Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Healing, Feeling, and Rhythm: What's it all about?


Can music alter the way we think? Of course it can! Recently I ran into one of my former piano professors, a man that I had studied with long ago at a seminary here in Louisville, KY. His name is Maurice Hinson and he is retired but still quite a productive scholar. He mentioned some of the things he is engaging in and proceeded to explain how music can actually alter the way we think. Being very interested in the role of music and rhythm in relation to healing, I asked for his opinion on the therapeutic role of music. The reason this has taken on a very important role for me has to do with my research on depression and spirituality. While working with individuals with chronic depression, many indicated that music played a very important role in helping them cope with depression. I've heard this over and over and I know it to be true personally. What role does rhythm play? In my opinion, music is about emotion. Music expresses the type of emotions that words are not capable of. I believe that perhaps when one listens to music, in a way, one is able to find an expression to what goes on deep within one’s soul. And through the process of identification, this becomes a form of self-expression that articulates deep feelings that transcend words. What do you think?

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