Music is an essential element in all our lives. In my past articles, we mentioned topics and connections such as music and life. Yes, music is that much in our life. A song we listen to when we are happy, sad, or stressed, or a melody that we hear at that moment can be connected with that feeling for us. And then every time we hear it, it can lead us to that emotional state or make us smile. For example, some melodies and works freeze certain moments for me, almost turning them into a movie scene. I listened to Adagio G Minor of Albinoni, which I have always known, the one we play with quartet groups, in such a moment that it was as if that moment had turned into another moment and afterwards, that moment has always come to my mind with that feeling, that music with crescendos of strings. We can even make our working environment more enjoyable and our sleeping area more comfortable with music playing in the background. We know that music has a positive effect on human life in many ways. Some of these positive effects are as follows: regulating children's sleep patterns, increasing the quality of playgrounds, reinforcement of ear training, reducing the negative feelings due to stress in adults, comfort in the transition to sleep, increasing the focus while working, expressing emotions with melodies, using music for special education, and so on. So, since we can establish such an emotional bond with music, can we heal the feeling that hurt us, situation such as stress and anxiety that worry us in daily life, the traumas that we do not want to come with us on our life journey through music? While thinking about the answer to this question, I wanted to get the opinions and experiences of my expert friends who work in special fields in addition to their professional identity as musicians. When we say healing with music, "Music Therapy", a matter of curiosity, is the first thing that comes to mind. Regarding this matter, I like to share the opinions of Dr. Bilge Pirondini. She is a music education scientist and founded the early childhood language education model based on musical awareness and psychomotricity (activating the brain through movement) in Milan.

She conducts music therapy studies in the field of intelligence and attention development, emotion regulation, and somatic awareness in early childhood.

Zeynep Bulgulu Asrar: Ms. Bilge, can you tell us what you do and what exactly is music therapy?

Dr. Bilge Pirondini : “I have been conducting educational projects with the theme of musical awareness in Italy since 2017, we call these projects psychomotricity, which is activating the brain with movement, or "musical mindfulness". In this project, Music Therapy also enters into the concept of mindfulness. Music therapy contributes to the discipline of self-regulation. This is because the soothing, calming and mind-activating aspect of music is an important factor in giving our attention to a conscious direction, to where we want."

Zeynep Bulgulu Asrar: What do the children learn and study to regulate their self-regulation within the scope of music therapy?

Dr. Bilge Pirondini: “Especially when we consider the subject of therapy, sound technology that stimulates the brain and balances the right and left hemispheres of the brain is used in the concept of neurosound with some frequencies. This technology is also a musical factor used in the treatment of psychotherapy, which we call e-m-d-r. Secondly, let us talk about sound therapy. In sound therapy, there is melodic intonational therapy, speech therapy, as well as effects achieved with instruments and the effective use of the voice. In these effects, the child gets the chance to express himself/herself as an expressionist by playing an instrument. The sense of rhythm has a calming effect on the body and triggers somatic experience. (The connection with the body) After trauma, children and adults can lose touch with their bodies and emotions. Here, rhythm, sound units, and even phonology within the language use tiny sound units."

Zeynep Bulgulu Asrar: Everyone can have trauma, anxiety, fear. Is it possible to benefit from the healing power of music therapy after major traumas, especially after incidents such as disasters and deaths, whether in adults or children, within this context? Are there any studies conducted on this topic and what are your application suggestions?

Dr. Bilge Pirondini : “After the great earthquake of Japan and China, it was observed in studies made in those countries, Europe and America that people could not respond to many psychotherapy methods. This is because this trauma is a big one that needs to be studied meticulously, which can last even 5 to 10 years. Especially earthquake trauma is a concussion that comes to a person's somatic experience and connection with his/her body. Unfortunately, the subsidence of the ground is very effective in triggering floor slipperiness and insecurity in people. Many cases have been observed where psychotherapy does not work, but treatment can be continued with music therapy. This is because you are so traumatized that you do not have the strength to talk, you are in no position to put into words the great trauma you experienced. This is where music therapy steps in. In fact, music therapy has been practiced in our culture since ancient times. In the Ottoman Empire, people were wrapped in silk quilts, warmed by lighting a fire, and made to listen to the sound of water and they were encouraged to express themselves with songs. So, the first point of origin of trauma is sound. People scream, yell, and try to throw away the trauma, the pain in their heart with terrifying sounds. The next stage of this is also related to the sound, you sit down, and hit your chest. There is the thymus gland in our chest, which is also used in music therapy. Especially during body percussion sessions, this area is tapped out with a rhythm, and songs are sung in order to activate this gland. And that is called lament. In fact, music therapy did not invent something that did not exist. It is a science that has taken a person's ability to express themselves with melody and rhythm with sound and put it into a system."

Zeynep Bulgulu Asrar : You have explained in detail that it is a very comprehensive and systematic study. But how can we benefit from the healing aspect of music to feel better without seeing a music therapist in hard and traumatic times?

Dr. Bilge Pirondini : “In the simplest term, listening to music is quite important. A music style that relaxes you and awakens your emotions can be chosen. Do you need to cry? What affects you? In the first days of the earthquake, I sat and listened to folk songs that made me cry a lot, I was far away, I tried to connect with my homeland and connect with people's pain. I made myself cry with music. We do not necessarily have to wait for music to comfort us; it is enough that we create space for music. We can massage our chest, our heart... Maybe a moan will come out of there? And this is called Theta meditation, heart song meditation. Theta meditation is said to awaken and renew the heart. I often do this in my classes when my students are having a hard time. Establishing a bond with the sound, giving attention to the sound. Going out into nature and paying attention to the animal sounds we hear... We usually hear birdsongs. It is said that we establish a bond with these bird sounds, their language, and there are many studies on this matter. And it is also very important to listen to the sounds around us. The sound of water, for example. Play with water while washing the dishes, listen to the sound while stirring the tea... If you are working with children, fill two bowls with water and pour the water from one to the other. Any small simple activity that will strengthen your connection with the sound will be good for you. You may not feel competent, you may think that this job should necessarily be done with an instrument or an expert. But know that the power to benefit from music exists in every person. By strengthening our connection with sound during the day, we can benefit from the most basic element of music therapy. Singing, listening, finding songs that can meet our need to cry, maybe listening to songs that make you dance according to the body's need for movement, but especially allowing ourselves to relax. Do not say "Now is not the time for this, I cannot cry, I cannot dance". First of all, someone who has a connection with their heart does not think about the time of this. This is because this comes at very unexpected times, you can suddenly feel like dancing. It is important to catch that inspiration. Everyone has this power. Reading and listening about music therapy increase your awareness of this matter. If you work with children at home, practicing rhythm together, drawing and singing, reading poetry, practicing body percussion, and generally directing attention to art, all of these are therapeutic and especially very valuable human works."

Dear Dr. Bilge Pirondini gave practical, useful, and simple information for all of us while talking about music therapy. Whether there is a trauma or not, music always touches the soul and life in every field. You probably know that the famous musician Ludwig Van Beethoven had a hearing impairment. So, how did those compositions come out?

Let us discuss the matter of healing and improving with music from another angle. Let us learn from Funda Ceylan, who conducts music studies with hearing-impaired people for many years, what is being done in this special area, and how music helps to overcome these obstacles.

Zeynep Bulgulu Asrar: Dear Funda Ceylan, your studies are very valuable in terms of improving with music. Can you tell us about yourself and your work?

Funda Ceylan: “I have been working with individuals with different degrees of hearing loss for more than 13 years. I have participated in many projects related to music for the hearing-impaired. My master's thesis and many of my articles published in refereed journals are on this issue. Thanks to the music therapy training I received, I also do music therapy studies in addition to my music education studies with the hearing-impaired. Currently, I am continuing my studies at a hearing-impaired secondary school affiliated with the Ministry of National Education. We have the opportunity to provide education in accordance with the needs of each student thanks to the Individual Education Plans that we have prepared at this school in accordance with the characteristics of my hearing-impaired students. Since I work at the school for the hearing-impaired, most of my students have profound hearing loss and almost all of them only use sign language. Therefore, we communicate by using sign language in courses. I individually teach my students to play instruments such as piano, guitar and rhythm instruments. Apart from this, all of them play melodica. I have students that can play piano at various levels. I would like to note that I also have students who can play piano at a profound level and have given numerous concerts despite having total hearing loss.”

Zeynep Bulgulu Asrar: Dear Ms. Funda, can you tell us about your field of study and its scope?

Funda Ceylan: "According to the Regulation on Special Education Services, hearing-impaired individual refers to an individual who needs special education and support training due to partial or complete loss of hearing sensitivity. Hearing impairment can be both mild and profound. Regardless of the type and level of the impairment, hearing-impaired individuals should be supported with special education services that meet their needs."

Zeynep Bulgulu Asrar: How can education through music provide benefits for hearing-impaired individuals? Also, is there a condition to benefit from music education?

Funda Ceylan: “Music is an effective method that can be used in auditory rehabilitation and education of hearing-impaired individuals. Music is a tool that can be effective in supporting hearing-impaired individuals' social life skills, language and talking skills, self-care skills, and social, emotional, physical and mental development areas. I also observe in my studies that music has positive effects on hearing-impaired individuals and that they enjoy and benefit from music activities applied by the right planning. Early diagnosis, early instrumentation, and early education are very important for hearing-impaired individuals. Individuals who have benefited from these opportunities can take the opportunity to use their verbal communication skills better and they can start to benefit from the healing and educational aspects of music at an earlier age by using appropriate devices. It is quite important to benefit from the remnants of hearing that an individual has in music studies conducted with hearing-impaired individuals. The studies on listening, recognizing and distinguishing sounds to be conducted with hearing-impaired individuals are studies that can provide both educational and therapeutic benefits. In individuals with profound hearing loss and total hearing loss, it is necessary to benefit from vibrations and studies to be able to feel the music in various parts of the body."

Zeynep Bulgulu Asrar: I know that you have established a rhythm group. What contributions did finding oneself through music and giving concerts make to the development of hearing-impaired individuals and children? Do you have any special memories about this? Can you tell us about your experiences?

Funda Ceylan: “I can say that Whisper Rhythm Group consisting entirely of hearing-impaired students is also one of the most beautiful examples showing that music does not know any obstacles. We founded the Whisper Rhythm Group together with my students in the years when I was first assigned to the school. The works that we started with very small and simple rhythm pieces at the beginning have gained professionalism over time, and in the process, we have had the opportunity to give concerts at organizations arranged by many official and private institutions. We have performed over 150 concerts so far. Over time, we have received many awards related to our work, and thanks to the work we have done, we have also had the opportunity to be in a communication company's commercial film that tells our story. Members of the group work in great harmony, so much so that many people who saw the performance of Whisper Rhythm Group stated that they could not believe they had a hearing impairment. These studies help our hearing-impaired children to experience the feeling of success. We also receive feedback from the parents and the teachers with different branches about the fact that the academic achievements and self-confidence improvements of students participating in music studies have increased even more."Finally, I would like to say that for years I have witnessed many incidents where I saw the positive effects of music on hearing-impaired children, I have taken part in many wonderful projects, but there is one work in particular that I would like to mention. As I mentioned before, almost all of my students use sign language and this makes it difficult for the hearing-impaired to communicate, especially with the visually impaired. As music is a communication method on its own, we thought that it could be an effective tool in eliminating the communication barrier between hearing-impaired individuals and visually impaired individuals. Therefore, we have brought together the choir consisting of the visually impaired students and the Whisper Rhythm Group to give a concert on International Day of Persons with Disabilities thanks to the support of music teachers of the school of the visually impaired. Our rehearsals were very enjoyable and both groups continuously helped each other. Visually impaired students wanted to speak with sign language by learning the sign language equivalent of some words. They also found harmonious musical chemistry and our concert was very much appreciated. The obstacles had now disappeared for both groups, and music was a means of expression and communication for them."

Whatever there is in life that upsets us, that we acquire from birth or later, that makes us tired of coping; traumas, pains, emotions, feelings we cannot express with words... Let them become notes, rhythms, sounds...

Let us feed our souls with music. Let us freeze those moments for a couple of minutes with music... Let us relax our minds and ease the burden of our hearts... Let us heal with music.