Institute for Music and Health

The Diamond Method for Music

The Diamond Method for Music marks a revolution in the field of music and health. It is drawn from the life-work of John Diamond MD, a global pioneer in complementary medicine and is based on a half century of research and clinical experience. In its scope, vision, and the sheer quantity of information it contains, there is simply nothing to compare with it. It offers a totally new understanding of the relationship between music and health and, more importantly, gives us unprecedented insight into how we can use music to benefit ourselves and society in general.

At the root of the DMM is the concept of Life Energy. Life Energy is the term Dr Diamond uses to describe the innate power for healing that exists in all of us (indeed, in all living things). Our overall level of Life Energy is the most basic indicator of our health. When it is high, we are healthier than when it is low. In fact, low Life Energy in a person is a central, perhaps the central, underlying factor in all illness. Everything we encounter in our lives–the people we meet, the food we eat, the clothes we wear, the books we read–affects our Life Energy one way or the other (this was subject of Dr. Diamond’s first bestseller Your Body Doesn’t Lie). The importance of music resides in the fact that, more than almost any other healing modality, it has the potential to tremendously raise our Life Energy. The Diamond Method for Music shows us myriad ways in which this can be achieved.

To do this, Dr Diamond has considered many of the variables in music that affect our Life Energy. When listening to music for example, there are numerous factors to consider, such as which composer to choose, which specific work by that composer, which performer(s) to play it, even the recording and playback systems used–all these can raise or lower our Life Energy and all have been systematically investigated for this. Similarly, when we make music ourselves, we need to consider not just the music we are making but factors such as our posture, our intent when we play, and preparation of our instruments. Through investigation of these and many other factors, an enormous body of research has accumulated over decades and it is this that forms the basis of the Diamond Method for Music.

The Diamond Method for Music does not exist in isolation but combines with the other Arts, medicine and spirituality to produce The Diamond Path of Life, an integrated approach to health and personal development. The Diamond Method for Music is therefore truly holistic and it delineates for the first time areas of connection between music and other healing modalities. For instance, it shows numerous relationships between music and the acupuncture system, and maps out the precise relationship between music and the emotions with unequaled clarity. In short it takes the field of music and healing–a field known from pre-Biblical times–into the twenty-first century.

The Diamond Method for Music does not discriminate. It clearly states that everyone, regardless of their apparent level of musical talent, is capable of using music to enhance their lives and the lives of those around them and it has been used to transform the lives of everyone from complete novices to top professionals.

The Diamond Method for Music complements traditional pedagogies of music. For that reason, it is well suited to music educators who want to add to their professional development. Remarkable results have been obtained by combining the approach with mainstream music-teaching in schools, particularly in Canberra, Australia under the auspices of the Australian National University. The DMM is used extensively by performers all over the world who wish to enhance the healing quality of their music-making. For instance, it has been shown to help enormously with performance-related issues such as stage-fright and professional burn-out. In general it encourages creativity and freedom of expression. The Method is also used by music therapists wishing to incorporate its approaches and findings into their work.