Lyric Opera 2018-2019 Issue 11 Ariodante

Music therapy is even having an impact fighting diseases that can trap people in their own bodies. A study by the University of Toronto and the University of Colorado researched how music could poten- tially help Parkinson’s patients who had difficulty walking and had suffered multiple falls because of the disease. After four months of music and rhythmic therapy, the music-therapy patients suffered significantly fewer falls and were actually able to walk easier and faster than they had before the therapy and better than patients with- out music therapy. e power of music over the mind and the heart is undeniable. How many parents have been compelled to pick up their newborn baby and dance together when a favorite song comes on? How many of those young children have heard that same song a few months or even years later and instinctively reached up to their parent for a dance? Over time, our bodies begin to feel the inevitable effects of age or are attacked by a disease stealing our physical or mental abilities. Music can help reverse some of time and fate’s cruelty where conven- tional medicines and treatments might fall short. Music’s power as an art form has been known for generations. Teachers like Heather Aranyi have realized how music can inspire confidence in even the most closed-off young minds when they see their students open up around music like never before. Certainly anyone experiencing great music will recognize the inspiration it can create, whether in a grand setting (as you are about to experience at Lyric) or an intimate one. When Dr. Jangraw and the other scientists at the NIH saw the electricity of Renée Fleming’s brain as her singing voice bounced off the sides of an MRI machine, they saw music’s power too. So in a few minutes, when the house lights dim and the orchestra begins its overture, before you lose yourself in the larger-than-life characters and world of our stage, take a moment to think about your own mind and the magic taking place inside. Nathaniel Hamilton is public relations manager at Lyric Opera of Chicago. Nathaniel joined Lyric in 2018 after previous marketing and writing roles with Chicago and Illinois nonprofit organizations, including Project Six and the Illinois Policy Institute. He holds a B. A. in economics and English from Butler University. Renée Fleming giving her “Music and the Mind” presentation, which she has brought to audiences in many venues nationwide. Heather Aranyi with students at Schurz High School. Music therapy has a remarkable effect on patients of all ages. WHOLE MUSIC KYLE FLUBACKER L Y R I C O P E R A O F C H I C A G O March 2 - 17, 2019 | 17