This week, I had the honor of visiting with a music therapist (治疗师), Georgia, from Seasons Hospice (临终关怀) in Columbia, MD. I was deeply moved by the connection and spirituality that I witnessed during my visit. As a profession who plays a musical instrument, I believe in the power of music to go beyond words and connect people.
I have been disabused of any idea that music therapy is simply about playing a guitar. In the hands of a skilled music therapist like Seasons’ Georgia, the guitar and voice are spiritual and deeply connected tools that can be extremely meaningful to a patient that is in pain, or family that is in need of healing.
Georgia, her colleague Sophie and I visited two patients at one of Seasons’ inpatient units. One, Ms. Anne, requested Johnny Cash songs initially. I sang along with her to “I Walk the Line”. We then learned from her nephew that she led a church chorus for 50 years. As Georgia played the guitar, Ms. Anne said that she was ready to go, ready to relieve the burden on her family.
Ms. Anne’s second song request was “My Hope is Built on Nothing Less.” I hadn’t heard this song before, but I was so moved to see and hear Georgia and Ms. Smith harmonize beautifully, with Ms. Anne repeating the last line — “All other ground is sinking sand” — twice. Ms. Anne sang these lines with a certainty and unshakable belief. We all knew, somehow, that Ms. Anne would soon die. As I leaned in to speak with Ms. Anne, she asked me why I didn’t sing with her. I told her that I didn’t want to mess up her beautiful two part harmony. She smiled, as if she knew that I didn’t really know the words. Two hours later, Ms. Anne died.
4. What is probably the author?
A.A patient. | B.A musician. | C.A physician. | D.A nurse. |
5. What does the author think of music therapists?
A.They compose songs to cheer patients up. |
B.They are groups of people who play guitars. |
C.They provide peace to patients at the end of life. |
D.They have the right to visit any hospital freely. |
6. What can we infer about Ms Anne from the text?
A.She was an expert in singing. | B.She was a relative of Georgia. |
C.She was a burden of her family. | D.She was easily moved by others’ visit. |
7. Why did the author fail to sing the second song with Ms Anne?
A.He was too sick to sing a word. | B.He didn’t really know the song. |
C.He lacked harmony with others. | D.He made no request for the song. |