Mercy Music: Brad's Blog

Work is a drag...playing is FUN!

"One glad morning when this life is o'er, I'll fly away!"

I am working on the classical piece, "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring."
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It was penned by J.S. Bach and as is typical with many of Bach's works, it has a fast moving melody and a strong bass line. I have played it in a healing music setting when there is a need to start a session out with a song that is a bit more "up." This technique is called "entrainment." If a patient is a bit agitated, or has a heartbeat faster than normal resting rate, then it can be helpful to start with a song that is faster and more lively. This way the music healer can "match" the heart rate and then begin to bring the tempos and timbre down, in which the heart rate will normally follow and the patient will experience more peace. 
I have felt for a while that I'd like to do the melody a bit slower...maybe change the time signature so that the song could be used for a more peaceful setting. So I decided to look up the "lyrics."
The song was based off of an old German hymn...



Well for me that I have [...]

Personally it only happened a couple times when I was a little boy. But I remember the depth of pain that I was feeling when it happened. I remember the deep sorrow, my chest heaving, everything seeming like it was dark, the sense of hopelessness. Can you recall a time when you cried yourself to sleep?
When I asked Amy (not her real name) what I could pray for her she said through tears, "I just don't want to cry myself to sleep anymore." She sobbed as I gently placed my hand on her shoulder and asked God to help her through her pain. When I was done praying she confessed that many times the pain was too much and she had thought about suicide. She thanked me for bringing the band to play music for them. She said that she has always really enjoys it when we come. That it makes her feel really good. "I wish I could feel this good all the time."
Excelsior Youth Home for Girls is a treatment center for girls ages 11-18. ExcelsiorYC.Org. The reality of losing one of these precious, young ladies [...]

I grabbed my guitar and my songbook this morning and headed out to an Alzheimer's Home. It's a gorgeous day here in Colorado but these residents for the most part don't get to enjoy that part of life. Most of them are not able to get around anymore...lots of them are dealing with dementia. The loss of brain cells. To the point to where you don't know who others are (like your husband) and you may not even know your own name.
Such is the case with Eva. When Chaplain Nate and I walked in a saw Eva sitting in a chair near the lobby he said, "Good morning, Eva!" Her response was, "Who's Eva?" He smoothly replied, "Well, I came here looking for a lady named Eva and she looks a lot like you!" Then she mumble something incoherent. He introduced me to her and I went to shake her hand and she pulled away. She then looked me in the eye and I gave her the biggest smile I have. Her eyes brightened and with a wry smile she shook her finger at me as it to say, "Just who do you think you are, buddy?" [...]