The Healing Power of Music

I have distinct memories of my Grandad singing in the car as he took us to Dairy Queen. Papaw whistling as he swept the garage or let me ride along on the mower. There was always music somewhere—my parents kept the radio on or a record spinning. It was part of the backdrop of my life.

My first concert was either Barry Manilow or John Denver, and later, my Dad would chaperone the Bee Gees, Lionel Richie, and many more. My parents encouraged us to explore music—one year, they bought my brother and me guitars for Christmas. It was... a rough go. We didn’t even make the grade school talent show. Our duet was more like two siblings disagreeing in rhythm. We still laugh about it.

My love for music continued. I proudly sat last chair for nearly a decade of flute. I was there for the experience. I loved being surrounded by the sound, with the beat of the drums a few rows behind me. It was a vibe. I was perfectly content.

Now, I recognize music as more than entertainment.
It’s medicine.

It’s a frequency that finds us deep within. The words, the beats, the crescendos and rests—they bring comfort when I’m anxious and a spark of energy when I’m low. Certain songs take me right back to a feeling, a person, a place. Sound holds memory.

When I work with clients—especially musicians or those deeply connected to sound—I notice how attuned they are to energy, often more than they realize. Music speaks to the nervous system in a language we don’t always have words for. And I get it. I may not be on stage or in a studio, but I know what it feels like to be held by harmony.

Music is Reiki, in a way.
Vibration.
Flow.
Resonance.

It travels through the body and stirs something in the soul.

Science backs this up. Music has been shown to lower cortisol, our primary stress hormone, and reduce the perception of pain. It can promote a sense of well-being—for the brain, the body, and the soul.

Sound has always been part of celebration and healing across cultures. From chanting to singing bowls, drumming to sacred song, vibration has played a role in realigning energy. Think about how you feel when the beat drops, your favorite song comes on, and you’re immersed. That feeling? That’s healing.

Sound healing is one of the tools I lean on in my own practice—especially in meditation or when my energy feels off. One framework I work with often is the Solfeggio frequencies—a set of specific tones believed to support deep healing, spiritual awakening, and energetic transformation. These tones go way back—rooted in ancient Gregorian chants, later revived and explored by Dr. Joseph Puleo and Leonard Horowitz in the 1970s.

The Solfeggio frequencies are mathematically aligned with patterns found in nature, sacred geometry, and spiritual traditions. They’re commonly used in sound healing, Reiki sessions, meditation music, and chakra balancing.

My mom even plays them for her dog—he conks out.

Here’s a quick reference guide from ChatGPT for the main Solfeggio tones. Feel free to save it:

Solfeggio Frequencies

I use these frequencies in my own healing work and often in the studio. Some days I crave drumming, other days it’s cello or guitar. Some days I search for a specific frequency on Insight Timer. Before meditating, I check in—am I drawn to guidance or to pure sound? Then I feel into what kind of music my body needs: grounding or uplifting, light or heavy, voice or instrumental. Sometimes I return to the same track again and again. It becomes part of the ritual.

I also work with a tuning fork that vibrates at 136.10 Hz, the frequency of Om—considered the vibration of the Earth. We’ll explore that more in another post, but just know it’s a deeply anchoring tone.

When I notice stagnant energy around the throat chakra—or a client is preparing to be seen, speak up, or step into leadership—I often suggest they bring music in to support their expression. Sing. Hum. Chant. Let your voice vibrate through your throat and clear the path.

Even reading aloud or reciting a poem can help keep that channel open.

Recently, my brother treated me and my daughter to a Coldplay concert. The music was beautiful, but the vibe? Out of this world. Between the sound and the energy the audience was holding, it felt like something holy. Something otherworldly.

So, I’ll ask you this:
Is there a genre or an artist that you get lost in?
A song that touches something deep in your soul?

Go turn it on.
Lay back.
Let it envelop you.

Play with music—as meditation, as medicine, as an energy boost, as a return to yourself.