Virginia
is a Certified Music Practitioner with the Music for Healing
and Transition Program. She has been a keyboardist all
her life, serving as organist for fourteen years (1989-2003)
at Blacksburg United Methodist Church in southwest Virginia,
home of Virginia Tech. At age 60 Virginia began playing
the harp and since 1995 has specialized in healing melodies
played on her Celtic harps. Virginia uses the principles
of music-rhythm, harmony, and melody- to help provide
an aural aura which promotes healing. Her music is offered
at the bedside as neither performance nor entertainment;
she supplies a "ministry of presence" to patients,
family, friends, and staff.
Musician in
Residence at University of Virginia Hospital
Virginia
is engaged in a pilot project at University of Virginia
Hospital as a Musician-in-Residence, where she offers
harp music at the bedside, not as entertainment or performance,
but to provide a healing milieu for patients, family,
and staff.
MUSICIAN
Musaic: A Sampler
Virginia
and her husband Dick, tenor, have created a mosaic of
music for classical organ and piano, harp, and voice,
including hymns and popular melodies.Learn
more...
Healing Harp Melodies I and II
These 2 recordings, each at least 50 min.
in length, are intentionally designed with 9-10 familiar
compositions, including Clair de Lune, Brahms Lullaby,
Vesper Hymn, Scarborough Fair, Danny Boy, Annie Laurie,
etc. followed by a similar number of less familiar tunes
to enable the mind, body, and spirit to become gradually
unfocused and totally relaxed. Responses have indicated
that these CDs have alleviated pain and insomnia and
are effective in massage therapy and meditation/prayer
sessions.
"Thank you for your beautiful CD. We
played it for our mother over and over again in her
last hours." M.L.
"Our pastor has used your CD during quiet time
in our prayer group to help us in centering." J.M.
"I use your CDs frequently in my massage practice,
and many clients have purchased them." C.Z.
" One of the clients in my physical therapy practice
related that her pain level had decreased from 9 to
7 after listening to your CD." K.C.
Healing Harp Melodies I has sold over 3000 copies to date
(Fall 2009). Listen
to samples or order these CDs.
Healing Harp Melodies:
Classical Tunes and Loveabyes
(projected
release date: Fall 2010)
Christmas Fantasia
The
Divertimento Trio, also of Blacksburg, Virginia, presents
54 minutes of holiday favorites for flute, dulcimer, and
harp. Listen
to a sample or order this CD.
Healing Harp Melodies: Christmas
68 minutes of subtle arrangements of holiday
music. The CD artwork features Chrismons (Christ Monograms)
from First Presbyterian Church, Greensboro, NC. Proceeds
benefit the building of 5 Habitat houses by First Presbyterian
Church. Listen
to a sample or order this CD.
Healing
Harp Melodies: Hymns and Spiritual Songs
This
CD features harpers Virginia Bethune, Helen, Hannah, and
Emily Cooley, and Sally Millar on flute. Listen
to a sample or oder this CD.
AUTHOR
Full
of Sound and Music, Signifying Healing
"Full
of Sound and Music, Signifying Healing" a 4000-word
article published in A Call to Worship by the Office of
Theology and Worship, Presbyterian Church in the USA (Nov.
2009)
RESEARCHER
N/A
EDUCATOR
Beginning
Harp Workshops
Since
2003 Virginia has presented Beginning Harp Workshops for
at least 150 students, ages 8-84. These workshops have
a 6-hr 2-day format, with harp and workbook provided.
Issuing from these endeavours have been harp circles in
the New River Valley, Va. (near Blacksburg), Greensboro,
NC, and Central Shenandoahl Valley, Virginia.
Music
and Speaking Engagements
August
2009 - Beginning and Intermediate Harp Workshops, Massanetta
Springs, Va. Bible
and
Church Music Conference
Spring 2009- Beginning Workshops: Columbus,
Ga, Raleigh, NC, and Harrisonburg, Va
October 2008- Southeastern Harp Weekend, Asheville, NC
Presentation: "How a Small Harp
Helped
to Build a Habitat House"
August 2008- Beginning Workshop, Massanetta Springs,
Virginia
June 2008- Worship and Music Conferences,
sponsored by the Presbyterian Association of
Musicians,
Montreat, NC
June 2008- Music and Healing Workshop,
Presbyterian Association of Musicians Conference in
Montreat,
N.C. 4 hours of content.
Begninning
Workshop: 60 students in attendance
August 2007- Music Leader for the Health, Healing,
and Wholeness Conference, M<ontreat, NC
OTHER
Community Leader
In
2002 the music staff at Blacksburg, Va. United Methodist
Church and the Pairs and Spares S.S. Class began the Build-a-House-with-Art-and-Music
project. Almost $85,000 (Fall 2008) has been raised through
the sales of 8 CDs produced by staff memebers.
Click
here or more information on the New River Habitat
Project.
Music without words means leaving behind the mind. And leaving behind the mind is meditation.
Meditation returns you to the source. And the source of all is sound. — Kabir
The Healing Music Organization and The Healing Music Foundation
P.O. Box 3731, Santa Cruz, CA 95063 - 831.588.7498
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Copyright
2000-2009, Amrita Cottrell and The Healing Music Organization. All rights
reserved.
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