Since the times of ancient Greece, music has been looked at as more than just a hobby or extracurricular activity.

Music was used as a means of therapy and healing.

An introductory workshop in music and healing will be held Oct. 25 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Vaughan Community Health Services Building, 1300 Old Orrville Road.

This workshop is a shorter version than previous meetings, Hanna Berger said.

“This is a just a taste of how this works,” she said. “It really intrigues me.”

Connie LaMonte will lead the workshop. LaMonte is a licensed professional counselor, certified music practitioner, and a cross-cultural music healing practitioner.

“She wanted to bring this together,” Berger said. “She has done different types of workshops.”

LaMonte teaches people through her personal practice, WholeNotes, how music can be used to positively influence health and healing and inspire day-to-day life.

Music and Healing workshops address fundamental basics of music and how it can be used to heal, reading new information that supports the healing effects of music, specific elements of music that produces healing results, how to use music in daily life and resources available.

“Everyone knows music can calm you or can excite you,” Berger said. “We would listen to different recordings and then say how we would feel.”

LaMonte utilizes her musical abilities to promote healing.

She was featured on Bill Moyers’ TV documentary “Dying in America” for playing the recorder at the bedsides of Birmingham’s Balm of Gilead Center, where she served as coordinator of “The Gilead Players.” The players are volunteer musicians who changed the treatment with live music throughout the week.

Music as therapy has been used in the treatment of patients with Alzheimer’s, substance abuse problems, brain injuries and even mothers in labor.

Music therapy began gaining ground in America during World War I and II when professional and amateur musicians played for veterans in hospitals. Doctors and nurses of the patients noted improvement in most cases.

The hospital administration noticed the musicians needed additional training before playing for patients, so a music therapy collegiate program was developed at Michigan State University in 1944.

Today, the American Music Therapy Association represents more than 5,000 licensed music therapists.

For further workshop details, call 418-0488.