No. It’s more like a calming meditative experience.
After I introduce myself I will listen. I will listen to the pitch and qualities of a patient’s voice and whatever other sounds are present in the room. Sometimes that involves monitors and other medical equipment that can be quite noisy. Sometimes the ventilation of a room is very prominent. Sometimes it’s just the quiet rise and fall of a patient’s breathing combined with the sounds from the hallway or nurses station. Together, these sounds and rhythms will set the tone for what I play.
After I identify what notes are most present in the space, I will begin to play. Sometimes this is a familiar song, but much of the time it is purely improvisational. I follow a patient’s heart rate, or the rise and fall of their breath.
There is often no defined rhythm. I follow the ebb and flow of the person I am with, often playing them into a deep relaxation or sleep.
It is a very personal exchange, with the goal of facilitating a deep calm for the recipient. The music is not showy. It is intended to be a cradle, or a backdrop to the inner experience of the listener. Everything that happens at the harp is intended to support the listener, rather than to entertain.
Sonic Harp 