Harp Therapy: Music for Body & Soul

By: Debra Kirchhof-Glazier

The harp has long been considered a celestial instrument.  Many religious paintings feature harps in association with cherubs and depictions of heaven.  There is also the famous painting of King David Playing the Harp, done in 1616 by Flemish painters Peter Paul Rubens and Jan Boeckhorst.  Most people are captivated by the sound of this beautiful instrument, but not many are aware of its uses as an aid to healing.

Music has a powerful effect on the emotions, and the emotions in turn have a powerful effect on mental, physical, and spiritual health.   Sounds are vibrations and musical vibrations can be used both directly and indirectly to promote health.  Humans have instinctively understood the importance of music in healing, and the concept of music therapy is an ancient one, mentioned over 300 years before the birth of Christ in the writings of Plato and Aristotle.   However, music therapy began to emerge as a credible health profession in the United States after World War I and II when musicians traveled to veterans’ hospitals to play for soldiers suffering from physical and emotional trauma.  Doctors and nurses were so impressed with the results that they requested musicians be hired as hospital staff.   In order to provide training for this specific niche, the first music therapy degree program was founded at Michigan State University in 1944.  The American Music Therapy Association was founded in 1998 to serve as a resource to promote the profession and provide information on baccalaureate and graduate degree programs in Canada and the U.S.   Clinical musicians can work as solo practitioners or in conjunction with other health professionals.  They practice in a variety of settings, including hospitals, nursing homes, and hospice centers.

Music therapy incorporates the science of sounds, vibrations, frequencies, and rhythm to facilitate healing of mind and body, to enhance communication, and to help ease anxiety.   Music has been shown to lower heart rate, blood pressure, muscle tone, and perception of pain and distress.   Specific songs can evoke memories and responses, which can lead to breakthroughs in communication with Alzheimer’s patients.  Music therapy is especially helpful in neonatal intensive care units, in working with the elderly and disabled, and in hospice settings to help the dying person make the transition with peace and dignity.  As an added bonus, the music also provides benefit to patients’ families and the health professionals who work with them.

A specialized form of music therapy is vibroacoustic therapy, which was pioneered in the 1980s by Olav Skille in Norway.  Skille found that severely disabled children responded in positive ways to music that was played by pressing speakers against a beanbag on which the children were lying.  He then developed techniques for use with a variety of instruments, applying their mechanical vibrations directly to the body for resonance with the tissues.   Skille found that bass frequencies coupled with pulsed low frequency sine tones or pure harmonics in the keys of C, D, Bb, and F were especially effective.   Vibroacoustic therapy is now used to increase the quality of life for patients in hospitals, nursing homes, psychiatric facilities, and palliative care centers.  It not only reduces pain and stress, but it also helps distract patients during invasive procedures, increases  range of motion, provides support both pre- and post-operatively, decreases symptoms of chemotherapy, and provides sensory stimulation for deaf and developmentally disabled people.

Sarajane Williams, a clinical psychologist and professional harpist, realized that the harp is particularly well-suited for vibroacoustic therapy due to its wide range of frequencies and rich overtones that easily penetrate the body.  She was the first to document the use of an acoustic instrument in vibroacoustic therapy and in 1991 pioneered a variation on the technique known as VAHT or vibroacoustic harp therapy.  Using technology from NASA, Williams developed a clinical recliner that is electronically connected to the harp.  The client identifies areas of the body that have tension or pain and the harpist then plays specific tones that resonate in the identified areas.  Most people feel a significant reduction in their pain or tension, accompanied by deep relaxation, feelings of well-being, and an overall increase in energy at the end of the session.  The experience has been described as a musical massage.

We are fortunate to have a certified clinical musician and vibroacoustic harp therapist in Huntingdon.  Lynda Kuckenbrod not only performs VAHT but has also developed a program called Heart Strings, which actively involves chronically or terminally ill patients in their music therapy.   Participants meet weekly for group harp lessons and mutual support.  They take the harps home with them to practice and to create an outlet for their stress and anxiety.  Many have found this program to be a vitally important focus during a difficult time.  For more information see http://www.moonshadowharp.com/index.html  or contact Lynda at 814-599-0064.  For information about music therapy education and practice see the website of the American Music Therapy Association at  http://www.musictherapy.org/ .

In summary, the harp is indeed a celestial instrument with the ability to assist people in the profoundly personal transition from life to death.  However, it has many uses on earth as well, and can be a powerful aid to our health and healing.

The Huntingdon Health and Wellness Association makes no medical claims or recommendations.  Check with your doctor about your specific health care needs.