Music in the ICU

Everyone, unfortunately, has an idea of what it feels like and looks like be in an ICU hospital room or any hospital room really. The sounds are distinct with beeping, machines pumping and distance conversations happening simultaneously in nearby rooms. The lights are bright, the decor is clinical and the faces are intense. Then, with a simple melody sung or a strum on a guitar the room can change and the patient can change. Suddenly, there is a transport to other places and times that are happier and more hopeful.

When Tom took my guitar and started to play and sing I felt him find himself again. He seemed at peace and at home despite the physical surroundings not changing. Music has the power to bring us back to ourselves which is something that can so easily be lost in challenging settings. When Tom could sing and play he was reminded of what he could do and who he he is at his core. With that experience brings hope for the future. That seems to be one of the very most important elements in healing and something that music is good at doing. Whether we are listening or playing Ike Tom, music invites our mind and spirit to imagine the past and future as real and pertinent. Having that experience then allows people to reach toward that end rather than just feeling stuck in a difficult and sometimes hopeless feeling situation.