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On March 22, Dr. Deforia Lane led an interactive presentation called “Music Therapy: From First Cry to Last Breath” in the St. Mary Hall auditorium. The lecture, which was free and open to the public, was part of Villanova’s College of Nursing’s Health & Human Values lecture series. It was organized by Dr. Lyn DeSilets, assistant dean and director of Continuing Education in Nursing and Health Care, and financed in part through a grant from the Johnson and Johnson Family of Companies.

Lane serves as associate director of the Ireland Cancer Center and director of music therapy at the Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital of University Hospitals of Cleveland. With early intentions of pursuing a singing career, she graduated from the University of Cincinnati Conservatory of Music with a degree in vocal performance and then earned her doctorate in music education at Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. Lane has since received a number of awards, including honorary membership in the Oncology Nursing Society, which is their highest honor. Additionally, she has published numerous books, articles, and compact discs.
Throughout her career, she has designed music programs to benefit groups, ranging from abused children to the terminally ill. She has worked with many different organizations, including the Mayo Clinic, the National Department on Aging, and Sesame Street Children’s Television Workshop. Having endured a struggle with cancer herself, Lane also has acted as spokesperson for the American Cancer Society.

In her presentation to the Villanova community, Lane explored the therapeutic integration of music in dealing with infants, victims of dementia, intensive care patients, and the bereaved. She showed video clips depicting the positive effects of music and constantly invited the audience to participate. The attendees, mainly nurses from area hospitals and some Villanova nursing students, had the opportunity to participate in sing-a-longs and to play instruments provided by the Music Activities Department.

Lane began her presentation saying, “Music therapy has captured my soul and will not let me go.” She proceeded to show how powerful the effects of music can be, leading the audience in singing and clapping. After several minutes of this exercise, Lane asked the participants to gauge any resulting physical differences they observed. The audience noted that their fingers were tingling and they felt energized, implying that their oxygen levels were higher. Music therapy, Lane explained, aims to use the way the human brain processes music to create positive medical environments.

Video clips provided evidence of the beneficial effects of music that she has observed throughout her career. One clip depicted people suffering from dementia, before and after music was involved. Before the music was played, the patients’ language was unintelligible and their movements were clearly agitated. When the music began, they began to convey understanding and their movements calmed.

Lane also explored a process known as Rhythmic Auditory Stimulation, which involves the effect of a metronome on physical therapy and occupational therapy patients. The patients are able to walk with much more regularity and display much greater motivation.

Beyond the patients themselves, Lane also presented the benefits of music therapy on the families of terminally ill and dying patients. She shared a personal anecdote about singing at the bedside of a dying man to fulfill a wish he had expressed to his wife. The wife tearfully thanked her, saying “Thank you for ushering my husband into heaven on the wings of a song.”

After several additional interactive exercises, Lane concluded her presentation by saying that it was her battle with cancer that opened the world of music therapy to her and showed her the pressing need for such a practice. She told the listeners, “The power of one voice is something else. What will you do with your one voice? My hope is that you will sing, sing, sing.”