Playing any musical instrument is a wonderful gift that can bring the player hour after hour of pleasure whether practicing or performing with friends or in front of an audience; but is this all there is, or is there some kind of hidden therapeutic healing process that will help the musician? In this article I want to honestly and unbiasedly examine whether there is any point to the theory that the violin is more than just a musical instrument that can be enjoyed but nothing more.
Let’s first examine the negative aspects of playing the violin. If we’re serious that just playing can relieve a troubling physical symptom, then this is a definite no. In fact, due to the unusual way we hold the instrument, it’s quite the opposite. Many violinists suffer from back problems, shoulder problems, and general aches and pains due to their craft. We are all taught the classical way of holding the instrument, but this is not a natural way of playing and has to be induced by hours of practice.
If we switch to mental healing powers, we may be onto something. One of the biggest causes of illness in our society is stress. Stress may not cause actual physical illness, but it will certainly make it worse. The violin has the effect of somewhat removing this stress and can take the player to another place. I have experienced this many times over the years and my violin has become the key that unlocks a door and gets me out of everyday stressful situations, and after an hour or more of playing I feel like my stress levels are non-existent . It is very difficult to explain it to someone who is not a musician, but I suppose that the levels of concentration when playing the violin do not leave room for other things, and therefore it has a therapeutic effect on the performer.
For someone who is not a violinist, you should imagine playing the violin as a musical massage for the brain, just as going to a health farm will cleanse your body of toxins, so the violin will cleanse your brain of everyday problems. Unfortunately, they soon come back when you stop playing, but for a while your stress levels will drop, and that can’t be a bad thing.
So, in conclusion, the violin has therapeutic powers to relieve stress and this is not an urban myth. I’d say this is also the case for all other instruments, and a good argument for taking your kids to some sort of music lessons, they’ll thank you as adults.
