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Healing through music: Local musician on path to become fourth certified music practitioner in state

Last year, Sara Severson found out one of her good friends, who was dying of cancer, had been given 48 hours to live. So Severson, a local musician in the band Blonde & the Bohunk, decided to play for her. "I felt this calling, like I really ...

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Sara Severson, a local musician in the band Blonde & the Bohunk, plays live music in the Knute Nelson memorial care unit. She will soon become the fourth current certified music practitioner in the state of Minnesota. (Contributed)

Last year, Sara Severson found out one of her good friends, who was dying of cancer, had been given 48 hours to live.

So Severson, a local musician in the band Blonde & the Bohunk, decided to play for her.

"I felt this calling, like I really wanted to do something for her," Severson recalled. "I went up to the hospital where her room was filled with family. I gave her a hug and just whispered in her ear that I was going to sing for her and support her like she's always supported me. It was a beautiful moment and one I will never forget."

Severson left the hospital feeling at peace and knowing she'd found something she wanted to pursue. She began researching and came across the Music for Healing and Transition Program, a program which trains and certifies musicians in the art and science of providing live therapeutic music for the body, mind and spirit.

Severson recently finished her last training, during which she provided live music for patients in the intensive care unit in a Chicago hospital. Before officially becoming a certified music practitioner, she will need to take a final exam and participate in an independent practicum.

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This will make Severson the fourth current certified music practitioner in the state of Minnesota. A certified music practitioner is trained to observe and assess the people for whom they are playing. What they observe then dictates how and what they play.

Through her new therapeutic music business, called Blissful Serenity, Severson meets with individual patients and plays music for 20 to 30 minutes.

"I will start to analyze the second they're in front of me," Severson said. "Their facial expressions, their breathing patterns, their vital signs on a monitor, if they're tightly gripped, their current state. Then I will play music based on their current condition and move them to a state of relaxation, calmness or peacefulness.

There are five general patient conditions for which Severson would play:

• Acute patients, such as patients in an emergency room or intensive care unit.

• Non-acute patients, such as the elderly, those receiving chemotherapy treatments, mothers in labor or someone who recently underwent surgery.

• Patients with high pain, anxiety or depression.

• Cognitively impaired patients, such as those with memory loss.

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• Dying patients, such as those in hospice care.

The type of music Severson plays depends on the patient and the situation. For example, for patients who are in the process of dying, she typically will not sing. She says the music for them should be quiet, low and simple.

"The type of music in that situation is never familiar," Severson said. "I might hum, and pick a string or two on the guitar and let that resonate, let the vibration go. It helps them transition and move on. If I were to play something familiar, it may stimulate the brain, and you don't want to do that to the actively dying."

In other instances, Severson may start with more intense music and gradually slow down. By doing so, she recently witnessed someone's heart rate of more than 120 beats per minute decrease to the lower 90s after a live therapeutic music session.

"If it's someone who has high anxiety or pain, I will match them," she said. "I'll play maybe a faster paced song, and then I will slowly transition to a slower tempo to get them down to a relaxation state."

Severson has also partnered with Knute Nelson this year through their Music and Memory Program to provide music in the organization's memory care unit. She says this has proven to her that music can reach anyone.

"There's a lady there who is more than 100 years old," Severson said. "She can't hear and can't see. Yet the second I started playing, she wheeled up and almost ran me over. I think the vibration made her curious. She could feel something going on because she gravitated right to me."

Severson has found that playing for memory care patients is one of her favorite things to do because it allows her to reach past their confusion and bring them into the present moment.

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"I've had patients who seem so confused," Severson said. "Some don't recognize their family anymore, but once I start singing for them I can get them to sing an entire hymn, patriotic song or lullaby along with me."

Though at times the career can be emotional, Severson says it's also rewarding for her as a musician and as a person.

"More than it being emotional, it's so gratifying," she said. "I believe that providing this service for people is what God put me on the earth to do. If my emotions are getting the best of me, I lean on music. If I'm sad, it lifts me a little bit. It brings me peace. You leave so peaceful. It's almost therapy for yourself to be doing that."

Severson says her goal is to continue to educate the community on the importance of music - specifically the benefits of live music.

Those wanting to become a certified music practitioner can apply online at www.mhtp.org . The Music for Healing and Transition Program's curriculum consists of five modules with one or more classes each. Some modules are taught on location in various states, while others are via live videoconference.

For more information about Blissful Serenity, visit www.blissfulserenitymusic.com or the Blissful Serenity Facebook page. For questions or booking, email blissfulserenitymusic@gmail.com .

There are five general patient conditions that can benefit from a therapeutic musician, including those in emergency situations, those in non-emergency situations, patients with high pain or anxiety, cognitively impaired patients and dying patients. (Contributed)
There are five general patient conditions that can benefit from a therapeutic musician, including those in emergency situations, those in non-emergency situations, patients with high pain or anxiety, cognitively impaired patients and dying patients. (Contributed)

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