We all know music has a powerful effect on mood and feelings of physical wellbeing. After all, this entire site, John Levine's Alphamusic, is devoted to this very subject. Today, medical practitioners and patients all over the world, use music in their anxiety and pain management programs.

Scientific attention is now being given to the clinically observable and reported experiences of patients and supporting medical professionals. Doctors, mental health specialists, scientists and health workers, as well as innovative music therapists and thanologists everywhere, are actively engaged in researching how best to use music to help patients feel better.

Meanwhile, specialist composers, such as John Levine, research and develop music deliberately aimed to help people calm down and positively affect their own health.

As you can imagine, we're energised and motivated by this growth in awareness of the gentle, yet powerfully effective role of music in health. It is especially thrilling for John Levine, who for 25 years has pursued a dream of music "designed" to help people cope better with symptoms of anxiety, pain and illness and so contribute to the healing process.

Today music therapy is used not to treat individuals, but also to enhance and assist the atmosphere in hospitals, clinics and health resorts...

Read on and discover some of the interesting observations made by medical practitioners and others who believe in the calming effects of music in healthcare environments.

Coming soon, to an (operating) theatre near you ...

"Music is being used to soothe and entertain patients, visitors and staff under a project initiated by the Royal Melbourne Hospital (Melbourne, Australia).

Musicians perform in the hospital's corridors and wards every week, bringing music to its waiting rooms as well as to cancer patients. The music they play ranges from jazz to classical and the combinations vary from duos to full bands.

The musicians are supplied by the Victoria College of the Arts, with funding from a private benefactor. Royal Melbourne's manager of events arts, Debra Adamidis, said the project started last November (2003) and there were plans to expand it. She said ... ... patients often had an apprehensive look when they walked into hospital. ... live music could "take them out of that scary mind-set and into another mind-set and improve the quality of their experience in hospital".

The music is also directed at visitors, who can be feeling highly traumatised. . Visiting consulting psychiatrist, Yvonne Greenberg said: "It makes [the hospital] feel more like part of the world, rather than existing in a vacuum." Ms Adamidis said the college, in conjunction with the hospital, was applying to the Australia Research Council for a grant to research the impact of music on the experience of waiting in hospitals.

Sarah Gleser, who works for the college's open program, said the collaboration with the hospital gave students the opportunity to diversify their experiences as performers. "They can see the value of their work; that it can bring joy to a patient."

Cardiothoracic surgeon Phillip Antippa, founder of the hospital's Corpus Medicum chamber group said: "Music serves as a distraction for patients and I think it helps people to focus in the workplace." Mr Antippa, who believes baroque music and jazz lend themselves best to the operating theatre, is raising funds to put a sound system into his theatre, which would eventually be connected to all theatres and recovery areas."

Andra Jackson
The Age, Melbourne, Australia, September 16, 2004

Opinions of ...
Medical and complementary health professionals

"Silence of Peace" reduces stress and tension and has a great calming effect on the listener. On the basis of research carried out on our patients, I affirm that this music reduces the effects of stress and tension. John Levine's CD is unusually calming and places the listener in a sort of half-dream state that relaxes them and provides them good rest. That effect is necessary today for anxious and stressed patients.

I was charmed by John's music from the first moment I heard it. It's like a soothing balm for tough moments. It is music of peace and reconciliation that lets you find yourself. I recommend it to all people looking for solace. Relaxing with the help of this music, will assist them to definitely find it.
MD Tomasz Jasinski
Regional Medical Centre Director
 

I've worked in the medical profession for 45 years. My work abounds in stressful situations; each day I meet people who are sick and suffering. Nevertheless, I still can't separate my work from my personal life and that causes me problems sleeping.

Excellent idea, excellent performance and above all excellent results!
Thanks to John's music I found out what the silence of peace really is.
MD Jerzy Sz.
Radiologist
 

Music such as "Silence of Peace" can be used incidentally for both individual and group therapy situations. It can be used during the stage of relaxation, or during visualisation and induction of positive associations.

In cases of major handicap, [we did not notice any specific] effect. Nevertheless, patients patiently listened to the music until the end. In my opinion, this music influences people [by] calling up pleasing visions to mind.
Barbara Z.
Music-therapist
 

Curiosities

What happened to some budgerigars...

It was a warm and sunny September afternoon. Cziko, Czako and Dako - my 3 budgies - were joyfully cackling as they usually do when it's so bright outside. They're so active at that time. They're chirping, fluttering their wings, jump all about, and eat and drink.

To my amazement, after I turned the music off, they became more active again. I wonder how would it influence other animals, e.g. turtles?

TO DOWNLOAD (2.1MB format ASF) MOVIES ABOUT BUDGERIGARS... These videos show the whole process of influencing budgerigars with my music, from the beginning, when they were very active, to the moment when they became more silent and finally fell asleep. This experiment was carried out at a time when they are normally active and full of energy, so such behavior is rare in the normal course of events. Movie 1 Movie 2

I received "Silence of Peace" from John Levine. I turned it on while studying. At the same time my 6-month old dog was playing with a rubber toy.
He was making a lot of noise and in this way wanted to make me play with him. But as soon as he came into my room he started listening to the music.
He climbed up on my bed, curled into a ball and fell asleep after a few minutes. I was amazed because I know him well, and I know that he can play incessantly even in the middle of the night.
He's very young and I never know what he's up to. So I was really glad to have some time for myself - until the music finished.
Then he woke up!

High security ward - Dementia patients...

Sue Woods is not only a diversional therapist and a qualified health care practitioner but engages audiences in Australia with her warmth, integrity and humour. Working in the High Security Ward where patients who suffer from dementia are being locked up to either protect themselves or others from danger or harm is not everyone’s cup of tea! The nurses and carers from that ward are under extreme stress and anxiety 24 hours around the clock! One patient screams non-stop setting off other patients’ and staff’s nerves! No wonder the staff were searching for something could calm the electric tense atmosphere. “We have experienced the frustration of finding something…. …anything!.... to relieve agitation levels in our residents” says Sue. “While researching Meditation, I discovered John Levine’s Alphamusic. As the name suggests, Alphamusic is specifically composed to change brainwave patterns from the Beta stressed state to the Alpha calm state. High Beta levels are associated with the ‘flight or fight response,’ producing symptoms of anxiety, whereas the Alpha state induces deep relaxation and encourages the brain to produce the ‘feel good hormones,’ such as serotonin and dopamine.” Following her intuition, Sue introduced her patients to Alphamusic with extraordinary results. The aim was to play Alphamusic of John Levine CDs for 2 week period, then go silent for another 2 weeks to evaluate any changes. The first fortnight period went ahead with seemingly positive results, but by lunch time of the first day of the next 2 weeks with no Alphamusic, the Head Nurse of the High Security department rushed about to locate Sue. With extreme urgency, little diplomacy and high anxiety, she demanded Sue to ‘get the Alphamusic CDs playing in the Ward again NOW’! Sue took up the gauntlet, continued the race but this time to find the technician to give him the urgent instructions. After locating him, after Sue telling him, he looked puzzled and explained that never stopped playing! Sue perplexed for the moment, smiled saying that this morning she took out all the Alphamusic CDs from the system and replaced them with the usual classical music they normally use.

Not needing to wait for the results of Sue’s initial test, the staff and carers in the ward were more than convinced of John Levine’s Alphamusic works wonders!

“After using Alphamusic for several weeks, we have created Feedback Sheets for the unit staff to comment on observed results when they used Alphamusic in the secure units. They compared it with other music as well” explains Sue. “Here are their comments and observations”:

“Sue, this music is fantastic. It has made a difference with the residents and me. Everybody was a lot less anxious. It even settled “B” (a resident who is presenting major agitation levels).”

“Sue, I put the ‘Silence of Peace’ CD on about half an hour before tea and I had everyone, (except “D”), sitting at the dining tables. I didn’t have to chase anyone for tea. I love it.”

“Very settled this evening. Residents less likely to get upset with other residents’ noisy behaviour. Most sat quietly together for most of the shift. All settled for bed well.”

“I have found Alphamusic particularly useful. When a resident is behaving in a disruptive manner, the music seems to keep the overall environment calm and the disruption does not spread to the others.”

“Exceptional in palliation. As an environmental management tool - very much noticed by visiting family members. It has positive effects on the unit staff as well as the residents.”

“As a result of this trial, Alphamusic is now the daily music of choice in our secure dementia units” adds Sue.

If you would like to know more about the effects of Alphamusic on other symptoms of stress and anxiety, Sue is available to deliver free talks to professional groups in all health modalities

Visit Sue website to find out more: www.phoenix-promotions.net

Cerebral Palsy research paper

It was summer 2006. A mother with her eight-year-old son, Jas, came for an EEG examination. Jas suffers from child cerebral palsy (PMD - Pelizaeus-Merzbacher Disease). Pelizaeus-Merzbacher Disease is one of a class of neurological diseases known as Leukodystrophies, disorders that affect the formation of the myelin sheath, the fat and protein covering, which acts as an insulator on neural fibres (axons) in the central nervous system. For this kind of patient, it is recommended that the examination be conducted whilst the patient is dreaming.

To prepare this examination was difficult, because the boy had always experienced difficulties in getting to sleep. In the end, it took over an hour for Jas to fall asleep.

During the examination Jas’ mother was talking about living with her son and the difficulties that PMD caused. Something that stuck out from this conversation in the EEG technician’s mind was the emphasis she placed on his struggles to get to sleep. His mother had tried various different methods to help him, but so far she’d been unsuccessful. “I propose she use Alphamusic CD called ‘Silence of Peace’ which I have been using to find if there is any influence of his music onto patients during the EEG process,” thought Danuta Andrzejak, EEG technician. It was over a month before Danuta heard anything back. One day a message finally arrived. “It was a shock to me as I have never used John Levine’s music with patients who suffer from cerebral palsy before,” says Danuta. “His mother was so thankful and happy that I recommended her this CD. She said that some issues that had been persistent for many years had melted away. Her son had gotten himself into a hyperactive state one day, which she knew from past experience could go on for up to three days. She put ‘Silence of Peace’ on. Over the next twenty minutes he became gradually calmer. It was astounding. Also, she said that during the nights he was falling asleep much faster than he was before,” recalls Danuta. It was of great benefit to Jas’ mother as she finally managed to sleep during the night and wasn’t consistently woken up by her son.

Jas’ caretakers have also noticed an incredible progress in his concentration abilities. One therapist said that he sees smaller muscular strain in his limbs, which allows him to facilitate more exercises with the patient, and even better cooperation from his side has been observed.

Alphamusic in Neuropathy
Speaking Difficulties research paper

"Silence of Peace"
 

Mrs. Danuta Andrzejak, an EEG (electroencephalography) technician, recently witnessed a case in which a man’s speech improved significantly as a direct result of Alphamusic Therapy. This gentleman, aged 27, had been referred by a psychologist for EEG testing. His speech was a stream of “babble”, talking so quickly that people found him unintelligible. He couldn’t find a job; employers didn’t want somebody they couldn’t understand. It was affecting all areas of his life. He felt that his “world had crumbled during childhood” when he was diagnosed as having a speech impediment. His self-esteem was at an all time low. He sought psychological help. Results from the EEG examination for which the psychologist ordered showed abnormal brainwave activity. It was irregular and erratic. In response to these findings, the psychologist prepared a Biofeedback Neurotherapy program. The program lasted approximately one year, starting in July 2005 ending October 2006. He had two series of thirty sessions – sixty in total. The last few sessions used Alphamusic, specifically ‘Silence of Peace’. The patient chose the time of day when he wanted this music to be played to him.

After this therapy he underwent another EEG examination. The results were phenomenal. Nobody could have predicted the findings. The basic activity went to 11-12 Hz, the amplitude slightly lowered around 35 uV. There weren’t any sharp drawing elements. The alpha rhythms were very regular.

The patient’s speech improved significantly. He is speaking clearly, more slowly and has recently gained employment – a huge change in comparison with the previous year. He is very happy and can’t express his admiration for John Levine and his Alphamusic. He claims that he feels exceptionally well, motivated and more comfortable meeting and interacting with new people.

Conclusion:
After the session in which the patient had listened to Alphamusic music he always claimed:
1. A feeling of calmness. He wasn’t tired and he didn’t yawn as before.
2. An improvement in self-worth and feelings of well being.
As well as there being a visible improvement in frequency and regularity of brainwave activity.

Figure 1. EEG recording from 2005,
before John Levine’s Alphamusic
has been used.



Figure 2. EEG recording from 2006,
after the session with John Levine’s Alphamusic.