Dear Hilary, 

"Classical music affects the brain’s organization and abilities, through its melody and rhythm. The rhythm raises the level of serotonin produced in your brain. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter, involved in the transmission of nerve impulses that helps maintaining joyous feelings. When the brain produces serotonin, tension is eased. In fact depression is a consequence of the scarce production of this hormone. Serotonin is released when the brain is “positively shocked”. For instance: if we look at a splendid painting, smell a delicious scent, feel an extraordinary sensation, eat something delicious or listen to some charming music, then the brain lets off a certain amount of serotonin which arouses and maximizes pleasant feelings."

"The rigorous order of the music from the baroque and classical periods causes the brain to experience more serotonin release, letting the body and mind perform better when listening to these logical compositions. This order includes specific patterns in rhythm and pitch, character contrast, repetitions, and alterations of the theme. Modern music doesn’t provide the right balance of rhythm and melody, thus not sorting the correct effect on a person’s brain."

Mozart and Vivaldi's e.g. Four seasons are good for ED. 

Effect of Classical Music on the Brain  http://www.classicalforums.com/articles/Music_Brain.html

Dear Hilary,

       It is very nice idea to be applied in practice, music  and distraction therapies are considered as the top interventions to relief pain, tension and anxiety and were found to be useful, relevant and feasible from the perspective of patients and nurses in ICU and Emergency Department.

       As mentioned by Dr Beatrice music therapy may stimulate endorphin production in the descending control system (Modulation). The “descending system” Occurs when neurons in the thalamus and brain stem send signals back down to the dorsal horn of the spinal cord. These descending fibers release substances that act as natural painkillers such as endogenous opioids and serotonin that ease tension and relief pain. Also, music therapies affect the persons perception.. Yes, four seasons are good.

                                                     Regards

Dear Hilary

I am working of a research project involving soundscapes and in particular birdsong. Birdsong and other sound elements from the natural environment may prove useful as music therapy. Please find attached a some of short audiovisuals as examples.

Regards

Stuart

https://vimeo.com/110593292

https://vimeo.com/109056554

Dear Hilary,

Are you familiar with the Danish record label Quiet Please, which has been developing optimal relaxing music with doctors? This music has been used widely e.g. in ambulances. The record is “15 Minutes of Peace”, and it can be found on Spotify. There is some information about this project on the internet, but I am not sure if there is any in English.

Best regards

Anne

Thank you for all the useful suggestions, especially Quiet please label 

You might want to take into account the frequency the music is being played in i.e. tuning that's related to the Schumann resonance 7.83 Hz or the solfeggio scales, as appose to standard western tuning A = 440...

Dear Hilary,

Please look at the attached files. We have introduced music therapy in our ambulances in the North Region Denmark with great success. 

You are welcome to contact my college Kjeld Brogård sell phone: +45 29414338

Kind regards

Heidi

Thank you Heidi this is fabulous, I may well call your colleague this week. Hilary

Hilary,

Here's a link to a website that offers some information regarding your question. While music therapy is not my area of specialty, I did take graduate classes with Arthur Harvey, the man to whom the website belongs, and he is very well versed in music and healing. I hope this is helpful:

http://www.musicforhealthservices.com/

Dear Hilary, it is an amazing  idea, my suggestion is  to use Quran . it is very useful as  relaxation technique . really it is a miracle . please listen to the attached audio  

Maybe you can find some help here:

http://www.musictherapy.org/

 Great idea, projections of relaxing visuals of music could be on the ceiling I think...

http://www.relaxingsoundsmusic.com/tranquil-ambient-music-music-for-relaxing-chillout-music-relaxation-alpha-brainwave-5-hours/

Dear Hilary Moss,

using this opportunity, I would like to introduce one of my things.

Since recent times, I redirected all my knowledge and experience in the direction to create Scientific Musical Developments, where it would be possible to perform music in accordance with the preferences of the user, namely to set own tempo, sound levels and other parameters. The main idea is to create the illusion of the user's active involvement with the music being played from the computer by assigning his own preferences for rhythm, sound, composition of instruments and other parameters. This is what accentuates as a musical psychotherapy.

And now I would like to present my timid attempt to unite together Mathematics, Programming and Music by presentation

http://www.brodsky.fedulov.ge

Of course this is not a commercial product but only TRANSITIONAL DEVELOPMENT, which lies between Research and Practice (as a Business Product in the final stage).

Please have a look at the discussion https://www.researchgate.net/post/Why_dont_developers_use_the_best_research_on_software_development

This program consists of two parts. The second part can be loaded by http://www.brodsky.fedulov.ge/V4.aspx

Once I want to notice that you need to listen on a STATIONARY computer, on the mobile phone you will not hear anything. After downloading, you must wait a few seconds for all sounds and videos to load. If you see a fixed screen, it means that there is an interval now and that there will be a continuation soon. The program has its own timer and works in accordance with this timer.

The chronology of events for the START of the program http://www.brodsky.fedulov.ge is as follows:

1. First, sounds and videos are downloaded. At this time, the screen image is static. It is necessary to wait a little, in a few seconds there will be a continuation

2. Then a portrait of Brodsky will appear on the left, his poem will appear to the right.

3. After a couple of seconds, a chorus will begin that will grow.

4. In a second there will be a video in which Brodsky reads his poem,

While synchronously in the text of the verses the string pronounced by Brodsky at this point in time will be highlighted. Below the video there will be a couplet in English, which Brodsky did.

5.When Brodsky finishes reading, there will be a short pause, after which the transition to the BASIC program will take place.

The chronology of events for the BASIC program http://www.brodsky.fedulov.ge/V4.aspx is as follows:

1. First, sounds and videos are downloaded. At this time, the screen image is static. It is necessary to wait a little, in a few seconds there will be a continuation.

2. Then the choir begins, which gradually decreases.

3. After the choir there will be a pause for a couple of seconds.

4. Then you will hear the introduction, where the cellos set the rhythm in the waltz style to three quarters.

5. After this begins the singing from the first couplet, there are five such verses. Above there will be a menu, in the upper left will be a VIDEO, in the upper right will be COMMENT on the video. Below will be NOTES of a melody with syllables.

6. Beginning with the second verse, a flute with its minor sound will join the singing of the singers.

7. From tact #21 to tact #28: there will be only a video, where the ceremony of awarding the Nobel Prize is shown.

8. From tact #29 to tact #38: there will be only a frame with singers.

9. From tact #39 to tact #43: there will be a ringing of bells.

10. Ttact #44: there will be again a decreasing chorus.

11. Tact # 45: there will be end of singing in large letters "The END"

Using the menu, you can change the tempo or sound parameters ("Tempo & Sound") and repeat the desired piece from the "Tacts" item. From the Database (item "Date Base") you can find out the list of sounds of the voices of singers and the composition of instruments with references to extracted sounds.

In conclusion, one wish: It would be better to download the program first with the sound off, so that all the downloaded sounds from a server would sit in the computer on the side of the client. Then download the program again with the sound turned on.

Steve Halpern would be a good choice. He actually has a CD for healing specifically.

You might find considering what frequency the music is played in rather than the type or style of music is played ie. 432 Hz or 444Hz rather than the standard 440Hz, more effective.