In the 1940s music therapy programs were established in several university psychology departments, including Catholic University. It was discovered that music helped patients relax, in a similar emotional state like hypnosis, and had value in healing beyond psychotherapy. Music therapists divided music into two types: "stimulative" and "sedative." Stimulative music has an assertive rhythm that elicits reactions such as hand-clapping, toe-tapping, and dancing. Everyone is born with this type of rhythm because we spend months in the womb listening to our mother's hearts pound at 70 to 80 beats per minute. A great deal of music has just such similar rhythm.

Contrastingly, sedative music is more melodic and soothing. It has an easy flowing melody and tempo similar to the resting heart rate. It is pleasing to the ear, not dissonant, and has no major changes in pitch, dynamics or rhythm.

When patients were listening to Bach's Air on the G String, Haydn's Cello Concerto in C, or Debussy's Claire de Lune, they became calmer. They showed significant decreased heart rates and blood pressure, less agitation, sounder sleep, less need for pain medication, and a movement from negative to positive emotions.

Part of the thrill of music seems to come from the release of endorphins, the powerful opiate-like chemicals produced by the brain that induce euphoria and relieve pain. Music also reduces levels of stress hormones, such as adrenaline, and has a calming effect on the limbic system of the brain, which plays a role in emotion. Music is no panacea, but the latest research shows that this natural therapy has remarkable healing benefits.

In music-therapy, research shows that for relaxation, stress management, and recovery from illness, soothing sedative pieces of classical music work best. And for exercise and productivity, musical selections should be stimulative but not bombastic. It has also been proven that people experience the greatest anxiety relief when they listen to their favorite music, no matter what type it is.

For South America, salsa or Afro-Cuban music, for a black church, gospel works best, for an adolescents, hp, rap, and for older European people who grew up on classical music, the classics make them happier. A tape can be made of the person's favorite music from youth, as the pleasant memories help heal them faster.

Likewise, noise pollution can exacerbate nerves. So in a situation of 140 dB hearing loss can occur. We speak at about 60 dB, and a vacuum cleaner produces 80 dB. A jackhammer at about 100 dB, and if forced to listen to that type of noise it is best to wear ear plugs.

Writers and painters and other artists need peace and quiet to be able to concentrate and produce their works of art, and are therefore less tolerant of noise.

If you know you are going to be faced with a stressful situation such as traveling, going to the dentist, a divorce, etc., make yourself a tape of your favorite music-imagery program, which will help you reduce negative feelings and create less of a need for pain medication. Leo Tolstoy called music "the shorthand of emotion."

Alinka Zyrmont