Published in Natural Triad magazine, August 2012 issue

Soothing for the Soul, Healthy for the Heart

You’ve heard it said that Music can soothe or heal the soul, but have you intentionally used it lately to minimize your stress level?

Think about a time when you were caught in traffic and running late for an appointment, were trying to get a screaming child ready and out the door on time, or were overwhelmed with multiple priorities and not enough hours in the day to complete them. This may sound like a typical day for you, and these moments can make your blood pressure rise, make your head, neck and shoulders hurt, and may create a knot in your stomach, right?

Now, how many times did you change the radio station or select a CD to listen to background music that could transform your mood and negative energy into something more positive and healthy? When you did, I’ll bet you felt better.

Multiple research sources have demonstrated that music truly is good for promoting health! It enhances memory, alleviates pain, promotes wellness, helps children with autism, and reduces stress. (For more information, visit PubMed.gov and search “music”)

If these are benefits that you would like to enjoy, then you should consider a Music Plan! It can soothe you and help minimize the effects of those uncontrollable events that disrupt your day.

Creating a Music Plan can be a very simple task! It just takes a little thought to select and organize music you find appealing, and to keep it readily available when you need it.

To get started, select music that is not only slow but also has a regular pulse or beat. Research has shown that when you listen to music with the speed of a “healthy, resting heartbeat” of 60 to 90 beats per minute (bpm), that your body can actually slow your racing heart and body rhythms to match the beat of the music. Your heart rate generally follows the beat or tempo of music.

A study by British and Italian researchers, which was published in 2005 in the journal Heart, demonstrated that the experience of listening to passive music with a slow or meditative tempo had a relaxing effect on people, slowing breathing and heart rate, while the experience of listening to fast music with a more upbeat tempo sped up respiration and heart rate. Mood, blood pressure, and activity level have also been known to change.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/332303-why-is-the-heart-rate-affected-by-music/#ixzz1yBceDRwN

In an article titled "The Effects of Music on the Cardiovascular System and Cardiovascular Health," published in Heart December 2010, German researchers found a significantly lower level of cortisol and less cerebral blood flow in open-heart surgical patients who listened to relaxing music before surgery, versus those who did not. The implications are that music not only improves quality of life, it also improves health and may prolong life. They suggested the best results came from meditation music and classical music such from as Bach, Mozart, and Italian composers. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21062776)

Research indicates that classical vocal and orchestral music will provide optimum benefits. If you do not like these genres, however, select music that is appealing to you. Music is typically available in 40 to 200 bpm, so seek music that matches your calm, resting heart rate of 60 to 90 bpm.

Try listening to solo piano music by classical greats, Debussy, Chopin, Rachmaninoff, and Liszt, as well as current solo work by New Age piano composers, such as David Lanz and Jim Brickman. For something different, consider Celtic Woman, a female vocal ensemble who perform a mix of Celtic, New Age, and contemporary music. You may prefer New Age Pop with music from artists like John Mayer (eg. “Free Fallin”-Acoustic, originally by Tom Petty), almost anything from Norah Jones, as well as Soft Rock with heavy keyboard action, like Coldplay.

Great places to discover new music include:

·      Pandora.com (free internet radio which allows you to set up your own stations, based on the genre you choose, and listen to soothing music from your computer or smartphone)

·      Last.fm (free music site by AT&T that offers internet radio, song recommendations based on your initial input of the music styles you like, and connections to other listeners with similar music taste to get even more ideas)

·      iTunes (you must pay for songs, but Genius Recommendations within iTunes is good at suggesting music you might like)

·      YouTube.com (type in Search keyword phrases like, “music to relax the mind,” “healing music,” to find new artists/music)

·      Spotify.com – a relatively new music collection site or library where you can listen to music (millions of tracks, when you want) and share your favorites with others on Facebook, your iPad, PC

So create a playlist for your iPod or computer, or burn a CD to keep in the car, in the kitchen, or by your nightstand.

Get creative and discover new ways to incorporate soothing music into your daily life. I have a cousin who keeps her cable TV set to Soundscapes, so she can hear soothing music on the way out the door in the morning and as she’s entering the house. You could do the same and consider placing your music on a timer system to play at certain hours of the day. Wouldn’t it be a nice change to end (and even begin) each day listening to something peaceful? Imagine how that might change your frame of mind and give you more moments of calm.

Get started and see if music can soothe and nourish your soul throughout the day!

BIO: Joy Britt Reavis is a Greensboro native who is a classically trained pianist, composer, performer. Her first CD of soothing original piano solos, "expressions of Joy," was created to offer relaxation and express her appreciation for nature (available on joybrittreavis.com, Facebook, iTunes). Joy performs in the Triad as a solo artist, and in a band that raises money for charity, CharityRepublic, when she is not caring for her husband and two children.

How Music Affects Memory

Music & Memory:

A Dynamic Duet

Music is a powerful agent in preventing memory loss as well as improving the quality of life for those Alzheimer’s patients who have already suffered memory loss. Caregivers and patients can both benefit from the addition of music in their lives.

November is National Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, so it is fitting to recognize the complexities surrounding not only the disease and its increasing prevalence, but also the potential disruption it causes in the lives of the patient and caregiver in terms of depression, anxiety, anger, and fatigue. There are currently over 5 million Americans attempting to cope with the memory-robbing effects of Alzheimer’s, the most common type of dementia.  The numbers will continue to climb as over 10,000 baby boomers turn 65 each day.  Their risk of being struck by the disease doubles every five years so that by the age of 85, one out of two will be afflicted.

While lab researchers continue to search for a cure, other scientists are conducting noteworthy advances with music as a means for providing therapeutic benefit.

The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America website, www.alzfdn.org/educationandcare/music, states, “when used appropriately, music can shift mood, manage stress-induced agitation, stimulate positive interactions, facilitate cognitive function, and coordinate motor movements.” This site suggests that patients should engage in rhythm playing and singing (e.g. clapping, foot tapping, drumming), as these movements may activate the brain’s motor center and bypass the disease-ridden mental processing areas of the brain.

While movement can activate functioning areas of the brain, merely listening to songs for which a patient has a pleasant emotional memory may change behavior. It is most helpful to have a playlist of favorite songs, but at the very least, be cognizant of a patient’s response to a song and stop playing it if they become distressed. While “Amazing Grace” may evoke happiness in some, it may remind others of funeral services and bring sadness.

A study conducted in 1999 at a Miami VA Medical Center by the University of Miami School of Medicine revealed that serum melatonin, norepinephrine, and epinephrine levels increased after Alzheimer’s patients received 30-40 minute music therapy sessions five times per week for four weeks. This helps explain why music can have a soothing and calming effect.

One of the most interesting recent discoveries that led to an outpouring of public support comes from a news documentary “Alive Inside” released in April 2012. In this story, social worker Dan Cohen showed us how he creates personalized playlists for elderly residents living in New York City nursing homes and places their favorite songs, chosen by loved ones, on an iPod for them to enjoy. One 92-year-old resident, Henry Dryer, “came alive” when a nursing home worker put headphones on his ears; he changed from sitting speechless and motionless in his wheelchair to declaring, “It gives me a feeling of love, romance!” (www.abcnews.go.com/health: “Alzheimer’s Disease: Brings Patients ‘Back to Life!’”)

Cohen began his work in 2006 and was so inspired by “awakenings” from elderly dementia residents that he founded a non-profit, the iPod Project, which collects new and used iPods to share with nursing home residents. If you would like to learn more or donate an iPod, visit www.musicandmemory.org. This site also gives instructions on how to work with someone you love to help them set up their own iPod and how to create playlists. The main objectives are to reconnect loved ones with their inner self, those around them, and their memories; to help them become more alert, attentive, and calm.

If you’re interested in exploring ways to preserve your own memory, then a great source for insightful information comes from Dr. Richard Isaacson, a neurologist specializing in Alzheimer’s disease, and author of a recently released book entitled Treating Alzheimer’s, Preventing Alzheimer’s: A Patient and Family Guide, 2011 Edition. He worked with professional musicians, neurologists, psychologists, and nurses to create a program that exercises the mind and stimulates memory. He contends that you should be an active participant with respect to music, whether it’s playing an instrument, beating a drum, or using his CDs to try something new. Visit www.musictherapyformemory.com for more information.

There is a lot we need to learn about the brain and how music has an impact on memory and aging. But in broad terms, research indicates that if you want to reduce your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, keep your mind active by doing something new with it on a consistent basis; learn to play a new instrument, create your own tunes or noise, or learn to memorize old songs. Hopefully, you’ll have fun in the process!