Musical Reflections

In the International Harp Therapy Program (IHTP) Facebook group, we have been discussing if harp therapy is effective virtually. I had a personal experience to say “YES, it is!”

I have been teaching therapeutic harp lessons for harpists who want to improve their musicality and learn more about playing the harp at the hospital and hospice bedside. One of my students is from the Netherlands and in one of her lessons, she played a Schubert lullaby for me. As she played, I became aware of a painful area in my lower back and I “sent” the harp vibrations to the sore spot. I could literally feel it dissolve.

It was an incredible first-hand experience of how virtual harp therapy (on Zoom) is powerful and healing…almost as good as in person! I believe this opens up many opportunities and possibilities for therapeutically trained musicians. If you would like to explore virtual harp therapy sessions, please reach out and let’s connect!

Have you heard the spiritual terms 3D and 5D? “D” stands for dimension and as a planet, we are upleveling our vibration from the third dimension (3D) to the fifth dimension (5D). So, let’s explain:

• 3D is about separation which means us vs. them, right vs. wrong, good vs. bad “guys,” and also who is to blame, who can we invade/which countries can we take over, etc. You can probably see this is where we have been as a culture and world for a very long time!
• 4D is the awareness we are more than just our physical body; we claim our soul. The spiritual component is “I create/co-create my reality.” This stage in the Ascension energy progression is taking actions such as saying mantras, affirmations, paying attention to our positive/negative language, etc. It is also about setting intentions and manifesting.
• 5D is unity consciousness. In other words, we are all connected. The world is a mirror and we change the mirror by changing ourselves. 5D is also about deleting any limits on joy, peace, love, possibilities, etc. which ultimately increases our vibration. We can say, “Wouldn’t it be nice to feel/experience XXX?” and then, we watch it happen!!

Hopefully these explanations are helpful and you can see where you personally are at on the 3D/5D continuum. While this can be a challenging time, it is also quite exciting! We wish you expanded peace and blessings at this time on your journey…

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.

We are reps for a wonderful product called the BioMat. The BioMat‘s parent company (Richway International) recently introduced a new product! And it is directly in Musical Reflections’ “wheelhouse.” It is called a BioAcoustic Mat and while we haven’t tried it yet, we’ve heard rave reviews from those who have used it.

The BioAcoustic Mat is vibroacoustic therapy using a combination of music and vibrations to help improve overall health. (If you already have a BioMat, you place the BioAcoustic Mat under the BioMat for use.) This unique therapy uses transducers or speakers that are located in the mat. The speakers create vibrations that go directly into areas of the body to ease symptoms. This can feel like a whole body, deep cellular massage.

Research shows a couple of specific vibroacoustic therapy benefits:

1. Relaxation is an outcome.
2. It can also help pain management and relief.
3. Patients who used vibroacoustic therapy increased their range of motion and kept muscles stimulated.

For example: a National Institute of Health research study found “those who listened to music while feeling the vibrations experienced a significant reduction in pain, more so than those who only listened to music.”

Vibroacoustic therapy utilizes soothing music – same mission as ours! The music is created in such a way to complement relaxation and pain management mentioned in the research above. Also, watch this blog for additional info. In the meantime, if you would like to learn more, we’re here to answer any questions at tami@musicalreflections.com.

I keynoted at the Healing Beyond Borders’ (HBB) international conference in August 2017. Their conference theme was “The Next Harmonic.” When I learned of this theme, I immediately thought, “They definitely need the harp for any discussion about harmonics … without any doubt, this is in my wheelhouse!!”

The harp is one of, if not the most, harmonic instruments. It is because the strings are “open,” with one pitch activating or ringing frequencies in the upper and lower octaves of the instrument. These harmonics or overtones are immediate as the sound board “kicks out” the vibrations to the listener. Paradoxical in nature, the harp’s harmonics are so gentle, soothing and comforting, but also very powerful, healing and spiritual.

From a historical perspective, harmonics were used in medieval and renaissance music. Until 1820, musicians learned about harmony, chord structure, inversions, modulations and progressions. It is likely that they listened closely to each other, played intuitively and followed the musical flow. Then, in 1820, music shifted as classical composers (Mozart, Beethoven, Grieg, Liszt, etc.) began writing music note-for-note, exactly as they wanted it played. Melody lines overtook the harmonic structure. And now, the HBB conference theme would suggest we are moving into whatever is next at a harmonic level to help the world evolve and elevate to a higher level of consciousness.

I believe this theme and experiential presentation resonated with the audience because they gave a standing ovation! I have had a few standing ovations in my speaking career, but this one felt extra special. Perhaps it was because it was also my birthday and it felt so honoring!!

When do you listen to music? When do you prefer silence? Aldous Huxley said, “After silence, which is the most incomprehensible, comes music.” It seems we are not very comfortable with silence so we often play music to “fill the void” of silence.

It’s important to remember that music is vibration. So as you have music on to “break the silence,” is it a high vibration sound? (This helps raise your vibe and that’s important in these “wonky” challenging times.) And a reminder:  play music with intention and sometimes, silence is a gift!

We offer a free download on this site! Click here and in the upper right-hand corner, enter your information. It is one of my solo harp compositions called “Inspired by Love” and it’s FREE.

You will be sent to a thank-you e-mail with a link to download this song of love. It’s our special gift of love to you! Enjoy … and spread the vibration of love to all your family and friends!

I love the excitement and energy of beginning the New Year. There’s a positive hope and vibration that the upcoming year will be fantastic. May it be so for the world … Happy 2014!

For the past couple of years, I’ve been doing Healing Harp Concerts. These events are slightly different than an educational session.

During a Healing Harp Concert, I play a lot of music, share some stories and readings … the focus is on individuals’ healing and using live vibrations to “fill the wells” of those attending. When they are evening concerts, I end with lullabies … a lovely way to sleep!

Some interesting things have happened:

• One woman said, “I came here with a splitting headache and shortly after you started playing, the pounding in my head went away.”
• A woman with an autistic son said, “Usually my son is moving constantly. This is one of the few times I’ve seen him completely chill and move into peace and calm.”
• A man came up to me afterwards and said, “I put all of the harp notes in my sore ankle and it feels better now!”

The next Healing Harp Concert will be in Yankton, SD on Sept. 22 at 7:00 p.m. in the Riverfront Event Center (121 West Third St.). Come join us!

If you would like to schedule a Healing Harp Concert in your area, please click here.