What music is best for healing?

I get this question quite frequently. Understandable. People want to know what music to go out and buy so they can begin healing their mind, body, and spirit. I used to feel the same way. Tell me what to buy so I can go buy it, maybe 2 or3 of them so I can give one to a friend. But guess what?! The music that is best for YOU is the music you already know and love. It's the music that is familiar to you and has calmed you or energized you in the past. Now obviously, the more music you know or learn, then the more choices you have. The more calm, soothing music that you have, especially if it brings back pleasant memories from the past, the better off you will be. Generally speaking, purely instrumental music is better than music with lyrics. Lyrics tend to engage the analytical side of the brain and cause us to start thinking too much. If you're feeling ill, depressed, anxious, stressed out, or craving a drug, you want to put on some slow, familiar music that will bring back some pleasant memories of happier times.

In case you don't have any music like this, there is a link above and on the sides of this blog to my CD's and downloads. Best wishes for a healthy recovery.

Why do we love the music of our childhood?

Much has been written in the music therapy literature about how, as we age, we love the music of our childhood more and more. Not that we love children's music but, for example, if you grew up listening to light classical music there's a very god chance that you will enjoy light classical music as an adult and even more as a senior citizen. Same with church music; if you grew up in a specific religion and had a positive experience there, there's a good chance that you will love this same music more and more as you age. Why? I would say that as we age, the world continues to change as begin to prefer having things the way they always were. That's human nature. Part of things staying the same is listening to the music we grew up with. I think it's safe to say the very few people over the age of 50, in any time in history, liked the music of the teenagers of that time. That was reiterated to me again today as I spoke to a group of senior citizens about "Music in the Golden Years." Think about it and let me know what you come up with!