None of us can forget the unspeakable tragedy that happened at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newton CT last year, where 20 children and six adults were killed in a shooting spree. This horrific event has left emotional scars on the victims’ families and the community at large, but these brave people have been finding comfort in an unexpected source: music and arts.
In a recent article, Jimmy Greene, whose daughter was killed in the shooting, says that playing his saxophone has helped him deal with his grief. “I picked up my instrument one day and felt much better,” he recounts. “I realized that music is a big part of who I am and the more I played, the more like myself I felt. In the time I didn’t play, I kind of lost sense of myself in a way.”
He adds that he found music helpful in “dealing with the grief and the loss, the pain and the sadness that I deal with every day.”
Greene is a professional musician who also teaches music at Western Connecticut State University, but the fact is that many other people in Newton have found a measure of relief in music and creative arts in general.
We at Hey Joe Guitar music school are not surprised – we have always known through our own experience (which is backed by a vast body of research), that music has a strong therapeutic effect, which eases both emotional and physical pain. That’s because music provides an outlet for expressing feelings that mere language does not.
Just as an example, studies show that music has a beneficial effect on cardiovascular heath because it normalizes blood pressure, as well as heart and respiratory rates. It also has shown promise in cancer recovery by helping reduce anxiety in patients receiving radiation therapy, and ease nausea and other discomforts from chemotherapy.
There is also strong evidence of benefits to mental health. For instance, music therapy lowers stress and anxiety, and helps depressive patients recover quicker.
What is the connection between music and healing? Experts say that is an intricate process, but, generally speaking, music helps us relax, distracts our minds from our problems, and provides an emotional release from all the tensions and stress factors that can make us ill.
Now, you might be wondering what kind of music is the most powerful healer. It all depends on the genre YOU like and respond to best – classical, jazz, blues, pop, or the type we usually associate with the word “soothing,” which is a New Age-like, subliminal sound Video
Whatever lifts your spirits and brings you pleasure is fine by us!
As the songs says, we believe in music Video We have seen many instances of the powerful effect that our Manhattan, Brooklyn and Riverdale (Bronx) music lessons have had on our students – whatever their age or level of proficiency.
You might think, “a lesson is a lesson, so what’s the big deal?” We beg to disagree! We pride ourselves on our individual, personalized approach , as well as our top-notch teachers .
Whether for health or pleasure (or both), we are just what the doctor ordered!
