Utah Has Music Enough To Soothe The Savage Beast

The ancient Greeks believed that music had a magical power to speak directly to human emotion. In what has come to be known as the doctrine of ethos, the Greeks believed that the right kind of music had the power to heal the sick and shape personal character in a positive way.

Not far removed from that is a couple of examples of the doctrine of ethos at work in Utah.

At the Intermountain Healthcare's Primary Children's Hospital in Salt Lake City, they have what they call Sophie's Place.

"Since Sophie’s Place was first started at Intermountain Primary Children’s, it has been replicated in 10 of children’s hospitals across the country. Sophie’s Place is a music therapy room at the hospital with musical instruments including a player piano, drums, guitars, and microphones for patients, as well as a dedicated recording studio. 

Since opening in 2013 with a performance by the rock band, Stone Temple Pilots, with Linkin Park singer Chester Bennington, Sophie’s Place has stood as a hub for patient creativity, songwriting, music performance, singalongs and jam sessions, and studio recordings.

Closer to home, Premier Health and Wellness has a Melody Healing program, led by the ultra-talented Sam Lutui.

He sings, plays guitar, piano, ukulele or a one of many other instruments and helps hurting people create stronger mental health for themselves.

"Music heals," he said.

Music has the power to magnify emotions.

Notice how music is used in films to exaggerate the drama, horror, or comedy in a story. It might be tragic enough to see an innocent child die in a film, but if the death is accompanied by the right music, the film can make you sob until your eyes are as red as an apple.

Lutui also loves to say that music is the only real time machine in the world. Hearing a song can take you back to the exact time, place and even smell of the moment you first heard it.