create the desired atmosphere but to activate varied neurons in the brain to achieve the desired goal. Music as a therapeutic intervention and an accompaniment for life passages has been a part of human culture since before recorded time. Ethnomusicologists theorize that music may have evolved as an attempt to imitate the sounds of nature heard by early man. Archaeologists have found bone flutes, rattles and other instruments dating back to prehistoric times. Music was used for healing, celebration, to inspire work and as a source of spiritual connection. Most of our present day life transitions and celebrations have their own music. The Happy Birthday Song, The Wedding March and funeral dirges are just a few examples of the musical traditions in our culture. Music seems to add a depth of meaning to events of importance. Music as a healing modality was practiced in Ancient Egypt, and was employed by the Greek physicians around 850 B.C. to "soothe mobs, vanquish enemies, calms violent tempers, cure hangovers and various physical and mental illnesses." Plato and Aristotle both believed in the power of music to heal. During the Renaissance, music's influence on the physical body was documented. In America, the 1800's was a period of inquiry into the effect of music on mental state and its application to psychiatric disorders. In 1914, Dr. Evan O'Neill Kane reported on his work using music to alleviate pain in hospital patients. The 1930's and 40's was a time of investigation into the effect of music on the pulse rate, blood pressure, blood flow and electrical activity in the brain. The modern music therapy movement began in response to the use of music to treat soldiers returning from World War II who were diagnosed with "combat fatigue". Modern technology and diagnostic tools allow researchers to gain insight into the impact of music on the mind and body. Music's effect on the autonomic nervous system, the system that regulates the heart rate, blood pressure, muscular activity and other functions has been the subject of heightened research over the past decade. Recent studies have verified that music has the ability to reduce the amount of negative stress experienced by subjects under a variety of conditions. Numerous studies of surgical patients have found that providing music before, during and after surgery speeds up recovery, reduces the amount of pain medication needed and lowers the amount of cortisol (a stress hormone released by the body under stress). These findings have fueled further research in this area. In the book, "Tune Your Brain", Elizabeth Miles offers suggestions for using music to "manage your mind, body and mood". Drawing on research, she encourages the reader to use music for the following: to energize, relax, focus, heal, uplift, cleanse and create. Using a mood journal, the reader writes down, on a scale of one to five, various feelings before and after listening to music. Instructions for enhancing the musical experience through visualization and relaxation techniques are given. Different types of music are used for each purpose. The "iso" principle is also introduced. This was first used early in 1806 when Samuel Matthews proposed it as a way of helping people to induce moods. An example is using downbeat music for a person who is depressed and "then gradually changing the tempo, volume and pitch until it reached the desired state". Music used for energizing is recorded with at least 70 beats per minute, and up to around 135. Listened to at a fairly high volume, it is useful for getting motivated, doing work, and for exercising. Choosing music that the listener likes is an important factor. Studies have found that music self-chosen by research subjects has the greatest effect on desired outcome. Music for stress reduction is music that helps to lower blood pressure, heart rate and the level of stress hormones produced in the body. Music with a tempo of eighty beats or less, slow flowing rhythms, a low pitch, and repetition and played at a moderate volume has the desired effect. The "iso" principle can be applied by starting with music that matches the feeling state of the listener and then gradually moving to a slower, more relaxed music selection. A study done at the University of California in Irvine found that listening to Mozart improved spatial reasoning scores on an IQ test by eight to ten points. The tests were expanded to include preschool children and it was found that those children who received vocal and piano instruction scored 34 percent higher on spatial reasoning tests than children in three other groups who received either singing lessons alone, computer keyboard lessons or no extra lessons. Classical music seems to create this effect, and in particular Mozart's because of its complexity causing neutral mood effect. When using music for focus, the author suggests listening before undertaking a task and choosing the work of classical musicians like Mozart, Bach and Vivaldi. Music for healing should have a steady flowing pulse, a slow to moderate tempo, moderate volume and importantly, a music familiar and comforting to the listener. Some music is used during childbirth, during surgery, when overcoming illnesses and with sick children. Music is now being used in some nursing homes to help with agitation in Alzheimer's patients and even with dying patients in the emerging field of music-thanatology. The best music for the purpose of upliftment is music with an up tempo an infectious beat of eighty beats per minute or more, a pleasing melody, happy inspiring lyrics, moderate to low volume and positive personal associations. Uplifting music raises heart rate, blood pressure, and respiratory rates and seems to improve mood. Music for cleansing can help to process moods in order to release them. Feelings like anger, grief and aggression can be experienced and released by listening to music with a heavy beat and rhythm, a loud volume, minor keys, dissonance and harsh tone colors. Listening with the intent of experiencing and then releasing the emotions has a therapeutic effect. As an inspiration for creativity, music can help to access images, thoughts and ideas. Music that induces a depressed or elated mood seems to increase the level of creativity more than mood neutral music. Relaxing, attending to, following and listening to music can allow the mental space for insights to occur. Michelle Ramos, who is majoring in Social and Health Services at Roger Williams University, presented the preceding research on music therapy.