Healing With Music

Here is a list of Classical Music Recommendations from Music Therapists and Scientific Resources:   (Utilizing classical music can be an important piece of healing from depression and anxiety.  Listening to uplifting music has also been found to have a positive effect on genes.)

1. To Encourage Exhilaration, Joy, Light-Heartedness, Enthusiasm and Uplift:
   1. Beethoven- Symphony No. 7 in A Major, “Presto” (and I personally love Beethoven’s 9^th Symphony, “Ode to Joy”)
   2. Emmanuel Chabrier- Espana
   3. Rossini- William Tell Overture
   4. Handel- Messiah- “Hallelujah Chorus”
   5. Johann Strauss Jr.- On the Beautiful Blue Danube
   6. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart- Symphony No. 35 in D Major—Haffner, “Presto”
2. For Focus and Clarity of Mind (i.e. could use for ADD/ADHD)
   1. Bach- Brandenburg Concertos
   2. Brahms- Violin Concerto
   3. Mozart- various compositions: Eine Kleine Nachtmusic, Piano Concerto No. 21 in C, The Marriage of Figaro, Flute Concerto No. 2 in D, Don Giovanni
   4. Telemann- Concerto for Three Violins and Orchestra
3. For Headaches and Pain
   1. Mozart- Symphony No. 39 in E Flat
   2. Mozart- Piano Concerto No. 12 in A Major
4. For Learning:
   1. Bach- Harpsichord Concerto in F Minor
   2. Handel- Concerto No. 1 in F
   3. Mozart- various compositions
   4. Telemann- Double Fantasia in G Minor for Flute and Strings
   5. Vivaldi- The Four Seasons (“Winter”movement)
5. For Physical Energy:
   1. Anderson- Bugler’s Holiday
   2. Beethoven- Turkish March
   3. Clarke- Trumpet Voluntary
   4. Sousa- Stars & Stripes Forever
6. For Prayerful Meditation:
   1. Bach- Come Sweet Death
   2. Bruckner- Symphony No. 8 Third Movement
   3. Handel- Largo (from Xerxes)
   4. Williams- Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis
7. For Strength and Courage:
   1. Brahms- Symphony No. 2, final movement
   2. Elgar- Pomp & Circumstance, March No. 1
   3. Key- Star Spangled Banner
   4. Steffe- Battle Hymn of the Republic
8. For Relaxation and a Quiet Atmosphere:
   1. Bach- Air on the G String
   2. Bruch- Scottish Fantasy
   3. Copeland- Appalachian Spring
   4. Debussy- Clair de Lune
   5. Grainger- Blithe Bells
   6. Gregorian chants
   7. Grieg- Lyric Suite
   8. Kreisler- Humoresque
   9. Mantovani- Strings
   10. Pachelbel- Canon in D
   11. Saint-Saens- Adagio from “Organ Symphony in C# Minor”
   12. Vivaldi- “Largo movement” from “Winter Movement” of The Four Seasons
9. Final note: If you are new to classical music or would like to better understand it, you may want to take one of the many free online “music appreciation” courses available on the internet.

(“Music Therapy” may involve much more that just listening to pieces of music, but may also include sound therapy, etc.)

Sources:   Campbell- The Mozart Effect: Tapping the Power of Music to Heal the Body, Strengthen the Mind, and Unlock the Creative Spirit, 

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100107132551.htm, 

Mozart therapy: A sonata a day keeps the doctor away, Nedley- The Lost Art of Thinking, Pinkerton- The Sound of Healing, Psychitary and Music- http://www.indianjpsychiatry.org/article.asp?issn=0019-5545;year=2014;volume=56;issue=2;spage=128;epage=140;aulast=Nizamie

No article on this blog is intended to be taken as medical advice.  Always check with a health care professional for those conditions that need the attention of such.

Test Anxiety Relief

BSFF could be even more effective for anxiety.  Great study results here for EFT!

Great outcomes using EFT for test anxiety

A 2013 Staffordshire University study published in Innovative Practice in Higher Education found a significant reduction in participants’ test anxiety scores (using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, HADS).  The Subjective Units of Distress (SUDS) p value was p<0.001, with the HAD being p=.003, and the HAD Anxiety Subscale p value being p=.001!  If you aren’t familiar with “p” values, those 2 zeroes after the decimal before an actual value means it was a very significant difference!

Participants using EFT have seen higher academic scores

The study was called “Tapping for success: A pilot study to explore if Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) can reduce anxiety and enhance academic performance in University students.” Previous to this study, a study done in Turkey found that students scored higher on exam scores after using EFT.  A Benor and colleagues study also found that EFT enhanced student test performance in Canada.  Looking to those studies, this current Boath, Stewart and Carryer study found that those students who used EFT regularly throughout the 8-week period had significantly higher grades than those who dropped out of the study or did not tap regularly.

So, does tapping make you smarter?  In short, more studies need to be done before that is determined. Could it be that smarter people are interested in tapping? Or did the tapping group just study more efficiently?  Or is it that they just felt better and had the time and energy to do the tapping?  (Because tapping enhances the energy system, it could be that the tapping increased their physical and mental energy, as well as their body balance (their “Chi” energy—) always a good thing.)  Findings in the earlier studies seem to point to increased academic performance using EFT regardless of the reasons!

EFT reduces anxiety symptoms

There are a number of completed studies that have found EFT to be successful in reducing anxiety symptoms, and this study bore that out again with very significant p values.  Participants found their test anxiety lessened as well as their overall anxiety.  A win-win for sure!

Now, just to clear the air, if you have tried EFT before and decided it doesn’t work for you, please know that there may have been things going on in your energy system affecting the outcome of your tapping.  That is where the other methods I’ve studied come in.  If you are interested in my life coaching services to help you increase your self-confidence in test-taking, to calm your test anxiety, to increase your focus in school work, or to help solve the puzzle of why your tapping isn’t effective, see the contact information above.