We were scouring the internet in search of lectures that we could attend in our area pertaining to music therapy. We were unable to find any in our area; however, we came upon various lectures online. One such lecture was Aniruddh Patel’s lecture on the website known as TSN, the science network. The lecture entitled “Music for NICU Infants: Effects and Mechanisms” focuses on the benefits that music therapy poses for neonatal infants. Dr. Patel notes that these newborns are subjected to living in a stressful environment during a crucial stage in their development. In the NICU ward, newborns are isolated, face unpredictable alarms and noise, and have frequent sleep interruptions. Because of this stressful environment, these babies undergo a rapid stress response with the sympathetic nervous system, accompanied by the slower stress response associated with the endocrine system (stress hormones such as cortisol). This could affect their metabolism in the short term, as well as their brain development in the long run. For instance, this could result in structural changes in neurons in brain regions that are rich in stress hormone levels. Thus, there is a hypothesis that this stress and stress related response can result in these babies having language delays, executive function delays, ADHD, and behavioral issues later on in life. In order to mitigate this stress response and thereby eliminate the negative effects it has on newborns, soothing music therapy sessions can be given to neonatal infants. In studies already conducted upon adults, music has the ability to lower the stress response by activating parts of the limbic system that has strong projections to the autonomic nervous systems and neuroendocrine systems via the hypothalamus. This same method could be used with infants in NICU wards because both audition and the limbic system are precocious features that develop even before birth. Studies have also shown that newborn babies show a response to music. The music that would be played would be lullabies as this simulates a womb like environment, with its slow contours and soothing patterns.  Recent studies have illustrated that such music therapy sessions have resulted in faster weight gain and earlier discharge, as the music mitigates the stress response, allowing for the energy that would have been diverted towards a stress response, to now being expended upon metabolism and digestion.  The music can also stimulate brain development as it provides sensory stimulation. Ultimately, Patel articulated the multi-faceted benefits of music therapy in NICU settings.