February 2003                  Volume 2 Number 5

Editor's Note

Those of you that read last month's interview that June Kaminski did with me in the ezine know that I have actively been working in this field for almost 13 years. I have been fascinated by the idea of music as medicine and music for healing my entire life. When I was first hired at the University of Louisville to research music's healing power it

was considered a novel, if not radical idea. One of the problems was that it seemed so "un-provable." Scientists, of course, want to be able to measure and document things and it was thought that the effects of music would be impossible to measure and document. We decided to use biofeedback equipment to measure the effect of chant on a person's breathing, body temperature, palm sweating, heart rate, and muscle tension. We found that chant helped people to calm themselves, relax, focus, and report a meditative state. We were able to prove this.

At the same time, Don Campbell was beginning to come out with his books "Music: Physician for Times to Come," and "Music and Miracles." These books got wide circulation. Also at the same time, Don and I both attended a workshop with Dr. Alfred Tomatis in Phoenix, AZ and heard about "The Healing Powers of Gregorian Chant," as well as his theories on the healing powers of Mozart and especially the Mozart violin concerti. In California, research was in progress at UC Irvine that later was referred to as "The Mozart Effect," because among other things, high school students listening to a Mozart two-piano sonata for just 30 minutes prior to taking the SAT were able to score higher than those that didn't listen. By 1997, the whole country was talking about this and articles were beginning to appear in popular magazines on "The Healing Power of Music" as well as medical journals.

Judging by the number of invitations I am getting to speak and present workshops, I would say that word is getting around that music is powerful and that you can often have this effect "for a song!"

Valentine's Issue Music and Love: What's the Connection?

During this Valentine's month you have probably heard alot of romantic songs of love, devotion and simple infatuation from many different generations. We have records (written evidence that is!) of love songs dating back to the medieval period; songs which compare the beloved's lips to cherries and skin to finest silk; her hair to shining sunrays and her eyes to pools of clearest blue waters. Their music may not be our idea of something to hum or whistle but chances are the effect on the beloved was much the same as our songs, and as the love songs throughout time, have had on the intended recipient. The combination of melody, harmony, rhythm, tempo, lyrics, and intent have a magical and also chemical effect on the beloved.

Neuroscientists tell us that when one is "in love" the brain is releasing copious amounts of norepinephrine, endorphins, oxytocin and other such neurochemicals (see What Is Chemistry in Love Relationships?, an interesting website about this topic; also Biology of Love, an amusing interview with an anthropologist who specializes in love ) Music has always been used to seduce, court, and romance a potential lover. Once the person has been "won over," these same songs take on special significance as we all know. Merely hearing these songs years and years later, even many decades later, can cause these same brain chemicals to be released and these same wonderful feelings to be re-experienced (although not quite as powerfully.)

The decade of 1990-2000 was called "The Decade of the Brain" and there is still so much we do not know about the brain and how it works. Many scientists feel that the brain is truly the last unexplored frontier. We know just a little bit about how music affects the brain now and with each new discovery we are able to put away some older technique, whether it be a drug, a surgery, or a potentially dangerous technique. One of the easiest things we know to do is to bring back those wonderful "falling in love" feelings. So, during this Valentines month be sure to go out and get some CD's of the oldies that you went courting to so that you can re-experience a few of those thrills and chills from your courting years!

Dr. Cash will be presenting in Hawaii again from May 28 until June 10. She still has a few days open there for individual sessions and possibly a few workshops, but get in touch with her soon if you'd like to meet her or have a healing session.

She will be doing a day in Hamilton, Ohio on Saturday, April 24. If you live in this area (north of Cincinnati) and would like to see her that afternoon or have a workshop or presentation at your church or school on Sunday, the 25th, please Send an Email

Dr. Cash will present a day-long workshop for nurses on "Music in the Hospital" at Eastern Kentucky University on Friday, March 14. Please call Jackie King in the School of Nursing to register. CEU's will be given.

Read about the newest Calendar updates!

Dr. Cash is available for seminars, workshops, classes and other group and individual instruction in using music for healing and promoting health and wellbeing. Go to http://www.healingmusicenterprises.com/services.html for more information.

Attention: Louisvillle Area Health Professionals

Dr. Cash offers classes on a regular basis on:

1. How to create music tapes for surgery
2. Using music with pregnancy, childbirth and newborns
3. Understanding how music affects the Mind-Body-Spirit & applying this to practice
4. Toning, Chanting, and Drumming for Health
5. Using Music with Alzheimer's Patients