Interview:

Music, in its simplicity and complexity, its beauty and cacophony, its timing and timelessness, feeds us without adding calories. Music moves us physically; the peak experiences we have with it accelerate our heart rates; the calm of familiar music decreases our blood pressure. Music moves us psychologically; it changes our moods without conscious effort. Music moves us emotionally, with tears of joy or sadness. Music moves us in ways we could never express in words. Memories are triggered, and we are transported to the time or place when we first danced to this music, sang along, or found our first love. Images are evoked, and we are there, then, in our mind’s eye. All this happens when we simply listen to the music we love. When we actively create music, we really get our minds and bodies going. We become engaged viscerally as the brain, muscles, and nervous system activate nearly every organ system of the body. We discover a new language in which to express ourselves with or without the interference of the intellect. We connect with the composer, instrument, or listener. We connect with a place deep within us where we feel our most intimate emotions, and where we find our uniqueness. Some of us connect with a higher power. Is there anything more spiritual than music?

“Music, in its simplicity and complexity, its beauty and cacophony, its timing and timelessness, feeds us without adding calories.”
– Suzanne Hanser, author of “The New Music Therapist’s Handbook”