Music Performance Student Shares Experience of Music as a Healing Tool
While Green had to restore his speaking, motoric and cognitive skills, music remained a constant for him and inspired him to keep going.
“From the beginning of my music studies, I learned that music was meant for me in this life,” Green said. “I couldn’t give up on all my work, so I picked up the violin, and everything started to return to me. It felt so good to be able to play, and for me to learn a challenging concerto after a traumatic event was outstanding.”
Overcoming this adversity as well as the profound impact that music had on his life inspired Green to conduct further research and share his story. At USD’s 2022 IdeaFest, Green shared his story and performed Max Bruch’s violin concerto to show others that music can be a guide through difficult times.
“I felt that it was my duty to share my story so people could heal, feel heard and feel like a person again,” Green said. “I love helping others in need, and sharing my research and story was the gift of healing for me. Others listened to my story and said it had changed their outlook on situations and life. For me, that was the most freeing feeling since the accident.”
Green was awarded an Undergraduate Research Award for his research and presentation. He said he has also received recognition from professors and students, which has been a reward in itself.
“My research has allowed people to think about music in a new way,” Green said. “A lot of people may have thought music just made you feel a certain way, but it can do a lot more than that. Music is used in many different ways and is often used to heal one’s soul.
“I am most proud of how my research has helped, educated and changed people’s lives,” he added. “It takes one person to say or do something good to empower others and kindly nudge them into a new way of feeling better.”
After completing his undergraduate degree, Green plans to get his master’s and doctorate degrees in violin performance. After his experience and research, he has found a new interest in getting a degree in music psychology. “I want to help others with music the way it has helped me,” Green said.
“I am proud to be at the University of South Dakota,” he continued. “I am thankful for opportunities to express myself and share my experiences with others. I want people to hear my story and research so they know they can always do it.”
You May Also Like
One-of-a-Kind USD Music Department, National Music Museum Partnership Enhances Student Experiences
The University of South Dakota College of Fine Arts has had an artistic and academic partnership with the National Music Museum (NMM) since the museum's inception in 1973, providing students at the state’s flagship fine arts institution with enriched learning opportunities unlike anywhere else.
