Music as therapy

For several centuries, music and therapy have been closely linked in human history. In earlier times, music’s supernatural powers were attributed to the warding off of evil spirits, absolving of sins and the placating of the gods. By 1789, the first article on Music Therapy appeared and since then, music progressively gained recognition for its therapeutic value. Today, Music Therapy is known for a range of observable health benefits, including but not limited to developing communication skills, helping decrease pain and anxiety, and reducing of stress. Moreover, Music Therapy encourages creativity and happiness.

Certified music therapist, Annette Asuncion, adds that mothers can use Music Therapy in caring for a sick child. “When a child has a fever, moms can use Music Therapy to help one relax, sleep better and even take medicine in a more pleasant way,” she explains. To provide fever relief, doctor-recommended Calpol provides solutions on extending soothing comfort and relief for children with fever not only through its product portfolio but also advocating other therapeutic means such as Music Therapy.

To help children experience Music Therapy, Calpol presents Himig ng Ginhawa — a continuation of the brand’s successful 2013 campaign, Himig ng Kalinga. Through Himig ng Ginhawa, Calpol will conduct a series of interactive activities that utilize Music Therapy strategies. These activities will take place at children’s wards in various hospitals nationwide.

Through Himig ng Ginhawa, Calpol is living out its advocacy of providing soothing comfort and relief for sick children. The brand believes in providing different forms of intervention — from medical technology to music therapy, physical care such as warm towels to regular temperature, to adequate rest and proper medication like Calpol — to sooth young patients and improve their health. “We believe that Music Therapy has immense potential in bringing comfort to the sick, young members of our community,” says Rachelle Gamboa, group product manager of GlaxoSmith Kline.

Led by a team comprised of musically-inclined volunteers and one doctor, each lively and engaging session encourages young patients to interact with the volunteers by playing instruments and singing along to live music. The result is a fun and relaxing activity that harnesses the healing qualities of music. At the end of the session, patients are given a music CD and a singing critter card.

Himig ng Ginhawa was launched in May 2014 with a successful run at the University of the East – Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center (UERM) in Quezon City. Ten UERM residents joined the Music Therapy activities. Calpol will continue to visit several hospitals across Metro Manila and Luzon.

By working closely with doctors, Calpol is able to achieve its mission of creating greater awareness about Music Therapy and its application by health care providers in related medical fields.

To prepare volunteers for the Music Therapy activities, Calpol enlisted Annette Asuncion, a special education teacher and music therapist at Connolly Middle School in Arizona. She is also a visiting professor for Graduate Studies in Music Therapy at St. Paul’s University Manila. She explains, “To train the volunteers, I had them experience a Music Therapy session. This allowed them to distinguish the difference between performing and being interactive. I demonstrated strategies that they can use to promote interaction and learning. I showed them how to play music with different instruments and how to use their voice in order to encourage patients to interact, rather than to just listen.”

Calpol is giving mothers an opportunity to include music in caring for their children through a special tie-up with South Star Drug DOH-FDA CDRR Permit No. 237 s. 2014. For every minimum purchase of two bottles of Calpol, customers will get a free Himig ng Ginhawa CD.

Himig ng Ginhawa is sponsored by doctor-recommended Paracetamol Calpol. With its Acti-Fast formula, Calpol provides fast fever relief.