A Tasmanian music therapist has struck a chord with families worldwide with her song and chant to help ease coronavirus anxiety.

Key points: A video of a song called Every little cell, written by Tasmanian music therapist Allison Davies, has received more than 2.5 million views on Facebook

A video of a song called Every little cell, written by Tasmanian music therapist Allison Davies, has received more than 2.5 million views on Facebook Ms Davies says singing the song, designed to help manage anxiety, helps regulate breathing

Ms Davies says singing the song, designed to help manage anxiety, helps regulate breathing Hundreds of people from around the world have since posted videos of themselves singing the tune — many in different languages

Allison Davies, a neurologic music therapist and mother, posted a simple phone video of herself singing in the kitchen that has garnered more than 2.5 million views in a week.

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She has been sent videos of people singing her coronavirus chant for kids on balconies in Italy.

And the BBC interviewed her by phone, from her kitchen, in her home near Wynyard in north-west Tasmania.

"I have received thousands of videos from all over the world of parents and kids singing the song together," Ms Davies said.

"And in languages including Greek, Spanish and Hebrew.

"I can't even get to see them all, but many now go through an Instagram hashtag campaign #everylittlecell."

The song was designed to work as a mantra or chant to be sung around the house and, Ms Davies said, to be a friendly earworm that stays in your head.

In the video she sang:

"Every little cell in my body is happy, every little cell in my body is well … "

She said of the chant, "I made a post, just encouraging parents to sing the song around the house".

"They don't have to explain to the kids what it's about, or even [get them] to join in," Ms Davies said.



"And when we have a catchy tune like that stuck in our head or we sing it over and over, it helps our nervous system to regulate.

"So my post was just to show how a little song can support anxiety management, but it's gone nuts! Millions of people have seen it."

The tune Allison used just sprang from her memory and, as far as she can determine, was derived from a parody of a tune written by Carl Anthony in the 1980s.

Allison Davies doing melodic intonation therapy with a traumatic brain injury patient. ( ABC Northern Tasmania: Rick Eaves )

The universal power of melody and music

The Every Little Cell chant has been translated into multiple languages by families singing it to each other and trying to stay calm in dark times.

But words aside, the therapist said some of the universal power and reach of music as therapy was because elements like melody, rhythm and repetition were key to activating positive brain function.

"When we experience melody, it activates more of our brain than any other thing that research has shown us," Ms Davies said.

"When we experience anxiety or dis-regulation or we're in survival mode, generally our pre-frontal cortex kind of switches off.

"And that's the part of the brain that we need to work so we can analyse what's going on right now, make decisions and stay calm."

Easier to grasp is the effect melody has on the emotional centre of the brain.

As Ms Davies puts it, you only need to have seen some musical theatre or a Hollywood movie to know melody can swing a mood.

"When we sing really simple little tunes, we can move emotions through us so they don't become pent up," she said.

"A bonus is that when we sing, it's an outbreath. A chant creates a nice controlled inbreath and out again through singing.

"And when we sing something over and over, we are creating a sense of predictability.

"At a time like this when routine is out the door, singing allows us to have some predictability in our environment."

Above all else, Ms Davies said, music has a great power to make people feel connected.

The song also caught the attention of Melbourne film producer Diana Fisk, who has put together a video, showing people singing the song in different parts of the world.

"The song really caught my ear and eye and I just wanted to spread the love of the song by helping out with a bit of editing," Ms Fisk said.

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A life in music begins at home

After training through the Academy of Neurologic Music Therapy in Canada, Ms Davies has worked in many areas of home and hospital-based therapy, from bonding parents and children through rhythm and song to helping juvenile detainees and stroke victims.

"I work predominantly with people who have had a stroke or traumatic brain injury and we use music or singing, specifically, to rehabilitate speech," Ms Davies said.

Sometimes a single chord can form the basis of a music therapy session. ( ABC Northern Tasmania: Rick Eaves )

Growing up in a house full of music — her brother and mother were both musicians while her father passed on his passion for music appreciation — music was always big in Ms Davies' life.

Used to people suggesting that her time in training might have paid more had she aspired to be a more conventional health professional, she said her instinct from the start was that she had found her path.

"My motivation didn't come from the career prospects — it came from my passion for music and for working with people and helping them," she said.

