Healing Harp Music

Christina Cotruvo, CCM

Christina is a Certified Clinical Musician, certified by The National Standards Board for Therapeutic Musicians, using the healing elements of live music and sound.

Harp therapy is an ancient art.  Therapeutic music performed on a harp, on-site is a service instead of performance.  The presentation of live harp music is different from listening to a CD or taped music, in that live music can be delivered addressing the patient’s breathing patterns and can be slowed at will. Familiar or improvisational music is played on the harp with specific tones, vibrations and rhythms customized in the moment to the needs of the patient, hospice, group or staff in health care.   Studies have shown the majority of patients who had live music at bedside indicated that it was relaxing for them and they wanted more.  One study showed 89% of those in pain indicated that the live music had helped them become less aware of the pain; many reported complete cessation of their pain.   Regardless of someone’s religious beliefs, place of origin or life’s challenge, the timbre and vibrations of the harp helps relax and bring relief from pain.

Health Care

Christina plays relaxing and healing harp music for many needs.  Please contact for scheduling and pricing.

• Bedside Harp for comfort and healing for someone in a hospital or health care setting.
• Music in the Ward or hallways bring calm for medical staff.
• Music in the Lobby or Garden welcomes and relaxes family and visitors.
• Music in the Dining Area creates a special mood.
• Music in the Dental Office relaxes the patient.
• Music in Rehabilitation relieves anxiety.
• Music with Yoga, Meditation, Reiki and Healing Touch brings centering.

Give your loved one the joy of live harp music with a Healing Harp Music Certificate available in my catalog.

Harp-Abilities 

I am passionate that if you enjoy creating music, there should be no barriers!

Harp-Abilities can bring the joy of relaxing and healing harp for those with physical challenges.  Introduction to harps, assistance provided for music teachers and the harpist-wanna-be with special attention to each musician’s ability.  Harp-Abilities can be a program for your support organization group, classroom or individually.  This short program of Celtic harp playing and instruction for children and adults of various challenging physical abilities will provide all an opportunity to play a harp, discovering their Harp-Abilities.  Follow along on the Harp-Abilities Facebook.

Disability in Music

Music, like literature and the other arts, simultaneously reflects and constructs cultural attitudes toward disability. Disability is everywhere once you know how to look for it.  Disability shapes music and music shapes the concept of disability. 

Christina’s harp music keeps a disability in mind with its rhythms, modes, tones and vibrations for the music to communicate with the body and bring it to a healing place.  Some composers or artists and disability influenced music are:

• Edward MacDowell, To a Wild Rose, mental illness.  
• Louis Armstrong, What a Wonderful World, heart disease.
• Hikari Oe, Birthday Waltz, autism.
• Al Kasha, Candle on the Water, Agoraphobia.
• Bela Bartok, Mikrokosmos, leukemia.
• Turlough O'Carolan, Separation of Soul and Body, blindness.
• Rory Dall O'Cahan, Danny Boy, blindness
• Claude Debussy, Reverie, cancer.
• Gabriel Faure, Pie Jesu Requiem Op 48, hearing impairment.
• Ludwig Van Beethoven's 9th Symphony third movement, deafness.
• Judy Collins, Send in the Clowns, asthma.
• Zbigniew Preisner, Oliver's Theme from the movie Bleu, PTSD.
• Antonin Dvorak, Largo, panic anxiety disorder.
• Michael Bolton, deafness in one ear.
• Cher, chronic fatigue syndrome.
• Barry Gibb, arthritis.
• Blind Willie McTell, blindness, diabetes.
• Hector Berioz, Symphonic Fantastique, epilepsy,
• Igor Stravinsky, The Symphony in C, tuberculosis.
• Carly Simon, Nobody Does it Better, stuttering.
• Kenny G, asthma.
• John Lennon, dyslexia.
• Ozzy Osborne, Bark at the Moon, dyslexia.