.png)
Music Therapy
I have learned so much about the power of music from Marlene Peterson at Libraries of Hope: Home of the Well Educated Heart. As a healer, I immediately thought of using music as a modality for healing. Personally my favorite music was always silence, so learning about music through the Well Educated Heart has been very eye opening for me and I have tried to incorporate it more in my life. I have naturally navigated to listening to Enya during chaotic and stressful periods of time and now I realize why, it relaxes my mind and body and helps me to press forward through those times. I would like to share with you today ways you can incorporate music as a healing modality in your own life.
Let's begin with a story...
"A young woman was dying. Her baby had died at birth a few weeks previously, and since that time the mother had steadily failed. The doctor had just left her room saying emphatically that there was no hope and to give her anything she wanted.
She looked up at her agonized husband and said: "Music. I want music. I know that will cure me." The nurse thought it to be a foolhardy and useless errand, but the husband went in search of it.
The first day old familiar tunes and some of the Chopin that she had always loved, were played softly to her. Her body relaxed under the soothing influence, her nerves became less tense, her breathing deeper and more rhythmical, increasing the circulation. That night she slept. With the shutting out of the senses to the outside world the harmonic reaction brought about by the music continued its work of healing all through the night. The next day she was visibly stronger."
This story paints a picture of how healing music is. I remember one night my young son was suffering from a migraine. I had done all my usual therapies for him but for some reason this night nothing was working. As I heard him whimpering in pain, I prayed for what else I could do. I had the thought to play some Enya softly in the background. This I did and it relaxed his body and soothed the pain long enough for him to fall asleep.
Here are some other ways music has been used as a healer for both emotional and physical ailments throughout history.
Music Used Throughout History
Enslaved Americans - Known as slave songs or negro spirituals, these songs were a way for the enslaved to express their feelings, hopes, desires, sorrow and prayer to the Lord. Some of the songs were messages to help those along the Underground Railroad while some were a calling to escape. Mostly they were a way for these men, women and children to have the strength and courage to endure one more day in their wretched conditions. These were examples of not only listening to music but using the voice to sing out with all the heart.
Civil War - Used to unite and stimulate soldiers and the people. Both sides were singing Battle Cry of Freedom to uplift and rally the men.
World War I - Music was used on the front lines and in the hospitals as forms of comfort, relaxation from the horrors of war, and as a stimulus to the morale of the men.
Crimean War - Florence Nightingale requested music for her hospitals to soothe and heal soldiers. "The mind blurred by contact with unspeakable horrors was quieted and made normal again."
Word War II - Steinway and Sons produced specially built pianos for the American troops called the Victory Vertical. They were dropped by parachute onto battlefields complete with tuning instruments to provide a bit of relaxation and stress relief.
Concentration Camps - Alice Herz-Somer was a Jewish concert pianist in Czechoslovakia when Hitler took over her country. Because of her musical skills she was taken to Theresienstadt, which was a model concentration camp, set up to give the façade that Jews were being treated well. Because of its status as a model, prisoners were taken there that had gifts and talents and they were allowed to give musical performances, operas and plays. Alice would perform over 100 concerts while there. Her fellow prisoners spoke of this music as not being entertaining as it was therapeutic. Alice said, "Music is our food, when we play, it can't be so terrible...music was our way of remembering our inner selves, our values." Prisoners in other camps that were not so fortunate to have music to listen to could replay hymns and songs of hope in their minds. It was what kept many survivors going.
Healing Benefits of Good Music
Pain reliever
Stimulant or relaxant
Can change mood
Restores mental and physical equilibrium
Uplifts and comforts
Strengthens body systems
Improves immune function
Calms the mind and body
Brings balance
Not All Music is Healing
Just as the history examples above used music for good purposes, music has also been used by the adversary to shut out thoughts and feelings that good music can bring. Blaring rock music over loudspeakers for a 24 hour period was used at a war camp because it stopped the soldiers from thinking and feeling…the only way they could stir them up to kill. I'm sure you've heard of war dances as part of many Native American cultures, the steady, strong beats in their music would prepare them for battle.
There have been very interesting studies done on the effects of different kinds of music applied to water and also plants (see pictures below). Our bodies are 70% water, can you see why music could be used to heal or cause harm to them.
What Music Should Be Used to Heal
Each one of us is created so uniquely that what I may listen to for healing may be different than what you will. So seek out and find what resonates with you and your body. Start by playing different genres of music and be intentional about "listening" to how you feel. Does is calm your nerves and bring peace or does it cause chaos and irritation? Have you ever heard a song that makes you want to pull your hair out, this is your body wanting to avoid that type of music or song.
Gravitate towards meditation music, classical, gospel, hymns, piano, instrumental, and even folk and cultural music. In the plant experiment the study showed that plants loved slow paced classical, violin, pipe flute folk music, Indian classical music, Vedic chants and a mixture of nature sounds with Native American flute. Don't forget the healing affects that singing can have as well. Sing with all your heart in prayer, praise, sorrow, gratitude and any other emotion you are experiencing.
"Praise the Lord with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings. Sing unto him a new song; play skillfully with a loud noise. For the word of the Lord is right; and all his works are done in truth."
Psalms 32:2-4
Avoid music with a loud steady, repetitive beat without melody, heavy metal, hard rock, rap, or anything with negative or immoral messages. This list will grow as you explore playing different types of music and comparing it with what you have found is healing for you.
References
Well Educated Heart: Joy is Everywhere - scroll down to the music section
