Music to Soothe the First Responder Soul

Music to Soothe the First Responder Soul

By: Kenny Schroeder

MC Hammer debuted the hit ‘U Can’t Touch This’ in 1990.  I am proud to say that I remember where I was, what I was wearing and how I danced to that song like it was yesterday.  And so does my family.  It was my jam.  Providing an uplifting beat that would instantly improve my mood when I heard the chorus.

Music is everywhere!  We can find it all over this planet interwoven in our daily lives and culture.  Music can be found as entertainment on the radio, on demand in our pockets with our smartphones, a soundtrack to our favorite movie, as background noise to make a pleasant atmosphere in the grocery store and even as praise in church.  Music can have a calming, soothing, excitatory, or stimulatory effect. It can induce thoughts and feelings that might not be established by any other means.  Music is a very powerful energy!  It has even been used as therapy for individuals facing a mental health challenge.

First Responders face adverse situations daily that challenge their physical and mental health.  They must be prepared and ready to respond, learn tools to help combat stresses and build resilience to maintain a healthy career.  One tool that may be overlooked in the first responder therapy toolbox is music therapy.

Music Therapy is defined as the clinical use of music to accomplish individualized goals such as reducing stress, improving mood and self-expression.  While the notion of music as a healing agent is as old as human civilization, music therapy first gained a foothold as a profession in the early 20th century as a treatment for traumatized soldiers. It has been employed since as a therapeutic intervention to facilitate healing across a variety of clinical populations.  There is theoretical and empirical evidence to suggest that individuals with trauma exposure and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a condition characterized by enduring symptoms of distressing memory intrusions, avoidance, emotional disturbance, and hyperarousal, may derive benefits from music therapy.  There are two types of music therapy:  passive and active.  Passive music therapy experiences include listening or dancing to music.  While active music therapy includes singing, playing instruments, or composing music.  One great benefit, no prior musical experience is required.  And if you are like me, you just let out a sigh of relief.

Imagine being dispatched to a structure fire call with multiple occupants trapped inside.  Your pulse and breathing both quicken as your mind immediately replays events from your last structure fire.  In route to the incident scene, you perform a few tactical breathing exercises to help reduce the sympathetic response your body has subjected you to automatically.  Your pulse is still rapidly beating, so you flip your portable speaker to play Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony and let the soothing notes fill your ears.  Still able to hear radio traffic in route, your mind calms and you perform a flawless size up as you arrive on scene.  

Music in this passive manner can be utilized to regulate your mood.  Because of the rhythmic and repetitive aspects, music engages the neocortex of our brain which can help to calm us and reduce impulsivity.  We can use music to match our current mood or even positively affect and alter a mood state as in the example above.  Mindfulness is another area where passive music therapy is used.  Yoga is becoming more popular for first responders as a way to not only strengthen your body but also as a way to strengthen your mind.  Soothing musical tones and sounds of nature are pumped into a yoga session to help the mind and body relax and focus on the present.  Calming the amygdala and reducing cortisol levels.

Have you ever thought about picking up a new hobby?  Why not pick up a musical instrument and engage in active music therapy?  Playing a musical instrument engages every major part of the central nervous system and exercises the right and left side of the brain.  Playing an instrument is a great way to relax, unwind, and forget about whatever else is going on in your life. Even 15 minutes of playing an instrument can provide a respite that leaves you feeling calm, refreshed, and ready to deal with whatever life throws at you.  Is there any better feeling than finally mastering a new tune on your favorite instrument?  Probably not. No matter what else is going on in your life, dedicating time and energy to improving your musical skills provides a great boost to a first responder’s self-esteem.

One final note on music therapy.  Research shows that the ability to tell one’s own story through music therapy and songwriting can have an even greater effect than talk therapy alone.  Songwriting may help clients recall difficult or traumatic memories, something that is often hard to access in talk therapy.  Processing difficult or traumatic memories through writing and music may also provide a less stigmatic way for clients to approach getting the help they need.  Songwriting specifically provides benefits both in the activation of the brain associated with emotion processing and regulation and also has the ability to uncover difficult memories and emotions.

I witnessed the power of songwriting first hand recently within my own department.  After the tragic death of a member’s young adult son, a first responder peer put his thoughts about the loss into words and then added a melody.  Through tear soaked eyes and strums on a guitar the power and love demonstrated through this one act helped to heal both the songwriter and the family of the loved one lost.  Being able to share a song that summed up his thoughts and feelings fostered greater understanding and empathy for all.  Not a word had to be spoken, it was the power of music.

If you are a first responder and struggling with a mental health issue from critical incidents experienced in your career, I encourage you to seek help.  Asking for help is not a sign of weakness.  It shows courage that you seek to help yourself so that you can help others.  You do not have to struggle alone.  There are many treatment options available to the first responder community, music therapy being one of them.  Please contact a professionally licensed therapist or counselor for more information.  

Written by Kenny Schroeder

7/21/22