"The Research"

Since I first entered the field of music therapy, I've said things like, "Well the research shows…<insert awesome research finding here>"

In fact, most music therapy advocates that I know say similar things.

Music therapists get especially excited with new music research findings because for a long time, we didn’t have the wealth of information we have now.

When music therapists started publishing research in the 1960’s, they could determine that intervention “X” worked for these clients in this setting, or that intervention “Y” worked for this group of people in that setting. Often times, they didn’t know why the intervention worked. The technology simply didn’t exist to determine the “why.”

Years later, with the advent of brain imaging, we were finally able to gain insights into the why of music therapy interventions. We could see which parts of the brain were active during different activities, including music therapy interventions.

As our understanding of how music and rhythm affect the human body, so many professionals talk about "the research." It almost feels like "the research" is some mythical being that hands down authoritative findings to deepen our understanding of the world.

For some people, there’s comfort in having an authority such as “the research” to guiding their view of how the world works. The question becomes, do we blindly trust that authority, or do we make our own judgments based on the best information we have available?

Besides being a music therapist, I’m also a teacher. As a teacher, I like to make information accessible to as many people as possible. The more information you have access to, the better you can understand, and make your own decisions about how the world works.

Once when I was about to undergo a treatment protocol for depression, I was told there were several research studies showing the effectiveness of the protocol. I expressed interest in reading the research and I was offered a pamphlet summarizing, in a very watered down way, the typical results of completing the protocol.

I clarified myself by saying, “No, I want to read the research…not this stuff you give to everyone else!”

After some looking through their files, they were able to produce copies of the studies their pamphlets were referencing.

I was able to read how the research was conducted, and what the results were without the filter of a marketing department that was trying to sell the treatment.

This helped me understand on a deeper level the procedure I was undertaking, and ultimately made the decision to try the protocol easier.

This is what I want to help facilitate for others.

For those that are interested, I’m collecting research articles on my website that detail the effects that music and rhythm have on the human body.

Admittedly, this research is filled with jargon, and can be a little difficult to understand at times. I find myself looking up unfamiliar terms when reading research sometimes, and this is a field I’ve been working in for nearly two decades.

I am currently working on summaries of all the articles posted on hiddenrhythmsmc.com for a more user friendly experience for those of us that don’t speak biomedically on a daily basis.

Most people will not be interested in seeing the actual published research, but I want to demystify the world of research for those who are interested.

My hope is that this will become a valuable resource for those who are as fascinated as I am by the power that music and rhythm have on the human body.

As Rod Serling used to say, “submitted for your approval.”

Harsh Lessons on the Harvest Moon

It’s the full moon. Harvest Moon to be precise.

Guess where I am? 

That’s right! A drum circle! 

There’s about an hour left, but I’m not going to make it tonight. 

I hurt myself. 

Otherwise, I would be drumming instead of blogging. 

I fell victim to both a curse and blessing of the medicine of rhythm. From a music medicine perspective, Rhythm is medicine for the body. It brings us into alignment and connection with all life.

E. Thayer Gaston, the Father of Music Therapy, says that rhythm is the “organizer and energizer.”

It is said West African drum cultures send drummers into the fields to play rhythms to support the harvest. The harvesters can work longer with less fatigue due to the rhythmic support.

The trap I fell into tonight was giving myself over completely to the rhythm without giving attention to how my body was responding. 

Physically, I was not tired. My muscles were keeping up quite nicely with the groove. When the tempo increased, the intensity of my playing increased. I played hard.

This is the first time I brought the Senegalese djembe I carry to this drum circle, and the first time his voice has been heard in months.  

And he’s in excellent voice tonight! 

So together, we sang the rhythms, full voice. 

After several minutes of this beautifully intense drumming, the rhythm shifted and faded away. 

Only when I stopped drumming did I realize what had happened. 

I hurt myself. 

 I’m wearing my wrist and elbow supports...necessary from past repetitive motion injuries, but the damage was done.  

I tried to drum again, and was met with shooting pains. Even the egg shaker that lives in my pocket was too much. 

This is a cautionary tale.  

I’ve been drumming for years. I know to pay attention to my body, yet I got caught up in the moment. When Gloria Estefan said “the rhythm is going to get you,” she was right. 

While immersed in the wonderful trance of the dancing, and the drumming, and the fire, and the full moon, don’t forget to attend to that cord that grounds you in your physical reality. Respect all facets of that present moment. Listen to your body. 

Nothing more frustrating than sitting out the rest of the drum circle because of an injury. 

Tonight, I’ll load up on the Tiger Balm, and the pain meds and hope like hell I feel better in time for my morning practice schedule. 

What Inspired You to Do This?

I just finished doing a drop in drum circle on a university campus. It’s almost the end of the semester, and stress is mounting for a lot of the students there.

Students, staff, and members of campus visit tours came and went from the drum circle for over two hours.

Near the end of the event, one young woman asked a very simple, yet profound question to me: What inspired you to do this?

I smiled, and replied, “Just this!” as the groove held us.

I looked around at the people currently playing, and continued, “It’s a chance for people to play a while, smile, let go of some stress, and be part of something.”

She smiled and appeared to be satisfied with that answer, but I’ve been thinking about her question ever since.

If you listen to enough podcasts or read enough books about entrepreneurship, you’ll hear about “the why.”

Your “why” is your reason for doing something. It’s your motivation, your inspiration. It’s your reason or working over and over again to do something, and do it well.

What inspired me to do a drop in drum circle there? College students are stressed. Drum circles can provide a release for some of that stress. 

We had some first timers there. They stepped out of their comfort zone and tried something new.

There were smiles, and laughter, and looks of uncertainty. There were people inviting their friends to join in. There were people who shied away, and there were people who stayed well after their friends left. One young man sat in for a while, stopped playing and said, “I play every Wednesday, but today I’m just out of sync.” I assured him that happens to everyone now and then.

It was beautiful. All of it was beautiful.

What inspired me to do this?

Just this: The people who were taking a West African drumming class. The guys from the baseball team that drummed a bit before practice. The people dancing by as the groove drew them in. The first-timers, and the experienced players. The man who sat next to me and said, “My style is a little different. It’s Persian (I was playing a djembe).” He played for about five minutes, thanked me, and went on his way.

Rhythm.

Rhythm is what inspires me to do this. Rhythm is as close to a universal language as humans have. I could see that as the groove changed when people joined or left the circle. I could see that as people, even from a distance, began to move rhythmically to the groove.

Rhythm is how we are brought into this life. When the groove ceases in our body, we leave this life. Rhythm is one thing that truly unites all beings. A drum circle is where we can all connect. It’s where we can all create. It’s where we can be our amazing, unique, vital selves.

The looks of delight, and wonder, and smiles as all of those beautiful people shared a bit of themselves with the groove. Those are the things that make my soul sing its purpose!

Now as I bask in the groove afterglow, I take a moment to express gratitude for the beautiful experience that was created by everyone who played, smiled, changed their step to match the groove, danced.

I am feeling especially blessed for being inspired to do this work.

Aho, Mitakyue Oyasin

Carry On

So a couple of nights ago, I was cooking dinner for my live-in family like I often do. I love being in the kitchen, and I love listening to music while I cook. “Rock Me Amadeus” came on, and I began to reminisce a bit. I told my wife that I had searched for 30 years for this particular version of the song. Today, it's known as the “Salieri Mix”, but in 1985, on that cassette tape I had in upper elementary, it was just “Rock me Amadeus."

When I bought a CD of the Falco 3 album several years ago, I was disappointed. The version of Rock Me Amadeus was not the version I loved so well. This began an exhaustive search for my beloved version of the song. Year after year I was unsuccessful.

I recently discovered that in 2016, a 30th anniversary album of Rock Me Amadeus was produced. At last! There it was! Track 2: Rock Me Amadeus (Salieri Mix)!

As I was relating the story of this journey to my wife, it hit me… I've had similar relationships with several songs over the years.

Songs that for one reason or another connected with me on a soul level. Songs like Kylä Vuotti Uutta Kuuta by Värttinä, and The Thing by Phil Harris.

The stories of how those songs came to me are for another time.

I learned about the concept of carrying songs by participating in song circles for the past few years. I realized I had been carrying these songs for years.

It was at that moment, standing there in our tiny kitchen, cooking an amazing cabbage dish, I was overcome with chills. I've heard some people called them "truth tingles." The idea is that in those rare times when we stumble across a concept that resonates so completely with universal truth, our bodies and minds are overwhelmed with physical sensation. Usually for me, this type of sensation send chills down the back of my neck, and maybe makes the hairs on my arm stand up.

This time, my entire body was overcome by the tingling sensation.

I realized, I am a carrier!

While at Music Medicine training with Christine Stevens, I learned the concept of carrying drums.

A friend at that training brought a powerful, and unique drum with her. The voice of this drum inspires community, and togetherness. We discussed the fact that my friend does not own this drum, but rather carries it. She has been entrusted with the responsibility of caring for and sharing the beauty of this drum. Eventually, she will pass on this responsibility to another.

In that one moment, while cooking cabbage, I realized that I have been carrying many things for many years.

I am a song carrier, I am a drum carrier, and I am a story carrier.

While working as a music therapist in long-term care, and hospitals, I learned about the responsibility of carrying stories. People would often share their stories, or part of their story with me. With honor, I was able to bear witness, and when appropriate, share their stories with others.

Of course, with this new realization, comes a greater sense of responsibility.

I have known for years my life was to be a life of service. I realized quickly that the songs, drums, stories, and medicine I carry are not for myself. I carry them to serve others.

Maybe that is why I often end prayers with something I've read is a favorite of the Dalai Lama: guide me, and heal me, so that I may be of greater service to others.

What do you carry?

What gifts are you meant to share with this world?

To quote Manifesto by Nahko and Medicine for the People, find your medicine and use it.

Carry on my friends.

Got skills?

My Saturday was AWESOME! It started out with me attending a free guitar skills workshop at West Music. The workshop was aimed at promoting a recently released book and DVD entitled "Guitar Skills for Music Therapists and Music Educators" by Peter Meyer, Jessica De Villers and Erin Ebnet.

The workshop was designed for beginners and I questioned my wisdom of driving an hour and a half on a Saturday morning to be at the workshop which started at 1000. To be honest, one of my motives was to check out their product. You see, when I was an undergrad, I got the idea to write a book on guitar skills for music therapists. I noticed that my class mates were taking one semester of guitar class and then expected to pass a proficiency exam. This method left them woefully under-equipped to use guitar effectively in a clinical setting. There are too many intricacies that cannot possibly be taught in a semester long class.

So I wanted to see how these music therapists approached an idea that I have been mulling over for years.

The other motivation for me going comes from my martial arts background. I learned a valuable lesson from Grandmaster Rudy Timmerman about how he approaches learning. He says that he always carries a white belt in his workout bag (in most martial arts the white belt signifies a complete beginner). If he goes to another school to visit and learn, he puts on the white belt and stands in the back of the room (also an expression of beginning rank). This man is a well-respected martial artist with 60 years of experience. If this mindset works for him, it works for me! I started carrying a white belt in my bag too.

I went to that workshop, with almost 20 years of experience playing the guitar and the openness and enthusiasm of a beginner.

I was not disappointed.

The workshop, for me, highlighted some of the technical knowledge deficiencies I've had for years. It was a strange combination of feeling discouraged by what I don't know considering my years of experience and feeling excited to devour the material to correct some of those technical knowledge issues.

From a quick perusal of the book, which I did end up purchasing, I think I could safely say that I would recommend it to any beginning to intermediate guitar player. It does have parts that are geared toward music therapists, but music educators would not go wrong with this book. I will post a complete review when I've had some time to work with this excellent book.

My Saturday evening was amazing too. My beloveds and one of our daughters went to a belly dancing show a couple of hours away from where we live. My beloveds are taking a belly dancing class right now, and for me the appeal (besides the fact that it is belly dancing...I'm a guy, I mean, come on!) is the drumming involved. The show was the culmination of a day's worth of workshops hosted by a local winery. We shared a bottle of wine and enjoyed the baked potato bar dinner offered before the show started. There was also a presentation by a group learning pole dancing. Their part of the show was tasteful and highly athletic. I enjoyed all the performances spotlighting different styles of belly dancing and many beautiful women of all shapes and sizes. I say this because one of my beloveds has dealt with an eating disorder for years. It is important for her to hear that size doesn't matter as long as she is healthy. Some of the most attractive dancers at the show to me were not the most petite and lean ones.

Beauty is not measured by the size of one's dress, but from the radiance of their soul. You can quote me on that.

The last performances of the evening included two doumbek (Middle Eastern drum traditionally used to provide belly dancing accompaniment) players. I have been obsessed with learning doumbek for quite a while now but have not yet manifested an instrument or instructional materials. After the show, one of my beloveds asked the drummers if there was another drum that I could play and I think her say that I was a musician and could play anything . She went and picked up a spare doumbek and handed it to me. As the drummers and a couple of the dancers were jamming after the show, I tried to follow along. A few months back I bought a riq (Middle Eastern tambourine) and have been starting to learn the 50+ traditional rhythms that go along with riq and doumbek playing. During a pause, the drummer next to me asked what kinds of things I know. I told her this was the first time I had ever touched a doumbek (although come to think of it, I've played them at drum circles, though they were Turkish style as opposed to Egyptian style which is what I played after the show, and I never learned proper technique). She patiently and expertly taught me some basic techniques and rhythms. I explained I was learning riq but hadn't gained proficiency with the rhythms yet. She commented several times how quickly I was picking up on things (yay me!).

The lessons and jamming did not last long, but for me it was the best part of the evening.

A full day of music and inspiration that truly fed my soul.