healing with minimal music

[steevio]

I don’t know about you guys but ‘healing music’ conjours up images of whale song CD’s in crystal shops, and geezers with beards playing flutes and bongos.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but when it comes to EDM there seems little desire to expand into these areas.
When it comes to minimal, I’d say the connection is almost non-existent (consciously)
Maybe its because EDM is inherently hedonistic, maybe minimal is way too cool and its simply pretentious to make music specifically for healing purposes.

However, the fact that music has the power to heal is beyond question, and there’s no reason why say minimal techno should be any different.
I’d just like to stimulate some discussion on this, because its something that has interested me for a long time.

Personally I don’t follow the trends in minimal music, I just make it. I was inspired by minimal techno in the early 1990’s, and I’ve seen the trends come and go, essentially to me the ‘genre’ of minimal encompasses a much broader spectrum than the microcosm of the current trendy labels, so when I talk about minimal I mean it in the sense of stripped back music where the individual elements inhabit their own space and the relationships between the different elements are allowed to breath.

For me this is a potent form as it allows the use of simple tones and rhythmic relationships, and combined with the hypnotic structure of techno, this seems like a perfect platform for sending healing signals.

In my oppinion its all about ‘intent’.
If its your intention to look cool, or show off , then this will come across in your music, it will have an indefinable ego to it.
Likewise if your intention is to send positive energy to the world, this will be picked up subliminally and may affect someone’s life in a positive way.
It could be argued that most music has this quality, especially music with positive lyrics, but with minimal techno this is a much more abstract concept.
So what I’m interested in is, how many of you guys are consciously incorporating techniques in your production intended to send healing signals, including harmonic relationships, rhythmic techniques etc., what techniques you’ve discovered and how you discovered them, or how many of you think that maybe you’re doing it unconsciously, and how many think that this is just hippy bullshit, and just want to get wasted and dance to some weird noises.
BTW, I think that getting wasted and dancing to weird noises is a form of healing !

I lifted this from a music healing site, the question was what type of music is healing music ?:
Music that energizes our body
Music that stimulates our brain
Music that awakens our feelings
Music that ignites our soul
Music that relaxes our body
Music that calms our mind
Music that unwinds our emotions
Music that restores our soul
Music that motivates our actions
Music that helps us unwind
Music that wakes us up
Music that helps us sleep
Music that expands our thinking
Music that helps us not to think

[oblioblioblio]

Hmm, this is one of those 'hard to describe' topics, but it's super interesting so...

For me, I'm not sure how much the 'healing' aspect is a concious thing or not. But I think this depends entirely on the artist.

At Freerotation there were some great examples. I had a brief chat with Bodycode who said something along the lines of 'I want to create something beautiful in everything that I do'. Before I could reply he had suddenly been attracted by something else and I was left thinking about my response:

I'm not sure how much this works for me, I dunno. music is just this thing that I always come back to, there is a very selfish element to it. I think ultimately, this selfishness, combined with healthy intentions though perspective and some valuable allies is what works best for me. I don't think I would conciously say that my music has healing intentions. Though I fully accept that music has this power, to consider this power in my own actions can lead me to unhealthy places.

[oblioblioblio]

i have an interesting story along these lines.

At uni, I had a friend. We bonded over music, we sat around and played records, went to gigs, got high and went out drinking.

But, gradually, certain hostile and very unfriendly aspects of his character started to show themselves. And after a series of really ugly displays, our closely knit group decided we would no longer associate with him.

Nowdays, he is heading towards being very (commericially) successful musician (minimal techno in fact).

I used to use him as an outlet for many negative feelings I had, but a while ago I realised he is the same as me. A lost and confused soul trying to make ends meet in the best way that he can.

So what is the difference between his music and mine?

I couldn't say really. Of course, inside I feel that my music has 'good' intentions in some form or other (whther I'm right or not to do so), and that his have 'bad'. But can I really be sure?

(I guess this contradicts the feelings I said earlier about not wanting to crystallise my actions into something that I would see as good or bad. Partly I feel that that it is true for me, that I shouldn't view my own actions as being inherently 'good', but I guess it's a natural thing to do).

definitely a hard to describe topic!

[omnipresence]

In my oppinion its all about ‘intent’.
If its your intention to look cool, or show off , then this will come across in your music, it will have an indefinable ego to it.
Likewise if your intention is to send positive energy to the world, this will be picked up subliminally and may affect someone’s life in a positive way.

I feel you on this.

I would say that I don't actively think about any of these things when I'm making music but subconsciously my intent would still be there. It will still come through in the music. Or it has the potential to... I guess what I'm getting at is that any type of message, be it straightforward or subliminal, may be lost on some people.

[oblioblioblio]

some more of my feelings on the topic are:

I think music and art generally are a microcosm, or as a living metaphor, for life generally.

To me, a great artist is someone who has found their place. Has accepted their weaknesses and made the best of their strengths. Their art is a cumulative distillation of this, and healing energy to others comes as a result.

From what I have seen great artists are damaged people. They learnt to self heal as a means of survival, and art is a way for them to turn the games they play to make themselves better into something with greater meaning.

Maybe I'm chatting sh!t, but this is what I (think I) have seen.

[hydrogen]

I think music and art generally are a microcosm, or as a living metaphor, for life generally.

I completely agree with you.

[revy]

i think its clear music can have psychological effects caused by its acoustics....giving us energy, triggering new thoughts...
but what about "actually" healing? curing disease? or mental illness?
theres some research around about bioacoustic therapy, etc...
has anyone had or heard any experiences? or even better examples of music?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_Therapy

[oblioblioblio]

but what about "actually" healing? curing disease? or mental illness?
theres some research around about bioacoustic therapy, etc...
has anyone had or heard any experiences? or even better examples of music?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_Therapy

I think this would be hard to quantify. It's rarely a case of single exposure (though obviously sometimes there are 'breakthroughs' that are enourmously powerful on their own terms). I think in most cases it is a long term thing. like radiation or asbestos. and there is some kind of reverse tolerance as well. where the more you are exposed the more you open yourself up to it's potential.

probably not the kind of example you're looking for but I know I'd be in pretty bad shape if it wasn't for music.