New program aims to aid relaxation - Riverside Press-Enterprise

UNIVERSITY OF LA VERNE

New program aims to aid relaxation

Somer Waters lightly plays a drum near a student during the Healing with Sound And Breath event at the University of La Verne’s Ludwick Center Sacred Space in La Verne on Tuesday. Photos by Will Lester — staff photographer

From top, Lauren Bruno, Toni-Serena Gonzalez and Darya Magidi relax as they take part in the Healing with Sound And Breath event.

Students and staff relax as they take part in the Healing with Sound and Breath event. The sound bath event played live soothing music and sounds created by Somer Waters and Skye Ray, making a calming experience as a form of therapy for students.

Image

From staff reports

University life can be stressful.

That’s why students and staff at the University of La Verne welcome a new initiative that uses music and sounds to enhance relaxation.

They filled the campus’ Ludwick Center Sacred Space on Tuesday, laying atop yoga mats as facilitators created soothing sounds.

SomerSkye Energy Works, the facilitators, played drums, bowls and other instruments during the session, dubbed a “sound bath experience.”

The program, organized by La Verne’s Music Department and Institute of Mental Health and Psychological Well-Being, aims to use “music to connect students, boost mental health and create a stronger sense of belonging on campus,” a news release states.

The institute plans to study how the program affects students’ well-being, the release states.

“We know music has the power to heal, unite and inspire,” Music Department Chair Grace Xia Zhao said in the relase. “It’s an exciting step toward building a thriving community and we’re thrilled to bring this powerful experience to our students.”

Future sessions will include a percussion festival. They’re free and open to the public.

For information, call 909-448-4917, email music@laverne.edu or visit artsci.laverne.edu/music/

To join the music department’s mailing list, go to bit.ly/ULVMusicSignUp