"What Heals Me" Tony Crank
Guitarist Tony Crank had two car accidents in just 48 hours. The first caused a minor concussion, although the car was totaled. Two days later, as Tony and his wife drove to the doctor to see about the concussion, they were rear-ended. The second accident was minor, but Tony’s already bruised brain had bumped into his skull, causing him nausea, headaches, and fuzziness. Doctors treated Tony, with little result. It was music that healed him.
Tony, who was born and grew up on the Navajo Nation learned piano and trombone as a child.
Then came guitar. Tony’s older brother, Laurence introduced him to the instrument when the boy was just 13. Laurence challenged him to learn how to play “Green Sleeves.” Lawrence promised to buy Tony his own guitar if he learned to play the song. Tony studied a few how-to play guitar books, taught himself how to play, and earned an electric, white B.C. Rich Guitar for his 14th birthday. He went on to become a teacher, songwriter, and professional musician.

Photo of musician, Tony Crank
Tony eventually moved to Boulder, Colo., married, and taught music as well as performed in various bands. It was in Boulder that he had his two car accidents, in 2017. Because of the brain injury, “It was debilitating and hard to focus. I’d lose memory of conversations and academic curriculum,” Tony says the doctors who treated him had no idea if Tony would ever recover. His family doctor suggested he might turn to music.
Prior to his accident, Tony had joined the county-rock band Midnight Highway so he could learn county music. For three months, the band gave him twenty songs to learn each week. He spent his days playing some 300 new songs. Six months after the accident, Tony returned to his neurologist, who was taken aback by his recovery. She concluded Tony had saved his brain by letting the bruised part rest while activating new pathways by learning the new songs.
Today, more than ever, music is critical for Tony. “Everything I do is based around music. With Navajo people, everything starts with a song. Songs are like the radio to us. They are always on."
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