Carolina Music Therapy, LLC: Alison Hughey, MT-BC

11/30/2025

What’s brought you a sense of awe lately? Pictures welcome!

11/30/2025

Every person is valuable and worthy of dignity and belonging.

The R-word is deeply hurtful, unacceptable, and diminishes the dignity of individuals with Down syndrome and other disabilities.

As an organization dedicated to creating a community that welcomes, embraces and supports people with Down syndrome, we are saddened that President Trump used this slur.

Our nation’s leaders influence attitudes and culture, and we expect them to model respectful, empowering language that honors the value and humanity of every person.

11/30/2025

Researchers at the University of Cambridge have found that the brain continues its “adolescent” development far longer than previously thought — lasting until around age 32.

Using brain scans from nearly 4,000 people aged 9 to 90, the team identified five clear phases of brain wiring:

Childhood: birth–9; Adolescence: 9–32; Adulthood: 32–66; Early ageing: 66–83; Late ageing: 83+

"The brain rewires across the lifespan. It's always strengthening and weakening connections and it's not one steady pattern - there are fluctuations and phases of brain rewiring," Lead author Dr. Alexa Mousley said.

Although individuals may hit these milestones at slightly different ages, the age ranges stood out clearly in the data. The findings, published in Nature Communications, may help explain why risks for mental health conditions and dementia shift over a lifetime.

📸: Getty

11/29/2025

11/28/2025

Great story out of Boston!

In Boston, music therapy is being used to enrich the well-being of people hoping to overcome trauma. Senior arts correspondent Jeffrey Brown reports for our look at the intersection of art and health, part of our arts and culture series, CANVAS.

11/28/2025

🦃🍂 Thanksgiving is a time of gratitude, but it can also bring mixed emotions—and that's okay.

If today is difficult for you, please remember you’re not alone—confidential support is always available. Reach out today. samhsa.gov/find-help

11/26/2025

Perspective taking, empathy, and a sense of belonging are factors which decrease extremist behavior.

Engaging in music can help bolster these elements at any age!

Nature Reviews Psychology: This Review proposes that understanding violent extremism requires integration of trait-descriptive models with process-oriented frameworks that outline mechanisms in social reactivity, needs and mindsets that make some people more at risk for engaging in violent extremism.

Link to the Review in the comments.

11/26/2025

Do you experience this? If so, what kinds of music prompt it?
✨🧠 ✨

Some people feel a sudden shiver rise through their body when they hear a powerful song. This reaction is known as frisson, a real psychological and physiological response that occurs when music triggers an intense emotional surge. Scientists describe it as a “skin orgasm,” a deep sensory rush caused by your brain releasing dopamine, the chemical linked to pleasure, motivation, and reward.

Frisson usually happens during moments of emotional intensity in music. It could be a sudden beat drop, a dramatic vocal shift, or a beautiful melody that connects with your memories. Research shows that people who experience frisson often have brains wired with stronger emotional sensitivity. They also tend to score higher in the personality trait called openness to experience, which includes creativity, imagination, and a deep appreciation for art.

This reaction is not random. When your brain anticipates something powerful in a song and then the moment arrives unexpectedly, the reward system activates, sending chills across your skin. It is your brain responding to emotional beauty with physical signals.

Frisson proves how deeply music is tied to human psychology. It shows that a simple sound can unlock hidden memories, shift your mood, and create a physical experience in seconds. If music gives you goosebumps, your brain is working on a deeper emotional level than most people realize.

11/26/2025

As we’re all inundated with Black Friday offers, remember small business Saturday!!

When you shop small, a creator on the other end does a happy dance. 💃 You help artists keep creating, you help towns and cities grow in unique ways, and you get to give unique gifts!

Tag a small business you love in the comments (Including your own if applicable)!

*pardon the typo in the graphic*

11/25/2025

Your Brain Has a Built-In Isolation Mode

New research reveals that the shutdown in social behavior during illness is not simply a by-product of fatigue but is driven by a dedicated neural circuit.

When the immune molecule IL-1β reaches its receptor on serotonin-producing neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus, it activates a pathway to the intermediate lateral septum that suppresses the drive for social interaction.

Blocking this receptor or silencing this circuit prevents social withdrawal even when the immune system is activated.

These findings show that the brain actively imposes isolation during sickness and uncover a precise mechanism that could help explain why infection changes mood and social motivation.

11/24/2025

Reminder: free (virtual) creative and curious group tonight, 6-6:30pn est! Even my fortune cookie knows that creativity is a catalyst ✨

I’ll pull a card from my Creative and Curious deck and guide our group in trying it out (music, art, writing or movement)-no experience or fancy supplies needed.

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83575045092?pwd=uBQ07pU6787lMRBQnnFUZowAKRWLmT.1