Linda is a graduate of the Music for Healing and Transition Program (MHTP). She completed her internship for MHTP at a hospital and a nursing home in Harrisburg, PA. Linda plays the flute, alto flute, and Native American flute. She also has degrees in social work (MSW) and music therapy (BM). Read Linda's article, Reflections on My MHTP Internship, in the October 2008 issue of The Music Practitioner, the newsletter of MHTP. Linda was also featured in a January 2010 article in the Harrisburg Patriot News written by Barbara Trainin Blank, entitled Therapeutic Music Relaxes, Comforts Patients.

What does Linda do, and what is MHTP?

As a Certified Music Practitioner, Linda plays live therapeutic music at the bedside for people in the hospital, hospice, and nursing home. MHTP is a national training and certification program that prepares and certifies musicians to assess patients and to play music that will provide a therapeutic environment for the patient. Graduates of the program earn the title Certified Music Practitioner (CMP). They receive 80 hours of classroom training in 5 weekend modules, and are required to read 10 books and complete an internship of 45 hours of actual playing time.

What is expected of the patient?

Before playing for a patient, Linda will ask if music is wanted. If so, Linda plays without expecting or asking the patient to do anything. She will explain to the patient that he/she may request that she stop playing music at any time. The music is not entertainment or a concert, but rather a therapeutic service, so the patient is not expected to applaud or praise the musician. Rather, the patient can simply “receive” the music passively, and may even be asleep. The focus is on the patient’s needs, and it has been found that even comatose patients can benefit from live music.

How will patients/clients benefit from live therapeutic music?

Linda is trained to play music that is therapeutic for patients. Live music can soothe anxious patients, cheer up patients who are feeling down, relieve pain, or provide a peaceful background for patients who are at end of life. Linda will assess the patient to determine what type of music to play, and she will adjust the music as needed during each session with a patient.

Some examples of conditions that might respond well to live therapeutic music are:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Pain
• Insomnia
• Loneliness
• Boredom
• Fear

Live therapeutic music is used with patients of all ages who are temporarily, chronically, critically, or terminally ill. Music can also serve to relax and improve performance of caregivers and staff.

More Information

For additional information about live therapeutic music and the MHTP training program, see the following:

Music for Healing and Transition (MHTP) Web site:

http://www.mhtp.org/

The Gift of Live Music

Linda Grobman is available to provide live therapeutic flute music at the bedside in the Harrisburg, PA area. Music can be provided in hospital, nursing home, hospice, and private home settings for people of all ages. Linda has played for newborn babies, as well as older adults. A professional fee is charged.

If you have a friend or family member who is ill, you may want to consider giving the gift of soothing live music at the bedside, as an alternative to flowers or other gifts. Or give the gift of live music to a nursing home or other facility in your area that you would like to support in a special way, or in honor of a loved one.

If you are an administrator, social worker, activities director, or other staff member and you are interested in having Linda play therapeutic music at your facility on an ongoing basis, please contact Linda.

Contacting Linda

For more information about Linda's therapeutic music services, fees, and how to arrange for services, please contact her through the contact page on this Web site.