Finding that the right kind of music can be calming and healing, Carnegie Hall is holding a series of Well-Being Concerts in New York.
Music is known to impact mental health positively by influencing emotions, reducing stress, and providing a sense of connection. In these times of rising stress levels, the Weill Music Institute (WMI) at Carnegie Hall, New York, has introduced a series of well-being concerts.
Carnegie Hall partnered with the Social Interaction Lab at the University of California, Berkeley to look into the relationship between music and health. They found that listening to calming and uplifting music can trigger the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward, helping alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression.
This is how the concept of well-being concerts was born. These concerts emulate the idea that music has magical healing powers and offers comfort and support during challenging times. Many artists including cellists, trumpeters, percussionists, flautists, vocalists collaborate to present soothing melodies at the concerts.
Unlike the usually crowded, loud, and overwhelming concerts, a well-being concert is conducted in a zen space replete with reclining floor mats and cushions. Here you can ditch your formals and show up in stretchy pants, snuggly sweaters, and easy footwear.
The hour-long concert experience features group breathing, mindfulness, and meditation, offering a wholesome and immersive experience. The live musical performances induce collective healing in many forms by elevating the mental and emotional states of listeners. These concerts are usually interactive and are guided by wellness experts. They allow the scope for introspection and owning one’s feelings. They nourish sensitivity. In the past, well-being concerts have been performed in high-pressure spaces like hospitals, senior care centers, and law enforcement centers.
Sarah Johnson, Chief Education Officer and Director of Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute, said in a press release, “We hope that these concerts give people the chance to step into a restful space for personal reflection and communal connection through music.” Carnegie Hall is prioritizing mental health through other WMI (Weill Music Institute) initiatives and programs as well, such as the Lullaby Project and A Well-Being Playlist.
The Lullaby Project enables parents/caregivers to connect with their children in a unique and creative way by composing original, personal lullabies for them. This project pairs up parents/caregivers with professional artists to write and sing personal lullabies for their babies. Such special projects have helped moms going through challenging pregnancies and postpartum depression in the past.
The Well-Being Playlist is a collection of music pieces selected by the performers and hosts in Carnegie Hall’s previous Well-Being Concerts. The playlist explores how sounds, silences, and music in the song medleys can influence one’s well-being. One can find the Well-Being Playlists on Apple Music as well as on Spotify.
Healing Indian music
Indian classical music has ragas or melody notes that invoke soft moods, pleasant feelings, and relaxation in the mind. It also contains a spiritual element where ragas change the mental states by controlling the brain waves.
They can raise the vibrations of one’s consciousness and uplift it. An Indian historical anecdote cited to the healing powers of music is that Swami Haridas, Guru of Tansen, King Akbar’s court musician, revived a dying queen of Emperor Akbar with his music.
Music therapy is a systematic form of intervention that uses music to heal. Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swami of Mysore, India, an acclaimed musician and composer, has been conducting spiritual music concerts for meditation and healing (Nada Chikitsa) in India and countries in Europe, America, and the Caribbean Islands. He has been quoted as saying on his website dattapeetham.org, “Music of the right type helps in achieving relaxation by soothing the nerves and through that, peace and stillness of mind. The Puranas (Hindu religious texts) say: The music even stimulates the flowers to give scent and animals to give milk, and through music, our diseases vanish. The melodious tunes and soft melodies are especially effective because each raga or note corresponds to one nerve.”
Here are the 5 upcoming Well-Being Concerts at Carnegie Hall, New York
- Performers: Ablaye Cissoko and Cyrille Brotto
January 16, 6:30 pm
Venue: Resnick Education Wing
Tickets: Limited availability
- Performer: Dean Jones
February 4, 6 pm
Zankel Hall Center Stage
Tickets: Start at $39
- Performer: Kinan Azmeh’s CityBand
February 11, 5 pm
Resnick Education Wing
Tickets: Limited availability
- Performer: Nathalie Joachim
March 15, 6:30 pm
Resnick Education Wing
Tickets: $18
- Performer: Anat Cohen Quartetinho
April 14, 5 pm
Resnick Education Wing
Tickets: $18
