The October 26 edition of the USA Today "Weekend" section featured an extraordinary cover article. Writer Tim Wendel examined the power of music to uplift, heal and transform, and included a partial exploration of the science behind the sounds that soothe. "In recent weeks, music has helped re-ignite America's spirit. Now, scientists say 'melodies' may offer more power to mend than we ever imagined."

I'm assuming many of you also watched the September 21 telethon, America: A Tribute to Heroes that was simulcast on all of the major networks and on the internet from undisclosed studio locations. The combination of words and music had a powerful emotional impact, even though the presentation was rather somber and low key.

The gathering in Yankee Stadium on September 23 also featured soul-stirring music, including gospel.

And most recently, the extraordinary Concert for New York City, televised live from Madison Square Garden on VH1, was a momentous event, unprecedented in the annals of rock or politics.

From a sheer logistical standpoint, this was perhaps the most mind-blowing experience I've seen—even more than Live Aid, especially given the extra security concerns and precautions. To have so many different performers with so many different stage set-ups, and such limited rehearsal time, work together so smoothly was incredible.

I've performed in a few similar, but much smaller, events, such as the 1993 World Parliament of Religions symposium in Chicago, and believe me, even without the live television aspect, the amount of coordination was astronomical. So here's a special note of appreciation and acknowledgement to all the crew behind the scenes as well as the performers.

The performance by The Who was especially impactful. I heard We Won't Get Fooled Again in a whole new light, and flashed on how revolutionary that song was when it was first released in the 60s ... how relevant it still is ... and how powerful the band still is! It reminded me of so many discussions back then about the uplifting and healing power of rock music ... when it was still an idealistic new form, before it became a corporate, formulaic industry.

As I reflected on the wide range of music that's been presented at these programs, I thought of several examples that featured aggressive, almost painful rhythms and textures. Wouldn't it have been nice, or appropriate, or essential, to take this unique opportunity, when so many beings were attuned to the same wavelength, to orchestrate at least a few tranquil moments of peace and Oneness with music that comes from a place of peace?

Indeed, the public debut of what was originally referred to as New Age music was at the early New Age healing festivals and Whole Life-type expos. We all experienced the reality of being part of a greater Whole--of our shared humanity. Why wasn't any of this kind of music included? As so many religious leaders have said over the centuries, "If we're ever going to have peace on the planet, we need to experience peace within ourselves first."

Perhaps future concerts will include at least some of the more gentle healing music.

Taking a Look at the Record

Do you remember the quote about melody in the opening paragraph? Whether conscious of it or not, there's a subtle "spin" that probably has you inclined to believe that melody is more important than harmony or rhythm or the consciousness of the composer and music. What you're not being told is that there may be at least as much research that suggests that each of these other variables are equally, if not more, important.

As you are probably aware, I've devoted the past 30 years of my life to exploring the healing powers of music. I bear witness, as do many of my colleagues and millions in my audience, that the new genre of contemporary instrumental, meditative, healing music deserves to be included in any overview of healing music.

Getting back to Tim Wendel's article, the good news is that scientists are finally getting the funds to conduct research on how the brain and body respond to music. The not-so-good news is that some of the funding is coming from classical record companies. Let's hope this doesn't mean the research will include only classical selections and not include music that might be even more effective than classical.

This is the same paradigm I ran into in 1972 when I was conducting my initial scientific research. How well I recall my shock when I was told by the editor of a major mainstream magazine, "We don't care if your music works more effectively than classical music. They spend more money on ads with us than you do."

I learned an important lesson in that moment. If you are interested in making the most informed choices, I would encourage you to keep that perspective in mind as you read articles about the power of music. In advertising, the concept is called "positioning." Just because an article may focus on one style of music doesn't mean that it's the only choice--let alone the best choice.

So keep listening to healing music of all kinds, and nurture your Spirit.

I'd love to hear from you as to which performances on any of the televised concerts were the most meaningful to you. I can be reached at AskDrSound@innerpeacemusic.com.