Music Therapy for Holly Martin

Gareth Churcher, Head of Service for Cornwall Music Service Trust, is completing an IRONMAN triathlon (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride and a 26 mile run) to raise funds for Cornwall Music Service Trust's music therapy team so it can support Holly Martin.

 

Holly, aged 15 at the time, fell from her horse last April (2021) and sustained a severe traumatic brain injury. She was airlifted to Bristol Children's Hospital, where she had emergency brain surgery and a long 11-week stay in PICU. In brief Holly stayed in Bristol Children's Hospital until May this year to receive intensive rehab under the excellent neuro rehab team.

 

As part of that intensive rehab, Holly was lucky enough to receive music therapy. Music has always been important to Holly! From a young age, she played with St Keverne Band and had regular singing lessons. She has an eclectic taste in styles and could belt out a musical theatre hit followed by a few ‘old school’ pop and rock songs to modern favourites enjoyed by her peers.

 

Her excellent music therapist in Bristol worked closely with Holly's occupational and speech and language therapy team. One week we’d look into moving her arms to hit, tap, and strum one of the many instruments in her trolly; the next week, we’d look into blowing a recorder or harmonica and encouraging deep breaths, which has helped Holly start to make sounds. Most recently, Hollys ‘sung’ along to her favourite songs by mouthing the words; the volume behind the words is still to come.

 

So not only does music have the well-known benefits of emotional support, but it has also played a big part in Holly's recovery in a physical way. It is well known that music sparks up all areas of the brain, and that makes total sense if you think about it. It has the ability to raise and lower your heart rate and breathing, It’s a way to communicate, it can make you dance and move, it can help you sleep or wake you up, it can make you laugh and/or cry, you can love or hate it, you can enjoy it on your own or in the company, to learn it even in a simple way takes a lot of cognitive skills, and the memories it evokes are amazing. Music is one massive brain workout!

 

Gareth was Holly's first music teacher! He taught her the cornet and the trombone and was the conductor of the band when she first joined, and even started a few singing lessons. That’s why it’s so amazingly fitting that he’s asked to raise money to put towards more music therapy now Holly is home! It’s already proven to be key to the way in for Holly and I’m looking forward to it helping to open more doors for her.

 

MASSIVE thank you to Karen from Bristol for her hard work and a MASSIVE thank you to Cornwall Music Service Trust for helping that to continue!