A first of its kind Canadian research has come to a conclusion that musical encounters during last days of patients battling with terminal illness can prove to have profound effect on their palliative care.

For the study, the team led by Professor Sandi Curtis of the Concordia University Department of Creative Arts Therapies, conducted a musical session with members from the Windsor Symphony Orchestra for 371 patients, who were struggling with cancer or other terminal diseases, for a period of 15 minutes to an hour for a period of three years starting from September 2005 to May 2008.

Following which, Curtis observed a significant positive impact on the health of three patients and to the shock of everybody, their families called the musicians to play at their funerals also.

If reports are to be believed, 350 music therapists are currently helping dying patients in Canada and more are expected to join the suit.

Besides the patients, the team of musician students, who were part of the study, reported privilege to share same platform with professional musicians such as symphony violinist Tino Popovic.

Curtis further added, “Sometimes medication doesn’t always work because patients aren’t just feeling physical pain, it’s the pain that’s hooked up with the anxiety and the fear of dying”.