Music-therapist heals people with melody

Music-therapist Moon Hyun-ho, center, plays the bass guitar in a rehearsal studio near Hongdae in Seoul on April 23. Moon and his band are scheduled to perform at a music festival on May 18. / Korea Times photo by Yoon Sung-won

By Yoon Sung-won

Achieving one’s dream career is not easy because, in reality, golden opportunities are rare and hard to find.

But for some, these opportunities come vivid and intense. Moon Hyun-ho, a music therapist and bass player, is one of the few who successfully grabbed his chance.

“Having positive impacts on people with music - what I love the most - always inspires me. When I first thought of ‘healing’ people with music, I just couldn’t resist,” Moon said.

He studied music therapy at Sookmyung Women’s University graduate school and acquired a Master’s degree of Music Therapy. He has worked as a music therapist in a medical center located in Suwon, south to Seoul, for three years.

Moon said working as a music therapist is the most worthwhile when his patients get better and succeed at adapting to society. Among various methods including improvisation, composition and appreciation, improvisation is his favorite, as well as the most favored by patients.

“I saw many successful cases in which I could help patients with improvisational music therapy,” Moon said. “Changing troubled minds in a positive way through healing and rehabilitation was one of the most fascinating experiences I have had.”

His passion for music therapy is strongly connected to his love of rock music, Moon said. During his college days as a guitarist in a rock band, he decided to pursue music as his future career.

As a music therapist, Moon wanted to pursue his love of rock while helping people heal. For that reason, he founded an indie rock band called Lips-Bite in 2009 with his colleagues Yeon Je-hong, Choi Kee-sun, Kim Young-joon and Yi Sang.

“My two jobs, a rock band member and a music therapist, are in a mutually reciprocal relationship,” the musician-therapist said.

In a cooperative project with the Suwon Suicide Prevention Center, Moon and his band produced the album “Hope Relay” in 2011 to encourage listeners to stop bullying and prevent suicide. The album represents the band’s effort to be a positive influence on society.

The band is scheduled to continue the endeavor by performing at Green Plugged Seoul 2013, a rock festival, on May 18.

“One of the major topics of the festival is environmental protection. I am very much looking forward to spreading positive messages to the audience from the stage,” Moon said.