Musical Reflections

When I present, one of my most frequent questions is “Will recorded music be as good as/helpful as live music?”

Live music offers a personal touch and there’s no substitute for that! Further, live music will almost always be more potent because of the vibrations, the resonance of the instrument and the healing presence of the therapeutic musician.

That said, recorded music that is created with the intention to help in the healing process is much more therapeutic than the TV! Recorded music is also more practical – it has the possibility of reaching many more people for longer durations of time than live musicians.

If you are a hospital administrator, you probably want both live and recorded music in your healthcare setting. Certified harp practitioners playing live at the individual bedside and recorded CDs or licensed music on the closed-circuit TV system is well documented in research annuals as being helpful. Please feel free to contact us if you wish to discuss further.

My mom just had her second back surgery in 5 ½ months and both times she was hospitalized, she slept two hours during the night. The reason? Nurses laughing at their station and “yucking it up” in loud voices in the middle of the night, not closing her door with light streaming in … is this the best we can offer for helping patients sleep? Maybe  there needs to be a sign (like on hotel doors):  Shhhh! Sleep in progress.  Obviously, nurses need to check on patients and sometimes those interruptions wake up the patients, but we know sleep is so restorative and one of the key elements for healing. How can we do better?

My mom’s hospital experience has re-ignited my passion to bring peace and calm, relaxation and sleep to our healthcare system. It’s a big job (!) but someone has to do it … I am on it!!! I always feel like an important part of my work in hospitals is to help people relax and if they fall asleep while I play, I take that as the highest compliment. I know then that I’ve done my best work! Whether it’s playing live or getting my CDs onto the hospital’s closed-circuit TV system or getting the PlayAway into hospitals across the country, I’m on a mission!  Contact me if you want to help your healthcare system move to greater peace and healing. I look forward to connecting…

In the past 30 days, I have had several hospitals ask to license three of my CDs (Calm as the Night, The Healing Journey, and Blessings to You) and use them on their closed-circuit TV systems. This is a very cost-effective way to provide your patients and their families with relaxing, therapeutic harp music.

If you would like more details, please contact me.