Therapeutic Music Set
"For adult patients, half of an hour of music produces the same effect as ten milligrams of Valium.”
Dr. Raymond Bahr, Head of the Coronary Care Unit at Baltimore's St. Agnes Hospital
As a trained Clinical Musician, I know just how effective music can be in the treatment of pain and anxiety. That's why I'm offering two albums from my collection of carefully crafted therapeutic music: Respite & Amongst Moonlight. Bring this set with you to visit those who are ill, in recovery, or anyone in need of rest. The albums can be used for all ages to enhance any healing environment.
Respite – Deep Peace
“If I had known there was beauty like this, I wouldn’t be here now.”
That was the comment a hospice patient said to me as I finished playing guitar at his bedside. I was humbled. Thirty minutes earlier, I had stopped to visit John on my rounds as a Music Practitioner. John was a truck driver in his 50’s, and the floor supervisor had warned that I might find John disagreeable.
Much of what I played that afternoon is included on the Respite album. This was my first repertoire as I embarked upon a new journey that would bring comfort and healing to many patients. There are some early Renaissance pieces, slowed down and embellished with improvisations, and there are original compositions. The tracks are meant to be played from the beginning if possible, as great consideration has been given to the sequence of tracks.
When you want to slow down, breathe deeply and remember the beauty in life that can get easily buried under life’s anxieties. Turn off the phones, turn down the lights and listen to Respite.
Amongst Moonlight – A Night Time Journey
“As soon as the CDs arrived, my sister, who is a nurse, put on the music. It played continuously for the last three days of my mother’s life. It dramatically eased her pain, comforted family and staff, and brought dignity and calm to those last days.” - Jim Anderson, Grammy Award Winning Recording Engineer and Music Producer
Amongst Moonlight is the first album I recorded with my Harp Guitar. I worked within therapeutic guidelines (for reducing pain and anxiety) and strove to create an aural experience that will support repeated listening.
The Sound Palette: Harp guitar, vocal, cello, and winds are my favorite ‘organic’ sounds and can be listened to for long periods without creating ear fatigue. For variety, I've sprinkled a touch of electronica elements here and there to intrigue the listener.
The inspiration for this album was the nocturne, which is ‘a short composition of a romantic or dreamy character suggestive of night’. All compositions are original and careful choices were made with regards to melody, texture, meter, playing style, arrangement, and tempo.