Music therapy hits the right note with patients at Norton Children’s Hospital

Families credit music therapy with providing bright moments during dark times.

Author: Dakota Sherek

Published: November 7, 2024

Norton Children’s Cancer Institute

Offering extraordinary and individualized childhood cancer care to families

Hospital halls are filled with sounds of beeping monitors, rolling carts and constant footsteps — a cacophony that can be anxiety-inducing for kids and their families as they face a difficult time. On the seventh floor at Norton Children’s Hospital, one man works to change that tune, helping patients create new melodies of their own.

“To use music in ways that we don’t normally think of to help individuals through these really tough times, that’s one of the beautiful parts of this role,” said Brett Northrup, MT-BC, a music therapist at Norton Children’s.

Brett has been a music therapist for the past 13 years, and more than a decade of that time has been spent serving pediatric oncology patients with Norton Children’s Cancer Institute.

“I didn’t know music therapy existed, and then when I discovered this field, I said, ‘This is it. This is what I’m going to do the rest of my life,’” Brett said.

Music therapy is an evidence-based field offering a number of ways to help patients decrease their anxiety and overcome fears, and it provides emotional support.

 Interventions include:

  • Active music-making
  • Music-assisted relaxation
  • Lyric analysis
  • Songwriting
  • Movement to music

Regardless of the exercise used, Brett’s goal is to use music to help his patients and their families through tough times. Take 4-year-old Trey Lowman, for example.

“Trey has that ability to light up room no matter where he goes, even in spite of everything that he’s going through,” said Ebony Lowman, Trey’s mom. “And when you put him and Brett together, it’s magic.”

All photos in article provided by WHAS.

Trey was first diagnosed with an atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor (ATRT), an aggressive form of brain cancer, in March 2023. He has been in and out of Norton Children’s Hospital ever since, going through multiple surgeries, chemotherapy and radiation.

“Trey spent close to nine months in treatment and went into remission for another nine months. We recently learned through one of his post-treatment scans that the cancer has returned,” Ebony said. “Those aren’t words you ever expect to hear as a parent, that your child has cancer. It’s even harder when you have to hear it a second time.”

Amid this immense struggle, music therapy has become something Trey and his family can look forward to.

“Even with everything that we have going on, for those moments, to see nothing but pure joy and Trey being able to be a kid and have fun, it really warms my heart in a time that’s a really dark space for our family,” Ebony said. “It gives us a moment to enjoy our child being a kid, instead of having to constantly fight for his life, which means more than anything.”

Brett has hosted many sessions with Trey using the piano, shakers, drums and a myriad of instruments.

“Trey loves the eggs [shakers] and makes noise with them, banging on the drums, whatever you can think of, Brett can do it,” Ebony said. “Trey loves Brett.”

Building up those bonds through music therapy is something Brett takes pride in.

“If we can offer any relief, that’s one of the beautiful parts of this role. And maybe just for a minute they forget some of the bad stuff that’s around them,” Brett said. “We have the gift to be with our patients in every aspect of what they may be going through. So it can be everything from the really sad to the really happy. It’s an incredible gift to be able to be present with people throughout their entire journey.”

Brett also does sessions with his patients’ family members, knowing they can benefit from music therapy as well.  

“It’s been a blessing, because it’s not just for our son who’s going through it. We’re all going through it as a family, and it’s been helpful to have that support,” Ebony said. “It’s helping us cope with some of our biggest nightmares and find those spotlights and moments of joy to keep you going and keep you fighting.”

Combined, Norton Healthcare and Norton Children’s currently has 10 music therapists serving adult and pediatric patients across six facilities.

“Music therapy is one of those things; it looks like a nice service, and it is a nice service, but we are evidence based,” Brett said. “It’s actually pretty amazing that Norton Healthcare and Norton Children’s support music therapy the way they do, because it is a very valuable service, but not every hospital offers it. I’m very thankful to be a part of this program.”