Editorial Musings

Since sending out the call last month, I have received some excellent questions that I look forward to answering. However I still need more! I’d like to have at least 50 questions on how to use music for healing purposes. In order to best focus on issues most relevant to my readers, I am asking readers to write in their most important or pressing questions about how to use music for wellness or for healing. I will also be soliciting questions from those who attend my workshops and lectures. Please invite friends and acquaintances to send in their questions too. I would like to collect between 50 to 100

questions. Thank you in advance for all your questions. Please feel free to e-mail, write or call in your questions. Questions can pertain to any area of physical, emotional, or spiritual health and can also include questions on music and learning, music and various life stages, music with surgery and on and on. If I don’t know the answer I will do my best to find it for you.

Dr. Alice H. Cash
President, Healing Music Enterprises
"Tune Your Life with Music!"
3219 Marion Court
Louisville, Kentucky 40206
www.HealingMusicEnterprises.com
502/895-7688 (phone) 502/896-7277 (fax)
502/419-1698 (mobile)

Think for just a minute about the way that music is used to connect human beings. From the first moment that a mother sings a lullaby to her new infant, the imprint of loving sound is imprinted on that baby’s psyche. After just a few hearings the infant will associate that pleasant sound with safety, love and warmth. Mothers (and fathers!) have been singing and lulling their infants with sound from time immemorial. We now know that when a mother sings to her infant, her brain releases oxytocin just as when she breastfeeds. This chemical immediately strengthens the bond between mother and child and makes the mother feel more maternal and loving toward her child. Throughout that child’s life, hearing that song or lullaby will bring back those warm, fuzzy feelings.

This is but one example of how music bonds people one-on-one, but think also of the groups that are bonded together with song, music or chant. Nearly every college university has an “Alma Mater,” a song that is sung at sporting events, reunions, and other ceremonial gatherings. “Alma Mater” means “our mother” and is sung in a most reverent and emotional way. Just think of all the world religions that use hymns, chants, and other songs of praise as an integral part of their worship. At the conclusion of the service, people invariably report that they feel closer to one another and also more resolved to practice the beliefs of their faith. People choose the music for their weddings and even their funerals based on what has been most meaningful in their lives. Music brings comfort as well as pleasure and memories are immediately triggered with music from different times in our lives.

How many couples connect just because they have the same taste in music? The kind of music one likes reflects many things about what kind of music their family listened to when they were children to what kind of music their friends listen to as well as the kind of music they are naturally drawn to. (There really is no right or wrong in musical taste. When I am working with a person therapeutically I always try to honor their taste in music and find music for them that is healing but agreeable to their taste in music too.) I talk to many couples who have been together for 50 years or more and invariable they tell me that they have “their song” or songs that they always want to hear on their anniversary or special times together.

In addition to the reasons mentioned so far, there is the vibro-acoustic aspect of this. When people stand together and sing a song or chant that is meaningful to them, they create a vibrational field in that moment that is like a delicate web connected their energy fields. After participating in a group song, chant, or even a cheer at a sporting event, they feel changed and energized at a new level. This is powerful! Imagine what a football game would be like without the cheerleaders and the fans all cheering their team on in unison. That’s what PEP rallies are all about. Singing of any kind is a way to focus mind and body. Remember in kindergarten when the kids all sang “Good morning to YOU”? This is a way to calm, center and focus energy. It’s so much more pleasant and productive that just shouting for everyone to sit down and be quiet!!

Think of all the ways that you can begin to use music and sound for bonding with the people you love and respect. And please write to me and tell me about it!

Alice

At the conclusion of every workshop and presentation that I give, I hand out an evaluation to determine what people liked the best and what ideas they will use first. This month I have three new sets of evaluations for my readers to enjoy in the Testimonials section of the HME web site at: www.healingmusicenterprises.com/testimonials.html

October 17, 2003 - London, Kentucky - “Music with the Autistic Child” Contact bmitchell@laurel.k12.ky.us .

November 8, 2003 - Hamilton, Ohio - “Music in the Childcare Setting” contact Amy Alcorn at ALCORA@odjfs.state.oh.us

March 26, 2004 - Tampa, Florida - “The Healing Power of Music” at the Center for Conscious Living - Contact PatCCL@cs.com

November 25 or 26, 2003 - Boston, MASS - topic pending

February 2004 Santa Fe, New Mexico - topic pending

July, 2004 - Alberta, Canada - joint conference with Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine - topic pending

Date undecided: Washington, D.C. area - “Music in the Golden Years”

Read about the newest Calendar updates!

Have YOU done all of YOUR Christmas shopping? I know I haven’t and I’ll be getting lots of musical gifts for people. Everything you could want from CD’s, books on Healing with Music, instruments, and books of music are there. Check it out!

Dr. Cash is available as a keynote speaker, workshop and seminar leader, course educator, and individual "music medicine consultations" with people, as well as 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