We all know that film soundtracks have been engineered to heighten our emotional experience of the film. It’s another sensory cue to help us engage our senses and add depth to our movie-going experience. Similarly, any decent massage therapist will have given careful thought to what music is being played while giving a relaxing treatment. If you are someone who is moved by music, it can make or break a relaxing experience.
But hold up. Why then, do so many massage rooms use whale song or wind chimes when there is so much more interesting music out there? Can't we put the synth-tastic goodness of ‘Blade Runner’ or 'Twin Peaks' as background music during a massage? Not so fast. I have spent hours compiling playlists for massage only to listen back and realise they’re just…not quite right. Sometimes the familiarity of a track can bring you back to the 'surface' in a way that's not helpful in a massage setting. Also some of my favourite tracks simply don't last long enough. I love the theme from ‘Paris, Texas’ by Ry Cooder but I challenge you to find a series of instrumental tracks that hit the meditative highs of this one that will last the duration of a massage.
I do still take inspiration from soundtracks, however. One of my favourite soundtracks is the slack-key traditional Hawaiian guitar which features in the film ‘The Descendants’ by Alexander Payne. I have built my favourite playlist exclusively around slack-key traditional and modern Hawaiian artists. Slack-key guitar is a Hawaiian tradition of guitar-playing which uses different open tunings, allowing the player to sustain a mellow drone whilst playing a melody on the higher strings. It provided the roots for the lap-steel and pedal steel used in American country music (if you hear an instrument that sounds like pure sunshine, it’s probably the pedal steel). I find the music relaxing, unpretentious and comfortingly familiar. Despite my best efforts I have yet to find anything that is as perfect for my massage room.
Another favourite massage ‘soundtrack’ I have compiled is entirely classical Cello music. Why Cello music? I’ve noticed I ‘feel’ cello music in a way I don’t other instruments, it’s like the ground and air resonate when I’m listening to cello music which helps me engage with it. What is this hippy magic, you might ask? It’s not far off Rocket Science…A quick google reveals that cellos play at the same range of frequencies used by the human voice, so it’s no wonder why it would be familiar and comforting. I’m careful, however, not to use any music with voices as this can be too engaging.
Music therapy is real – a friend introduced me to a track called ‘Weightless’ by a British electronic ambient band Marconi Union, which was written in collaboration with Lyz Cooper, the founder of the Academy of Sound Therapy. The track has been proven to reduce anxiety and help with insomnia due to the beats and frequencies used. It probably comes as no surprise to most of us that listening to different types of music can influence our heart rate.
As with all sensory experiences, we bring our own backgrounds and history to our experience, so no two of us will ‘hear’ a track in the same way. Also music is a powerful signifier of movements and culture, and musical trends will invariably influence our enjoyment of a song. I'm sure when the first whale song was recorded, it was nothing short of magic and inspired a sense of connection to nature and our bodies. But having been played and overplayed, we may need something a little different.
If you have a music you love (or hate) and would like played during your massage, I'm all ears!
Comments