Jamye and Austin Willé know the power of music.
The pair met in 2005 during a summer camp at W.O. Smith Music School as teenagers in Nashville. Music has always been a part of their lives — Austin is a touring saxophonist.
But it wasn’t until their daughter Akemi was born prematurely that the pair experienced music in a different way.
Music used as a therapeutic intervention, called music therapy, proved to be healing.
“We are familiar with music therapy,” said Jamye, who is a social worker. “While we were both familiar with it, neither of us had been exposed to it. When Dana came by our room and explained how music therapy could be helpful for Akemi’s well-being, I was interested.”
Even though she had been singing to her daughter all along, it wasn’t until that first visit with a music therapist that Jamye saw the benefits.
“Akemi was hooked up to a monitor and the first time we sang and played the guitar, we noticed her oxygen level increased, and her heart rate decreased,” recalled Jamye. “We watched that monitor constantly, and to see that singing could help her, it was so special.”
Akemi was born in May at 28 weeks. She was hospitalized for 89 days in the NICU at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.
The music therapy interaction proved to be beneficial for Akemi’s health, while also elevating the hospital experience for the parents.
Music therapy focuses on the use of music to help patients with chronic pain, physical rehabilitation, psychiatric symptoms, end of life, procedural support and coping with hospitalization and disease.
While the program has been a staple at Monroe Carell for nearly 20 years, it recently expanded into the NICU.
The NICU music therapy program, led by board-certified music therapist Dana Kim, MA, MT-BC, focuses on providing safe and effective evidence-based music interventions to promote neurodevelopmental stimulation, increase infant rest and regulation, and provide opportunities for caregiver attachment and bonding.
“We work to care for the entire family during their NICU experience,” said Kim. “We may teach parents about music interventions we do with their baby and empower them to do so outside of our music therapy sessions. We do a lot of parent support to help with stress reduction and relaxation, which results in improved patient outcomes.
“We always focus on family-centered care and what the family needs,” said Kim. “We also offer sibling support to help them deal with the changes within the family.”
For Austin, Akemi’s dad, the music therapy sessions were eye-opening.
“All of my creativity sort of went numb,” said Austin. “It was amazing because I didn’t feel like I had much to give at that time, and the music therapist understood where I was, and she found ways for me to be more involved.”
What initially began as a simple lullaby morphed into a full song that incorporated Akemi’s heartbeat and baby coos. Austin, a music engineer, had a hand in recording the piece.
The Willés are grateful for the opportunity to integrate their love for music into caring for their child and seeing first-hand the positive impact music therapy had on them all. Now home, the family looks back at their time in the NICU in song.
“It was also so helpful to have an opportunity to have a nonmedical interaction in the hospital,” admitted Jamye. “As time went on, I felt that this experience was something that was bringing us closer to her, and it allowed me to put things that I was thinking or feeling into words. It was a special bonding experience.”
In December the program will begin NICU Music Mondays where families will have the opportunity to explore a variety of stations that include song sharing, music technology, developmental education and a sibling station.
“This program developed from interacting with families at the bedside and seeing a need for more support around incorporating music into developmental care and bonding,” said Kim. “These group sessions will allow music therapy to connect with more families each week.”
Goals for the group sessions are:
- Fostering a supportive community for NICU families and staff through music engagement
- Providing education on developmentally appropriate music for the NICU
- Promoting positive coping through creative self-expression
Monroe Carell has three board-certified music therapists on staff who all have advanced NICU music therapy training to provide coverage for infants’ and families’ needs throughout hospitalization. NICU music therapists require additional certification to provide infants with directed interventions to ensure neuroprotection and to optimize growth and development.
