FROM THE PRESIDENT by VALERIE F . BRIONES-PRYOR , MD , MHA , SFHM , FACP
The Power of Music
Mabuhay *! As some of you now know , music is a big part of my life . From playing the piano when I was young and then switching to vocal music , music has always played a role . I always have some type of music playing in my head that I jokingly refer to as the never-ending soundtrack of my life . I am by no means a connoisseur of music . I can ’ t tell you how many movements are in Beethoven ’ s 9 th symphony or Lady Gaga ’ s musical influences , but I can tell you what I like to listen to . My playlists span all genres – everything from 80s / 90s pop ( the best genre in my mind ), Broadway musicals , R & B , to movie scores .
Music has the power to make me cry , make me laugh and even run faster . Sometimes , I can do all three in the span of the same song . My husband and I took our son to see Top Gun : Maverick a few months back . Upon hearing the familiar guitar riffs of Harold Faltemeyer and Kenny Loggins during the opening credits , I immediately became my 10-year-old self , my heart racing while watching the jets on the screen take off much as they did more than 30 years ago . For my son , who was hearing and seeing it for the first time , I could see his excitement and I knew he was making a new memory with these old songs .
Music has the power to provide healing . Music , in the form of music therapy , has been long studied as an adjunct to treatments for many conditions , including chronic pain , anxiety and depression , and even dementia . In medical school , I had the opportunity to volunteer with Hosparus in their music therapy program . I would spend a weekend afternoon on the Hosparus In-Patient Unit and visit with patients and families , asking if they would like for me to sing for them , in an effort to provide comfort . Once I had met with all the patients on the unit , I would end my day with singing songs at the end of the hallway , just to fill the unit with song . Given the stress of medical school , I found my time singing on the hospice unit to be just as therapeutic for me as it was for the patients and families .
Music also has the power to unite folks of all backgrounds . I recently had the opportunity to volunteer at the National Association of Pastoral Ministers ( NPM ) Annual Conference . The NPM conference brought together Catholic music ministers and musicians from all over the country to meet ( for the first time in-person since 2019 ) and share their love of pastoral music and really , all music regardless of genre . I was asked by my church ’ s Worship Director to sing in the choir for the opening event and Mass with the Bishop of El Paso , but it soon turned into singing for multiple events and working the Welcome and Registration booth . Having never been to this event , I felt much like a fish out of water amongst these very talented musicians . However , getting to sit in during impromptu jam sessions with these musicians whose songs I sing at church , I felt welcome , but very much in awe of their talents and creativity . The NPM Pastoral Musician of the Year , Peter Kolar , even created an anthem , “ Veni Sancte Spiritus ” (“ Come Holy Spirit ’) that the choir and full orchestra performed for the conference . I can ’ t even explain the joy and adrenaline of that moment . Here we were , initially a group of strangers that came together to learn and perform a beautiful , powerful piece , written in four languages by Mr . Kolar who joyfully played the organ while we performed his music .
Watching Mr . Kolar and his colleagues reminded me of the similarities of music and medicine . For musicians , the science of music can involve the right amount of breath control to produce the right sound , much like the precision of a surgeon during a procedure . For physicians , the art of medicine involves how we diagnose , how we perform and how we communicate much like how musicians perform and communicate their craft . Both musicians and physicians must find the right balance of art and science depending on our audience .
Music has the power to put into lyrics and melodies all the feelings that we can ’ t express on our own . I hope this month ’ s issue inspires you to take a moment to turn on your favorite song or express yourself through art and find joy , and maybe even share that joy with others .
* Mabuhay is a Filipino greeting meaning “ long life .”
Dr . Briones-Pryor is the Medical Director for the Hospital Medicine Service Line for UofL Health and is the Chief Medical Officer for UofL Health Shelbyville Hospital .
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