Photo courtesy of Christina Hontzas Photography.
Hannah Oakes, a board-certified music therapist, is the owner of Rooted Music Therapy and specializes in neurological music therapy, which uses rhythm and music to promote brain and behavioral change.
Hannah Oakes sits at the bedside of a hospital patient who has been diagnosed with depression. She strums her guitar as she belts out Cyndi Lauper’s classic ballad “True Colors.” Then she throws a curve: she lets the patient change the lyrics to the song to discover what she loves about herself. She begins her serenade:
“I see your true spirit shining through...”
A stroke patient has trouble using his right hand. He’s never played the drums before, but Oakes gives him a drumstick and plays his favorite song. Pretty soon he’s using the drumstick with his hand to bang on the drum to the rhythm of the song.
A Parkinson's patient walks with an uneven gait, susceptible to falls. Using rhythmic auditory stimulation by playing his favorite tune, she helps him decrease his speed and his chances of falling.
Oakes works in the field of music therapy, where she uses research-backed intervention to improve people’s physical and mental health.
“I work on the same things as a physical therapist or occupational therapist does, but I use music to do it,” she said.
Since graduating from the University of Alabama (the only school in the state that offers a bachelor’s degree in music therapy) in 2018, she has worked with patients at UAB and Encompass Health Lakeshore Rehabilitation. What sets her apart from many music therapists, however, is that she is also board- certified in Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT), which uses evidence-based treatments to work with people living with a range of conditions, including spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, developmental disabilities, and psychiatric conditions.
“My goals for clients are functional-based, not music-based,” she said. “I work with children and adults, and no musical background is required.”
Oakes said several patients at the hospitals asked her how they could continue doing therapy with her once they left. After “so many signs and nudges,” along with encouragement from her husband Logan, she said she decided to start her own practice, Rooted Music Therapy.
“I decided since there’s no one else around doing this, I need to be the one to do it,” she said. “There are other NMTs in the area, but I’m the only one that has a private practice.”
Oakes had always loved music and started taking voice, guitar and piano lessons at Mason Music while in middle school. She said most people don't hear about music therapy until they go to college, but she learned about it as a 10th grader at Mountain Brook High School.
“One day I heard someone say the words ‘music therapy,’ and I was like, what’s that?” she said. “I did a Google search and I found out it’s a legitimate profession, and I knew it was what I wanted to do.”
She said that research shows that music therapy increases neuroplasticity in the brain by increasing dopamine production.
“This is why, in patients with aphasia, they often learn to sing before they can speak, "she said. “For example, if they like ‘Take it Easy’ by the Eagles, they can sing, ‘I have to go to the bathroom’ to the rhythm of the song.”
Oakes said another promising area in music therapy is in assisting Alzheimer’s patients with memory recall.
“They can put a family member’s name, number or address into a song and remember it that way,” she said.
She also used NMT while at Lakeshore Rehab, helping pulmonary patients increase the strength in their lungs through playing the harmonica.
“I’ve seen great success with helping patients breathe better,” she said.
She said most therapy sessions last 30 minutes to an hour, and most patients start seeing improvement in two to three sessions.
“I track the intervention and do a re-assessment after a month,” she said. “Even if there isn’t improvement, NMT helps them keep their baseline.”
She works with clients in person and through Telehealth, and she contracts with agencies like UAB Arts in Medicine and Children's Hospital. The patient fills out an intake form and she creates a program based on her assessment.
“Patients can choose their own music, and If there’s something that resonates with them that I don't know, I'll go out and find it and learn it.”
In addition to working with clients privately and with groups, for many years she has worked with the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama, where she has led music therapy groups for adults with disabilities. She said her goal is to increase awareness about the benefits of music therapy so that it can be covered by insurance. She also hopes to start a nonprofit to help people who need music therapy but cannot afford it.
“What a gift it is to bring people back from the lowest points in their lives,” she said. “It’s very incredible what music can do for the brain.”
For more information, visit rootedmusictherapy.com or call 205-790-3167.
