Although the term "music therapy" is only a few decades old, the concept has been around for hundreds, and probably thousands, of years. Every culture we know of has used it according to their level of understanding with the common denominator being that it stirs the spirit.

Music has been used to ward off evil spirits, to communicate with God, and to appease the angry gods. Others have used it to heal illness and felt, like Pythagorus, that each note affected a different part of the body, a different organ.

All religions have used music as part of their ceremonies. With the Aztecs, the chief function was to obtain mystical communication with a particular god. We're close to the same ritual when we go to a place of worship to sing and pray. Music brings people together in a feeling of togetherness.

Music touches stirs us as no other art form. It can't be seen, or touched--it must be experienced. This is a deeply fundamental spiritual quality that is diminishing as we become more and more earthbound and materialistic.

Schools are unwittingly doing a grave disservice to children by removing music and art from their curriculum to make way for computers. The smartest educators would see that there needs to be a balance between left and right brain activities, between technology and the arts, between the head and the heart.

In the Middle Ages, cathedrals were built to classical music played by full orchestras in the belief that the stones held the notes and healings could take place within the walls. Families came from all over the countryside with a reverence to watch the church being built and listen to the music. Bickering among the workmen was never allowed; it was felt that this hostility would become part of the aura of the cathedral. If an argument broke out, all work and all music stopped until it was resolved.

Thousands of years ago, men felt music and the arts were a gift from God--a privilege to experience. They felt music was sacred and placed musicians in a loft with the audience below to honor their standings. Today the audience soars above the orchestra, which is in a pit; a telling sign of the times.

We need to rekindle the reverence our ancestors had for music, art, nature and the human spirit. Thousands of years ago, people lived in a state of awe and closeness to their source. Instruments were created to try and capture the voices of angels.

We are surrounded by rhythm and seldom aware of it. Everything in nature is rhythmical from the cycles of day and night to the cycles of the moon, cycles of the female body, and the four seasons. In our families we have rhythm and cycles: infant feeding schedules, silly songs like "Tom, Tom, the Piper's Son", bouncing toddlers on our leg, waving bye-bye, clapping hands, rocking, and playing pat-a-cake.

Music helps people to express emotions that cannot otherwise be verbalized. We associate with past events, pleasant or not and music stirs those memories. This use of music is used more and more in therapy, especially with people with developmental disabilities, autism and with elderly people who respond to songs of their youth.

There are three parts of music just as there are three parts of man. Melody, harmony and rhythm affect different parts of our body and mind. Melodies help us to step aside from pain and stress. We can put ourselves in a state of meditation by listening to a melody, which is something we can't do with rhythm.

But, rhythm can help a sluggish pulse it can give us more energy. Who can resist tapping our foot when we hear a song with a strong rhythm? In therapy it can activate brain rhythms and regulate heart beat.

While a favorite melody is easily remembered, when it's combined with harmony it produces feelings of joy or sorrow, pleasures or regret.

Harmony and rhythm without melody produces the urge to jump and down. It produces sensual motions and this is easily seen in the popular music of today that has little melody and a lot of rhythm. All three components in a beautiful piece of classical music stirs our spirit, bringing us close to tears.

Even the youngest children seem to need music and movement. Before birth, they're in constant movement and many parents sing or play classical music to their child in the womb, feeling it will be absorbed by the child. In fact, some children after birth have quieted and responded to the same music that was played before birth.

They love being rocked and sung to. Their sounds are speech and music. As toddlers, they love to bang pot covers together for their cymbals. They tell us in many ways that they love music. What they can't tell us is that, at their deepest levels, they love music. More than that, they need it.

Have you ever thought that when we talk with other people, we're creating music? Our voices are the instruments of our personality and conversations become symphonies, complete with lilting flutes, soft strings, staccato drums, and clashing symbols.

Too many drums and cymbals can cause irritation and most people get tired of nothing but strings. If you think about this, a family needs to work together to create a pleasant and harmonious environment.

Few of us think about the effect of our words, yet when we realize that our voices create sound waves that ripple outwards until they hit something-- usually another person--we become more conscious of what we say and how we say it.

Our voice is the manifestation of our inner self. Charismatic speakers manipulate through their voices. They speak very softly or shout or use a combination of levels to attract and keep the listeners attention. The average person is unaware of the power of the voice or sound or music.

To instill the love of music in a child, fill your home with the classics. In Camphill Communities, originated by Rudolf Steiner, children with disabilities are lulled to sleep by classical music and wakened with it.

Muzak knows the influence of music as it pipes it in offices, stores and elevators. At certain times of the day when energy is lagging-- mid-morning and mid-afternoon--the tunes are upbeat and designed to energize workers. We are constantly manipulated without knowing it.

And we all know that lullabies aren't played at football games and marches aren't played at bedtime, so there must be a reason for playing certain types of music at certain times.

Music is a vitally important part of our inner world. Modern, loud music with a repetitive beat, usually synthesized, is mostly rhythm, which energizes the limbs but does nothing for the heart or spirit of a person. This is something we can easily remedy in our homes and offices.

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