When Words Fail, Music Speaks

2:04 PM

Author | Haley Talbot

Music has always been a core piece of my life. I attended an arts elementary school where I learned to play the piano and started to sing. I have sung in choirs and show choirs, musicals, a cappella groups and weddings. I taught myself to play the guitar, ukulele, and most recently have tried my hand(s) at the violin. Needless to say, it is a huge part of my identity.

For me, music has been a form of self-expression and the best kind of therapy. A perfect afternoon was always sitting on my bed with my guitar, getting lost in a song. A perfect night was much the same, but in a coffee shop in front of a small crowd from my hometown. The music brought me peace.

Despite participating in a cappella and musical theater during my years as an undergraduate student, I felt disconnected from music. I lost a sense of what music meant to me. I needed to feel the music again, and I was determined to rekindle that passion in medical school. My mental well-being depended on it.

About a week into my M1 year, I received an email from the Medical Arts Program Artists' Guild (MAPAG) about their upcoming showcase. They were calling for performers of all kinds (singers, instrumentalists, rappers, poets, storytellers, etc.) to come showcase their passions. I thought back to my years in high school singing in small coffee shops and decided to give it a go. I filled out the interest form (it was that easy) and began practicing.

The showcase took place on a warm evening in late September. I showed up early (as I always do) and tuned my guitar. I could feel my heart in my throat. Has it really been that long since I've played like this? I began my soundcheck and quickly realized that oh man, I should have brought my acoustic electric guitar but I just like this guitar better okay and I guess it's good that you can hardly hear it because I keep messing up I am so nervous! Then Kevin, my fellow M1 and guitar ROCKSTAR, offered me use of his guitar. It was the exact same as mine, but could be plugged in so people could actually hear it. I hesitantly agreed…

My friends and classmates began to fill the seats. I helped myself to a plate of cookies to calm my nerves. Then, the show began. I wish I could say it went off without a hitch but, honestly, I messed up! And so did other people! And it was okay, because it was fun. Being up on the stage in front of a small crowd, just me and my guitar, made me feel things I haven't felt in a long time.

The talent in the room was unbelievable. It was humbling. It is easy to see your fellow medical students and think about how smart they are, but the reality is that there is so much more to each of them than being a medical student. For us musicians, MAPAG gave us an opportunity to engage in that part of our lives, to celebrate that part of ourselves, and to remember why we love music. That night reminded me that music is a way in which I can connect with emotions that I otherwise leave unspoken. When words fail, music speaks.

Of course, it takes more than one amazing night to reconnect with a lost love, but I am well on my way.

Fall 2018 MAPAG Showcase
Media Contact Public Relations

Department of Communication at Michigan Medicine

[email protected]

734-764-2220

Stay Informed

Want top health & research news weekly? Sign up for Health Lab’s newsletters today!

Subscribe
Featured News & Stories David Bradley in Rwanda
Department News
'Delighted with our progress': Pediatric cardiology training program grows in Rwanda
What Professor of Pediatrics David Bradley started in 2022 has grown into a sustainable program, with the first trainee nearing graduation and others close behind in a growing pipeline.
Health Lab Podcast in brackets with a background with a dark blue translucent layers over cells
Health Lab Podcast
Keeping kids safe in poor air quality conditions
As climate change continues, the growing number and intensity of wildfires creates more air pollution, leading to poor air quality being a more common occurrence in many areas. Most parents are concerned about children's exposure to unhealthy air quality, but may not know the steps to take to help keep kids safe during those conditions. Read the full article on the Health Lab website, and click here for the episode transcript.
bladder full and then drained moving graphic
Health Lab
Recurrent UTIs? A gentamicin bladder instillation may be the answer
Recurrent UTIs can be a relentless battle for some, and also dangerous given how many antibiotics can be used. A leading expert on gentamicin bladder instillations discusses the lesser-known treatment that can get these infections under control.
Gifty Kwakye and Kwabena Agbedinu
Department News
New surgery fellowship program in Ghana marks first graduation
A fellowship program to train Ghanaian colorectal surgeons has produced its first graduate and is expanding with continued support from Michigan Medicine and others.
woman walking on treadmill picking intensity on a chart that reads from easier to harder
Health Lab
Higher costs limit attendance for life changing cardiac rehab
Despite the success cardiac rehabilitation has shown at reducing heart-related deaths and hospital readmissions, higher out-of-pocket costs may prevent patients from participating in the program, a University of Michigan study suggests. 
Yiqun Wang at a local farm
Points of Blue
Yiqun Wang, PhD candidate: Giving back to the biomedical field through research
Hy Do is a PhD Candidate in the Bioinformatics Program.