Music for Healing By Kathy King, PT, CMP


experienced its ability to change their mood. Music can soothe us to sleep, move us to tears, or make us want to dance with joy. But what if it could do more?


W Ancient Traditions Music has been used with the specific intention to heal for many


thousands of years, and across all cultures. As Amrita Cottrell says on her website healingmusic.org, “In ancient Greece, Apollo was both the god of music and medicine. Pythagoras ... demonstrated that the right sequence of sounds, played musically on an instrument, could actually change behavior patterns and accelerate the healing process.” The Bible describes David playing upon his harp to relieve King Saul of his torment from an evil spirit. Chants, mantras and toning have been used for healing in every major world culture and religion - Hindu, Muslim, Jewish, Christian, Native American, etc. So what is it that makes music healing, and how is it used today?


Music as Vibrational Medicine


Music is a subset of sound healing and, by extension, of vibra- tional medicine. Hazrat Inayat Khan has said, “There is no greater and more living resonator of sound than the human body. Sound has an effect on each atom of the body, for each atom resounds.” Music is certainly sound, but sound is not always music. The Merriam- Webster online dictionary defines music as “vocal, instrumental or mechanical sounds having rhythm, melody or harmony.” There is increasing medical evidence regarding the human body’s positive response to music. Don Campbell in “The Mozart Effect” states that


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hen you think about music, do you think about healing? If you are like most people, the answer is “no.” On a casual basis, almost everyone enjoys listening to music and has


music has been shown, amongst many things, to: slow down and equalize brain waves; affect respiration, heartbeat and blood pres- sure; boost immune function; increase endorphin levels; and reduce muscle tension and improve body movement and coordination. It is important at this point to clarify that “healing” does not necessarily imply a physical “cure” of a particular disease. The word “heal” (of Old English origin) means “to make whole.” Music practitioners strive to create a healing environment that addresses the whole patient - body, mind and spirit. As multiple researchers have shown, music’s effects can be profound on all these levels. With evi- dence mounting that music can be an important part of the healing process, two questions seem to arise: What makes a particular type of music “healing,” and who is trained to provide this service?


Certified Music Practitioners


All music is healing in some way, but once a person becomes ill their requirements for music become more specialized. It helps tremendously to have appropriate training in how to use and modify music to evoke its most healing characteristics. Certified Music Practitioners (CMP) are trained to provide appropriate live music at the bedside of the sick and dying. They work in hospitals, nursing homes, hospice facilities, private homes, dialysis units, chemother- apy centers, delivery rooms and special care nurseries. Each CMP is a graduate of the Music for Healing and Transition program, and has completed a course of study which includes medical and musical classes. More information on their training program is available at www.mhtp.org.


Healing Music


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The short answer to what makes music healing is “whatever the patient needs at that moment.” Having said that, there are key elements to consider. First, the music is provided as a service, not a performance. Patients are encouraged not to applaud, but rather to close their eyes and relax. They do not even need to be conscious, since many studies have shown that people can still hear while in various states of awareness. Second, it is most beneficial if the music is live and acoustic. Electronic instruments and digital recordings do not produce the harmonic overtones that voice and acoustic instru- ments provide, which are more effective for healing. There is no one specific genre of music (jazz, country, rock, etc.) that is inherently more healing than another, although some lend themselves to this work more easily than others. Whatever the choice of music, it is modified in certain ways according to the patient’s needs. Pitch, rhythm and tempo are some of these ways. For instance, higher tones (a soprano voice, for example) require more energy for the brain to process. When someone is very sick, there is less energy available, and a lower pitch would be more effective. As a second example, a patient with a racing or irregular heartbeat could respond best to music with a strong, even tempo. The CMP might begin by matching their heart rate, and then gradually slow down to about 60 beats per minute. Through the process of entrain- ment, the patient’s heart rate should follow the beat of the music.


18 Natural Nutmeg August 2012


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