Sweet Sound of Healing

Martin Luther, a theologian from the 1500s, said, "Music is a discipline and a mistress of order and good manners, she makes the people milder and gentler, more moral and more reasonable. "

More than 500 years later, doctors know music makes people healthier, too. Research suggests the brain responds to music, almost as if it were medicine. Your blood vessels, too. Recently, a research cardiologist measured blood vessel size as people listened to music, and as long as it was music they liked, their blood vessels relaxed and produced chemicals that are protective to the heart.

At Children's, three music therapists use all sorts of instruments to help patients and their families feel better, whether that means lessening anxiety, helping them cope or even encouraging them to heal. The specially-trained music therapists host one-on-one sing-alongs, as well as group jam sessions tailored to the individual child's needs.

Barry Carpenter, a reporter at the 33, recently spent a day at Children's where he got to hear the sweet sound of healing.