November 2011

   News Item  

The holidays are upon us and along with all of the fun, food and family, comes stress, tension, and anxiety.  No doubt about it, holidays are stressful.  Even with the best of intentions, feelings get hurt, debt gets incurred and tempers flare.  Can music help?  Of course.

As William Congreve said in 1697, "Music hath charms to soothe a savage breast, to soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak." (many people think that it's "beast" but it's actually "breast."  If you want to use music for healing or soothing, comforting effects during the holidays, you must first begin to assemble a list of your favorite music.  That may seem obvious, but taking into consideration that today we can choose from CDs, MP3s on iPods or laptop, records, tapes, or make your own music if you play an instrument, we literally have hundreds or thousands of choices!

I would suggest that you sit in a comfortable place with a nice, warm, comforting, favorite beverage and simply close your eyes.  Imagine your ideal holiday family (or other) scene.  What music do you hear in your imaginary scene?  And now, open your eyes and write that down.  Picture another holiday scene, perhaps at the dinner table or sitting around in the living room or den with relatives you don't see often.  Again, with eyes closed, try to listen and hear the music that is playing.

This should be enough to get your started on your list.  You already know which music tends to slow you down and calm or comfort you.  It really doesn't matter if it's holiday music or not.  Just begin to assemble at least 6 or 8 CD's or 15-20 different songs or instrumental selections that have positive associations for you.  You might want to create a folder on your iPod for these, if you know how to do that.

When things begin to get stressful or you feel the tension building, just put your headphones on, close your eyes and imagine the happy, peaceful scenes that you have already conjured in your mind.

As a therapist, I can tell you that everyone wants a Norman Rockwell or a Hallmark Christmas, Thanksgiving or Hanukkah.  Rarely does it happen that way.  Try to stay flexible, enjoy what you can, and listen to lots of favorite music! 

   Healing Music Blog

How does music affect behavior?

Does music affect the behavior of adolescents? This is one of the most frequent questions I get when I go out to speak around the country. I think it’s a bit of a rhetorical questions because we know that music is powerful and does affect people’s behavior, but especially people who are unsure of themselves, who they are, and what they really want out of life. This fits the description of many adolescents. When teenagers feel alienated from peers and family, they are more prone to identify with powerful media personalities and do some vicarious living through them. If these media personalities sing violent music with violent, negative lyrics, it is going to take a toll on them and the adolescent may actually commit violent acts under the influence of this powerful “music.”

I think you’ll enjoy what this physician has to say about it:

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  Do you long for the Wonder and Magic of by-gone Christmases?

If so, this is the Christmas CD

You've Been Waiting For!

A Brand New Christmas Album of the carols and songs you grew up with!

These carols, played with love and a little holiday magic, will bring back your cherished holiday memories:

Grandma's fresh-baked Christmas cookies and cakes

that filled the air with heavenly smells

Hand-made stockings hung by the chimney with care

Beautiful, tantalizing  packages under the tree

Music and Surgery: Music Medicine or Music Therapy?

Many people do not understand the difference between music medicine and music therapy. To me, it’s not a big deal, but to some people it is a huge deal. My mentor, Dr. Arthur Harvey, explained it to me like this: in order to conduct a music therapy session, a music therapist must be present. It is the therapeutic relationship between the music therapist “doing” music with the patient that creates the result. Music therapy is what worked miracles with Gaby Giffords. Music therapy is a wonderful, fantastic modality with many situations, especially situations needing rehabilitation.

This is not true with music medicine. The use of music during surgery is an example of music medicine. ...

This may not sound earth-shaking to you, but in a litigious society, and a hospital community that is terrified of lawsuits and staph infections, the surgery headphones provide a lot of comfort and benefits for both patient and doctor. 

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I love performing, researching, and teaching and have put them all together in a career called "Music Medicine." 

See you next month!!

 Alice Cash