In the 1980s and ’90s, Ron Spitzer was in rock bands playing bass and drums. But a stroke in 2009 left him in a wheelchair and unable to play music. Now, he sings in a choir for stroke survivors at Mount Sinai in New York. Music can help stroke survivors by improving their ability to speak and heal their brains.
The choir at Mount Sinai offers a place for stroke survivors to connect and heal through music. Strokes can make it hard for survivors to speak, but singing can still be possible. Research is being done to understand how music affects the brain and can help with different conditions. Spitzer, now 68, credits the stroke choir for helping him recover his voice and feel invigorated.
The choir at Mount Sinai is part of a study to see how music therapy affects patients and their caregivers. The goal is to show the benefits of music therapy for stroke survivors and other patients. Music is a powerful tool for healing and connecting with others.
Vocabulary List:
- Stroke /stroʊk/ (noun): A sudden loss of brain function caused by a disruption in the blood supply to the brain.
- Survivor /sərˈvaɪ.vər/ (noun): A person who continues to live or exist especially in spite of danger or hardship.
- Invigorated /ɪnˈvɪɡ.ə.reɪ.tɪd/ (adjective): Filled with energy or vitality.
- Therapy /ˈθɛrəpi/ (noun): Treatment intended to relieve or heal a disorder.
- Connection /kəˈnɛkʃən/ (noun): A relationship in which a person or thing is linked or associated with something else.
- Research /rɪˈsɜːrtʃ/ (noun): The systematic investigation into and study of materials and sources to establish facts and reach new conclusions.
