Does music possess healing abilities?

Dec 26 21:00 UTC 1994

Any comments on the healing effects of music?

response 2 of 34:

Dec 26 22:57 UTC 1994

THere're whole techniques that associate tones with parts of the
body or the psyche.  I don't have any of it memorized, as that's 
not one of my strong points usually (sound, I mean.) I'll lookinto
it.

response 4 of 34:

Dec 27 05:03 UTC 1994

Most people , I think, use music to enhance or alter moods.  It ALSO has
specific theraputic uses- both in conventional terms: stutterers can half-
sing their words and they come out clear, autistic kids seem to respond
to rhythm, psychotics to melody, etc. and also in Eastern medicine: each
chakra has a tone which can be used to open, cleanse and heal that area.

response 6 of 34:

Dec 27 07:03 UTC 1994

Music has a very definite effect on my nervous system, and (on the other
side) I often select music which resonates my current mood.  Kami may
remember an occasion where I showed up at Fox's house ready to kill (not
Fox, just feeling hostile), and the only stimulus was the death metal I'd
been playing to keep myself awake while driving.  It worked, until the
car stopped moving.  :-S  And gentle rhythms like Dead Can Dance or
jazz fusion can generally soothe the savage beast (and the savage breast,
as well).  

response 8 of 34:

Dec 27 16:26 UTC 1994

        Healing? Do we dare to consider music as being limited in power to
just healing?? Let us never forget that music, being both lyric and song,
is the most powerful expression available to the human soul!
        If a certain piece of poetry can be said to possess magick, then what
could be said when it gets put to a rhythm, scored with notes, and orchistrated
into a driving, compelling piece of soulful art?

response 10 of 34:

Dec 29 04:46 UTC 1994

well, i do know that music can affect me emotionally...if i'm a little
depressed, then listening to the living years or wind beneath my wings will
have me instantly in tears...other songs will cheer me up immediatly.  if
i'm sortof in a pilosophical mood, i'll go for pink floyd, or rush.  part
or it i think, is not just the music for me, but also the words...

on the other hand, nothing keeps me moving like playing hooked on classics,
or duke ellington...that is NOT sittin' music!

response 12 of 34:

Dec 31 14:31 UTC 1994

A long time ago, many years in fact...(I feel ancient now) I had a conversation
with someone in which he tried to tell me that musicians were the devil's work.
The devil's work... These people who give us words for what we are feeling when
we cannot, who show us we are not the only ones who feel that way, these 
people who, by giving themselves in their music, give themselves to us and 
really do not ask anything in return. These people are evil. <sigh>
Back to the subject, I have found that I can alter my mood radically simply by
picking up my guitar and playing a song. I can also bring back vivid memories
when I play anything which I have written. I remember what I was thinking 
while I wrote it, what I was looking at, everything. I have found that a 
steady strum on an acoustic/classical guitar can relax me like nothing I have
ever before encountered. I have literally been able to put myself to sleep by
strumming certain chords on my guitar.

response 14 of 34:

Dec 31 21:53 UTC 1994

Melly, let's work with this: when we talk about trance induction techniques,
we'll have to look at ways to induce specific states with music. I'm
curious (and asked Fireball to look at also) how different notes, different
chords, different sets of overtones around a given note, effect the emotions
or body. I think there are standard associations for various harmonics,
but it might be neat to experiment separately first, then look to see how
each of your experiences tally with the books. You might want to get
together with Anne and company and play around a bit.  DOn't forget to
write things down...
On another and related note, the stories tell of the ancient bards having
three magical notes.  With one they brought tears, with one they brought
laughter, and with the third they brought sleep. 

response 16 of 34:

Dec 31 22:24 UTC 1994

There are 7 modes (as the music major in me steps forward).
All scales have a sequence of whole and half steps.
Keeping in mind that I don't remember the mode names so I can't link specific
names to each scale I will try in general to explain the difference.
The major scale, which is one of the modes, is a sequence of whole and half
steps as thus:
2 2 1 2 2 2 1   where 2 represents a whole step and 1 represents a half step.
By then rotating this sequence we get the other mode (keeping in mind that
anything that goes off the left comes on the right and vice versa).
For instance if rotated 2 notes to the right we obtain the minor scale:
2 1 2 2 1 2 2

Anyway all modes can be acheived like this...I don't honestly remember the
names (oops) but you can find a music text and look if it is that important.

laters all

response 18 of 34:

Jan 1 16:37 UTC 1995

Modal music is quite old.  Contemporaneous with the pentatonic scale? What
is the difference between chromatic and diatonic?
I am not aware of any associations between particular modes and specific
healing purposes, but I wouldn't be surprised if the early church had
specified particular modes for different ritual uses: they may well tend
to set up unique feelings/associations/resonances.
As to the druids using modes, we don't know.  A delightul but dense reading
little book called _Ogam The Poets' Secret_ has chapters on "Ogam and music:
the traditional scales of the harp in Ireland" and "The musical interpretation
of certain ogams".  I'm afraid I don't know enough about music to have
made much sense of it. 
Gerald, than you for posting your response.  It has really furthered the
discussion.  Do you have any information on vibratory rates, harmonics, adn
psychology?

response 20 of 34:

Jan 1 21:14 UTC 1995

I DO have imformation, but as you might guess, not handy.
Maybe someday soon.

response 22 of 34:

Jan 2 04:46 UTC 1995

well, i'm afraid to say that my musical knowledge is basically nil, but i do
know what works for me...what types will put me to sleep (i've actually found'
that ace of base works best!), and what will help me focus, and  what not.  
i should now try and figure out what they all have in comman.

anybody who can tell me what pink floyd and stravinsky have in comman, please
let me know. :)

response 24 of 34:

Jan 2 23:40 UTC 1995

don't you meran classic?