by Randolph Johnson

Created on: April 08, 2009   Last Updated: June 29, 2009

Everyday Music Therapy

It has been said that laughter is the best medicine but what about the listening to music on a daily basis to help us with stress an overall health ? Can music really help us deal with our everyday stresses and affect the health of our bodies and mind? Red Auerbach, former illustrious coach of the Boston Celtics said the following :

"Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life." ~ Red Auerbach

For this author, as a young boy growing up in Syracuse, myself and my siblings were exposed to music by our parents and encourged to take music lessons. None of became musicians but everyday in our house, the day began with music from A.M. radio,coming home from school finding Mom listening to vinyl, to the end of the day when our Dad would send us kids off to bed with "Goodnight Ladies"! So was this theraputic to our health and well being?

Michael Leupold,(mjl259@psu.edu) staff writer for the Penn State University Daily Collegian states:"Music is an integral part of people's lives all over the world. It is well known as a universal language, easy for children and adults to understand and one with inherent abilities to stimulate the mind, body and emotions.

In the same article he quotes Dr. Susan Shuttleworth, professor of music therapy and coordinator of the Music Degree program at Slippery Rock University: "Music therapy is used to bring about changes within an individual and bring about personal growth."

"Music therapy has been effectively used by professionals to treat people with a myriad of health problems ranging from physical disabilities, mental health disorders, chronic pain, cancer, substance abuse problems, AIDS, Alzheimer's disease, brain injuries, and learning disabilities."

We all aspire to be healthy in our everyday lives and there is significant proof that music does in fact affect our health and with our ability to cope with daily stress.

But can music actually heal our illnesses? According to the oohoi.com article ,

Their research may interest you :-">Music therapy research in healing
http://www.oohoi.com/physical_therapy/music_t herapy/research-healing.htm

The benefits of music to the body and psyche plays a crucial part of the well being of the human organism not only as entertainment to quiet the soul but to heal the body as well.There are plenty of places where one can find music materials assist with personal behavior modification.

ThinkRightNow.com is a website that offers New Music incorporates a specialized ryhthmn arrangement of music which helps "lower one's heart rate and create more alpha brainwaves." The site sells a variety of compositions on CD's which can offer a range of New Age musical choices for your listening pleasure and healing purposes.

http://www.thinkrightnow.com

The use of music clearly does help one cope with stress ,general well being on a daily basis and assist the body's healing processes. So it is agreeable that listening to music can help one whether they are happy and healthy or healing from illness. The power of music is there to help!

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