Experience the Science and Art of Music and Medicine

Music has the power to heal.

The American Institute for Music and Healing is dedicated to exploring and understanding the real potential of what this phrase means.

Why Music and Medicine?
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Music and Medicine Working In Harmony

The American Institute for Music and Healing (AIMH) is a unique series of workshops and training programs, developed by a professional orchestral conductor and a medical doctor to harness the healing effects of music in a compassionate way for patients, musicians and healthcare professionals.

Mission & Vision
Musicians interacting with patients and healthcare workers
Man attending workshop with laptop

The Art of Medicine

AIMH offers programs that harness the powerful capacity of music to reduce stress, foster well-being, enhance leadership and listening skills, and expand creativity in healthcare professionals.

Find Your Inner Healer

Enhancing The Healing Process Through Music

AIMH programs draw on extensive research and experience to train musicians to use their talents effectively in a healthcare environment.

Use Your Inner Gift
Female and male violinists playing music in healthcare setting

Hear it from the professionals

Jonathan Salk

Jonathan Salk, MD

Co-author and son of Jonas Salk

Paul Gilbert

Prof. Paul Gilbert, PhD, OBE

Psychologist

Brian Childs

Prof. Brian Childs, PhD

Mercer University School of Medicine, Chair Department of Bioethics and Medical Humanities

Merel Visse

Prof. Merel Visse, PhD

Director, Medical & Health Humanities, Drew University

Guy Petruzzelli

Guy Petruzzelli, MD, PhD

Physician in Chief, Anderson Cancer Institute, Savannah GA

Katie Chandler

Katie Chandler

Jackson-Madison County General Hospital, Dir. of Guest Resources

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Jonathan Salk

Jonathan Salk, MD

Co-author and son of Jonas Salk

Paul Gilbert

Prof. Paul Gilbert, PhD, OBE

Psychologist

Brian Childs

Prof. Brian Childs, PhD

Mercer University School of Medicine, Chair Department of Bioethics and Medical Humanities

Merel Visse

Prof. Merel Visse, PhD

Director, Medical & Health Humanities, Drew University

Guy Petruzzelli

Guy Petruzzelli, MD, PhD

Physician in Chief, Anderson Cancer Institute, Savannah GA

Katie Chandler

Katie Chandler

Jackson-Madison County General Hospital, Dir. of Guest Resources

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Jonathan Salk

Jonathan Salk, MD

Co-author and son of Jonas Salk

“Peter Shannon is doing essential work in the alleviation of suffering, not only for the sick but for those who care for the sick.  His work is seminal in bringing together the creative world of the arts and music with that of science and medicine. This kind of integration of art and science - of rational thinking and visceral feeling - is right at the heart of the work we need to do in order to adapt to changing conditions as we move into an uncertain future.  It is a concrete expression of the ideas of the late Jonas Salk as expressed in his books ‘The Anatomy of Reality:  the Merging of Intuition and Reason’ and ‘A New Reality: Human Evolution for a Sustainable Future.’  I fully support this important project.”

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Paul Gilbert

Prof. Paul Gilbert, PhD, OBE

Psychologist, Compassion Focused Therapy

"The AIMH  combines extraordinary musical talent with an interest in using music to explore and stimulate mental states that are conducive to our being. On their journey into exploring the links of music to mental states Peter and Jackie have taken an interest in the scientific understanding of prosocial states like compassion and how music can be linked to stimulating compassionate states of mind. Peter has taken musicians into clinical areas where they have played personally meaningful and important pieces of music to patients with very moving effects. In October of 2021 Peter and Jackie were invited as keynote speakers at the international compassion focused therapy conference where they gave a fascinating presentation on their work, highlighting that music is a very powerful medium for emotion and emotion exploration. They represent a very unique and original talent."

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Katie Chandler

Katie Chandler

Jackson-Madison County General Hospital, Dir. of Guest Resources

“The work done through the integrative medicine program is not possible without the dedication and knowledge of professional staff. Without Peter Shannon, the hundreds of individuals touched through the power of music inside West Tennessee Healthcare would certainly have never experienced the healing vibrations from the instruments.”

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Guy Petruzzelli

Guy Petruzzelli, MD, PhD

Physician in Chief, Anderson Cancer Institute, Savannah GA

“We know very clearly that traditional Cancer therapy, surgery, radiation, chemotherapy; even these sophisticated chemotherapy drugs that we have now, really only take the patient so far in their treatment process and we know that these Integrative Medicine programs, particularly the music program that Peter has developed here, goes a long way to help the patients tolerate their therapy, accept their therapy, and enhances their recovery during their treatment, and it’s a very important part of our program at the Anderson Cancer Institute.

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Merel Visse

Prof. Merel Visse, PhD

Director, Medical & Health Humanities, Drew University

"Meeting Peter for the first time felt like meeting someone I already knew. Hans-Georg Gadamer, the philosopher, already mentioned it: sometimes we sense a familiarity, and how we know it is full of mystery. Peter's work touches upon that puzzlement by showing why we should take the arts in medicine seriously. In May 2022, at our Healing Arts Symposium, Peter Shannon generously shared his work with our graduate students and faculty. His compassion and enthusiasm are contagious, and his philosophical and artistic depth enrich everyday health care settings with music's healing and creative force, ultimately bettering the lives of those in pain. But Peter's work also touches upon something profound and familiar that makes sense to all of us: it connects us by giving us access to the mystery of life itself."

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Brian Childs

Prof. Brian Childs, PhD

Mercer University School of Medicine, Department of Bioethics and Medical Humanities Chair

"The Mercer University School of Medicine and its collaboration with the American Institute for Music and Healing has been integrated into our medical humanities curriculum with considerable success. Our students and faculty have participated in the training for not only self-care but for its therapeutic implications for patients and families. The parallels  between practicing team based medicine and leading a music ensemble are remarkable."

illustration of heart with headphones

Music to our ears

“I’m always happy to see you come in. I recorded a song from the last time you were here and I play it again and again. It is my favorite and always makes my day better."

- Registered Nurse

©2022 American Institute for Music and Healing