Almost everyone can most likely say that at some point in their lives they have turned to music as an aid. There is something about music that draws people to it in hopes of some sort of escape or relaxation.  When it comes to a topic like “music therapy”, people may instantly assume this is a specific technique in curing mental diseases. And while this is true, the amazing thing about music is that it is accessible to everyone at any time without a specific "music therapy session". This means that outside of an actual therapy session, people can still receive the numerous benefits (ones I’ll be mentioning in my paper) music has to offer. Since the main focus of my research paper is on the effects of music on people, I find this picture to be very appropriate to include with the paper. This picture mentions some of the exact effects that music can have on people whether they are dealing with something as simple as a stressful day and turning on their favorite station to relax, to as extreme as helping patients with Autism develop social, speech and motor skills because of music. 

What is quite refreshing about this picture and slightly humorous is that it is similar to a medicine ad one might see in a magazine or on TV. This relates to my thesis because I intend on proving the point that music therapy should be considered before medication because of its amazing results. Although it’s obvious that in severe cases doctors will resort to and choose medication before therapy, or the two simultaneously, the newest research and findings show the incredible effects that music alone has. Although this is opinion, I do believe I share it with others: that choosing a treatment that is a natural as possible (and not including medicine) is an ideal choice. The common side effects given at the bottom of the picture, including “uncontrolled toe-tapping, swaying side-to-side, smiling, off-key singing, etc.” show the simple effects that music is able to do. When it comes to some of the conditions I mention in my paper such as depression, anxiety, autism and disabilities, music has a range of effects. For depression and anxiety music can relieve some stress and provide a safe escape. For autism and other disabilities, the use of music can actual improve skills in real life such as remembering tasks in a certain order by creating a song to sing along while doing certain tasks. These effects are incredible, and make it clear that music has a much bigger purpose than merely entertainment. This picture supports my thesis, stating that music therapy has potential in treatment just as other therapies and medications do.