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Pumpkins, Turkeys, and Christmas trees:
what do they have in common?
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It’s hard to believe that the holidays are rolling around again but here they come! In quick succession we have Halloween, Thanksgiving, and then Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa. What do they all have in common? Well, lots of things but what I think of first is special music, unique to each,. Then I recall the stress, anxiety, overeating and drinking, and money spent for things that are not really needed! If you think about it, the first thing, music, can help with the others. Listening to your favorite music for Thanksgiving and Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa, if done in a very intentional way, can help you to focus more on what these holidays are actually about. These holidays are all about thankfulness and celebration of spiritual gifts. Some of the greatest music ever composed has been composed to celebrate one of these holidays or even the Winter Solstice. This year, when holiday stress and anxiety arise and you start feeling pressured to spend money you don’t really have, try putting on some of your favorite quiet and contemplative holiday music. Just close your eyes and imagine a quiet woodland scene or perhaps a warm, crackling fireplace surrounded by smiling loved ones. That is what really brings happiness and the best memories of all. Let me know how it goes!
Many of the books and CDs in my
HME Shop
were written or recorded to help you enjoy a relaxed and spiritual Holiday Season.
The following links are especially useful!
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| Recommended reading from the realms of research
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This month several new research articles have come out on the subjects of music and the brain and music medicine. It seems that more and more people are funding these kinds of studies and recognizing the healing and medicinal powers of music. Check out this one on
Music and the Brain. As we learn more about the brain, we find new and exciting way to use music. We can now prescribe it in a meaningful way.
What better gift to give friends and family than CD’s, DVD’s or musical instruments?!
My HME Shoppe has all the above plus music books and sheet music. Recently I purchased a small steel drum for a friend and she has had a ball learning to play it. There are quite a few instruments there that require no previous knowledge to play for fun. Click here to go straight to the instruments or here to go to the CD’s, DVD’s and books on music healing.
For the first time, I’m also giving all my subscribers and past purchasers a chance to get some great package deals on my own tapes, book and CD. From now until December 31st you can buy
two Tapes and get a 3rd one free! You can also buy my
Book and CD and get any one tape for free. The best deal of all is, buy my
Book, CD, and all 6 tapes for only $50.00 and save $35.00 off the regular price. To start your holiday shopping for Healing Music Enterprises products,
Click here. Remember you can always e-mail me with questions about the products or specific situations that might benefit from music.
November 1, 7 PM Crescent Hill Library, Louisville, KY “Music as Medicine” Call 502-895-7688 for info.
November 8, 3 PM, Kentucky Cancer Program “Complementary Medicine: Body, Mind and Spirit.” Center for Rural Development, Somerset, KY, contact Gloria Sams,
gsams@kcp.uky.edu
November 25-29, 2004 Sarasota, FL, various locations TBA Call 502-895-7688 for info.
December 2004 (exact date and place TBA) Louisville, KY. “Using Music to Fight
the Holiday Blues,” “Celebrating with Music” and “Music and Anxiety: Neurotransmitters meet the Jitters” Call 502-895-7688 for info.
January 5-10, 2005 National Speakers Association, “Cancun U” in Cancun, Mexico. Call 502-895-7688 for info.
Please check back as there are many pending seminars around the country.
February 2005, presentation at The Awakening Museum in Santa Fe, NM. Call 502-895-7688 for info.
March 2005, presentation at nurses conference in Fort Lauderdale, FL Call 502-895-7688 for info.
April 2005, presentation in the Los Angeles area Call 502-895-7688 for info.
There are quite a few possibilities on the horizon! Please contact me ASAP if you’d like me to present something in your area. I’m more than happy to work within your group’s budget and will come up with something affordable if I possibly can!
Playing any instrument or singing is always preferable to passive listening in terms of health benefits. It takes no prior training to play many drums and other percussion instruments for fun and enjoyment. If you’re interested in trying a small steel drum, a thumb piano, or a recorder, try an instrument from
Apollo’s Axes. You’ll be glad you did!
Q:
Dr. Cash, I’ve heard you talk about music therapy and I’ve heard you talk about music medicine. Is there a difference, and if so, what is it?
A:
Great question, so glad you asked! Music therapy happens in the context of a music therapist interacting with a patient or group of patients. Music therapists are trained to know what kinds of music and interactions will likely have the best effect or result with many different populations and situations. Music therapists have a degree in music therapy from an accredited college or university. In music medicine, it is more about an individual choosing music for himself or herself in order to get a therapeutic effect, such as relaxation, energizing, soothing, comforting, even pain management, or music for surgery or childbirth. Music medicine is important and valuable because everyone can’t have a music therapist with them when they want to benefit from music’s healing power. In order to utilize music medicine, one only needs some basic education about what to reach for in what situation and that is what my book, tapes, CD’s and lectures try to provide! I strongly recommend learning all you can about music’s power and use in a clinical setting or at home. Knowledge is not only power but it brings with it self-confidence and empowerment…and it’s impossible to overdose or have an allergic reaction! ;-)
As always, Dr. Cash will set up workshops in Louisville and surrounding areas at special request
if a minimum of 10-12 people can be assured.
Current popular
topics are:
“Using music with the autistic child”
“Music as a Pathway to Higher Power”
“Wellness through Music: Ten Top Tips”
“Music and Childbirth: the Lullaby Project
Please feel free to forward this issue to
friends and associates.
Anyone can subscribe for free (see below)
Contact Info:
Alice H. Cash, Ph.D., LCSW
Healing Music Enterprises
(502) 895-7688 (502) 419-1698 (mobile)
(502) 896-7277 (fax)
chantdoc@healingmusicenterprises.com
http://www.healingmusicenterprises.com
Contact Designer at
webmistress@healingmusicenterprises.com
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