Healing Rhythms

09/26/2025

Huge shoutout of gratitude to our therapist, Destiny Boyum, for facilitating a blues music history and guitar workshop for our team this morning!

09/26/2025

Join us Sunday from 11am-1pm at the FREE Autism Resource Guide AutFest at the Rochester Art Center - this is a neurodiverse family friendly event you won’t want to miss!!!

09/25/2025

Connecting with other entrepreneurs and coaches in our community is so important! Thank-you Denise Stegall for the beautiful conversation and time together this morning! ☕️ Who are you surrounding yourself with that uplifts and encourages you today?!?

09/20/2025

More amazing research from MIT on the benefits of MUSIC for children 🎶 if you’re curious about how music therapy or adaptive lessons can benefit kids in your life, send us a message! 🎶

A new wave of research from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is challenging one of today’s biggest parenting trends. While many families rush to enroll their children in computer coding classes, MIT scientists now suggest that music lessons may do far more to boost brain development and overall intelligence.

The study reveals that learning music—whether through playing an instrument, singing, or reading musical notes, activates and strengthens areas of the brain responsible for memory, attention, problem-solving, and language skills. These neural networks overlap with those used in math and reasoning, giving children a deep cognitive workout that coding lessons can’t yet match. Music education engages both hemispheres of the brain simultaneously, forging connections that sharpen focus and enhance long-term learning abilities.

While coding builds logical thinking and digital fluency, it typically stimulates fewer brain regions and relies more on repetition and structured problem-solving. Music, by contrast, combines creativity, pattern recognition, and emotional expression, creating a richer and more versatile mental environment. Children who play instruments or participate in music programs often show stronger academic performance, improved verbal abilities, and better emotional regulation.

Researchers also emphasize the social and emotional benefits of music. Playing in an ensemble or practicing with others fosters teamwork, patience, and communication—skills critical for success in any field, including technology. By developing these qualities early, children gain confidence and adaptability that can help them thrive in a rapidly changing world.

Importantly, MIT’s findings don’t dismiss the value of coding. Rather, they highlight music as a foundational tool for brain growth. A child who starts with music will likely learn coding more easily later, thanks to the enhanced memory, creativity, and problem-solving skills cultivated through musical training.

For parents, the message is clear: encourage your child to explore instruments, join a choir, or take music theory classes. These experiences not only nurture creativity but also lay down the mental wiring that supports all future learning—including technology.

As the digital world expands, it may be music, not machines, that gives young minds the strongest foundation for innovation and lifelong intelligence.

09/20/2025

So proud of our child life colleagues & friends at Coping Copilots for this feature from Association of Child Life Professionals

The Summer 2025 Bulletin issue has arrived! 🧾🧾🧾

Read about an innovative internship program leveraging connections and collaborations in the Minnesota child life community and find resources for supporting patients experiencing precocious puberty, plus much more, in this new release.

Members, don't forget you can earn 1 FREE PDU by reading the issue and completing a quiz. Access the issue now: https://ow.ly/BOpK50WZIML

09/20/2025

We loved celebrating community at Quarry Hill with Olmsted Medical Center’s Wellness Champions Workshop! 🌿✨ Our therapist Destiny, joined by our very first Healing Rhythms intern Ely, led the group in exploring how music can support wellbeing. 🎶💙 We’re grateful for the chance to support the healthcare staff who do so much for our community!

09/19/2025

What an incredible week in Nashville! A huge thank you to Mayo Clinic Laboratories for inviting Christina to speak about music therapy for procedural support. We loved connecting with over 170 laboratory leaders from around the country and sharing this important work

09/18/2025

🌟 Music therapy helps kids grow—cognitively, emotionally, and socially. See open time slots in the image and join the fun! 🎸

09/14/2025

Join us September 28th 11am-1pm for this amazing event with Autism Resource Guide at the Rochester Art Center

09/13/2025

We have a few openings left this fall for pediatric music therapy. 🎶 Let us know how we can support the kids in your life!

08/30/2025

It was so amazing to reconnect with two of the best lab techs this past week we had the honor of working alongside for so many years! Hard to believe it was about 10 years ago when we first piloted music therapy in the outpatient pediatric phlebotomy lab.

08/24/2025

Contact our team today if you’re interested in learning more about how and why music can be so effective for supporting you or your loved ones!

After age 40, our brains lose about five percent of their volume per decade—affecting our problem-solving abilities and memory. But we might be able to slow this process. Experts say that learning a new skill, like playing a musical instrument, acts as a "full-brain workout" and strengthens our neural pathways, making our brains more resilient: https://on.natgeo.com/4mp2ohW

is now streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.