communityspotlight I train my students to think of themselves more as therapists
than as performers. That way they raise not only their own
Life Energy, but also that of those they play and sing with.
Essentially, all music enhances Life Energy. I would exclude certain music,
such as rock music and digital music from this statement, but basically all music
has Life Energy-enhancing powers, powers to help us live better and love better
and to manifest the wonderful people we are. My work is concerned with how to
maximize this amazing healing power in music. So, how to do this?
First, be active. The music you make yourself will be far more important,
therapeutically, than the music you listen to. When I tell people this, they so often
tell me they are not musical. But they are! Put simply, the ability to use music
to raise Life Energy is part of the human condition. Look at so-called primitive
cultures and you will fi nd that everyone makes music without self-consciousness
and without questioning their ability to do so. It is only our own culture, which
has chosen to divide the population into “musicians”—those who can—and “non-
musicians”—those who can’t. So, when working with students, my fi rst task often
consists of helping them realize they are musical and are able to raise their Life-
Energy through making music themselves, as so often they have been branded as
“non-musician” by the chorus teacher who threw them out of chorus in school, or
the piano teacher who berated them because the notes weren’t “right.”
music, the priceless gift
Once you feel you are able to make music, the next factor is the question of in-
tent. The key here is the outward direction of the music-maker. Music is at its most
benefi cial when given as a gift, especially to someone who matters to you. This is
different from performing in the regular sense: Performance of music as it is usu-
ally done is more about display, and, while this might be entertaining, it is not the
best way of maximizing the Life Energy. An essential part of my teaching is what I
call Music Outreach, taking students into places like nursing homes and making
music interactively with seniors. I train my students to think of themselves more as
therapists than as performers. That way they raise not only their own Life Energy,
but also that of those they play and sing with.
One example I am proud of is my student Susan West. Dr. West is a Professor
of Music Education at the Australian National University in Canberra, Australia.
She is causing a revolution in music education by having literally thousands of
regular children in primary education conduct Music Outreach programs on a
regular basis in nursing homes, hospitals, and children’s special needs facilities.
They do this from kindergarten upwards.
Closer to home is my student Dr. Peter Muir, who is founder and director of
The Center for Personal Development through Music (www.cpdmusic.com) in
Dutchess County. Dr. Muir, who is an eminent performer and musicologist, works
with many different types of students, including those with special needs, using
music through my approach, to benefi t many individuals and the community in
which he works.
Remember: Everyone is a musician. Making music is something we can all
do, and it is not diffi cult, as long as your attention is focused outward. It is the hu-
man birthright to use music profoundly, to enhance your life and the lives of those
around you.
Dr. Diamond’s Institute for Music and Health in Westchester County teaches his
unique approach to music and wellness. The IMH offers a variety of programs,
from one-time seminars to full professional training. For further details, visit www.
DrJohnDiamond.com or phone 914.533.2158. Copyright2008, John Diamond,
M.D.
7
September 2008
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