Adam Guilbeaux
English 102-Section 064
Mrs. O’Carroll
10, February 2009
Essay #1
Healing Sound of Music
Cultures throughout the world have used the power of music to strengthen, give power, and heal for many years. Music and healing powers can be traced back to Apollo, the Greek god who was the father of both music and medicine. Music and healing go hand in hand, and recent studies have proved this. Studies show music steadies the brain waves, and lowers blood pressure resulting in a reduction in anxiety and depression. Music therapy comes in two forms: either listening or performing.
Melissa Etheridge’s essay expressed how she used music to soothe herself. It allowed her to be herself. She listened and performed. When she became a performer she was able to communicate her feelings and her pain through her music. This gave her a sense of peace. She used her music to comfort her grandmother and show her how she really felt. She was unable to convey her emotions except through music. Music gave her a sense of security, something she had been lacking all her life. It made her feel safe.
In the January 2008 issue of the New York Times, a study was done by the Cochrane Collaboration. They found that music therapy proved to prevent depression in four out of five of the tests. Music therapy improved the mood of the patients and helped them feel relaxed when they expressed their feelings. The music affected their bodies and mind and helped to arouse their brains. They also found that personal preference of music produced more desirable effects.
In fact, research proves that all music has healing potential, but different styles produce different neurological effects. Studies show classical music has a calming effect while rock may cause anguish. These studies as well as all the others, prove that more in depth studies need to be done.
Another study was reported in the U.S. National Library of Medicine done by the Department...