Special Topic:

Music can be acutely therapeutic because it activates many parts of the brain, changing its wave patterns and arousing a variety of emotions, according to Dale Taylor, a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Taylor has spent years studying the remedial effects of music, including using it therapeutically during the grieving process.

"Music itself is a very positive experience; it stimulates the limbic system, the emotional center of the brain," said Taylor, the director of the university's music therapy department. "Grieving, however, is a negative experience, but the addition of music into the process can make it more of a positive experience by bringing back positive memories of the person who has died."

A person may identify a song with another person through a variety of processes. "The words to a song may relate to your relationship with a person," he said. "Or you may have shared an experience with that person while a song was playing-either hearing the song, singing along to the song, dancing to the song. Or the song may celebrate that person's life-even though it may not be specifically about that person, it may seem like it is. "Unlike, for example, a photograph of a person, which activates only the visual cortex, music or a song arouses a meaningful visual and auditory awareness."

Music stimulates the limbic system of the brain, associated with emotions. This can help bring about positive feelings as a person goes through the very difficult grieving process. Since music stimulates many parts of the brain, including the auditory cortex and limbic system, a "favorite song" can often bring back vivid memories of a departed person.

The end of a year is a time to remember acquaintances, friends and family, especially those who have died. Music helps us do that as much as anything. A song may be fleeting and intangible -- just words set to a melody for a few finite moments. But more than any physical memento -- a photograph or a pair of favorite earrings or an old bathrobe -- a song can be a potent and lasting reminder of someone who is missed. Steve Klein knows that. So do a lot of others who are grieving this holiday season. "The idea of Christmas or Hanukkah or whatever you celebrate is that it's a pageant of renewal we celebrate each year," he said. "The spiritual idea is we should be like this every day. God knows, no one's like that. But there's a part of bereavement with me every day that does make me say, `Hey, man, the sky is really blue.' "So now, I try to take a look at life through someone who wants to be here but can't. And music is an excellent conveyor of that."

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)

 Many people think that the cello, correctly called the violoncello, descended from the viols, but this isn't true. It originated in the 16th century as a member of the violin family. In the string family, the cello has the tenor voice. The cello has changed in size over the past several centuries, but otherwise it is basically the same. Stradivari was the violin maker who standardized the size of the modern cello. Many people believe that the early makers of string instruments, celli included, were single people, but they were actually families. Skills were passed from generation to generation. Nicolo is perceived as the best luthier of the Amati family, and Antonio Stradivari was one of his best students. He later became the greatest maker of violins and celli.

The cello has great potential as a healing instrument because of its warm, penetrating tone. Some people feel that the cello can re-produce a "sobbing" sound and like to listen to cello solos when they are feeling sad or needing to grieve a loss or a disappointment. Listen to this example and see what you think.

I wanted to brag a little bit about one of my children; my oldest daughter Julia is a violinist and will be playing this Sunday night, February 29th in Carnegie Hall. She keeps telling me it is "no big deal" because she's playing with the Boston Philharmonic, but to me it is a very big deal. For that reason, I left for NYC this past Thursday and returned on Monday. I would have loved to have met the New Yorkers among you. Please look at my calendar below - if you live in any of the cities listed, and would like to arrange a visit or workshop, please contact me - I will get right back to you.

For those in the KY, IN, OH, and TN area, I am available to come to your town or city for civic meetings, after-dinner speeches, workshops and inservices. I can work clinically with patients or educationally with staff. Current dates include late March in the Tampa, Florida area and June 20-24 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. I will be a plenary speaker at an International Wellness Conference at Lake Louise.

I offer regular week-end classes at Healing Music Enterprises here in Louisville on Music with Pregnancy, Music with Surgery, and Music with Alzheimer’s Patients. To get in one of these classes, call 502-895-7688. The cost is $50.00 for a two-hour class of 6-8 people.

February 24, 2004 "The Healing Power of Music" Douglas Boulevard Christian Church, Louisville.

March 12, 2004 "Toning and Chanting with Addictions" Promises Laguna (CA) (tentative)

March 13, 2004 "Toning and Chanting: The Beauty of Music as Therapy" Man to Man Prostate Cancer Support Group, Louisville.

April 22, 2004 "Music and Babies" Staff In-service at Baptist Hospital East, Louisville.

May 2004 TBA

June 20-24 "Exploring Health and Healing Conference" Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada.