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GROOVEOUT
By
Chris Sill
Vegetables,
Vitamins, and ... Good Vibrations?
There is a great power in music. It cannot be seen.
It cannot even be heard. True, we can hear a piece of
music, but we can only witness a reaction to it. How
music effects us remains invisible, buried deep inside
our brain. Healing is arguably music’s greatest
power. The value of music as a therapeutic tool has
been studied for years. Research shows that music can
have profound physiological and psychological effects
on us. We all enjoy listening to our favorite CDs or
getting carried away at a concert, but how many of us
recognize music as a healing aid? Meet two people in
contrasting settings who can attest to the potent power
of music.
Alan Davidson has been practicing massage therapy for
13 years, and is a firm believer in the use of music
for holistic purposes. “From a healing perspective
I use music that will put my client into a trance,”
he states. “My objective is to get the mind to
relax so that the body can begin to heal itself. I use
a genre of music by meditative researchers that uses
sound patterning embedded in music to balance the right
and left hemispheres of the brain, as well as drop the
frequency level of brain function.” He adds, “This
type of music can take you into a deep level of meditation
and relaxation.” Reaching these deep levels is
key for inducing the body’s natural healing state.
For Davidson, music is a vital part of attaining that
goal.
In stark contrast to the quiet atmosphere of massage
therapy, move to a crowded, smoky dance floor where
thundering bass beats pull your body into a trance-like
state. Could you be fostering some level of healing?
Legendary DJ JD Arnold would say definitely yes. For
over 20 years he has witnessed how the power of music
can effect people.
“Music
is an escape,” he says. “Escape is a form
of meditation or relaxation, and when you combine it
with dance you create a formula for getting lost in
the music and escaping the stress of everyday life.
On a spiritual level, you get emotional release from
music when you come across a song you relate to.”
He continues, “Whether it’s memories or your
concept of what God is, you sometimes get so lost in
it you feel like you’re having a spiritual experience.”
Working on both the straight and gay club scenes, Arnold
admits he sees a difference in how people relate to
the music. “I find that the gays tend to stay on
the dance floor escaping into the music and rhythms
much longer—it has a cathartic effect. Gays have
a community feeling, which is much more tribal than
the straight scene. There is a bond or unity to begin
with, and that does not exist on the straight scene.”
Perhaps it’s that unity that creates a safe, positive
atmosphere where the music can provide a healing and
sometimes spiritual experience.
In a much more sterile environment, hospitals are also
tapping into the healing powers of music. Dozens of
studies have documented results linking the use of music
to the lowering of blood pressure, the lessening of
anxiety, and a reduction in requested medication. It
can also change a patient’s experience inside the
hospital environment. For example, research has found
that post-operative patients hear the same whether they
are asleep or awake. Since the human ear is a “nonstop
listener” delivering information from sounds to
the brain 24 hours a day, instead of the cold mechanical
beeps and buzzes of hospital machines, why not bring
sound that is meaningful to the patient? There exist
a number of programs that do just that, some right here
in Houston. The goal of these programs is for patients
to experience their environment as a place that can
empower the transition from disease to recovery.
Recognizing the healing powers of music does not mean
rushing out to the nearest store to buy the latest meditation
and trance CD, or visiting a hospital’s intensive
care unit. The real recognition comes from being aware
that music can aid in any healing process. How or what
you choose to listen to is up to you.
Chris
Sill spins tunes at Rich's and can be reached atcsill@infohwy.com.
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