‘She couldn’t walk, she couldn’t talk’: music therapy helped Joni Mitchell recover from a stroke – could it ward off depression and dementia too? Neuroscientist/musician Daniel Levitin, author of "Music As Medicine" thinks so. www.theguardian.com/books/2025/j... via @theguardian.com #neuroscience - ThreadSky

picardonhealth.bsky.social • 36 days ago

‘She couldn’t walk, she couldn’t talk’: music therapy helped Joni Mitchell recover from a stroke – could it ward off depression and dementia too? Neuroscientist/musician Daniel Levitin, author of "Music As Medicine" thinks so. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/jan/18/she-couldnt-walk-she-couldnt-talk-music-therapy-helped-joni-mitchell-recover-from-a-stroke-could-it-ward-off-depression-and-dementia-too via @theguardian.com #neuroscience

Comments

karlabrandao.bsky.social•35 days ago

Have you heard of Melodie Gardot and how music helps her manage trauma from an accident? Great story. And she’s amazing.

kapustadave.bsky.social•35 days ago

There were two six month periods during a long depression where I could not listen to a note of music (which is my lifeblood). The notes literally made no sense to me. Otherwise, it has been my salvation.

wildmurr.bsky.social•35 days ago

Love her

flygirlfly625.bsky.social•35 days ago

Great article. It does work.

thelovelist.bsky.social•35 days ago

this article motivated me to do music fully 🥹😭

ogmiriote.bsky.social•35 days ago

📌

rosalindanne.bsky.social•35 days ago

My sister, who died from strokes, absolutely adored Joni Mitchell’s music. Had all her albums & played them all the time.

paulvindici.bsky.social•36 days ago

Absolutely, my GP suggested I try the guitar, I'm rubbish, but it really does help.

woodrifting.bsky.social•35 days ago

I've been doubling down on playing my ukulele since the horrors of the world started getting unavoidable last summer. I'm also not that great.... But being able to fake my way thru Big Yellow Taxi has helped me more than years of trying to find the right anxiety meds.

artsyfartsy47.bsky.social•36 days ago

It’s ART. Without ART we’d all be dead. It saved mg life too.

klepel.bsky.social•36 days ago

Sure but this do the right stuff and see healing (while obviously not being the full story) is toxic positivity

limbic.bsky.social•7 days ago

Wow. I didn’t know. ❤️ to Joni.

l82be.bsky.social•7 days ago

Belinda Carlisle has been doing a lot to get her back out in the public singing ... I think it's called Red Rock Ampetheter but I could be wrong. There are some videos of them

pjhsmithg.bsky.social•35 days ago

An excellent read as are all of Levitin's works designed for the general public.

guruvouxdoux.bsky.social•36 days ago

🌿

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfnCCCYPBAA

bruno-marchal34.bsky.social•33 days ago

Excellent

michaelretherford.bsky.social•35 days ago

Yes!

snowjannett.bsky.social•35 days ago

I have depression. I do listen to music. Music does help some. Slow music makes my depression worse. I can't speak for anyone else.

l82be.bsky.social•7 days ago

When I was depressed I used to listen to slow music, and fast music was too overwhelming. Over the depression now and I find the music I used to listen to depressing. Go figure.

snowjannett.bsky.social•7 days ago

I have to listen to up beat music, and watch waves from the beach. Thank you for replying I appreciate it

l82be.bsky.social•7 days ago

just thought I'd let you know you aren't alone

snowjannett.bsky.social•7 days ago

Thank you very much

davidlight.bsky.social•36 days ago

Music has been shown to be great therapy for some Alzheimer’s and dementia patients as well. Music does so much more than calm the savage beast.

blessyourheart32.bsky.social•36 days ago

It is so amazing watching her.
And thank you to Brandi Carlisle for helping her get her mojo back!

10010100.bsky.social•36 days ago

Everyone who plays music knows this.
Calling it therapy is obnoxious. It's like if you called eating food therapy.

pyratesilly.bsky.social•35 days ago

Music:
When my wife had a quad bypass about 7 yrs ago she had a problem getting her breathing back .... until she started to sing karaoke. She could make mistakes & since we were with friends it was ok. But very quickly she was able to hold the notes and breath much better.

guitarnut.bsky.social•36 days ago

Big yellow taxi, brilluantly done.

slowtalking.bsky.social•35 days ago

Playing Bach on the piano was fundamental to my own stroke recovery, and diving into the subtleties of challenging pieces has helped me manage depression. Simply playing is not enough though. Focus, study and experimentation to understand phrasing and find expression has made the difference.

docdp.bsky.social•36 days ago

Joni is awesome. She should have gotten the Nobel instead of that self centered other guy.

shadowselfca.bsky.social•36 days ago

I used to be a multi-instrumentalist. Depression warded off my music.

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