Medical student uses music therapy to help patients find peace in their final days
Medical student uses music therapy to help patients find peace in their final days
CBS News Mornings; by , Analisa Novak; 3/4/25
When Melonie Ambler prepares to treat a patient, her medical toolkit includes something unexpected: A cello. "I ask, 'Transport me to your favorite place on Earth,' or 'What are you famous for within your friends or your family?'" Ambler said. "When I get that response, I can accentuate the drama, emotions, personalities and energy of the patient." Ambler, a Stanford University medical student, has ... an innovative approach to palliative care by transforming patients' life stories into spontaneous musical compositions. She has paused her medical education for a year to formally research the intersection of music and end-of-life care. The approach has shown some powerful results, particularly for families coping with loss. "I had one patient, this lovely man. I sent the recording to his wife and him the day that he died. When she listened to it, she said it was like he was there with her, and that she's listened to the recording every single night since he passed," she said.
Editor's note: Note that the music is all about the person, not the musician. While this reporter indicates that this process is new, it is core for board certified music therapists, with variations based on the person's abilities to respond or not, and often involving family. The music might be old or new; with lyrics or not. An especially profound moment occurs when the musician amplifies and records the person's heartbeat, and puts music to it, such as the clinical music therapy provided by Brian Schreck at the Norton Cancer Institute in Louisville.