We’ve all heard Poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s famous quote: “Music is the universal language of all mankind.” Since Longfellow wrote those words, many others have echoed his sentiments. Take blind musician and superstar Stevie Wonder who famously sang these lyrics: “Music is a world within itself, with a language we all understand. …” Or the late folksinger Pete Seeger who used music to motivate social justice: “Songs are funny things. They can slip across borders. Proliferate in prisons. Penetrate hard shells. I always believed that the right song at the right moment could change history.” Reggae music giant Bob Marley had this to say about the therapeutic effects of music: “One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.” And pop music star Billy Joel’s opinion? “I think music in itself is healing,” said Joel. “It’s an explosive expression of humanity. It’s something we are all touched by. No matter what culture we’re from, everyone loves music.”
In other words, music is immensely powerful, and all human beings, regardless of their abilities have the capacity to experience its healing effects. In fact, studies have shown that music and music therapy provide enormous benefits for people with a range of disabilities.
According to the American Music Therapy Association “Research supports connections between speech and singing, rhythm and motor behavior, memory for song and memory for academic material, and overall ability of preferred music to enhance mood, attention, and behavior to optimize the student’s ability to learn and interact. Rhythmic movement helps develop gross motor skills (mobility, agility, balance, coordination) as well as respiration patterns and muscular relaxation. Because music is reinforcing,” says the AMTA, “it can be used to motivate movements or structure exercises that are prescribed in physical rehabilitation.” Furthermore, musical activities can distract from the “pain, discomfort, and anxiety often associated with some physical disabilities.”
This holiday season, why not give the gift of music? Enabling Devices’ wide selection of adapted musical instruments make great gifts for friends and family members, students or music therapy clients. And this week (Wednesday December 6 to Tuesday December 12), we’ve slashed prices on our adapted Bongo Drums, Tambourine, Ring Around Bells, Drumbourine and My First Music Player. Who knows? The next Ray Charles, Ludwig von Beethoven or Django Reinhardt may be one of your children, a client or a student in your class! Give him or her their big musical break by shopping our newly designed, state-of-the-art website and checking out our musical instruments and toys.
Happy holiday shopping!
