Is there a neurological benefit to hearing Cecile Licad play?
Dr. Joven Cuanang was last seen cheering Cecile Licad and the PPO at the Met while earlier catching up with the matinee of the opera Lucia di Lammermoor at the Cutural Center of the Philippines.
At his age now, he is professor emeritus in Clinical Neurosciences, College of Medicine, UERM Memorial Medical Center and president of the Pinto Art Museum and Arboretum in Antipolo City.
He is very much a supporter of the arts, while remaining adviser of the board of trustees of St. Luke’s Medical Center and running the Sitio Remedios Heritage Village in Currimao, Ilocos Norte.
Two years ago, he was one of the recipients of the Chevalier in the Order of Arts and Letters of France by the French Embassy for the promotion of arts and culture.
Then French Ambassador Marie Fontanel said that individual initiatives like the Pinto Art Museum are exemplary, especially since most museums are funded and run by the government or by private foundations.
Having presented Licad at Pinto Gallery many times in the past, one hastens to ask him: Does he think both music and medicine have healing powers?
Dr. Cuanang told the STAR: “Music is an integral part of one’s sense of self. We are naturally drawn to music because music surrounds us from womb to tomb. As we go on with our life, music has the power to transform. Music is important in maintaining equanimity and mental health. In a stressful state, music can reduce the blood pressure, reduce heart rate and diminish the harmful effects of stress by stabilizing cortisol levels in the body. When these are increased, it has a damaging effect to our body. Thus, music is useful to obviate the stresses of life.”
He quotes a Chinese proverb: “A bird does not sing because it has an answer—it sings because it has a song.”
The Harvard-educated neurologist continues: “Scoping review of the effects in health and unhealthy populations, these are the findings from research so far. In healthy individuals, singing has been associated with longer pain tolerance and extended pain duration compared to passive music listening.” He cites a 2022 study by Likamwa et al, finding that specific musical characteristics modulate central pain responses, suggesting that singing may serve as a valuable adjunct in pain management. Among pregnant women, both singing and music listening improved emotional states, reduced stress (as measured by cortisol), and enhanced mother-infant bonding (via oxytocin levels), with singing showing a more pronounced cortisol reduction.
Dr. Cuanang added, “In clinical populations, music interventions have demonstrated beneficial outcomes across various conditions. In post-surgical patients, music was found to enhance well-being and potentially accelerate recovery, particularly when self-selected music was used. Among breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, music therapy improved quality of life, lowered depression and anxiety scores, reduced vomiting incidence, and alleviated fatigue. These patients also reported feeling more comfortable, relaxed and calm.”
According to a 2023 study by Nguyen et al, music’s rhythm and melody have been shown to reduce cortisol levels by acting on the hippocampus and parasympathetic nervous system; in individuals with Alzheimer’s disease, music therapy has led to improvements in cognitive functions such as memory, executive functioning and attention. Active music interventions, particularly those involving patients participating in music-making, were associated with greater improvements across Alzheimer’s core clinical domains—cognition, behavior and functional status.
Additionally, in individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, music interventions significantly reduced anxiety and depression scores, with higher participation rates observed in face-to-face sessions, according to studies.
So, does Dr. Cuanang prescribe watching Cecile Licad perform as a “medical intervention”?
The neurosurgeon shares a personal encounter: “Cecile has performed at least four times in my house in Antipolo. Among the memorable moments was when she performed with her cellist husband (Brazilian cellist Antonio Meneses), when Manila’s glitterati came to attend. I remember National Artists Marilou Diaz-Abaya and Ishmael Bernal escorting her mother, among others, to come and listen to the ethereal music played on a grand piano.” At another event, Licad’s son Otavio, who was about 10 at the time, had his debut at Cuanang’s house. “All in all, the performances were very well received. On another occasion, Cecile played during the inaugural opening of the Sitio Remedios Heritage Resort in Currimao, Ilocos Norte. Every music lover in the Ilocos region came to attend. Parents brought their children to listen to Cecile play inside the chapel.”
Along with supporting visual artists through his gallery, Dr. Cuanang also provides scholarships for future doctors and visual artists. “As part of our advocacy, helping young people develop their potential in the arts and sciences is crucial to Pintô. He calls his own Rockefeller Fellowship in neurology at the Harvard Medical School “crucial to my development as a professional,” adding: “I want to give back.”
He calls young artists “the bearers of culture and everything humane.” “Because of my interest in both neuroscience and the arts, I am presently embarking on the dissemination of the scientific basis behind the healing power of the arts.” This has led to the establishment of the Philippine Institute for NeuroArts, not only in this country but throughout Southeast Asia.
“We began showcasing the art of young Filipino artists along a clothesline we fondly called ‘Sampayan Art,’” Dr. Cuanang says. The Pinto Gallery now has seven large galleries in its 2.5-hectare property to showcase the work of Filipino contemporary artists from the late 1980s to the present. Through this, “We aim to become a reference point for Philippine art history for at least the larger part of this century and beyond.”
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Cecile Licad performs at the Pinto Gallery on Sunday, Sept. 28, at 6 p.m. Her repertoire includes Beethoven’s Sonata Opus 27. No.2 (“Moonlight”); Schumann’s Carnaval Op.9; Liszt’s St. Francis of Paola Walking on the Waters; Scott Joplin (The Entertainer, Rose-leaf Rag, Stop Time Rag and Easy Winners) and Chopin’s Ballade No. 1 in G Minor. For tickets, call +63 916 3746347 or (02) 8697 1015.
