The Universal Healer:

Music’s Gift to Mankind

American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow once called music “the universal language of mankind.” Indeed, music is a language spoken in rhythm, pitch and tempo that can be understood at every corner of the globe. However, the combination of rhythm, pitch and tempo are only a vessel on which emotions ride. Human emotion is “the universal language of mankind.” Music is the “universal healer of mankind.” It was through music intervention that I found comfort, after the sudden death of my wife in 1998. In sharing in the gift of music with a pair of less fortunate, yet highly talented teens a year later, blessed me with the opportunity to watch them transform into outstanding young men. Upon graduation from Full Sail University, I will begin to give back to my creative community by establishing a local, non profit music intervention clinic.

Music intervention, or music therapy is not a new concept. In fact, music therapy was used by the United States military during WWI to assist Veterans in addressing traumatic war injuries. According to Doctor Daniel Levitin Ph.D. of the American Psychological Association, “music can alter brain chemistry and even the production of cytokines, immunoglobulin A, and other components of a healthy immune system.” In addition, there is strong evidence that music can affect mood, heart rate and respiration rate. The effect of music in psychotherapy has been so impactful that in 1998, the National Association for Music Therapy and the American Association for Music Therapy unified to form the American Music Therapy Association. It’s primary commitment is to the advancement of education, training, professional standards, credentials, and research in support of the music therapy profession. musictherapy.org With certification from the American Music Therapy Association, I aim to stir the souls of our youth, through music at “Soul Stir Lab.”

Soul Stir Lab, will focus on teaching young adults productive ways of expressing their feelings through music. In addition, we will guide them towards creative and constructive paths for dealing with emotion. Through a creative collective of local musicians and local business associates, Soul Stir Lab will teach many forms of instrumentation, including but not limited to: guitar, bass, drums, piano, violin, saxophone, trumpet and cello. Additionally, Soul Stir Lab will provide these youth an opportunity to work with, and incorporate the digital audio workstation into their music intervention. In fact, a large part of our mission will be to arm these youth with the basic working knowledge of the virtual instrument as well as the digital audio workstation. This will be geared toward building confidence and self esteem through technological advances, allowing them to explore their emotions while capturing their feelings outside of Soul Stir Lab.

These youth will have the opportunity to network with other local youth, and learn the importance of musicianship through collaboration. The experience of feeling your emotions captured in time can provide great clarity and insight into understanding those emotions. By working towards a common goal of expressing their feelings through song, these youth will learn to share their emotions in a group setting. Together, they will assist each other in producing their own “emotionally productive” music.

Music, is the universal healer of mankind, and thus should not be a gift to only those who can afford it. Isn't a gift suppose to be given without stipulation? Instead, music should be a gift shared with everyone, in an attempt to bring us closer to living in harmony. Music has the power to end wars, unite cultures, and speaks to our hearts in ways that spoken language never will. Above all, music has the ability to heal our soul. What an extraordinary gift to mankind. What an exciting way to interact and give back to my creative community.