University of Michigan Life Sciences

¶ … University of Michigan Life Sciences Orchestra

The Life Science Orchestra is extremely popular because classical music offers a therapeutic effect for both players and audiences, this affect has created an new American culture of classical music appreciation.

Weiss, Michael J. "Death of the Arts Snob? - American attitudes of the theater."

American Demographics (June 2001).

Hoffman, Janalea. "Therapeutic Use of Music." POST-POLIO HEALTH 22.1 (Winter

The event that I chose to attend was the Life Science Orchestra at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor campus. The LSO is extremely well-known through campus and nationally, unlike other orchestras, the majority of the musicians do not specialize in music, but rather are volunteers drawn from the medical staff and medical students within the university. The concert itself was put on to benefit the opening of the new Women and Children Hospital, however the orchestra performs twice a year ever since its inception in 2001. The LSO selected three specific pieces of music to play, the one that most interested me was Piano Concerto no. 23 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. This particular concerto by Mozart is in unique even by Mozart's own estimates. It is one of the rare concertos that was not published until Mozart's death. The work was completed on March 2, 1786, mere weeks before the completion of another of his masterpieces the no. 24 Concerto. He wrote in a letter to his father that this particular music belonged to "the compositions that I keep for myself or for a small circle of music-lovers and connoisseurs, who promise not to let them out of their hands" (NOTATION). This alone makes this particular Concerto extremely important, its known primarily for its graceful melodies and elegant structure. The LSO performed this piece extremely well, I was enthralled by the way the music was so uplifting and at the same time provided a divine sense of serenity. I thought it was by far the best piece performed during the concert. My obvious enjoyment to the no. 23 Concerto was mirrored by everyone else within the audience, they too felt the fascination and soothing effects of this particular concerto. Classical music is a strong medium as a tradition because it a musical genre that provides a strong therapeutic effect for both audiences and musicians. The implicit therapy associated with classical music has made it into a new American cultural tradition.

The concept of music as therapy is a very mainstream idea, however, very few people really understand the nuances of musical therapy. People tend to think that any type of background music will cause them to become calm and focused, receiving the therapeutic effects of music. Quite to the contrary Dr. Oliver Sacks, a neurologist writes that there is a strong difference between recreational music and therapeutic music. He explains, "the power of music to integrate and cure is quite fundamental. It is the profoundest non-chemical medication" (Sacks, npg). The beauty of music in general is that music is very easily absorbed by our minds. Since it is such an easy integrating method with our brains, we can achieve a sense of greater peace and tranquility when fully concentrating on music. At the core level, classical music is one of the strongest therapeutic musical mediums. This is because the therapeutic affect of music can be strongly attributed to the natural phenomenon of entrainment through rhythm. The concept of entrainment is to synchronize with something or someone, in both positive and negative ways. The effect of classical music as therapy is multifold, it is both psychological as well as physical. Sound is a physical force and part of the affect of classical music is to use the combination of mental and physical sensations caused by the music. As a result, classical music such Mozart's no. 23 Concerto affect not only the mind, but also how the immune system reacts. Music is entrenched in such a way that it becomes catalysts for emotional and mood adjuster, precisely because it uses physical sensation as a trigger for emotions and thoughts.

This is not to say however, that all classical music is soothing and therapeutic. In fact, the majority of traditional classical music are not therapeutic because this is not the intent of the original masters. Concertos by Beethoven, Bach and Brahms for example all focus on arousing strong emotion rather than harnessing the power of strong therapy, therefore the physical presence and rhythmic are not necessarily therapeutic. Mozart's no. 23 however, is an ideal example of therapeutic music. This is because the affects of entrainment is easily observed through studies on the affect of this music on others. While listening to the music, people say that it "relaxed and soothed," upon monitoring with medical equipment it is observed that the music lowered both their blood pressure and heart rates. The reason is that Mozart's concerto affects individuals in both a psychological and physical sense. While the classical music made people feel extremely happy emotionally, the emotional response mirrored by the physiological response. The shifting tempo and structure of the music caused the body as well as the mind to attain entrainment, causing the full therapy of classical music.

The therapeutic value of classical music is a proven commodity. Mozart's music is particularly noteworthy within studies, so much so that the therapeutic affect of classical music is often termed the "Mozart Effect." Classical music can severely lower blood pressure and heart rate as well increase concentration and overall emotional uplifting.