Music as a Method of Healing by Tanya Brody

Musick has Charms to sooth a savage Breast,
To soften Rocks, or bend a knotted Oak.
I've read, that things inanimate have mov'd,
And, as with living Souls, have been inform'd,
By Magick Numbers and persuasive Sound.

These first five lines of William Congreve’s poem, The Mourning Bride, (1697) show the power that music has had over the human race for centuries. When we speak of “being lifted up” by a piece of music or “being moved,” we are referring to the energy that courses through our bodies when we hear a glorious set of notes strung together in a way that appeals to us. 

Sound travels in waves and these vibrations affect us physically as well as emotionally. Some people put on soothing music to get rid of a headache. Others perform their yoga routine to music, presumably for something enjoyable to listen to, but the sound also enhances the movement, adding to the healing potential.

Our group, The Idisi, uses sound vibration as a healing modality. By setting an intention, let’s say, healing the waters, or sending healing energy to a specific person or area of the world, and allowing our subconscious to voice whatever feels “right” at that moment, our group of 30 women works together to create amazing sound healing and send it wherever it needs to go. 

Please keep in mind, this is a group of women of all different backgrounds, vocal ability and training, all opening our mouths and letting sound come out. By opening ourselves to the task and hand and to each other, we are able to create some of the most powerful and amazing music ever heard, and never to be heard again.  Each piece we perform is unique in its beauty. The only way to “recreate” any of what we do is through recording, which we have done, producing our debut album, “chanty- WHOO-hah.”

By understanding the deeply spiritual nature of sound, we are able to channel it through our voices to where we wish it to go. This is not some superhuman feat; this is a talent everyone in the world has if they choose to do it. One of the great wonders of music is that it is universal. When a person starts singing in any language, people can enjoy the sound and feel the rhythm, no matter where they are from or whether or not they understand the words. That same power exists in all of us and takes little or no training to invoke.

In all energy work, the theory is that the energy created or channeled will go where it is needed. The beauty of music is that its sound enters through the ears but the sound waves go through the entire body, sending energy throughout the system. What’s more, because music is something that exists in every culture, there is no natural aversion to something that is “different” in terms of receiving the healing energy, as sometimes happens with people who are unfamiliar with energy work in its many forms.

The power of music as a healing modality is substantial and should not be ignored. Modern medicine is taking this to heart, with music therapists becoming much more common in hospitals and musicians coming into hospice situations to soothe the way for those who are at the end of life. 

So take some time to listen to music today, after all, it’s good for you.

Tanya Brody is a professional Harper/Singer/Songwriter, copywriter and member of The Idisi. Her music can be found at www.tanyabrody.com. 

You can learn more about and hear The Idisi at our website, www.theidisi.com Our album of vibrational chant, “chanty- WHOO- hah” is available on our site, through amazon, CD Baby and iTunes