Do you believe that music can heal?

[kawaeegirl]

I read this book about musical therapy and it definitly supported my theory that bass is healing. Must be those deep vibrations.
Or some people just say its psycological. Cause we practice when we feel down and then we concentrate on the music not our problems.
I think both are valid!
Either way, I am so thankful that I have something to get me through these hard times, and hope everyone else has something like this!

[Mike Crumpton]

I believe that music is healing and spiritual. Unfortunatley, it only takes you to a better place and inspiriation that already exisits within you IMHO despite how it feels at the time. It always makes me very sad to think of all the evil music lovers that have been well documented through history but there you go. However, some of the greatest music of all is in the service of religion. You don't need to believe to understand how the spirit is moved and to wonder if something so beautiful indicates divintiy itself.

As for bass, there are several aspects I find thereputic. Its tactile and physical and comforting. Bass lines themselves are meditative therepy. I like the supporting role and that is thereputic. And the bass notes hit the parts of the soul other instruments don't. Most instruments have no depth of quality of sound at low volume (living in a terrace this matters to me). And as I mentioned, it's tactile and physical nature means you draw the notes out with your whole body.

I find it gets me through depression and despondancy and can express joy and get caried away with a torrent of enthusiams that whilst it doesn't produce pretty notes reflects the mood whilst another instrument would choke and squeal - piano excepted perhaps. You can't express yourself with your mood and body sa physically with a wind instrument since you have to be in relaxed control all the time, as indeed yo do as a singer and it is the thing to do with bass - but bass will let you let yourself go - well I think so and this is just my personal take on it.

There are accredited music therapists just as there are art therepists so there is validity there. There is also the size of the thing, the inconvenience of it all, the presence of it that gives you reflected glory/status for taming it or just having the stupidity to do it at all - well why not - and that's therepy too.

As I told my friends - I bought my lover a new case for valentines day, but at least she lets me play with her err.. top string.

[hdiddy]

IMO, one of the earliest forms of music therapy has GOT to be the "Blues." Listen to any of the old lyrics... your dog done died, your husband/wife left, even your extramartial affair's turned sour, you lost your job, the rent's due, and despite all that, there's always a shining light of hope on the horizon. It's like catharsis for the ears. I don't think it's specific to any instrument.

I'm not talking like "Blues for Alice", more like the gritty low down blues. Guys like Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy, B.B. King, Louis Armstrong, etc. etc.... all of those guys played some really heartfelt blues. At least for me, listening to their music somehow made me feel better when I was down. I used to play in a Dixieland band in highschool. Whenever we played or heard something bluesy, it was like a lullabye for me - even if I was the one on stage.

FWIW, I remember Stanley Jordan being into more of the idea of "Musical Therapy". http://www.stanleyjordan.com/

[PaulCannon]

I believe that medicine is healing. Call me old fashioned, but if I had cancer I'd rather see a doctor than a symphony.

[Mr.Phil]

Music certainly can have an effect on mood and personality. A large amount of emotion can be expressed in music, through tempo, dynamics and especially lyrics. As for its value in treating a terminal illness, who knows? I can't say as I've never researched it. However, I do know that when I hear a solid, tight bass line, in any style of music, I can't help smiling. I get over come by an overall sense of happiness... and I'm pretty sure its the bass that does the trick. If listening to music is what works for you, do it!

[AxtoOx]

I don't believe it replaces medicine, but I do believe your mental state can have a lot to do with the healing process, and music can help your mental state. Especially if you are a musician.

[Gufenov]

Not in and of itself, but it's been well documented that state-of-mind has an impact on the healing process. Medicine may work, but it works better in conjunction with a positive attitude and that's where music can definitely make a difference.

[Kam]

My girlfriend is finishing up her degree in Music Therapy and i've taken a few classes as well in the subject to fulfill humanities credits. There is serious evidence that music therapy improves performance in patients with mental deficiencies and even stroke victims who have lost parts of their brain function. It's not proven to cure cancer or anything, but it definetely is a valid tool in mental afflictions.

I think it is too often brushed off to be on the same level as alternative treatment. There is alot of science and psycology training that goes into their training, it is far from "natural healers" and other things that don't really have concrete results.

Links:
http://www.musictherapy.org/
This site has a good video on the subject:
http://steinhardt.nyu.edu/music/page.php?page_id=718

[fdeck]

Originally Posted by kawaeegirl

I read this book about musical therapy and it definitly supported my theory that bass is healing. Must be those deep vibrations.
Or some people just say its psycological. Cause we practice when we feel down and then we concentrate on the music not our problems.
I think both are valid!
Either way, I am so thankful that I have something to get me through these hard times, and hope everyone else has something like this!

I think it's well enough established that your state of mind affects your health. And a lot of health issues are behavioral -- think about things like diet and exercise. If music helps you live a better life, you can assume that it will improve your health.

Of course playing music professionally also exposes you to a lot of things that can kill you. I have seen that happen.

[Tbeers]

What music does for me is it calms me down like nothing else. No matter how pissed off I am, the bass somehow seems to absorb my anger. I feel at ease the moment I touch the strings!

Whether or not that is healing, I guess it's debatable. But I think it's great that I can rely on music rather than pills to keep my emotions in check.

[Diddlysquat]

I believe that God heals. He has many tools available to him, music included.