A newborn receives music therapy in the NICU
“This funding enables our team to advance research that explores how parent-supported music therapy can strengthen respiratory function and neurodevelopment in our most vulnerable infants,” said Joanne Loewy, DA, LCAT, MT-BC, Professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, founding Director of the Louis Armstrong Center for Music and Medicine, and co-leader of the project with Rachel Reed, MD, Assistant Professor in the Division of Newborn Medicine.
Louis Armstrong
The core of this research lies in the concept of “song of kin,” where parents or caregivers select a meaningful, culturally relevant, or personally significant piece of music, often a lullaby, which music therapists then use as a therapeutic intervention. The hypothesis is simple yet profound: when preterm babies hear this song, it will improve their respiratory function, leading to enhanced neurocognitive development.
This practice is not just about babies.
Such interventions have been shown to reduce parental stress and anxiety, help families transition the infant home from the NICU, and provide valuable insights for NICU staff to incorporate these interventions into routine care.
“By integrating and entraining familiar and culturally meaningful music, we hope to build healthier outcomes for preterm babies and strengthen the parent-child bond at a critical developmental stage,” explains Dr. Loewy.
The funds will support two dedicated music therapists who will study the role of entrainment—the synchronization of an infant’s physiological rhythms, such as breathing or heart rate—in live music therapy interventions to promote stability and regulation. Using technologically advanced monitors that measure lung volume capacity, the collected data will then be evaluated. The expected outcomes are promising, with the potential to revolutionize the standard of care in NICUs worldwide.
“TMCity is excited to support this important research into the benefits of music therapy for neonatal infants,” said Belen Cox, Executive Director of Philanthropy at TMCity Foundation. “We believe this work will build the evidence base for effective NICU treatments and make a meaningful impact on how we care for the development of vulnerable babies.”
TMCity Foundation is committed to funding cutting-edge research opportunities and transformative technologies that can advance our understanding of the brain and create innovative, real-world solutions to neurocognitive health care problems, making this project is a shining example of what can be achieved when like-minded organizations come together.
“We are extremely grateful to the TMCity Foundation for their generous support and belief in the power of music to transform neonatal care,” said Joanne Loewy.
As the project unfolds, the findings will not only benefit the babies at Mount Sinai but also inspire other institutions to explore the healing power of music. This initiative is more than just a research project; it is a beacon of hope for families and a testament to the transformative, healing power of music.