MUSIC BRINGS GROWTH

WHERE ARE WE NOW?

It is summer and the world is just beginning to emerge from many seasons of fear and isolation. I am extremely fortunate and privileged to be in a place where the prevalence and dangers of COVID-19 are fading and restrictions are lifting. As soon as I was eligible, along with thousands of others, I became vaccinated at Gillette Stadium, the giant football stadium here in Massachusetts. Too bad I wasn’t in western Massachusetts to witness the awe of a spontaneous concert by cellist, Yoyo Ma, a generous offering after his own vaccination. But now that I have this protection, I am able to gather with loved ones once again, and look forward to being back at Berklee for in-person classes in the fall.

The pandemic is far from over, with new variants and worrisome statistics across many countries. But it appears that we are at a turning point, with hope that access to vaccines and vigilance to iterations of the virus will allow us to rejoin our communities safely. At times of transition like these, we have the opportunity to reflect on our experiences and use this wisdom to help others and contribute to society at large. So I have been asking my students what they will remember about this global pandemic. Yes, there have been so many losses, but what about moments of gratitude and meaning?  I remind them that they have shown resilience by staying with their studies during this challenging time. But when they learn from their encounters, re-evaluate how they are living, and use their talents to serve others, they can triumph over adversity. Psychologist Jamil Zaki says: “Resilience is staying the course through a storm. Growth is charting a new course” (see Zaki’s “The War for Kindness”).

After we have lived without live music-making, ensembles, and concerts for so long, what will this “new course” look like in the world of music? How can we create a new musical world that celebrates our common humanity, makes music of all kinds more accessible, and reminds us of what is beautiful and right (or must be righted!) in the world?  

AFFIRMING A NEW COURSE OF ACTION

In my solitude, I felt powerless, overwhelmed by the state of affairs, and despondent about how I could possibly grow out of this. Then I met Emmy-winning producer, guitarist, and composer, Chris Sholar, who urged me to create an affirmation (just like the personal jingle I mentioned in a previous blog post) and offered to orchestrate it. Here it is:

 “My presence in this world has purpose. What I do and who I am can make a difference. I pledge to be present. I pledge to be good. I pledge to bring peace wherever and however I can.”

Collectively, if we weave together our imaginative threads of hope for the future, what a colorful quilt we can embroider! Already, the creative spirits of the world have written, researched, and recorded their experiences through the era of COVID-19. I asked the students in my research class to investigate how music has been applied during this time, and their findings appear in a blog for the International Association for Music & Medicine.

 “Virtual music-based interventions have helped people connect with music, music therapy, and music medicine strategies, and musicians have been using their talents to share their creations and personal expressions via online platforms.”

Indeed, tele-health has added a new dimension of care to reach those who are home-bound or unable to travel. Music of almost every genre is available and ready for downloading. What can we learn from this time and from the musical offerings of this time?

EXPLORING THE WISDOM OF MUSIC

There is wisdom in connecting with music. “The Symphony of Science” chronicles the musical backgrounds and talents of nine Nobel Laureates, and gives us an inkling of what we can learn from music.

 “From seeing problems in a new way to fostering discipline, expressing creativity to working as a team, music has helped many laureates in both work and life.” 

 “The code of life is like Beethoven’s Symphony – it’s intricate, it’s beautiful. But we don’t know how to write like that.” – Chemist Frances Arnold in her 2018 Nobel Lecture, regarding how she applied genetic change and selection to create proteins

Actually, we do know how to write like that. We write our lives, our stories, our sounds, our messages, and our feelings – not just like Beethoven, but very much from our own hearts and souls. Thomas Südhof, another Nobel Laureate, states:

“I think trying to be marginally successful in learning how to be a musician taught me how to be a scientist: there is no creativity if one does not master the subject and pay exquisite attention to the details, but there is also no creativity if one cannot transcend the details and the common interpretation of such details, and use one’s mastery of the subject like an instrument to develop new ideas.”  

MAKING LASTING MEMORIES

It’s certainly a good time to generate new ideas for a better future. Yet we must acknowledge the struggles and losses that have led us to this time and place. Music pays tribute to the legacy of a life as nothing else can. My dear friend and colleague, Daniel Kobialka, memorialized my son Sam, of blessed memory, in his music, “Labyrinth of Imaging Mirrors,” and later asked me to record Sam’s words alongside wisdom of the “Tao Te Ching” in “The Remembrance of One.” Sadly, Daniel passed away this year, but in his lifetime, he created music for health, wellness, and a profound understanding of what is meaningful to all of us.

HOW CAN WE GROW AT THIS TIME?

Here are some thoughts:

*Reflect on life since the coronavirus came into our lives

            Acknowledge the challenges and losses

Detail the lessons learned, the superpowers used, and the moments of gratitude and meaning

*Identify music that represents your experience in some way

*Meditate, muse, and/or journal about something you feel strongly about or wish to carry with you

*Express a kernel of your learning in a phrase, affirmation, or thought; set it to a jingle, song, or use it as inspiration for an entire piece of original music

*Reach out to others to explore your common experience, and collaborate, form an ensemble, perform, teach/learn, or compose music together

*Create a musical tribute to/for someone else e.g., playlist, original music, performance

*Commit to engaging with music in a new way

            Mastering a musical skill/Developing your talent

            Giving/Attending a performance in a safe setting

            Learning new repertoire or a new instrument (including your voice)

            Sharing your favorite music or new music with others

            Supporting the arts through your attendance, donation, or leadership

LET’S EMBROIDER THAT COLORFUL QUILT!

MUSIC BRINGS AN ANTIDOTE TO TOXICITY

VACCINES AND VIOLENCE

The year 2021 began with hopes of new vaccines for COVID-19 and a more unified United States with the promise of a new administration. Instead, in the past week, we witnessed resurgence of coronavirus cases worldwide and insurgence with the storming of the US Capitol. So many of us, myself included, are feeling like there are so many things happening that are well beyond our individual control. Furthermore, in order to preserve our own safety and health, we are disconnected from our usual channels of social support and cultural interchange, as we continue to endure the consequences of this global pandemic. I pine for the days when we can attend concerts together again. But what can we possibly do now to take control of our feelings and regulate our emotions?

In Greater Good Magazine, Dacher Keltner provides an answer. He says, “Choose awe: Wander outdoors looking for awe, reflect on people whose courage and kindness give you the chills, listen to music that lifts you up. If you open yourself up to feeling awe, our research suggests you’ll gain strength for facing our collective challenges. And perhaps lead us out of the toxic dimension of these times, to an age of awe.”

I like to think that we can do this – enter the age of awe – when we really listen and allow ourselves to feel the awe of music. Music can echo our feelings, helping us identify and acknowledge how we feel. It can also change our moods, soothing or exciting us, validating or empowering us. Back in March, my first blog post after learning about COVID-19 addressed how to use the “iso-principle” to create music playlists to modulate emotions and manage moods. This concept is based on matching your feelings with music and slowly changing the music with the intention of changing your mood. Here’s a video from my Berklee Online course that explains this technique and illustrates it in a single piece of music. Currently, I am partnering with Pandora to show listeners how to create their own Mood Manager Playlists, based on the iso-principle.  

Find mood manager playlists on the Pandora app.

HOW TO CREATE A MOOD MANAGER PLAYLIST

 The next time you listen to your favorite music, notice how you feel – in your body, mind, and soul.

How does your body feel? Are you moving to the music or bopping around and dancing to it? Are you breathing more deeply? Is it energizing or relaxing you, or something else entirely?

What thoughts come to mind? Does this music remind you of someone special or a memorable time in your life? If you close your eyes, do you see beautiful places or perhaps, where you were when you first heard this music? Is there an important message in the lyrics that confirms your attitude?

These are some ways to get in touch with how each piece of music affects you. Now for the mood manager part:

Sometimes you feel out of sorts or simply not yourself, and your musical favorites aren’t doing the trick to shake you out of a funk. Try this: Find some music that matches your mood. Maybe it speaks to you, reflects how you’re feeling right now, or has that vibe that meets your energy or natural rhythm. The lyrics might express something that makes you say, “Yes, that’s exactly how I feel!” Listen to that music and notice how your body and mind react, perhaps even your soul. Take some time to reflect on how you feel while you listen. Be aware that it might be easy to wallow in music that matches your loneliness, sadness, or nervousness. But, while acknowledging your true feelings can be good for you, you don’t want to stay there too long.

So the next step is to find music that communicates the way you’d like to feel – hopeful, content, energized? – you decide. What music evokes that mood you’re looking for? Those will be the final selections on your mood manager playlist.  

Next identify some music in the middle – music that takes you from where you are to where you want to be. Maybe it has a sad vibe, but hopeful lyrics, or it’s upbeat but has a serious message. There’s your new mood manager playlist! It starts with the music that fits your mood, adds that music in the middle ground, and ends with the music that gives you the mood you are seeking.

Here are some mood manager playlist samples from music therapists who have helped people build their own. They might give you an idea of what one looks like, but you really need to create your own unique playlist to truly make a difference!

SAMPLE MOOD MANAGER PLAYLISTS

Four gifted music therapists shared the following playlists that they developed for people in distress. It is imperative to keep in mind that these are only examples of playlists. Pandora published these as Mood Manager Playlists on their app. Please check them out and then create your own!

Lonely to Connected

Feeling lonely? Here’s a playlist that starts in a lonesome place with a song of that title by Kina Grannis, and takes a musical journey all the way to connection with Whitney Houston. This lonely to connected playlist comes to you from Mark Fuller, Jr., a music therapist at Boston Children’s Hospital.

Mark Fuller Jr.

Lonely to Connected Playlist

Lonely to Connected Playlist

1) Lonesome by Kina Grannis 

2) Palace by Sam Smith 

3) Distance by Emily King 

4) Light On by Maggie Rogers 

5) Count On Me by Bruno Mars 

6) Mr. Blue Sky by Electric Light Orchestra 

7) Another Night On Mars by The Maine 

8) Feel the Need by Eryn Allen Kane 

9) Parachute by Ingrid Michaelson 

10) I Want to Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me) by Whitney Houston

Sad to Hopeful

When you’re feeling down, Beck’s “End of the Day” may agree with you. Sarah Blacker’s “Ease the Burn” might resonate. Slowly, gradually, these selections move to a more hopeful state of mind. This sad to hopeful mood manager was created by singer-songwriter and music therapist, Sarah Blacker.

Sarah Blacker

Sad to Hopeful Playlist

Sad to Hopeful Sample Playlist

1) End of the Day - Beck

2) Ease the Burn - Sarah Blacker

3) I Can Change - Lake Street Dive

4) Slow Burn - Kacey Musgraves

5) A Beautiful Noise - Alicia Keys, Brandi Carlile 

6) My Silver Lining - First Aid Kit

7) If It Takes a Lifetime - Jason Isbell

8) I'll Get Along - Michael Kiwanuka

9) Brightest Light - Radio Edit - FDVM, Josh Wantie

10) A Sky Full of Stars – Coldplay

Sluggish to Energized

Maybe you’re just so tired that you cannot muster the energy to get going. H.E.R. might affirm that you’re not OK right now. But slowly, this sluggish to energized mood manager might transport you into “Bittersweet” territory with Lianne La Havas, and land you with a rousing “Rain on Me” by Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande. This playlist is brought to you by Marisabelle Diaz, music therapist at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Marisabelle Diaz

Sluggish to Energized Playlist

Sluggish to Energized Sample Playlist

1)     I’m Not OK - H.E.R.

2)     Moral of The Story - Ashe Feat 

3)     Someone You Loved - Lewis Capaldi

4)   Making Do - Lake Street Dive

5)   Bittersweet - Lianne La Havas

6)   Underdog - Alicia Keys 

7)   Sunday Best - Surfaces

8)   Backyard Boy - Clair Rosinkranz 

9)   Dynamite - BTS

10) Rain On Me - Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande 

Nervous to Calm

Here’s a different take. Rather than enhancing your energy, this playlist is designed to gradually soothe your soul. Sometimes it’s really hard to relax and settle down when you are feeling anxious or nervous. If jazz is your genre, you might see if this nervous to calm playlist by music therapist, Samuel Gracida, takes you to a place where you can chill. Remember to develop playlists like these with your own special mood managing music, and enjoy!

Samuel Gracida

Nervous to Calm Playlist

Nervous to Calm (with jazz) Sample Playlist

1)     Super Nova - Wayne Shorter
2) All of Us - Pat Metheny & Ornette Coleman
3) Caravan - Duke Ellington
4) Questar - Keith Jarrett, Jan Garbarek
5) Island Feeling - Dave Holland, Zakir Hussain
6) Dear Lord - John Coltrane
7) My Funny Valentine - Grant Green
8) Here’s That Rainy Day - Joe Pass
9) Blue in Green - Miles Davis
10) The Beauty of Dissolving Portraits - Ambrose Akinmusire

ANOTHER WAY TO HAPPINESS

I think we could all use a few more happy moments, so I am pleased to include another playlist, this one by Tom Sweitzer. Tom is the co-founder, creative director, and head of music therapy at “A Place To Be,” a non-profit agency serving more than 400 families in Virginia. Tom also writes musicals for musicians of all sizes and shapes, and they always make me smile. So I close with Tom’s playlist for moving from Sad to Happy.

Tom Sweitzer

Sad to Happy Playlist

Sad to Happy Playlist

1)    People Help the People – Birdy

2)    Fix You – Coldplay

3)    Begin Again – The Piano Guys 2

4)    Theme from Forrest Gump

5)    Rise Up – Andra Day

6)    Before the Parade Passes by – Barbara Streisand

7)    Waving through a Window – Dear Evan Hansen (Musical)

8)    Feeling Good – Michael Buble

9)    Higher Love – Whitney Housten

10) Wake Me Up Before I Go Go – Wham

11) Happy – Pharrel Williams

One of the most inspiring films I have seen is about a man named Forrest Allen and his music therapist, Tom Sweitzer. Please enjoy this winner of “Best Social Impact” film at the Greenwich International Film Festival, Music Got Me Here.

MUSIC BRINGS CHANGE

FIGHTING SILENCE

I was almost ready to post my blog on SILENCE. I had reactivated my own meditation practice while sheltering in place, albeit not very regularly nor for long periods at a time. I craved to be enveloped in a meditative spirit that would evoke a deep sense of peace and engender new insights. I fought silence, when it brought me back to memories deeply buried. I fought it, when sitting in silence made my physically uncomfortable. Occasionally, I found it – that silence that allowed me to be with myself, accept myself, and be myself.

Then the world awakened! Marches to honor George Floyd and to protest the brutal killing of black people by police sent massive vibrations through previously silent city streets with chants of “Black Lives Matter!” Silent tributes to Mr. Floyd and other black people who died in police custody asked us to remember George Floyd’s final 8 minutes and 46 seconds of life (You can observe the silence at George Floyd’s memorial service here.)

Suddenly, silence meant inaction, avoiding taking a stand, and allowing injustice to continue. This was silence that I needed to fight against. I had just been elected President of the International Association for Music & Medicine, and decided to use that platform to send this personal message:

     “As the world begins to reawaken from the sleep induced by COVID-19, awareness of injustice, disparity, inequality, and discrimination is keen and palpable. In the 8 minutes and 46 seconds of silence observed by many of us in the United States to acknowledge the final minutes of George Floyd’s life, we looked inside our own hearts and souls to honor a human life and to acknowledge the brutality of power.

Silence compels us to stop, to embody, and to feel the weight of what seemed to many of us like eternity – a slow death of righteousness and morality. Silence may shout at us to take action, but how?

As a music therapist and President of the International Association for Music & Medicine, I have asked myself what I can do at this tumultuous time. Certainly, music and rhythm arouse movement, momentum, and energy, and guide us to move and chant in synchrony. We become one, united in a common cause, through our marches for action and also in our empathy for a troubled world. 

Throughout history, music has brought us together. Now perhaps it is time to sing the songs that can move us forward, to play our instruments to express both outrage and hope, and to compose music that communicates the important messages for our time and for our future. Wherever we are in the world, whatever language we speak, whenever we have something to say, music can be a courier of unity and peace. Let each of us play and sing our part, and maybe the anthem, We Shall Overcome,  shall be heard.”

 You can listen to the message here.

MAKING CHANGE

In the silence following this speech, my rhetoric felt impotent. Now what? So what? I felt the impact of a shaken world even more viscerally. Anyone can say anything, but how can that create lasting change?

In “The Structure of Scientific Revolutions,” Thomas Kuhn talks about how real change comes about in science. He says that the greatest paradigm shifts – changes in the way we think about and approach things – do not occur with discovery building on discovery, in a systematic way. Rather, significant changes happen when our theories fall apart or when we witness something totally unexpected. I like to think that when I feel the world I know crashing down, I can build a future that is new and better than anything it could have been before.

It was after the murder of President John F. Kennedy that Leonard Bernstein told us: “Our music will never again be quite the same. This will be our reply to violence: to make music more intensely, more beautifully, more devotedly than ever before.”

ENDURING DIFFICULT TIMES THROUGH MUSIC

How can each of us apply our own profound and sacred creations – our music – to change the world or to heal our world?

* Silence might provide the space you need to contemplate a message to the world. What do you wish to communicate? To enhance its impact, express this idea through chant, song, improvised piece, or instrumentals. Seal your message in music that imparts the feelings, as well as the ideas.

* Maybe your message needs to be for you. What do you need to hear or transmit in order to feel like you are able to make a difference? Some of the personal affirmations from the “Music Brings Focus” on April 8, 2020 might be relevant now.

* What will you remember from this time? Create a musical tribute that reflects your response now. When you look back, perhaps this new musical creation will remind you that inspiration, imagination, and ingenuity guided your reactions.

* Reveal how you feel or how you want to feel through music. Whether you are producing, composing, or hearing music, this expression may help you cope or confront what you are experiencing. Music is capable of conveying and processing your feelings better than any words.

* What is your superpower? What personal characteristics do you own that can help the world be a better place? Generosity? Compassion? Gratitude? Concern for others? All these can be shown through your musical gifts to others. You don’t need to write your own music; your playlists for different moods and emotions can help others cope, too.

MUSIC IS…

I have to believe that everything I do to maintain my own inner peace will create a more peaceful world. I have to believe that the music I bring forth – whether through composing, performing, improvising, sharing, or listening – is capable of creating a better world. Music is… so many things. Listen here to “Music is…” composed and conducted by Salvador Brotons, performed by members of the International Association for Music & Medicine and the World Federation of Music Therapy, a virtual ensemble that gathered after those organizations’ international meetings were cancelled, due to the pandemic.

From “Music is…” - a virtual ensemble of iAMM & WFMT

MUSIC BRINGS AWE

EMBRACING DARKNESS

I have been sheltering in place for well over a month now, and I am feeling numb. I am blessed with a comfortable home and a loving husband to share this time – so very fortunate to have what I need and able to reflect on this experience. So I feel guilty when I realize how anxious and depressed I am feeling. I chant affirmations like these, based on wisdom teaching me to embrace darkness, isolation, pain, and confusion, in order to bring meaning to my life:

“Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars.” - Kahlil Gibran

“There is no education like adversity.” - Benjamin Disraeli

“What hurts you, blesses you. Darkness is your candle.” - Rumi

Yet I also find that I am desperate to shake myself out of this, turn my feelings around, and recharge my energy.

FINDING FLOW

I am craving “flow,” that optimal experience that Mihaly Csikzentmihalyi has described and researched. Csikzentmihalyi tells us that this state entails:

*Intense focus

*Ecstasy

*Clarity

*Confidence

*Timelessness

*Motivation

Wow – do I need this now!?! But how can I possibly generate this awesome sensation, especially when I feel the opposite?

FLOWING THROUGH MUSIC

I am very lucky. I have a piano – a piano that has been with me throughout much of my life, and that, at certain moments, has spawned all of those feelings that define flow. I don’t necessarily feel flow when I am practicing. But once I master a challenging piece of music that I really love, I find myself in a remarkable place of contentment. Sometimes I am playing around at the piano, and suddenly hear something beautiful. It is this melding of mastery and the challenge to my skillset that creates the fully immersive experience of flow.

You may not have a piano or other musical instrument around. But you always have your personal instrument with you - your voice. Perhaps you have something handy that can serve as a drum or percussive accompaniment to your favorite music. You also own a source of growth, known as creativity, that can be applied to any of your inner resources.

Think of something you have wanted to learn – like an instrument – or a skill you wished you had – like an ability to sing. Perhaps you are inspired by poetry, and would like to set some favorite poems to music. Maybe you journal or enjoy writing, and have a desire to turn the words into lyrics and set them to music. Have you always wanting to compose music? There’s an app for that!  

Seriously, music stores and musicians are expanding their services and repertoires to include teaching online, developing new apps to make music-making more accessible, and even designing new electronic sounds and music.

HOW TO SOW FLOW

Here are some ways to turn the tide of feelings to flow with you:

* Give yourself a new challenge to learn a new instrument or piece of music.

* Develop your voice through vocal instruction, coaching, or online lessons.

* Check out music-making apps to provide a framework for your creative efforts.

* Learn to improvise.

* Connect with someone who loves music and can brainstorm with you about musical options.

* Sing, play, or improvise (through whatever connections you choose) with someone who is musical.

* Commit to learning a new song or piece of music right now!

* Master something new today!

You might have to take a risk to try something out of your wheelhouse. But who knows – maybe one of these paths will enable you appreciate that remarkable sensation of flow!

Here is an example of a short film that I created for broadcast in the Boston Hope Medical Center – a temporary hospital for COVID-19 patients. This collaboration with Dr. Maria Hernandez, who edited the film to include the rose images, made me flow all over!  Enjoy “To A Wild Rose.”

The New Music Therapist’s Handbook has lots of examples of how music therapists help others to experience the joy and awe of music, even as they face significant life challenges.

MUSIC BRINGS FOCUS

STRESS IS ALL AROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected each of us differently, and we all handle stress in our own ways. But there is no question that at this unprecedented moment in the world, there are major shifts in how we live daily life and immense challenges to how we usually manage stress.

I was reminded of the significant impact of stress yesterday, when I attended Integrative Medicine Grand Rounds at Harvard Medical School (virtually, of course). Cardiologist Dr. Ahmed Tawakol shared his research and presented more than 20 years of findings related to the influence of chronic stress on health. Dr. Tawakol showed us evidence clearly indicating that stress can both precipitate and aggravate many diseases, including many life-threatening conditions, like cardiovascular disease and cancer, as well as colds and multiple viruses.  He also cited studies of stress management strategies that significantly reduce the risk of contracting these conditions. It is very good news that managing your stress can actually counteract harmful effects and keep you healthier.

YOUR PERSONAL AFFIRMATION

If you have been reading these posts, I hope you see that there are many ways to reduce stress through music. In addition to bringing peace and power to your life, music is also capable of focusing your attention on something meaningful and important to you. In this way, it can effectively interrupt the flow of negative thoughts, worries, or dysfunctional patterns of thinking. When you can’t seem to stop thinking about your fear of the virus, personal losses, or concerns about your future, here is a way to disrupt spiraling into pessimism and send your thoughts whirling into optimism.

Perhaps you have an affirmation, a chant, a prayer, a blessing, or a line of poetry that reminds you of your best attributes or values. Maybe there is a word or phrase that brings to mind a positive intention or hopeful image. What message do you need to hear to set your inner compass to “center” and feel more balanced?

Consider these statements for one’s self that might resonate with you:

* “I can make it through this”

* “I can hold it together”

* “I can learn something about what is important”

* “Through adversity comes ability”

* “My door is closed, but my heart is open”

* “Peace begins with me”

* “I can’t change these conditions, but I can change my perceptions”

* “I don’t like it, but I can do it”

* “I am capable of tolerating this”

* “I can find my inner strength”

* “Here is a chance to show who I am”

* “I see how much I care about others”

*  “This too will pass”

* “Don’t worry, be happy”

Maybe there is a song lyric that you love, for example, ”Like a Bridge Over Troubled Water,” or some single words you might relate to, for instance:
* Peace * Hope

* Love * Now

* Open * Acceptance

Find the words that really speak to you right now. Can you be compassionate with yourself and truly take in this positive message? It has to be something that you really believe for it to work.

YOUR PERSONAL JINGLE

Surely you are familiar with jingles – those catchy tunes that tend to get stuck in your head. I’ll bet you recall some that are designed by the advertising industry to sell you a product or service. But you can take back this ability of music to infuse your thinking with a message and use it for personal good.

Set your self-statement or word to a simple melody. Here are some ways to find that music:

* Use the natural inflection of your statement and exaggerate it a bit to guide the melody.

* Think of a catchy tune and fit your words to its contour.

* Select a musical theme from a favorite song and use it to accompany your words.

* Play around and improvise music to suit your statement.

* If you don’t want to sing, chant the word or statement in a way that feels right.

I suggest closing your eyes so that you can go inward to take in the impact of your jingle. Repeat the jingle several times until you create the sounds that accentuate your message in your own way. When you find yourself in a state of worry or confusion, sing or chant your jingle and notice how you feel.

Tara Brach, the author of Radical Acceptance speaks of how our thoughts can all too quickly manifest into despair. Creating a personal jingle is one approach to radical acceptance that can help us realign our thinking, remind us of what we need in this time of need, and reinforce the best part of ourselves. And that may very well get us all through this chaotic time.

Listen to some jingles created by my Berklee Online students. You will see that you don’t have to have an operatic voice to compose and sing a jingle.

To learn more about this approach to positive thinking through music, see my chapter on cognitive-behavioral music therapy in Barbara Wheeler’s Music Therapy Handbook :

MUSIC BRINGS INNER PEACE

At this time, the Coronavirus continues to spread, and containment strategies challenge our most fundamental freedoms to live and work the way we wish. The sanctions may protect our physical health, but are wreaking havoc with our mental, emotional, and spiritual health. Many of us are barred from going to work or even going outside to exercise or breathe fresh air.

PEACE INSIDE PANDEMONIUM

Looking out on a chaotic world that cannot assure us that escalating rates of COVID-19 will slow or that companies will be back in business soon, we see an uncertain future and grave implications of this global pandemic. How can we cope with an external world in despair?

Sam Hanser, my son of blessed memory, wrote:

“To be human is such a twisted blessing. We have an embodied existence with all the horrific and ecstatic feelings that come with it. But as we learn to find presence within the range of all of it we can discover a power to change our destiny. What can seem like a curse of pain can transform into an experience of empowerment.” (Hanser, Samuel (2009). Growth & Grace: Human Becomings)

This is a remarkable vision of how healing empowerment resides in the presence found within us. But how can we access this precious presence?  Sam would say that we need to find our inner healer to guide this process. I would add that we can find the creativity within us to explore the inner healer. In doing so, we have the capacity to create a sense of peace within.  

MUSIC EMPOWERS

Each of us holds enormous power to change how we perceive the world. But when we are surrounded by threats, we may need an extra source of inspiration – a power song – to remind us of our highest ideals and values, our potential to overcome adversity. “Power songs” are part of both ancient traditions and contemporary practices to transform the way we approach life.

When we play a piece of music that speaks to us, that expresses something we didn’t even know we felt, we can explore the range of our feelings while finding a sense of empathy in the music – yes, that’s just how I feel!

Berklee College of Music students sang out their heartfelt message of “What the World Needs Now” with their virtual orchestra. There is an endless supply of great music to experience. We can find our own sources and power in existing music and we can also create our own.

WHAT IS YOUR POWER SONG?

A power song doesn’t need to be mighty and commanding. It could just as well be peaceful and calm or simple and sweet. If it has the power to transform your feelings, consider it your power song.

*Make sure you find time on a regular basis to sing it out, dance to it, hum it, listen to it, accompany it, or play it on an instrument you know or always wanted to learn.

*Record it, harmonize it, embellish it, and find a new way to re-create it in your own way.

*Start a “power club” to share your power music mixes and playlists, and ask your friends and loved ones to contribute their own.

*Listen together with friends or trusted others so that you can process your feelings.

*Find a music therapist to help you process the underlying feelings generated by your power music.

*If you play an instrument, play your heart out or improvise what you want to communicate.

I find my power when I play piano. “The Girl with the Flaxen Hair” by Debussy empowers me to find inner peace. I hope you enjoy my interpretation!

Here is an animated film created by the talented Berklee Online team designed to demonstrate how someone with a severe heart condition and diabetes copes with her anxiety and chronic pain – enough to get a good night’s rest. Perhaps the lesson is important for you, too!

You can read more about power songs in Integrative Health through Music Therapy. 

MUSIC BRINGS IT ALL TOGETHER

Many of us around the world are isolated at this time – we’re social distancing, in quarantine, sheltering-in-place, or simply alone. Support systems are disrupted, and all of us are at risk for increased anxiety, depression, and compromised immune systems. So, how can we connect with loved ones without touching them?

LET MUSIC TOUCH YOU AND YOURS

Fortunately, if you are able to read this blog, then you can access music through all sorts of apps and devices. As I wrote in Music Brings Harmony to the Staccato of the World, you can create playlists to change how you feel. But, sometimes plugging in those earbuds can result in an even greater sense of isolation from others.

FOCUS ON THE BEAUTIFUL

Make a determined effort to focus on meaningful music, rather than listening just to block out bad news and outside chaos.

*As you immerse in your music, listen to what is happening in your body, mind, and spirit.

*Notice the memories that are ignited, the images that color your mind, and the associations that evoke pleasant moods and good feelings.

*Next, share some of your favorite music with others. Send a link to a friend, remind family of music played at an important event, or discover some new music and recommend it on social media.

*Better yet, sing along with music you love, improvise with body percussion, or dance around the room.  

*Connect with loved ones to listen together and find ways to enhance the music by harmonizing, accompanying with percussion or other instruments, or talking about what you love about the music.

*If you are stuck at home, engage everyone in sharing their favorites and start a dance party or sing-off. All ages are welcome!

*You can record and post these creative experiences to show people you know that you are doing just fine.

*Or, you can move out on your balcony, like people in Italy are doing, to come together in community, even when a quarantine is in effect.

LOOKING FOR SOMETHING DIFFERENT?

Enjoy this hand chime improvisation!

Interested in more ways to apply music? Check out this book and CD

MUSIC BRINGS HARMONY TO THE STACCATO OF THE WORLD

As a music therapist, I have had the privilege of witnessing the powerful impact of music on stress and the wide-ranging applications of music therapy interventions for stress-related conditions. There is scientific evidence to support many of these effects, but what about the stress of living through the staccato of today’s world – fear – confusion – isolation – rising death tolls – anguish of a global pandemic? Can something as simple as engaging with music really help us with the earth-shattering fear of the Coronavirus?

 One tried-and-true music therapy strategy for people in distress is based on matching the mood and feelings of a person with a fitting piece of music. Music therapists meet people where they are, and then gradually modulate the musical experience to change how they feel. In 1948, Ira Altshuler coined the term “iso-principle” to describe this phenomenon. Now, scientists use the word “entrainment” to explain the way in which one’s physical movements, breath, and emotional responses can synchronize with music that the person hears.

CREATE SOME NEW PLAYLISTS

So here is something you can do.

*Categorize your music playlists by mood. You might create some playlists that evoke happiness, peace, excitement, or silliness. Then add some that express sadness, anger, frustration, or restlessness.

*Develop an “iso-principle” playlist by first finding a piece of music that matches how you feel when you are in distress – perhaps the musical phrases, harmonies, or rhythm resonate with your energy, or the song lyrics say something you didn’t even know you were feeling. Then select music that communicates how you would like to feel. These will be the first and last pieces for your new playlist. Next fill in the gap between these two with music that is similar to the first piece, and gradually becomes more like the last piece. You can interpret this any way that seems right for you. Here’s a video that explains this process and illustrates this through a single piece of music. See how it works for you. 

ACCOMPANY LIFE WITH MUSIC

 Then sometimes, when we feel immersed in the melee of news reports and predictions of Armageddon, we just need to laugh and have some fun! My Berklee Online students are discussing appropriate music for a 20-second hand-washing. My favorite is Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive.” Take a break and enjoy!

FROM MY PEACE PLAYLIST

I recorded A Contemplation Garden of Music with the intention of binging peace to the world. The Native American flute takes me far away from my troubles. Try it!