Music for the Healing Arts

by Jonathan WidranFor more than 20 years, the peaceful music of Soundings of the Planet has been used by both alternative and mainstream health professionals to support their practice. This lush, meditative, and dream-inducing ten-piece collection is the definitive compilation of music that's proven popular in the field of healing, and to ensure the highest quality, the tracks were chosen by the health practitioners themselves. If you're looking for an inventive new age experience, you might be disappointed, even though there are touches of Eastern exotica accompanying Evenson's beautiful flutes and keyboards (most notably, the guquin and harp on "Gentle Season" [from Tao of Healing]). There are also ocean roars and more Eastern harp sounds introducing "Far Away Within" (from Ocean Dreams). For the most part it's soundscape- and atmosphere-filled music intended to relax the mind and bring peace as hands massage the weary body. The liner notes explain the purpose of the label's music (including a description of Earth resonance frequency) and includes tips on coping with stress, along with a sermon on the power of healing hands. The disc seems designed to get people interested in the label's healing series, so it functions as a good introduction to this popular genre.