My husband, Ron Hagadone, is a Board Certified Music Therapist. He also happens to be brilliant in his approach to treating clients.
Allow me, if you will, to speak experientially about this important topic.
Music therapy is not about “having fun while listening to or playing music,” although many of us do experience benefits from those activities.
Beyond entertainment, Music Therapy — when done properly — creates an environment of outright joy or even gentle surprise, which helps patients look into the painful root causes of a variety of their physical, mental, and psycho-spiritual ailments.
A BIT OF BACKGROUND
Ron returned to college later in life and earned his degree in Music Therapy from California State University Northridge at the age of 42. (It’s a long story filled with synchronicity and a love story to boot, but I’ll save that for another post!) On the last day of his internship at a state forensic psychiatric hospital, Ron was hired to provide music therapy to the patients.
Specifically, because of his OTHER music skills — such as but not limited to guitar mastery; the ability to sing and play bass, keyboards, and drums; music theory knowledge; music writing and adaptation; transcription by both sight and sound; music orchestration; band management and stage direction; stage lighting and soundboard experience; general management skills; and a unique sense of humor! — he was placed in the position of running the hospital Music Center, where music therapy groups gathered in several different rooms to engage in their process.
AND he also had his own music therapy groups. Whew!
As the years wore on and management became increasingly hostile to all of the therapeutical, educational, and vocational employees, Ron and I decided it was time for him to leave state servitude, despite being two years shy of being able to collect full pension and benefits.
He started a part-time self-employment situation that has helped get us through the rough period of making up about 1/3 of the net income from the state. But the work is beneath his fabulous music and music therapy abilities, and we both knew that this situation must and should be temporary.
WHICH BRINGS US TO NOW
Ron has been working with a local, independent web designer to create a functional internet presence so he can use his music therapy skills to help people right here in our community and even over the internet.
His website is a work-in-progress, but the basics are there.
Here is the link to his website. Thank you in advance if you actually read the web page and contacted him for yourself or on behalf of someone else.
Ron is a patient, professional, dedicated music therapist. Given the extreme mental, physical, and spiritual problems of today’s world, his skills are needed more than ever.
Much love to you all,
💖Sharine.
I can vouch for music therapy being very impactful on chronic conditions in particular. This is strongly scientifically supported for example, by the recent Huberman Lab podcast on the benefits of music https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gveDhZW-rUk and the John Hopkins Institute for Arts+Mind lab https://www.artsandmindlab.org/the-healing-power-of-music-johns-hopkins-center-music-and-medicine
Healing through music, I love it. Didn't even realize this was a thing that you could become certified in! Personally I know the power of music (both listening and playing) to transform my state, empowering me, giving me a sense of connection to something deeper/unspoken/profound, as well as a connection to others. I will look into Ron's website, but I'm curious: does the therapy involve the patient playing music too, or just listening?
Also curious about your thoughts on HEAVY music. Personally I find heavy rock and metal to be fantastic therapy, but I realize it's not for everyone, and there's a time and place for it. People who have not been to a metal concert probably think it's all shouting and negativity and hate, but it couldn't be more opposite. I have been at a bunch of metal concerts where I've seen people release tons of positive energy, love, solidarity, kindness and general goodwill. I've seen complete strangers high-five and hug and share tears of joy. I've been thinking about a post for a while now on the surprising positive benefits of heavy music.