says that while there is sometimes resistance to recognizing art therapy from some more traditional psychologists, this field is still steadily growing. “People are much more accepting to this, and it’s becoming much more widely used.” The practice itself is not always so easily defined. There are many places in Toronto where it’s being used, but not advertised as art therapy. The Creative Works Studio in the east end of Toronto is a fully resourced arts studio that provides skill training and support staff for adults living with mental illness. A downtown studio called Sketch provides art making opportunities for young people who live on the street. A few times a week, there is open studio time for people to come and take advantage of the large assortment of art supplies. There is food available as well. There are supplies available to create different types of art such as painting, sculpting, photography, musical instruments, t-shirt design, fashion, make-up and even computer animation. The majority of the funding is from government grants because while it is an arts studio, it is also a social service organization. “It’s not really considered art therapy,” says Sonya Reynolds, one of the staff members at Sketch. “Because the emphasis here is on building their artistic skills, people don’t come here and necessarily get into the details of everything that’s happened to them. They can do that, but it’s up to them.” While it may not technically be art therapy, it certainly can serve that purpose. According to Sketch’s website, working in the arts increases self-esteem, strengthens resilience, and invigorates a desire to learn more. This project also helps street youth gain a greater sense of community. Programs like these are gaining in popularity as well. Reynolds estimates that during the winter, Sketch would get up to 60 people coming in during one of their “drop-in days.” There is also another side of art therapy, which uses both art and science. The best example of this would be in music therapy. The market is flooded with so-called “relaxation” music, but few of them put scientific research into their music. David Bradstreet is one of those few. Bradstreet has been a working musician in Canada for over 35 years. He is widely known as a composer, a songwriter and a vocalist. He has 18 albums and won the Juno Award for Best New Male Vocalist in 1977. He has also created music for film and TV. Bradstreet was always fascinated with the relationship between music and mathematics. He was looking for something alternative to do, so he teamed up with Amy Clements-Cortés, a graduate of the Honours Bachelor of Music Therapy Program at the University of Windsor and music therapist from Toronto’s Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care. Together, they created a music label titled TheraMusic. Their first CD, Therasleep, the science of music, is advertised to be both relaxing and pleasant to listen to, as well as good for helping people fall asleep. Bradstreet explained that, through using different variations of sound, the music entrains one’s brain and allows them to fall asleep. He also said that North America is behind in the times when it comes to music therapy. “If you look at places in Europe, they’ve got records like this selling in drugstores,” he says. “However, it is becoming a more accepted treatment method over time. It’s kind of like acupuncture, in the way that it took a while to be accepted.” What Bradstreet and others like him are hoping for is that the public will be drawn to a drug-free alternative for stress and insomnia relief. “It’s also very much an art form,” he explains. “There is a frequency designed for brain entrainment, but it’s not just a scientific formula. There is a melodic structure to it as well.” But the combination of art, science and therapy does not stop there. In New York, there is a company called Brain Music Therapy (BMT). They will record an individual's brainwave patterns and convert them into unique musical sounds. These pitches and frequencies correlate to certain brainwaves. BMT’s website claims listening to these sounds is proven effective in the treatment of depression, anxiety, insomnia, stress and even productivity. The connection between art and therapy may seem simple after all. When you think about yourself and how you are affected by the art in your life, it is easy to see how art can be therapeutic. The only difference is, now art therapy is catching on as a viable method in the modern medical landscape.