Music Therapy

To me, music is life.

I've played the violin since I was five, piano since I was seven (I'm not very good at it anymore because I quit lessons my senior year of high school), and I've taken vocal lessons since I was nine. I've been in musicals since I was five, and performed countless times in front of many people--including people in another nation (thank you college).

Music is what led me to POUND.

Haven't heard of it? Go to poundfit.com and find out about the most fun and emotionally fulfilling group workout, ever.

Seriously.

This is coming from someone who originally disliked group workouts. Now I teach one.

I do love mind/body kinds of workouts in group or private, and POUND allows you to let all your feelings out without judgement all while having fun. So much fun, in fact, you may not be able to walk (or sit on the toilet) the next day.

Best feeling ever.

Music speaks to me like nothing else in this world. Great music combined with motion like dance or POUND or what have you is even better. 

Music is my therapy.

That is why I continue to choose to do the musical things in my life while going through treatment.

I still teach POUND twice a week on my "off-chemo" weeks and I still am involved in the vocal and violin local musical community doing performances when I can and if I am feeling well enough to do so. And, let me tell you, that's getting gradually more difficult the more rounds of chemo I go through.

I am concerned about neuropathy in regards to my musical life and career. I do have it. If you're not sure what neuropathy is, it's basically numbness and tingling in the extremities. My fingers and toes tingle and go numb on occasion (it's the worst right after chemo). I lose grip of my bow or strength in my violin hand sometimes. I'm hopeful it's not permanent. However, even if it turns out to be my new normal, I'm not going to let it get me down. Nor am I going to allow it to keep me from the things I love.

I do find myself pushing too hard on days I'm feeling a little better, and I definitely feel the consequences from it the next day--almost to the point where I am bedridden, but it's worth it to me to get those bottled up emotions out.

I really do bottle up my emotions. I find that I do it to help those around me more than anything else. Sometimes I'm afraid to tell others exactly how I'm feeling or what's going on because I'm not sure they're able to handle it--some can't, and that's okay.

What helps you get your emotions out in a healthy way?

Music is life, and I want to LIVE. Not just survive. Therefore, I will continue my music therapy for as long as I possibly can in whatever way I possibly can.