By Claudia T. Dunigan
(Editor's Note: This is the sixth in a series of 10 stories written by the members of the Greater Derry Creative Women's Writers Group, shining a spotlight on some of the local heroes, both individuals and organizations, that make our communities better.)
When I heard the news my cousin's baby was born with complications and sent to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Elliot Hospital, I quickly left to be by her side. We went to visit her son, but not before being scrubbed and gowned. This was about nine years ago and at that time the unit was a big open room filled with incubators, monitors beeping and some tiny babies I feared were not going home. Amongst the worry, sadness and desperation was a ray of hope in a soothing sound. I wondered where that peaceful music was coming from. Then I saw her, sitting in a chair, strumming the harp. I can't remember the last time I heard harp music. Instantly I felt a calmness wash over me and I was hopeful for all in the room.
Peg Fedor started playing the harp 13 years ago. She happened upon the instrument while attending the Highland Games in New Hampshire.
"There was a woman playing the harp in one of the tents and the music just spoke to me. She invited me to sit down to strum a few strings and I was instantly taken in," she said.
Fedor, has been an RN for over 40 years and wanted to find a way to combine music with the healing process. A manager she worked with showed her a brochure about a music program offered in Hillsdale, N.Y., and thought it would be a perfect match. Fedor became a graduate of the Music for Healing and Transition Program in 1999 and is now a Certified Music Practitioner (CMP).
The Music for Healing and Transition Program professionally trains and certifies musicians to provide live therapeutic music at the bedside to create a healing environment. This is clearly stated in their brochure. Fedor wants to make it very clear, a CMP is not the same as a music therapist. A music therapist is much more involved in patient treatment. They are trained in the medical module to interact with the patients, set goals for their therapeutic session and look for outcomes. A certified music practitioner provides a service. Service being the keyword. A CMP has the desire to help those in need. In a hospice, hospital, nursing home or birthing center, her hope is to create a healing environment to help eliminate some of the stress.
"I don't go in with the attitude I am going to relieve a person's pain. I go with the intention to help and allow the music to promote healing and comfort. Sometimes you see physical and emotional changes in the patient and other times you don't observe it," said Fedor. She reminds herself to keep an open attitude because she accepts whatever the outcome.
Being a medical person all her life she was a bit skeptical and silently wondered if this would really work as she recalls the first person.
"The patient's face was taunt with pain and her grimacing hands were clenched into her chest," she recalled. "She was moaning loudly and her breathing was rapid. Within 10 minutes of my playing, her breathing slowed down, the moaning stopped and her hands relaxed and lay by her side."
That was the moment she realized the music does really work and it is what she was meant to do.
When playing for patients in their room, Fedor will stay 15-30 minutes and is flexible with her time and days. If someone is actively dying she might stay up to an hour. She must set limits on how long she can play and be aware of her own self-care.
Fedor adapts her schedule to accommodate the needs of specific units. The Intensive Care Unit prefers her to play in the afternoon, while the oncology unit prefers her to play during their rest hour. Not only does it help the patients and families, the staff also want and need to hear the music.
Thinking that the harp is usually associated with the sounds of heaven I wondered if anyone ever asked her to go away. She said, "oh, yes and I don't take any offense." Patients are told all day long whey they have to do. When to go for a test. When to take a pill. When to eat or sleep and so on. Sometimes giving the patient a choice can be very empowering. So when some people say no I don't want that or come back tomorrow it may be the only control they have and I totally understand. I would have to say at least 90 percent of the time people are very appreciative.
Fedor can't stress enough that music is not a replacement for medicine and we are fortunate to have a modern, effective medical system that can work wonder. The music helps to enhance the medical treatment. It is a nice combination each with its own strength. Research has shown when music is being played the body releases natural endorphins causing a relaxation response. There has been research done on patients in Nursing Homes mainly in the dementia units. Some of these patients can not vocalize and often their faces are expressionless. The Certified Music Practitioner plays songs from their era so many of the patients will sing along or just hum and even smile.
The music triggers their memory center in the brain and they are able to make a mental connection. Even after the music has stopped some patients can be communicative for a short while before going back to a dementia state.
Fedor splits her time between playing music and coordinating the MHTP interns and scholarship students. They bring a variety of music to the program, such as the cello, violin, Native American flute, guitar, voice and other acoustic instruments.
So far there have been more than 500 graduates and hundreds more enrolled in the program. There are 13 sites around the country. The New England site is at the Elliot Hospital. It draws people from all over New England and parts of New York. The Music for Healing and Transition Program Inc. was founded in 1994 and is a non-profit organization. For more information visit www.mhtp.org.
