On Music and Dying, Part 2

| Dec 15, 2016 |

Interview with Kristina Guevara

Part Two

Many years ago I read Elizabeth Kubler Ross’s seminal work, On Death and Dying. It was, and probably is, considered to be one of the most important books on that subject. But until recently I had never connected the subject with music. That changed in October 2016 when I was at a party in Kansas City at the home of Marty Hackleman, horn professor at the University of Missouri Kansas City. There I met a trumpet player named Kristina Guevara, who told me she did music therapy for hospice patients. I was moved by her idealism and the way she was trying to help people at the end of their lives, and I asked if I could interview her. She graciously agreed, and what follows is the second and final part of a two-part interview.

Since you were in music education before, do you consider music therapy to be your true purpose in life?

At this point in my life, absolutely.  I believe music education is very important and continue to advocate for it, but I find that the work in music therapy fits my personality.

There are two things I know very well about myself: music is what I know, and I love helping others however I can. In music education, it filled me with joy to see students’ faces light up when they finally achieved new skills on their instruments. However, what I am able to provide with music therapy is more rewarding to me on a much deeper level, especially with end-of life care. I will admit, when going through school for music education, I had a “fake it till you make it” attitude. This was due to a combination of me being young and having a difficult time acknowledging the fact that I was about to be a professional with a music education degree. I had similar feelings when working on my master’s degree. This all changed once I dove into the world of hospice care. Although this work has me with the terminally ill on the daily basis, it feels so natural and comfortable.

As cheesy as this may sound, I vividly remember the day I acknowledged to myself that this may be my purpose in life. It was a day filled with overwhelming levels of happiness, excitement, and tears of joy, all while driving to the home of my next patient. I believe this is my purpose and if that changes for some reason, so be it. Going with the flow of life and taking opportunities has led me here where I am today—happiness and a sense of fulfillment. I can’t really complain about that.

Do you think that other music education majors might consider this as a career path?

Of course! When starting my graduate studies in music therapy, I found that my
background in music education was helpful in some cases. The music therapy profession has progressed over the years, branching into several schools of thought. One of these branches draws from music education approaches, using adaptations of Kodaly, Orff-Schulwerk, and Dalcroze Eurhythmics, concepts that are introduced in elementary music education courses. Also, the process of teaching music comes in handy with private lesson-like sessions. Of course, these “lessons” involve another level of skill sets learned in a music therapy curriculum—for example, understanding different diagnoses and their characteristics. Music therapists may find themselves teaching piano lessons to a child or a teen on the autism spectrum, an adult who had previously suffered a stroke, or even older adults with decreased cognitive and physical abilities. Understanding the approaches in music therapy gives the therapist the tools to adapt and set up those clients for success in achieving their goals. This is where I find the most overlap between music education and music therapy.

However, there is much more to be learned in the music therapy curriculum that is not discussed in music education. Subjects related to psychology, abnormal psychology, human anatomy, neuroscience, counseling skills, and medical terminology are just a handful of the study areas for any music therapy student. And, as with any music major, practicing and being proficient on musical instruments is vital. Even with my previous music degree, I found the amount of learning required to be overwhelming. But was it worth it? Absolutely.

I urge anyone who is interested in music therapy as a potential career path to do your research. There are a number of fantastic board-certified therapists who have websites filled with information, resources, and blogs on the world of music therapy. You can even find YouTube videos of music therapy sessions with all sorts of populations.

The Internet is a great tool for finding more information to determine if music therapy is right for you. And, of course, you can always ask a professional or student music therapist!

What are the positives and negatives for you? Is it difficult being around people who are dying?

A disadvantage of hospice work is just the nature of the type of care itself. It puts me in a position where I’m helping people who are dying and providing them with end-of-life care. Because of this, I have to deal with death on a regular basis. It’s true that often I will play and sing for and with patients, which seems fun. However, it’s therapy, not entertainment, because I’m using music as a therapeutic medium. Making music for enjoyment is one thing, but counseling about the patient’s fear of death or acceptance of death is a completely different matter. Death and dying is a reality that can be quite challenging, especially when faced five days a week. However, there is something so beautiful about music therapy in end-of-life care that completely outweighs the disadvantages.

Being with people who are terminally ill gives me the opportunity to truly make a difference in the lives not only of the patient but of the family as well. I am able to celebrate the person’s life through music, share special memories, create music with them, and even discuss their fears or acceptance of death. For people who are actively dying and are no longer able to verbalize or speak, I am able to be friendly company; someone who can talk to them, sing to them, restore a sense of dignity, and just be with them during whatever time they have left. At that point, my goal is to create and bring them into an atmosphere where they can feel as comfortable as possible.

How has your work as a music therapist influenced the way you view life or the way you deal with people each day?

Never in my life have I thought of death so much—not in a suicidal way but in a positive and helpful way. Being with the dying on the daily basis has taught me this: Death is real. It’s a part of life. It’s going to happen.

In Western society, most of us don’t like to think of death, so we try to run away from the topic. Since those thoughts are repressed for so long and not acknowledged until a loved one dies, it hurts… a lot. Seeing and experiencing this with families in hospice has prompted me to really think about it, develop an understanding of what I think death is and what it entails, and ask myself, “What am I doing to make the most of my time?”

Death is a touchy topic, but honestly, because I took the time to ponder it (and continue to do so from time to time), I not only feel more comfortable talking about death, but I feel more love—toward others, toward myself, toward the natural world. It’s hard to explain those feelings fully. I’ll just say that the experience has taught me to listen deeply and respect others and myself. I guess it can be a weird thing to say to people, but I strongly recommend that people try it: think about death once in a while, and never forget to listen to yourself.