The Value of Music

  As a musician, I have long seen the positive effects of music on the human soul. In some of the happiest hours of my life as well as the darkest, music has been a way of expressing my emotions when no words could. So often, I have either made my own music or relied on that of someone else to give voice to what is within. Sometimes it is celebration; other times it is grief. Whatever the need, music has been there to comfort and encourage me through so many seasons.

  Over the years, I have come to believe that music can have a powerful impact on the hurting heart, that a beautiful melody can soothe the inner turmoil created by the storms of life. Recently, I was made aware of another who shares this perspective and has applied it in a very unique way. Arthur Bloom, a professional pianist and composer, saw a need in our young injured veterans who were recovering in the hospital. He realized that music could be yet another way to help heal the hidden wounds of war, and so he set up the organization, "MusiCorps." The following video tells the story of how this program was born and the immediate affect it had on our nation's warriors:

  Shortly after its founding, MusiCorps staff members saw a remarkable drop in the wounded warriors' use of antidepressants and other forms of medication. Depression rates went down as those recovering were given a positive direction for their pain. The overall morale of those participating in the program was high. The injured were now picking up their instruments and playing in the long hours of the night rather than sitting and battling their inner darkness. MusiCorps provided a new avenue for them that they did not have previously.
   Studies have shown that even certain types of music are more beneficial for healing than others, and specific styles of music actually have the ability to rebuild neurons in the brain. Music can be a very influential part of someone's emotional and physical recovery.

  I can personally attest to the healing power of music, remembering back to when my dad was deathly ill in the summer of 2007. Playing the piano was sometimes my only escape from the worry and pain I felt regarding his situation. Even after he returned home from the hospital and life started to regain its normalcy, I have continued to turn to this incredible God-given gift as a source of hope in my life. Perhaps you have discovered this as well.  

  I am thankful that God has given us this incredible gift. Where would our world be without the beauty, inspiration, and healing that music brings to us! Music comes to us from its Designer and blesses this broken earth with its peaceful harmonies, lifting us to a place of hope no matter how dark our situation may be. 

* To learn more about MusiCorps and its work, visit: www.musicorps.net.