Music Therapy: Looking Forward to Moments of Joy

Music therapy serves as a transformative vehicle for many of our young patients. In the featured video with Scarlett, we witness this transformation unfold in real time. Through music therapy interventions, patients find pathways for connection, introspection, and the non-verbal processing of their challenging hospital experiences.

Given the immense difficulty of articulating the prolonged and arduous ordeal of cancer treatment, especially for a young child, we see that children often process and heal through play. Musical play, in particular, acts as a natural element of a child's world, not merely as a diversion but as an essential tool that engages them meaningfully. It helps to shift the focus away from uncomfortable symptoms and side-effects, allowing children to fully immerse themselves in normal developmental activities and experience joy and comfort during challenging times.

Scarlett’s mom, Dawn, has this to say:
Scarlett has a particularly unusual combination of issues, and while she has battled through Leukemia, Music Matt and his team have offered her desperately-needed moments of joy over these few years of treatment.

This is all such a traumatic experience for a small child and her family. We are so desperate for things to look forward to - we adore the music therapy team at UCSF and particularly love Music Matt!! Thanks for helping us survive during such difficult times.

Scarlett’s Caring Bridge Site
Caring Bridge is a caring social network to help people stay connected with family and friends during a health event.