The New York herald., 1921-06-10
Music as a Cure.
Interesting Instance of the Thern-
peutic Value of Tune.

To THE NEW YoRK Herald: I was
keenly interested In the article on
Music as Cure which appeared in
the magazine section of your Sunday
edition, for although my musical abil-
ity is limited to a single handed rendi-
ton of "Reveille" on the piano I am
lover Of music and have often owed
70 1t many mood changes and ''reac-
tione." Far be 1t from me to object
to any research, productive or not, which
has the interests of true science at
heart, but this investigation. in the in
stance quoted at least, it seems, was
carried on in a most unscientific man.
ner.
Psychologists admit-or at least they
did q week ago-that music Is q func-
mind. Now, the farthest the college
student, the subject of these tests, goes
in snalyzing his subjective mind is sit
ting in Greenwich Village tearoom
and chatting about "complexes" and
thinking himself very advanced and
rather wicked. When, moreover, he Is
charged with list of hopelessy general
adjectives to describe fine shades of deli
cately adjusted emotions that he is n-
used to considering and merely labels
as great" or "blue," it is not to be
wondered that varied results are OBJ
tanned. In passing does 1t not seem
strange that Mr.. Edison. who seems TO
hold the college students intellect In
such great contempt, should choose him
as the subject for q test where an "in-
telligent person" is required?
or the therapeutic value of music I
know Of only one instance, and that
occurred In our own family. Mother
was very sick. so Ill that no one knew
whether she was going to live or die
On the day when she was at her worst
the piano tuner paid his semi-annual
visit. No one was downstairs to re-
ceve him, so he Immediately went to
the piano. The first thing he played
was the Funeral March" Mother said
afterward that when she heard It she
determined to live Just to spite him.
But such youths as have heard The
Triunphal March," though under an
other name 70 be sure, so many times
that II does not move them deserve
therapeutic aid from nothing.
l confess that the thought of having
music prescribed to Inc by physician
rather frightens me. recall the days
OF my youth and the forcible admins
tration of castor oil, ond the old Puritan
superstition clings to me that anything
that will do one good must have an evil
taste or sound, as the case may be.
But. ah, the Joy Of prescribing for
others! 1t would be delightful. To the
friend who told me the only purpose
Of music was to lull and soothe sh, uld
administer ia Marseillaise" every
morning upon rising. To another I
would give the lightest passages OF
"Mgnon," and to still another the most
Irresistible jazz.
Dryden realized the power of music.
over kings when he wrote "Alexander's
Feast" I have also seen It's effec,
on the less cultivated had secured
n talented friend OF mine to play for an
evening gathering at settlement bouse
TIe rendered exquisitely several familiar
and scmi-classicaf pieces and gave TO
many more Joy than could be indicated
on any Mood Change Chart" when
Il was all over and we were going out
In the crowd. one of the younger and
harder OF the ladies present looked back
over her shoulder and said in tones
can only Intellectually reproduce by n
string OF vowels. "Aw. say. kid. VIII
didenchs give us some je-a-a-a-azzY"
X. K w.