Evening star., 1948-02-29
Clash of Tones
May Provide
Key to Ills
by Alice Eversmon

Music rs o healing agent has been
considered and tried out for many
years. It remained for the last war
to provide the greatest opportunities
to test its efficacy in this respect.
Where medical skill could 60 no fur
ther, music was often used to open
the way for continued treatment.
The results were watched and stud
led with interest and great deal
was learned by the trial and error
method. Physicians do not indorse
1t fully yet, for Its benefits are still
unpredictable, but that it can ac-
complish something special, in nerv-
Gus and mental cases particularly,
has been proven time and again.
What type of music is beneficial
to certain kinds of illness has not
been determined completely but that
there is a difference in effect was
soon apparent. 1t may be that,
with more experimentation, 1t will
be possible to classify music as to
its restorative powers, first, as re-
CARDS melody and rhythm, and later
as regards compositions themselves.
Some of that has been done already
and on this foundation, could be
built a system of treatment, the re-
suits Of which could be foretold with
reasonable accuracy.
When such a time arrives, 1t will
clarity many things. Nervous re-
actions will be noted to this or that
kind of music as also the quieting
and stimulating effect. 1t will be
clear that certain types of compost
ton excite the nerves to the break
ing point while others provide the
relaxation that makes for better
bodily and mental health. 1t will
reveal many important angles about
music quite independent OF its
artistic value.
In what way will this influence
the future of music? If science
should decide that some kinds o1
music are harmful. and be able te
show In what this lies, would that
affect modes Of composition? Gould
1t be proved that certain keys, cer-
tain styles or harmonic combina-
tions have detrimental effect or
the nervous system and that all.
ments could be traced to it? A field
of speculation Is opened which, II
IL should ever come to anything
concrete, might set new objective
toward which composers would con-
trih,,fa s,Ihsfa ntial1v
The ear, gathering the sound o1
music, is sensitive transmitter tc
the nerves. In the last two CEN
turies it has been trained gradually
to accept the new developments In
music composition. The result
however. is not felt Immediately but
only after years Of hearing OF new
SOUNDS. The musical world of to-
day wonders that cultured audi
ences of the time of Beethoven OF
Brahms found their music too revo.
lutionary and only partly discerneo
its worth as we know 1t now The
present trend Of music creates CON-
binations of tones hard for the eal
to assimulate. In time this too
will be assimilated.
It is not to be gainsaid however
that, apart from any scientific angle
music can influence both the mooe
and the nerves of people. Tit
strangeness Of the modern idion
often brings q sense Of irritation
while the older music, no matte
how familiar, is tranquilhzing. Tina
q harmonious physical condition car
be set up through music is vel
known to the Hindus who start th'
day with music. II it can be provet
that jazz and its offsprings are re-
sponsible for frazzled nerves, ane
that music wherein what consti'
tutes harmony is harsh and con-
Trajectory, then some of the physi'
cal reasons for the state OF thu
world today may be found. Har'
monious vibrations In the air arount
us, in our bodies and minds, may
bring a. clearer conception of the
~;ob+ u,ov of living