Music Healing Key Concepts CHRIS BAKER WWW MUSICSTUDENTINFO

Music & Healing Key Concepts CHRIS BAKER WWW. MUSICSTUDENTINFO. COM

The Significance of Music • • • Communicates both with lyrics and beyond words Tells our stories Moves us to laughter, to tears & to dance Accompanies important ceremonies Provides a gateway to memories

Consider this piece of music. Listen with your eyes closed and allow it to tell you a story… • What emotions did the piece evoke? • What images come to mind? • What story does it awaken in you?

What memories does this piece evoke for you?

Now focus on the physiological response in your body to this piece of music… • What did you notice your body doing? • What did the music remind you of?

Healing Benefits of Music • • Reduces pain Increases oxygen levels in the blood Steadies respiration and heart rhythm Reduces anxiety and fear Reduces nausea Provides a focus different from hospital machines Boosts immune response

Pain Reliever with No Damaging Side Effects At St. Agnes Hospital in Baltimore, patients in critical care units listen to classical music. “Half an hour of music produced the same effect as ten milligrams of valium. ”

How does music heal? Distraction is the divided attention of an individual or group from the chosen object of attention onto the source of distraction. Entrainment or "brainwave synchronization, " is any practice that aims to cause brainwave frequencies to fall into step with a periodic stimulus having a frequency corresponding to the intended brain-state for example, to induce sleep.

Distraction A loud repetitive sound sends a constant signal to the cortex, masking input from other senses like vision, touch, and smell.

Frequency of Vibrations • High pitched sounds increase stimulation • Low frequency sounds are grounding

Principles of the Music Practitioner • Patient is the center of focus • Intent to provide an environment for healing • Whole person concept of mind, body, spirit, and emotion

Holistic Health “Outside of sleep, breathing, nutrition and to some extent exercise. . . probably no behavior comes close to the power and diversity of music in eliciting homeodynamic shifts. " Mark Ryder The Rhythmic Language of Health and Disease

Why live music? • Responsive to the changing state of the patient • Vibration of live instrument • Human connection

Four Categories of Clients 1. 2. 3. 4. Acutely ill Rhythmic Music Chronically ill All Styles Children and Elders Familiar Music Actively Dying Arrhythmic Music

Music Thanatology The delivery of music has everything to do with leading a patient from a feeling of safety to openness and release. Letting go is some of the hardest work we can do, either as a patient or as a musician. Therese Schroeder-Sheker Chalice of Repose Project

Vibrations and Cancer The pictures above were taken while a xylophone was used over a period of fourteen minutes playing the Ionian Scale (C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C, D)

"The human voice carries something in its vibration that makes it more powerful than any musical instrument: consciousness…. …It appeared that the cancer cells were not able to support a progressive accumulation of vibratory frequencies and were destroyed. " Fabien Maman

I AM MUSIC; Most ancient of the arts. I am more than ancient; I am eternal. Even before life began upon this earth, I was here in the winds and the waves. When the first trees and flowers and grasses appeared, I was among them. And when people came, I at once became the most delicate, most subtle and most powerful medium for the expression of emotions…

…When people were little better than beasts, I influenced them for their good. In all ages, I have inspired people with hope, kindled their love, given a voice to their joys, cheered them on to valorous deeds, and soothed them in times of despair. I have played a great part in the drama of life, whose end and purpose are the complete perfection of human nature…

…Through my influence, humankind has been uplifted, sweetened and refined. With the aid of mankind, I have become a Fine Art; I have a myriad of voices and instruments. I am in the hearts of all people and on their tongues in all lands, among all peoples; the ignorant and unlettered know me, not less than the rich and the learned…

. . For I speak to all people in a language that all understand. Even the deaf hear me, if they but listen to the voices of their own souls. I am the food of love. I have taught gentleness and peace; and I have led people to heroic deeds. I comfort the lonely, and I harmonize the discord of crowds. I am a necessary luxury to all. I AM MUSIC.