The Therapeutic
Harp
Compiled by Joyce Rice, with many thanks to Laurie Riley
“Music can name the un-nameable and communicate the unknowable.”
~Leonard Bernstein
You
may have heard about the healing powers of harp music. It’s not a new
concept. 2500 years ago, the Greek philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras
recommended lyre music to keep his patients healthy. In Africa, griots
helped connect people to the spirit world with their harp (kora) playing.
And King David was said to play his harp (lyre) to raise the spirits of King
Saul. (King
James Bible: “And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was
upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was
refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.”
Samuel I 16:23)
Below
are a few more recent experiences.
Harpist Joyce Rice
“Late one afternoon I was playing cocktail music at a TGIF
event in a huge converted barn, and I happened to notice a woman leaning
tiredly against a large rustic beam at the other end of the room. A
half-hour later when I was between pieces she approached me and said,
‘This
has probably been one of my worst work weeks. Thank you so much for making
me feel better with your music!’”
Therapeutic harp pioneer Laurie Riley (https://laurierileymusic.com/therapeutic-music-resources/)

Laurie Riley and a patient
“One
evening in 1990, long before bedside music was used in hospitals for other
than hospice patients, and before any certification programs yet existed for
it, I learned that my father had pneumonia and was in Intensive Care. I
packed my bag. At the last minute, I decided that since he was only
semiconscious, perhaps the best way for him to know I was there would be to
play my harp for him. I put it in the car.
At
the hospital, I found him hooked up to monitors, tubes, and machines. I
asked his nurse if I could play for him, and because a harp in a hospital
was unheard of at the time, she said bluntly, “For five minutes.” After five
minutes passed, no one told me to stop, so I kept going. I began to hear
whispers from the nurses. “It must be the music...” Soon, a doctor tapped me
on the shoulder and whispered words that would soon create a big change in
my life: “Pythagoras said music heals. Please don’t stop.”
I
was surprised to hear this from a doctor, and happy to continue as she
asked. I kept playing, and the monitors showed improvement in my father’s
vital signs; he breathed more deeply and his pulse became more regular.
Whenever I paused, alarms buzzed and care personnel came scurrying. It
seemed like a good idea to comply with the doctor’s wishes and not stop at
all.
The
family had been told that my father would not make it through the night. I
played late into the night, and then stood at his bedside to whisper my
final good-bye. I went to sleep on a cot in his room. When I woke at
sunrise, the sound of the heart monitor steadily beeping seemed the finest
thing I’d ever heard - he was still alive! I got up and played some more.
As
the days passed, I played as much as possible, and my father improved daily.
It was made clear by the medical staff that I had become part of his healing
team and that my efforts were important. I assumed at the time that the
music made a difference because I was his daughter and we therefore had a
connection. But the nurses and doctors asked me to play for other patients
in ICU, and there were positive effects for them as well.
What
I would never have expected was how this experience made me feel. Being
present in a place where life was tentative and where, every minute of every
day, amazingly dedicated people were saving lives, gave me a sense of what’s
truly important: love and connection. I felt more alive there than at any
other time or place. I stayed for a week, playing for several hours each day
and often late into the night. The nurses and doctors told me again and
again that the music was making a positive difference for the patients, and
for themselves, too. At the end of the week, my father was transferred to
general care to complete his recovery.”
Therapeutic harpist Monica Schley
(https://monicaschley.com/other-services/)
“Recently, I played for a man suffering from cancer, who was originally from
Peru. South American culture is rich in upbeat rhythms. When I arrived
playing my small Irish harp (nothing like the Peruvian harp), playing airs
and American folk songs, he wanted something much more peppy with quick
chord changes. It is atypical for me to play music at a quick tempo at the
bedside, yet that is what this client wanted. When I switched styles, he
visibly cheered up. It is imperative to look at the patient and harmonize
with what they need to hear. If their facial expressions show they’re
displeased, you should change what you are playing, maybe even stop. The
quick-paced songs that this client wanted were reminiscent of his youth.
That is what made him happy, and that is partially what therapy music is
about. ”

Monica Schley and an
appreciative patient
“Another time I played for a
95 year-old woman with dementia who became very emotional when she heard the
harp. Her shoulders slumped and she appeared melancholy. When I saw she was
crying, I switched to a popular soothing musical choice for harpists –
traditional Celtic tunes. She didn't stop crying. Then, I realized that she
must have been experiencing feelings deep inside that couldn't be expressed
otherwise. With her more progressed dementia, she could only speak in “word
salad,” a sort of unintelligible garble that must have frustrated and
frightened her, but the music was helping those repressed feelings be
released. When her daughter asked her if she'd like me to stop playing, she
said no. Her tears were her release and relief.”
Therapeutic harpist April Mitchell
“The
room was silent as the first notes were strummed and a melody of a gentle
hymn was forming. The music traveled from the strings to the patient, and
surrounded her family. Then one by one voices spontaneously joined each
other in song until the room was booming with the joy of a family singing to
their loved one who was passing. The soft notes of the harp guiding the way…
This is why I play. A tired mother was kept in her hospital room, deprived
of her two kids, for the second week with uncontrollable itching plaguing
her. The soft gentle sounds of the strings echoed on the walls as it lulled
the mother into a deep relaxation. As the itching stopped and her breathing
slowed, her husband said, “This is the most relaxed she has been in two
weeks!” And I smiled… for this is why I play. Patients have said that my
music has “taken away the pain”, “is better than medication", “took away
their stress” and “brought peace”. Nurses see oxygen levels increase and
heart rates lower… and this is why I play! This work calls to me. The music
guides me and all who are in her path. Music speaks through sound and I
watch as her magic swirls around, touching every soul and bringing rays of
hope. This is why I play.”
Relaxation, recovery,
reminiscence, release: four wonderful outcomes. Mine came as a pleasant
surprise; Laurie’s came from wanting to comfort; Monica’s and April’s
were part of their jobs as therapeutic harpists.
Why is harp music
so special in these settings?
-
Laurie writes: “There are many theories as to why harps are so
effective as therapeutic instruments. Some say it is the richness of
overtones due to fact that harp is the only stringed instrument that
has so many strings going directly into the soundboard at a right
angle rather than running parallel to the soundboard, or the fact
that so many strings vibrate sympathetically [with each other] at
once. Whatever the conjecture, the fact is that harps are by far the
preferred instrument for therapeutic musicians.”
-
Several studies have shown that harp music in cardiac care units
reduces anxiety, pain, blood pressure and respiratory rate, and a
study of 40 cardiac surgery patients reported that those exposed to
music secreted half the level of stress hormones as the control
group. From A Doctor’s Journal: Doctors Promote Healing, with a
Zing of the Strings of a Harp, by Ben Daitz, M.D. New York
Times, Dec. 16, 2003
-
Amanda Petrusich suggests, “What makes the harp so beautiful is
the way it radiates through open space, ethereal and unhurried.”,
From The Seismic Emotion of Mary Lattimore’s Harp Music, The
New Yorker, June 15, 2018
-
"While music, especially performed live, can make people feel better
about themselves, soothe and calm them, music played on the harp has
an extra dimension. For centuries the harp and its music have been
seen as something magical. Today, the harp gets many positive
reactions from people of all walks of life; (almost) everyone enjoys
seeing the harp, hearing its sounds and playing the harp themselves.
Harp music played in a therapeutic way tends to calm people down,
letting them enjoy a few minutes of rest. It can help people breathe
easier and give them something else to focus on so it relieves pain.”
From Therapeutic Harp Music by Anouk Platenkamp at
https://www.harpiste.nl/
-
“Recordings don't do it. Live music works. It's a true acoustic
sound. We've been so bombarded with grocery sounds, Muzak in
elevators, invasive sounds. This is a kinder, gentler, beautiful
vibrating sound."
Quote of Ronald Price in The Healing Power of Harps by Mary
Laney, Chicago Tribune, December 11,1994

Ron Price
See
a video of harpists playing at the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital
at Rahway, NJ:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NRixtN6jYM
Does therapeutic harp interest you?
First off, it’s
helpful to know that there are Music Therapists and Therapeutic Musicians.
As Laurie Riley explains in
The Work of
Certified Music Practitioners: Therapeutic Music in Medical Settings:
There are two general
types of certified musicians who work in medical environments. The American
Music Therapy Association owns the title Music Therapy, so those
certified from other organizations must use other titles and are generally
referred to as Therapeutic Musicians rather than Music Therapists.
-
A Music Therapist graduates from a college degree program as a therapist
with musical skills and uses music as a tool in interactive, goal-oriented,
prescriptive therapies, usually with a goal of socialization or of
psychiatric or neurologic enhancement.
-
Therapeutic Musicians
graduate from certification programs (usually 2 years of study) as skilled
musicians with specific musical skills and a thorough knowledge of clinical
protocols. In the work of certified therapeutic musicians, the music
itself is the therapy, requires no interaction from the patient and is
offered to enhance the healing environment. It is not for socialization or
prescriptive
psychiatric
treatment. A therapeutic musician does not engage the patient in therapeutic
conversation, interaction or verbalization.
The work of certified therapeutic musicians is a “passive” therapy, which
means no interaction is required or solicited from the patient. Those
graduating from accredited programs are qualified to play for patients in
ICU, CCU, NICU, ER, Post-op, oncology, and general care. This work is not
entertainment or performance; the focus is entirely on the patient, who is
not required to interact, especially since patients who are very sick,
anesthetized, medicated or comatose are usually unable to do so. (Yes, the
effects of certain kinds of music have been shown to benefit even patients
who are not conscious.)
Why a
training program?
Laurie continues: A common question is, “Why do I need to be trained just
to play music as a heartfelt service for a sick person?” This deserves
a thoughtful answer. First, anyone may play music for a sick friend or
family member at home, or with permission for a sick friend you are visiting
in a medical institution. But within a medical setting, playing in an
official capacity puts you in a different position. Although it may seem
that anyone who plays well should be able to play for a patient in a medical
setting, there are codes of deportment within medical institutions that are
not the same as elsewhere; what is normal, polite deportment in the world
outside the medical facility may not be at all appropriate within. To
function well in such environments one must also have a working knowledge of
corporate compliance. Additionally, anyone working in an official capacity
in a medical setting must be familiar with codes and ethics, emergency
procedure, and the like. That, plus understanding how specific kinds of
music affect the body and psyche on a scientific level as well as
emotionally and psychologically, is why training programs exist, which
ensure that you will be knowledgeable and confident as you do your
therapeutic musical work.
The skills of the
practitioner
In
care settings, the harp not only brings joy to the people living there, but
can also give a few moments of calm to the working staff. The music can
dramatically change the overall atmosphere.
-
Therapeutic harp music is fitted to the listener. The therapeutic harp
practitioner will sometimes make use of certain modes (specific scales)
on the harp, to create a specific mood in the music, depending on the
needs of the patient. In this way the harpist can fit the music to the
mood of the listener, or even try to change the mood.
-
Breathing patterns and heart rate are usually considered in setting an
appropriate tempo for the music, which is sometimes improvised.
-
The therapeutic harp practitioner may sometimes take into account the
stated preference of the person s/he is playing for. Pitch and volume
will have a significant effect on the overall experience of the
listener.
-
Additionally, the therapeutic harp practitioner can make use of
“resonant tones”. Music is vibration, just like everything else. The
cells in our body also vibrate. When a patient reacts well to specific
tones (notes) on the harp, their repetition can set up a resonant
effect, a matching of the vibration of the harp to an individual's most
prominent resonant tone. This will often produce best results for the
patient.
****************
“Sometimes we point to the harp and say, “This is medical equipment,” which
often elicits a smile or a chuckle. Most people get it. The soothing sound
of the harp reduces anxiety, helps people rest, created a sense of peace,
and is completely safe. Harps belong in hospitals!”
From March 30, 2017 article from
Providence Health and Services/Washington.

Edie Elkan of Bedside Harp
Would you like to learn more about being a therapeutic musician? Presently
there are four programs that meet basic training standards set forth
by the National Standards Board for Therapeutic Music.
-
Bedside
Harp, founded in 2002
and
administered by Edie
Elkan.
https://www.bedsideharp.com.
-
Harp for
Healing, founded by Laurie Riley in 2002,
currently
owned and administered by Mary Stevens.
https://www.harpforhealing.com
-
International Harp Therapy Program, founded in 1994 and administered
by Christina Tourin. http://www.harptherapyinternational.com
-
Music for
Healing and Transition Program (not only for harpists), founded by
Laurie Riley, Martha Lewis, Mary Radspinner and Mary Ann Schultz in
1994,
now
administered by a Board of Directors.
https://www.mhtp.org
Want more
information?
List of programs, conferences, webinars, therapeutic music publications,
books about playing at the bedside at Soothing Harp https://www.soothingharp.com/therapeutic-music-resources
by Karen Peterson
Below are
resources from Sarajane Williams, Publishing Editor of The Harp Therapy
Journal
-
Another basic explanation about harp therapy:
http://www.harptherapyjournal.com/what-is-harp-therapy.html
-
A few sample articles from The Harp Therapy Journal from over its
25 years of publication:
http://www.harptherapyjournal.com/selected-articles.html
-
A research page with a focus on Vibroacoustic Harp Therapy (VAHT), but
other harp therapy/ therapeutic music and related study abstracts are
listed, as well:
https://www.musiatry.com/vaht-research.html
-
Information about the National Standards Board for Therapeutic
Musicians, accredited programs, and more can be found at:
https://www.nsbtm.org/
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