Music Therapy: Can Music Really “Soothe The
Savage Beast?”
It has long been suggested that
“music soothes the savage beast.” But is this true? And if it is, does this
have any implication where humans are concerned? The answer, apparently, is
yes. To illustrate this, researchers point to the different physiological
changes that take place within the human body in response to different sounds
and noises. A loud noise that shatters the silence sets the human heart racing
and stimulates a rush of adrenaline that prepares you for flight. In contrast a
soft, soothing sound helps us to relax.
Music therapy has, in fact, been
around for thousands of years. Nearly four thousand years ago the Hebrew
Scriptures recorded that the boy who would later become King David was hired by
his predecessor to play the harp to calm King Saul when he would go into a
rage. Likewise, the use of music therapy is found in the writings of ancient
civilizations such as Egypt, China, India, Greece and Rome.
More recently, scientists have
been studying the effects of music therapy and have documented changes in
respiratory rates, blood pressure, and pulse in response to musical stimuli.
Likewise, researchers in the realm of music therapy have found that the use of
music therapy can be effective in areas as diverse as IQ and recovery rates,
pain management and weight loss.
Some object that this sounds too
good to be true. How can music therapy change something like pain management?
Researchers tell us that the reason music therapy works is based on how we
hear. Sound is little more than vibrations in the air that are picked up by the
inner ear and transferred to the brain which is a key component in your nervous
system and controls the functions of the body and the brain responds to the
stimuli that it is given.
In light of this, music therapy
can and often is used in a wide variety of applications. One common application
for music therapy is in working with autistic individuals because research has
found that music can help autistic children to express themselves. Likewise,
music therapy has been found to help individuals with physical disabilities to
develop better motor skills.
With music therapy, individuals
with high levels of anxiety can be helped to express suppressed emotions thereby
discharging anger, or enabling the individual to express the joy they would not
otherwise be able to express. Likewise, research has found that music therapy
can help lower the anxiety levels of hospital patients who find themselves
facing frightening prospects and in an unfamiliar environment. Furthermore,
music therapy has been found to help medical professionals with pain management
such that they have been able to reduce pain medication by as much as one half
by helping to stimulate the production of the body’s own pain killers, called
endorphins.
Music therapy can
come is a wide variety of forms. In some cases it’s as simple as having the
individual listen to particular music. In other cases music therapy requires a
more interactive approach, having the individual respond to the music either in
dance or using some other form of expression. But in its many forms, music
therapy has often been found to be beneficial
Duane Shinn is the author of over 500 music books and music
educational materials such as DVD's, CD's, musical games for kids,
chord charts, musical software, and piano lesson instructional
courses for adults. He has also logged time as an assistant music
therapist, piano tuner, funeral and wedding singer, and assorted
other musical positions. His book-CD-DVD course titled
"How To Dress
Up Naked Music On The Piano!" has sold over 100,000 copies
around the world. He holds advanced degrees from Southern Oregon
University and was the founder of Piano University in Southern
Oregon. He is the author of the popular free 101-week online
e-mail newsletter titled "Amazing
Secrets Of Exciting Piano Chords & Sizzling Chord Progressions"
with over 58,300 current subscribers.
