We interviewed Grammy award-winning music produer Barry Goldstein about the healing power of music. You can watch the replay below. Please note that you will be asked to provide your email address at the 30-minute mark to continue viewing the replay.
What Is the Healing Power of Music?
Music has been used for centuries to aid in the healing process. It can calm or energize, depending on the type of music. Music has been documented in the medical literature to:
- Lower anxiety
- Lower stress
- Improve depression
- Improve pain
- Improve mood
- Improve quality of life
- Improve heart rate
- Improve respiratory function
- Improve blood pressure
- Lessen nausea
- Lessen vomiting
- Improve cognitive abilities
- Enhance immune function
In This Expert Interview
In this interview, Barry Goldstein used his knowledge and experience of working with Dr. Daniel Amen, Dr. Joe Dispenza, Dave Asprey and others to teach us about the healing power of music. He helped us answer the following questinos:
- What is it about music that can help us transform and heal?
- How does music help us to connect to our hearts?
- How can music be used to lower stress and anxiety?
- What are examples of people that have used music therapy to help them heal?
- What does the medical literature say about the healing power of music?
- What are ways that everyday people can use music?
Key Discussions
Music as a Tool for Emotional Regulation and Healing
Music has the power to regulate emotions, help individuals transcend stress and anxiety, and facilitate personal transformation. Barry Goldstein shares how music impacted his childhood environment, enabled emotional expression, and later became a way to support healing in others.
Science, Coherence, and the Physiology of Music
Scientific research (See Sources & References, below) supports the role of music in influencing physiological states such as heart rate variability, lowering blood pressure, and promoting coherence between the heart and brain. Techniques such as entrainment explain how the body syncs to musical rhythms, helping listeners shift to calmer, parasympathetic states essential for healing.
Individuality and Personalization of Music’s Impact
Music’s effects are deeply personal, tied to individual biographical memories and emotional associations. What heals or soothes one person may trigger negative responses in another, underscoring the need for a personalized, consent-based approach when using music as therapy, especially in sensitive groups such as those with autism.
Music as a Non-Pharmacological Intervention (“Acoustaceuticals”)
Music can serve as an accessible, low-cost, non-invasive adjunct to conventional medical treatment—a concept Barry Goldstein calls “acoustaceuticals.” While not a replacement for medical care, music is being increasingly validated in research for supporting sleep, emotional regulation, and improvement in conditions such as Parkinson’s and PTSD.
Practical Techniques and Rituals for Integrating Music into Daily Life
Deliberately incorporating music at specific times of day—such as using relaxing music before sleep or energizing music in the morning—serves as a practical means of promoting emotional wellness, stress-management, and family bonding. Creating custom playlists and engaging in simple heartfulness/breathing exercises alongside music can enhance self-regulation for both children and adults.
Time-Stamped Overview
00:00 Healing power of music
08:36 Music for relaxation and healing
13:18 Music, healing, and safe spaces
19:19 Science meets spiritual healing
26:36 The power of happy songs
28:16 Music as nourishment and healing
36:47 Music’s emotional and physiological impact
40:55 Coherence boosts body and mind
45:26 Using music as a tool
49:14 Drumming’s healing power
54:26 Safety, science, and kirtan kriya
01:04:19 Connecting to your inner home
01:08:12 Sound healing’s impact on autism
01:11:23 Calm mothers, calm families
01:18:50 Music engagement for emotional connection
01:22:36 Genesis and eden series overview
01:30:13 Music for better sleep
01:32:56 Start your day with music
01:38:26 Understanding music’s emotional message
About Barry Goldstein
With over three decades of profound impact, Barry Goldstein stands at the intersection of music and healing as a visionary composer and sound expert. His Grammy Award-winning production and vibrational expertise bridge artistic expression and scientific innovation. Barry’s collaborations with industry luminaries such as Dr. Daniel Amen, Dr. Joe Dispenza, Dave Asprey, and other transformational leaders underscore his unique ability to harness music as a powerful tool for emotional and cognitive wellness.
In corporate workshops and healthcare facilities, Barry introduces ‘Acousticeuticals™,’ a term he coined to describe his innovative products that merge sound with health benefits to improve well-being, reduce stress, and foster productivity. His music is widely used in hospitals, hospices, and medical practices, and continues to be the focus of cutting-edge research into its health benefits.
Barry is the author of The Secret Language of the Heart: How to Use Music, Sound, and Vibration as Tools for Healing and Personal Transformation.
Disclaimer
This expert interview is not a substitute for medical advice, treatment, diagnosis, or consultation with a medical professional. It is intended for general informational purposes only and should not be relied on to make determinations related to treatment of a medical condition. Documenting Hope has not verified and does not guaranty the accuracy of the information provided in this expert interview.
Still Looking for Answers?
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Join us inside our online membership community for parents, Healing Together, where you’ll find even more healing resources, expert guidance, and a community to support you every step of your child’s healing journey.
Sources & References
Amos, P. Rhythm and timing in autism: learning to dance. Front Integr Neurosci. 2013 Apr 19;7:27.
Barnhill, E. Neural connectivity, music, and movement: a response to Pat Amos. Front Integr Neurosci. 2013 Apr 24;7:29.
Chanda, M.L., et al. The neurochemistry of music. Trends Cogn Sci. 2013 Apr;17(4):179-93.
Chang, E.T., et al. The effects of music on the sleep quality of adults with chronic insomnia using evidence from polysomnographic and self-reported analysis: a randomized control trial. Int J Nurs Stud. 2012 Aug;49(8):921-30.
Gadberry, A.L. Steady beat and state anxiety. J Music Ther. 2011 Fall;48(3):346-56.
Garza-Villarreal, E.A., et al. Music reduces pain and increases functional mobility in fibromyalgia. Front Psychol. 2014 Feb 11:5:90.
Grape, C., et al. Does singing promote well-being?: An empirical study of professional and amateur singers during a singing lesson. Integr Physiol Behav Sci. 2003 Jan-Mar;38(1):65-74.
Hardy, M.W., et al. Rhythm, movement, and autism: using rhythmic rehabilitation research as a model for autism. Front Integr Neurosci. 2013 Mar 28;7:19.
Hilliard, R.E. The effects of music therapy on the quality and length of life of people diagnosed with terminal cancer. J Music Ther. 2003 Summer;40(2):113-37.
Hong, H.J., et al. Effect of Rhythmic Movement Program to Improve Walking Ability for Elderly Patients with Stroke. Indian Journal of Science and Technology. 2016 Jul;9(26).
Jungblut, M., et al. Paving the way for speech: voice-training-induced plasticity in chronic aphasia and apraxia of speech--three single cases. Neural Plast. 2014:2014:841982.
Kadivar, Z., et al. Effect of step training and rhythmic auditory stimulation on functional performance in Parkinson patients. Neurorehabil Neural Repair. 2011 Sep;25(7):626-35.
Katagiri, J. The effect of background music and song texts on the emotional understanding of children with autism. J Music Ther. 2009 Spring;46(1):15-31.
Khalfa, S., et al. Effects of relaxing music on salivary cortisol level after psychological stress. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2003 Nov:999:374-6.
Klassen, J.A., et al. Music for pain and anxiety in children undergoing medical procedures: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Ambul Pediatr. 2008 Mar-Apr;8(2):117-28.
Kulkarni, S., et al. Music during interventional radiological procedures, effect on sedation, pain and anxiety: a randomised controlled trial. Br J Radiol. 2012 Aug;85(1016):1059-63.
Ladányi, K. et al. Is atypical rhythm a risk factor for developmental speech and language disorders? Wiley Interdiscip Rev Cogn Sci. 2020 Sep;11(5):e1528.
Lakatos, P., et al. A New Unifying Account of the Roles of Neuronal Entrainment. Curr Biol. 2019 Sep 23;29(18):R890-R905.
Lesiuk, T. The effect of preferred music on mood and performance in a high-cognitive demand occupation. J Music Ther. 2010 Summer;47(2):137-54.
Maack, C., et al. The Effects of Guided Imagery andMusic Therapy on Reported Change in Normal Adults. J Music Ther. 1999;36(1):39-55.
Nilsson, U. Soothing music can increase oxytocin levels during bed rest after open-heart surgery: a randomised control trial. J Clin Nurs. 2009 Aug;18(15):2153-61.
Salimpoor, V.N., et al. Anatomically distinct dopamine release during anticipation and experience of peak emotion to music. Nat Neurosci. 2011 Feb;14(2):257-62.
Shih, Y.N., et al. Background music: effects on attention performance. Work. 2012;42(4):573-8.
Silverman, M.J. The influence of music on the symptoms of psychosis: a meta-analysis. J Music Ther. 2003 Spring;40(1):27-40.
Simavli, S., et al. Effect of music on labor pain relief, anxiety level and postpartum analgesic requirement: a randomized controlled clinical trial. Gynecol Obstet Invest. 2014;78(4):244-50.
Suh, J.H., et al. Effect of rhythmic auditory stimulation on gait and balance in hemiplegic stroke patients. NeuroRehabilitation. 2014;34(1):193-9.
Trappe, H.J. The effects of music on the cardiovascular system and cardiovascular health. Heart. 2010 Dec;96(23):1868-71.
Van Hirtum, T., et al. Is atypical rhythm a riskfactor for developmental speech and language disorders? J Assoc Res Otolaryngol. 2021 Jul;22(4):465-480.
Wang, C.F., et al. Music therapy improves sleep quality in acute and chronic sleep disorders: a meta-analysis of 10 randomized studies. Int J Nurs Stud. 2014 Jan;51(1):51-62.
Wang, Z., et al. Music boosts the recovery of attention after mental fatigue in healthy young male subjects: A human auditory event-related potential study. Behav Brain Res. 2025 May 8:485:115539.
Whipple, J. Music in intervention for children and adolescents with autism: a meta-analysis. J Music Ther. 2004 Summer;41(2):90-106.
Winkler, I., et al. Newborn infants detect the beat in music. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2009 Feb 17;106(7):2468-71.
Zentner, M., et al. Rhythmic engagement with music in infancy. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2010 Mar 30;107(13):5768-73.
Resources
Books
Campbell, Dan. The Mozart Effect: Tapping the Power of Music to Heal the Body, Strengthen the Mind and Unlock the Creative Spirit. Quill, 2001.
Goldstein, Barry. The Secret Language of the Heart: How to Use Music, Sound, and Vibration as Tools for Healing and Personal Transformation. Hierophant Publishing, 2016.
Peretz, Isabelle and Zatorre, Robert. The Cognitive Neuroscience of Music. Oxford University Press, 2003.
