Mood Music: What's Playing in Your Practice
Spa Elan
By Heather Larson
Originally published in Massage & Bodywork magazine, June/July 2005.
Copyright 2005. Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals. All rights reserved.
Your client settles between the sheets of the warmed massage table. She closes her eyes and tries to turn off her mind and give herself over to the relaxation only bodywork can provide. You apply the gently scented lotion, but as you begin the massage, honking horns and wailing sirens interrupt the reverie. It's rush hour, the window faces a busy street, and you've neglected to put on any music.
There's not much chance this client will relax enough to enjoy the massage, and the conditions are less than ideal for you to get into your zone as well.
Music can rapidly and indelibly set moods. It does so in subtle ways not as easily attained by other means, according to Dr. Peter Ostwald of the University of California, San Francisco, a pioneer in the psychiatric aspects of music. Having the right kinds of music available for your array of clients is a fun science. So here are some guidelines to help you build your library.
Ask Clients What They Prefer
Music compatability is very personal. The classical music one person passionately enjoys may be audio poison for another. Everyone responds differently.
"Our responses are influenced by age, sex, attitude, experiences with music, and level of fitness," says Patti Catalano, a music therapist in Redmond, Wash.
Massage therapists ask clients which areas of the body they would like them to concentrate on, how much pressure to use, and the scent they prefer in the oils or lotions. Why not also have a balanced menu of music on hand and ask your clients what type of music they'd prefer?
"I'd be really impressed with a spa that offered a selection of music to their clients," Catalano says.
What Type of Music Should Be Offered?
Sherry Donovan, sales director for At Peace Media, a company that specializes in music for spas, says treatment room music shouldn't have any jarring tempo changes or unexpected interruptions. The compositions should be instrumental with beautiful melodic textures and subtle rhythms.
Most of the time therapists want the super-soft, dreamy music with slow tempos in the treatment rooms, says David Young, a musician who creates CDs frequently used by spas. But he says gender may influence preference as well. "Many therapists have told me their male clients do not like their music so slow during treatments. Male clients tend to want music that moves a little bit more."
Mary Capone, a music therapist in Boulder, Colo., recommends music with an adagio pattern, which is 60 beats per minute, the same rate as a resting heart. "Our bodies will match that 60 beats per minute and help us go from stress to relaxation quickly. We are rhythmic beings, and our bodies love to harmonize with the rhythms around them."
This beat synchronization leads to "entrainment" -- when our bodies harmonize with the music being played. Entrainment music has the potential to resonate with the listener's feelings, transform the negative into positive, and promote a state of either liveliness or serenity.
Al Bumanis, director of communications for the American Music Therapy Association, notes that certain music can energize people instead of relax them. It's imperative the chosen music has the ability to calm the client. With the right music, entrainment quickly puts clients in a relaxed state. Plus, the next time that client hears the same music, she will relax even faster.
Slow jazz, classical, Celtic, and chamber music usually appeal to clients, Catalano says. Classical guitar and piano are instruments frequently used to create entrainment music.
Beka Holverstott, a certified massage therapist in Redmond, Wash., prefers music that embraces a variety of instruments, including light drumming. "The steady beat (of the drum) helps my clients relax."
Lyrics or No Lyrics?
Michele Torrey, an Auburn, Wash., resident and regular massage client, doesn't want to hear lyrics while she's having bodywork done. "When I am getting a massage and trying to relax, I need music that is completely soothing, definitely without lyrics, something that doesn't make me want to get up and dance."
Besides the possibility of overly stimulating clients, song lyrics may interject unintended emotions into the experience. Debbie Smart, a massage therapist in Chickasha, Okla., has a friend who was recently diagnosed with terminal cancer and scheduled a massage to alleviate some of her stress. The music played in the treatment room was a ballad with sad lyrics.
"I was fine until I heard that song, and I just started sobbing," the friend recalls.
Into the Zone
Music plays a large part in the massage or bodywork experience. Clients interviewed for this article say it ranks second in importance for them, with touch, of course, being first. Appropriate music not only helps the client relax, but with the right music the therapist also relaxes and ultimately does a better job.
"Massage therapists also use music as an inspiration while they are working," Donovan says.
For the best results, therapists should have a selection of music on hand that appeals to them as well as their clients, and then no matter what melodies are chosen, the therapist will enjoy the melodies and work more effectively.
"I think music is a way to facilitate getting into a zone," says Leanna Micona, a massage client who lives in Seattle, Wash. "It erases outside influences from my mind."
Certain music has the ability to relax healthy individuals both physically and mentally. According to Bumanis, the health benefits of listening to certain musical rhythms include decreased anxiety, pain relief, and lowered blood pressure.
What Not to Play
At Paule Attar Salon and Spa in Bellevue, Wash., the music played in the salon waiting area is upbeat, exciting, and fresh and includes recognizable songs from recent years. But when you enter the spa environment, the music changes to New Age instrumental pieces, which are much more calming.
Types of music you'd want to avoid in the treatment room include marches, rock and roll, rap, and country western. Repetitious music doesn't help relax the client either. During my most recent massage experience, a CD played sounds of nature, but the tracks weren't long enough for my bodywork session. I listened to a bird chirping, ocean waves rolling into the shore, and a ship's foghorn, over and over again until I wanted to scream. As a result, my physical experience wasn't as good as it could have been.
Also think about varying the music you play. A variety of different instrumentation on a CD is the best, according to Catalano.
"The complaint I've heard from spa clients is there's too much repetition. The body is smart and needs varying sounds," Capone says.
Sounds of Nature
Capone recommends nature sounds for treatment rooms because there are no mistakes in nature. She says the sounds of the ocean, rain in the forest, and birds create alpha brain waves in the client. Alpha waves are seen in wakefulness where there is a relaxed and effortless alertness, which is ideal for the massage client.
However, not everyone is as enamored with the "sounds of nature" music. Heinz Mikulka, vice president of Paule Attar Salon and Spa, says, "We tried sounds of nature, and our clients thought the sink was leaking next door or the toilet was running. It wasn't relaxing to them, and relaxation is important."
Perhaps a combination of music and sounds of nature appeals to more clients. That's what they hear in the waiting area of Adamo Day Spa in Cohasset, Mass. Manager Chrissy Walsh says their background melodies are a combination of ocean and bird sounds, plus flute and reiki music.
Sell the CDs You Play
Now that you've taken the time to collect a variety of CDs that appeal to your clients and to you, why not offer these same CDs for sale? That way clients can create the same relaxing atmosphere at home after their treatment.
Smart admits to buying the CDs she enjoys after having a massage. Micona also bought the music she heard during a massage and used it as background for a dinner party she held, but she had to search for it in a music store. Make it easy for your clients by stocking the CDs you play. You can even create a gift spa basket to sell that includes music, lotions, an eye mask, and other products to help your clients relax at home and remember how wonderful bodywork makes them feel.
Heather Larson is a Washington state freelance writer who specializes in health, lifestyle, travel, and pet topics. As often as she can, wherever she may be, she enjoys a variety of bodywork techniques. Some of these she passes on to her beagle who gets a nightly massage.
A Sample Play List
Beka Holverstott, a massage therapist in Redmond, Wash., lists the following CDs as her favorites for the treatment room:
- Classical Bliss, Classical Garden, and the Solitudes collection by Dan Gibson.
- Healing Touch by Nadama.
- Lifescapes Yoga by Wayne Jones.
- The Lightness of Being by Anugama.
- The Music of Olympic National Rainforest by Mars Lasar.
- Reflections of Faerie by Gary Stadler.
- Water Circles by Mia Jang.
- The Winding Path by Kevin Kern.
Heather Larson is a Washington state freelance writer who specializes in health, lifestyle, travel, and pet topics. As oftn as she can, wherever she may be, she enjoys a variety of bodywork techniques. Some of these she passes on to her beagle who gets a nightly massage.
Copyright 2005. Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals. All rights reserved.
Your client settles between the sheets of the warmed massage table. She closes her eyes and tries to turn off her mind and give herself over to the relaxation only bodywork can provide. You apply the gently scented lotion, but as you begin the massage, honking horns and wailing sirens interrupt the reverie. It's rush hour, the window faces a busy street, and you've neglected to put on any music.
There's not much chance this client will relax enough to enjoy the massage, and the conditions are less than ideal for you to get into your zone as well.
Music can rapidly and indelibly set moods. It does so in subtle ways not as easily attained by other means, according to Dr. Peter Ostwald of the University of California, San Francisco, a pioneer in the psychiatric aspects of music. Having the right kinds of music available for your array of clients is a fun science. So here are some guidelines to help you build your library.
Ask Clients What They Prefer
Music compatability is very personal. The classical music one person passionately enjoys may be audio poison for another. Everyone responds differently.
"Our responses are influenced by age, sex, attitude, experiences with music, and level of fitness," says Patti Catalano, a music therapist in Redmond, Wash.
Massage therapists ask clients which areas of the body they would like them to concentrate on, how much pressure to use, and the scent they prefer in the oils or lotions. Why not also have a balanced menu of music on hand and ask your clients what type of music they'd prefer?
"I'd be really impressed with a spa that offered a selection of music to their clients," Catalano says.
What Type of Music Should Be Offered?
Sherry Donovan, sales director for At Peace Media, a company that specializes in music for spas, says treatment room music shouldn't have any jarring tempo changes or unexpected interruptions. The compositions should be instrumental with beautiful melodic textures and subtle rhythms.
Most of the time therapists want the super-soft, dreamy music with slow tempos in the treatment rooms, says David Young, a musician who creates CDs frequently used by spas. But he says gender may influence preference as well. "Many therapists have told me their male clients do not like their music so slow during treatments. Male clients tend to want music that moves a little bit more."
Mary Capone, a music therapist in Boulder, Colo., recommends music with an adagio pattern, which is 60 beats per minute, the same rate as a resting heart. "Our bodies will match that 60 beats per minute and help us go from stress to relaxation quickly. We are rhythmic beings, and our bodies love to harmonize with the rhythms around them."
This beat synchronization leads to "entrainment" -- when our bodies harmonize with the music being played. Entrainment music has the potential to resonate with the listener's feelings, transform the negative into positive, and promote a state of either liveliness or serenity.
Al Bumanis, director of communications for the American Music Therapy Association, notes that certain music can energize people instead of relax them. It's imperative the chosen music has the ability to calm the client. With the right music, entrainment quickly puts clients in a relaxed state. Plus, the next time that client hears the same music, she will relax even faster.
Slow jazz, classical, Celtic, and chamber music usually appeal to clients, Catalano says. Classical guitar and piano are instruments frequently used to create entrainment music.
Beka Holverstott, a certified massage therapist in Redmond, Wash., prefers music that embraces a variety of instruments, including light drumming. "The steady beat (of the drum) helps my clients relax."
Lyrics or No Lyrics?
Michele Torrey, an Auburn, Wash., resident and regular massage client, doesn't want to hear lyrics while she's having bodywork done. "When I am getting a massage and trying to relax, I need music that is completely soothing, definitely without lyrics, something that doesn't make me want to get up and dance."
Besides the possibility of overly stimulating clients, song lyrics may interject unintended emotions into the experience. Debbie Smart, a massage therapist in Chickasha, Okla., has a friend who was recently diagnosed with terminal cancer and scheduled a massage to alleviate some of her stress. The music played in the treatment room was a ballad with sad lyrics.
"I was fine until I heard that song, and I just started sobbing," the friend recalls.
Into the Zone
Music plays a large part in the massage or bodywork experience. Clients interviewed for this article say it ranks second in importance for them, with touch, of course, being first. Appropriate music not only helps the client relax, but with the right music the therapist also relaxes and ultimately does a better job.
"Massage therapists also use music as an inspiration while they are working," Donovan says.
For the best results, therapists should have a selection of music on hand that appeals to them as well as their clients, and then no matter what melodies are chosen, the therapist will enjoy the melodies and work more effectively.
"I think music is a way to facilitate getting into a zone," says Leanna Micona, a massage client who lives in Seattle, Wash. "It erases outside influences from my mind."
Certain music has the ability to relax healthy individuals both physically and mentally. According to Bumanis, the health benefits of listening to certain musical rhythms include decreased anxiety, pain relief, and lowered blood pressure.
What Not to Play
At Paule Attar Salon and Spa in Bellevue, Wash., the music played in the salon waiting area is upbeat, exciting, and fresh and includes recognizable songs from recent years. But when you enter the spa environment, the music changes to New Age instrumental pieces, which are much more calming.
Types of music you'd want to avoid in the treatment room include marches, rock and roll, rap, and country western. Repetitious music doesn't help relax the client either. During my most recent massage experience, a CD played sounds of nature, but the tracks weren't long enough for my bodywork session. I listened to a bird chirping, ocean waves rolling into the shore, and a ship's foghorn, over and over again until I wanted to scream. As a result, my physical experience wasn't as good as it could have been.
Also think about varying the music you play. A variety of different instrumentation on a CD is the best, according to Catalano.
"The complaint I've heard from spa clients is there's too much repetition. The body is smart and needs varying sounds," Capone says.
Sounds of Nature
Capone recommends nature sounds for treatment rooms because there are no mistakes in nature. She says the sounds of the ocean, rain in the forest, and birds create alpha brain waves in the client. Alpha waves are seen in wakefulness where there is a relaxed and effortless alertness, which is ideal for the massage client.
However, not everyone is as enamored with the "sounds of nature" music. Heinz Mikulka, vice president of Paule Attar Salon and Spa, says, "We tried sounds of nature, and our clients thought the sink was leaking next door or the toilet was running. It wasn't relaxing to them, and relaxation is important."
Perhaps a combination of music and sounds of nature appeals to more clients. That's what they hear in the waiting area of Adamo Day Spa in Cohasset, Mass. Manager Chrissy Walsh says their background melodies are a combination of ocean and bird sounds, plus flute and reiki music.
Sell the CDs You Play
Now that you've taken the time to collect a variety of CDs that appeal to your clients and to you, why not offer these same CDs for sale? That way clients can create the same relaxing atmosphere at home after their treatment.
Smart admits to buying the CDs she enjoys after having a massage. Micona also bought the music she heard during a massage and used it as background for a dinner party she held, but she had to search for it in a music store. Make it easy for your clients by stocking the CDs you play. You can even create a gift spa basket to sell that includes music, lotions, an eye mask, and other products to help your clients relax at home and remember how wonderful bodywork makes them feel.
Heather Larson is a Washington state freelance writer who specializes in health, lifestyle, travel, and pet topics. As often as she can, wherever she may be, she enjoys a variety of bodywork techniques. Some of these she passes on to her beagle who gets a nightly massage.
A Sample Play List
Beka Holverstott, a massage therapist in Redmond, Wash., lists the following CDs as her favorites for the treatment room:
- Classical Bliss, Classical Garden, and the Solitudes collection by Dan Gibson.
- Healing Touch by Nadama.
- Lifescapes Yoga by Wayne Jones.
- The Lightness of Being by Anugama.
- The Music of Olympic National Rainforest by Mars Lasar.
- Reflections of Faerie by Gary Stadler.
- Water Circles by Mia Jang.
- The Winding Path by Kevin Kern.
Heather Larson is a Washington state freelance writer who specializes in health, lifestyle, travel, and pet topics. As oftn as she can, wherever she may be, she enjoys a variety of bodywork techniques. Some of these she passes on to her beagle who gets a nightly massage.
