[Music therapy]

Music stands for the mystical expression of life cycles celebrations: birth, death, renewal of seasons, hunting, rituals of passage... It serves in other familiar conjunctures, such as the dentist chair, waiting rooms and on the telephone, helping us to relax or increase our patience. However, music is not for everyone at all times. With each individual, its significance varies according to the moment and the situation. If a nurse can make use of it with some persons, it is because they have convinced her that music can be of comfort to them and can reduce their pain and anxiety. The role of the caregiver is to attend to the sick by different means. Music is one of them. By being alert and prudent, nurses can provide a care traditionally perpetuated as comforting. Music therapy is the controlled use of music and its elements to help the physiological, psychological and emotional integration of the individual in the course of a treatment for illness or incapacity. Its active mode implies that clients participate by playing an instrument or by singing to express oneself. It opens or maintains the field of communication. In the passive mode, therapists use tapes, disks or interpret pieces of music themselves. Its meaning, its power, take on other dimensions. When introducing music on a palliative care unit, for example, an initial assessment of each client is required to discover and monitor the degree of their acceptance. Thereafter, a continuous evaluation ensures that appropriate adjustments are made in the choice of music offered.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)