Music and Healing
I am very intrigued with the effects of music on our environment as well as our bodies. As an educator, I have had the opportunity to conduct research in the area of neuroscience, specifically on the impact of certain types of music on students in the classroom and various learning environments. I have conducted several experiments by using classical music by Mozart, Beethoven and others, as well as music from various cultures. Studies have shown that students who take music lessons have improved IQ as well as Emotional Intelligence, and show improvement in nonmusical abilities as well. Other studies have shown that listening to music by Mozart produces a short-term improvement in tasks that use spatial abilities. Studies of brain circulation have shown that people listening to Mozart have more activity in certain areas of the brain. This has been called the “Mozart Effect”. This supports the theory that music can be used in many helpful ways.
I notice that music with certain frequencies and rates or tempos produce different effects on my learners. If I desire a focused individualized learning environment I will play Mozart. IF I desire a creative, interactive climate I will play cultural music with a different frequency and tempo.
As an herbalist, I have researched and conducted similar experiments on my plants in my gardens and green house. I am pleased to see that my results align with research in this area. The following is an excerpt from studies conducted by Dorothy Retallack in 1973. She published a book called The Sound of Music and Plants.
In her first experiment she simply played a constant tone. She played it continuously in the first chamber for 8 hours. In the second, she played a steady tone for hours, in the third she played no tone at all. The plants in the first chamber all died within 14 days. The plants in the second, grew abundantly and were extremely healthy, even more than the plants in the third chamber. The results were very similar to the experiments performed by the Muzak Corporation in the 1940s to determine the effects of background music on factory workers. When music was played continuously the workers became fatigued and less productive. When the music was played several times a day for shorter amounts of time, they were more productive, more alert and attentive then when no music was played.
Retallack’s second experiment used fresh plants and she placed radios in each chamber. One played rock music, the other played middle of the road music, like elevator music. Music was played three hours in each chamber. On the fifth day she began noticing drastic changes. In the chamber where the soothing music was playing the plants began to bend toward the radio. In the chamber where the rock music was playing half the plants had small leaves and had grown gangly, while the others were stunted. After two weeks, the plants in the soothing chamber were uniform in size, lush and green and were learning between 15 and 20 degrees toward the radio. The plants in the rock chamber had grown extremely tall and were dropping, the blossoms had faded and the stems were bending away from the radio. By the 16th day, all but a few plants in the rock chamber were in the last stages of dying. In the other chamber, the plants were alive and beautiful and growing abundantly.
Ms. Retallack conducted several other experiments using North Indian Classical music and Bach. The plants loved the Indian music the best, but in both chambers the plants leaned toward the speakers. They had not reaction to country and western music, or silence. They did like jazz though.
I think that there is enough evidence to say that we are deeply impacted by music and the effects certain music has on our physiology. It makes sense then that music would be a solid choice for therapy and healing. If music affects plants enough to cause them to flourish or die, how much more will affect our bodies and life systems? Enter Music Therapy.
For a more in-depth look at the studies mentioned go to www.dovesong.com/positive_music/plant_experiments.asp.
You may also want to check out this very interesting group of artists using digital means to measure the impulses and emitting of plants at www.datagarden.org/6422/quartet/
I will continue this subject in my next article on Music Therapy.
Remember, Nature Heals you Best!