Music and the Wounded of World War II.
2009 DOI: https://doi.org/10.29091/9783752001860/007 Page 149 - 164
9783752001860_007.pdf
125.7 KB
During 1995, America commemorated the fifieth anniversaries of V-E Day and V-J Day, reminding us once again of the triumphs and the horrors of World War II. For American music therapists, this is a time of remembrance as well. Due to the tireless efforts of many dedicated physicians and musicians during World War II and its aftermath, the healing powers of music were witnessed on an unparalleled scale. For the first time in history, a military, the American Services Forces, officially recognized music as an agent capable of helping its mentally and physically wounded. This was, indeed, a major turning point in the longstanding partnership between music and medicine, and, in essence, the beginning of the modern music therapy profession. There are about 50 published sources dating from 1944 through the early 1950’s that provide information on this subject; some were written by military officers and others by well-informed civilians. This study is derived from these sources. This account has several different facets. They include the creation of the music portion of the military’s Reconditioning Program, the contributions made by civilians and individual servicemen, and the results of these efforts, with special emphasis on the study at Walter Reed General Hospital. Enlivening this picture and expressed in their own words are thoughts of World War II’s military spokemen, pioneers in music therapy, civilian volunteers, and wounded veterans.