Therapy Harp

[HBrock25]

Please help.

[deb-l]

there is a lot of good info on the International Heart Therapy website:

IHTP

[alice-freeman]

You’re on the right track, Micaela, in feeling that music will help and low notes are good, but I would disagree about the Blevins Mezzo 23. I owned one for several years and the lowest string only goes down to the F below middle C, which is generally considered now to not be low enough for therapeutic music work. It is better to look for a harp that has a full octave below middle C. I also found the upper range of the Blevins to be too bright (and penetrating) for bedside work and I avoided playing there most of the time. I finally traded mine in for a Triplett Christina which I still use and love.

Two books that will give you a good overview of how to apply bedside music are Stella Benson’s “The Healing Musician: A Guide to Playing Healing Music at the Bedside,” and Christina Tourin’s “Harp Therapy Manual – A Cradle of Sound.” For instance, recognizable (favorite) songs are almost always avoided when a patient is near death so as not to interfere with the transition process.

There are also several good training programs that offer workshops and certification. You can find links to these from the National Standards Board for Therapeutic Musician’s Web site at

[Author]

Posts