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Copyright © 1996 by Don G. Campbell
All rights reserved. Inquiries should be addressed to
Twelve Star Publishing, P.O. Box 123, Jefferson, MD 21755
During the last ten years, my mail has increased weekly:
letters from people wanting to know how to cure backaches, headaches,
and cancer with music and sound. Heaven knows, if I had a special
magic formula so I could make the right suggestions for people
looking for such answers, I would feel blessed.
The reality is that every person lives differently, (and
music affects them differently) depending on the time of day,
what one is listening to, and one's posture. Our age and our emotions
all filter the music into an abundant variety of personal experiences.
A dozen years ago, I began getting letters about my album "Crystal
Meditations" (Spirit Music). Interesting letters for me,
because they spoke specifically about how this particular album
assisted the writers in the healing of a disease or recovery from
an accident or an operation.
Kay Gardner, in her wonderful book Sounding the Inner Landscape,
recalls a story of using "Crystal Meditations" for her
father with Alzheimer's. Gardner believes that it was the dualistic
use of alpha and theta waves in my music that allowed her to communicate
quite lucidly with him before he died. She writes:
"Campbell's music had been playing for about five minutes when I began a conversation with Dad about his health and his future. Somehow, almost miraculously, we were able to communicate for about ten or twelve minutes! I was able to ask Dad whether he was afraid of death (he wasn't), and whether he was aware of his physical state (he was). It truly was a blessing to have been able to have this conversation with him three months before he died. "
New Age composer Steven Halpern speaks of the hundreds
of letters he's received from people who have felt a transformation
through the use of his "Spectrum Suite," "Zodiac
Suite," and other albums.
We know that music heals, but the great challenge is understanding
why. Why does it affect everyone so differently, yet what is consistent
underneath? Recently, on a trip to San Anselmo, California, I
spent an evening with Constance Demby, composer of the
bestselling album "Novus Magnificat" (Hearts of Space).
For thirty years, Demby has been sculpting and inventing sounds
on synthesizers, dulcimers, and absolutely incredible instruments
that she has created herself. We spoke about the physical healings
that many people have had from listening to her music. Although
I realize it does not pass the clinical test to prove the same
experience can happen twice, it is nevertheless evident that her
music has made a difference for many listeners:
"I am HIV positive, and "Set Free" literally got me through all of my anxieties . . . I was able to laugh and cry with it (mostly cry), meditate, sleep, and even regain my appetite. While listening, I aligned my soul and mind back to sanity because I really thought I was losing it for a while. Many friends and family tried to comfort me, but when it came right down to it, your "Set Free" album is what carried me through."
- No. 1 fan, Thad
"I suffer from chronic pain as a result of spinal fusions. You would not believe what calm relief can be attained through this type of music, in particular "Novus Magnificat." I no longer require narcotic pain relievers or tranquilizers or muscle relaxants. If it were possible on earth to hear the Angels of Heaven sing, this must be the song and voice of glory!"
- T. Hollingsworth
"I am writing to you from the intensive care unit of Kaiser Hospital and this is a letter of gratitude. I have just had my first and, I hope, last heart attack. In addition to pain, I have had to cope with fear, and your music has helped me to do that. Last night, my heart attacked me again in spite of isordyl, tagamet, heparin, nitroglycerin, attenuol, and expert nursing care. The chemicals did not make the pain go away. What made it go away was your music. I needed to be reminded that it was my body, not my being, that was in jeopardy. Your music is obviously not created for your personal fame and fortune."
- D. Mechling
Constance Demby has invented one of the most amazing instruments
I have ever heard. The Space Bass is a horizontal, ten-foot sheet
of mirror finish stainless steel with five octaves of rods attached
to a bar. The rods are either struck percussively or bowed with
a bass bow. The sound waves on the lower notes are purported to
be over thirty feet long. As I sat in her temple-like home, she
played for me one of the most astonishing and important sounds
that my body has ever heard. It was as if a thousand angels or
wings were surrounding me on all sides. The impeccable tuning
and the incredible art form that many composers, including Constance,
have tried to find on synthesizers became suddenly a living, vibrating
presence. I must always ask myself, "Was it me or is this
part of the instruments for the whole future of humanity?"
People often write composers in the healing arts about
how music renews a life, brings them through transformations,
allows them to finish what they need to finish, and literally
allows a mystical experience to begin.
We've been listeners and composers for thousands of years.
The true mystery and magic of music may yet be waiting for the
great scientists to tell us why they work. In the meantime, listen
and learn. If you have magical stories with sound, do not hesitate
to write me. I will pass them on to others, and they will continue,
hopefully, to inspire with that which eternally inspires us.
Don G. Campbell is a composer, author, and founder of the
Institute for Music, Health, and Education. He can be reached
at P.O. Box 4179, Boulder, CO 80306.
This article first appeared in The Quest, Autumn 1996,
as is reprinted with permission.