Managing Stress 8E Principles and Strategies for Health and Well-Being Brian Luke Seaward, Ph.D. Unless otherwise noted, all images were supplied by Brian Luke Seaward. Credit: © Inspiration Unlimited. Used with permission.

Chapter 22 Music Therapy

“Music acts like a magic key to which the most tightly closed heart opens.” — Maria von Trapp Reprinted from The Story of the Trapp Family Singers by Maria Von Trapp. Copyright © 1981 by Maria Von Trapp. Used by permission of HarperCollins Publishers.

Music Therapy:

Music Therapy: The ability to listen to, sing, or perform music as a means to promote relaxation and homeostasis.

Music Therapy

1. To listen to music*

Music Therapy 1. To listen to music* 2. To play an instrument

Music Therapy 1. To listen to music* 2. To play an instrument 3. To sing (or chant) * This form of music therapy is the most common style used for relaxation purposes.

Historical Perspective

Before the days of radio, television, and the Internet, live music (house concerts) was the most common form of entertainment as a means for relaxation.

Figure Today music therapy for patients (and staff) is not uncommon in hospital settings to foster a greater sense of healing.

From Sound to Noise to Music All sound is energy made audible!

This table reveals the association between the 7 note musical scale, the 7 chakras, 7 primary colors, and 7 meditative affirmations.

Theories of Music Therapy (Why music is thought to be relaxing)

Theories of Music Therapy (Why music is thought to be relaxing) Biochemical Theory

Theories of Music Therapy (Why music is thought to be relaxing) Biochemical Theory Entrainment Theory

Theories of Music Therapy (Why music is thought to be relaxing) Biochemical Theory Entrainment Theory Metaphysical Theory

Biochemical Theory

Figure Sound waves in the ear.

Entrainment Theory

Figure The concept of entrainment was first observed by Dutch physicist Christian Huygens in 1665 by observing the movement two pendulum clocks over time. Entrainment: the mutual phase locking of two objects in close proximity. Tuning forks are a prime example. Entraiment

Figure This mandala-shaped figure was created by vibrating (with the OM sound) a steel plate covered with tiny sand particles, a process known as “cymatics.” Source: Reprinted with permission. Cymatics: A Study of Wave Phenomena and Vibration. © 2001 MACROmedia Publishing. Newmarket, NH.

Figure Didgeridoo vibration imprint on water through the process of entrainment. Photo © 2002 Alexander Lauterwasser. Reprinted with permission from Water Sound Images. © 2005 MACROmedia Publishing, Newmarket, NH.

Metaphysical Theory

Music is a “Gift from God”

The word music comes to us from the Greek word “Muse,” angel-like beings that taught Apollo how to play the lute (a type of guitar).

Music is a “Gift from God” The word music comes to us from the Greek word “Muse,” angel-like beings that taught Apollo how to play the lute (a type of guitar) Mozart, Beethovan, Paul McCartney, and many, many others credit their musical genius to tapping into the divine for inspiration.

Figure Headphones can provide a sense of solitude when listening to music. Repeated exposure to high volumes with a headset, however, can impair hearing and result in early-onset deafness. Source: © Jason Stitt/ShutterStock, Inc..

Figure Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev combined music and imagination in his masterpiece Peter and the Wolf, wherein each character is represented by a melody on a different instrument. Musical Imagery

Music as a Relaxation Technique

1. Instrumental music is the best (no lyrics)

Music as a Relaxation Technique 1. Instrumental music is the best (no lyrics) 2. Music preference

Music as a Relaxation Technique 1. Instrumental music is the best (no lyrics) 2. Music preference 3. Quiet listening environment

Psychological Effects of Music Therapy

and Chronic Pain

The Healing Power of Music Singer/Songwriter Naomi Judd Source: Courtesy of Naomi Judd

Best Application for Music Therapy