August 5, 2008 (Leesburg, VA)–Carla Deniz of Moonlit in the Sun

We live in an incredibly stressful world. Research has long shown that stress can be detrimental to a person’s health. For example, stress has been shown to decrease white blood cells (lymphocytes), reducing their ability to fight off infections (Kang, Coe, McCarthy, & Ershler, 1997; Kiecolt-Glaser & Glaser, 1991). Additionally, stress has been shown to negatively affect wound healing (Marucha, Kiecolt-Glaser, & Favagehi, 1998).

Relaxing music has been shown to decrease heart rate, lower blood pressure and cortisol levels, and reduce anxiety (Kight & Rickard, 2001; Miluk-Kolasa, Obiminski, Stupnicki, & Golec, 1994). In fact, researchers have recently been investigating the effect of music on surgery as a means of reducing stress and aiding in faster recovery (Leardi, Pietroletti, Angeloni, Necozione, Ranalletta, & Del Gusto, 2007; Uedo, Ishikawa, Morimoto, et al, 2004)

Moonlit In The Sun, a classical string and piano ensemble, is working with the Restaurant at Patowmack Farm to help people have a truly stress-relieving and tranquil experience. The music performed by Moonlit In The Sun has been specifically selected to give listeners a calm, peaceful sensation. Dr. Deniz, executive director of Moonlit In The Sun, notes “I cannot emphasize enough how important it is for people in today’s metropolitan lifestyle to use music to help them recover from the barrage of stressful events in their daily lives.”

Beverly Morton Billing, owner of The Restaurant at Patowmack Farm, has selected dates for this experience to specifically fall when there is a full moon. Says Beverly, “Full moon and soothing music, stars and dining. It’s a great combination.”

The Restaurant at Patowmack Farm is located on Lovettsville road just ½ mile west of Route 15 near the Point of Rocks Bridge. It overlooks the Potomac River in Lovettsville, VA. Moonlit In The Sun will be performing there on Thursday August 21, September 18, and October 16 (the weeks of the full moon). For reservations call 540.822.9017.

For more information on Moonlit In The Sun, visit their website at www.moonlitinthesun.com or call 571.223.5321

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If you’d like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview with Dr. Deniz, please call Ms. Lane at 571.223.5321 or email her at lane@moonlitinthesun.com

REFERENCES

Kang, D.H., Coe, C.L., McCarthy, D.O., and Ershler, W.B. (1997). Immune responses to final exams in healthy and asthmatic adolescents.Nursing Research 46, pp12-19.

Kiecolt-Glaser, J.K. and Glaser, R. (1991) Stress and immune function in humans. In Ader, R., Felten, D., and Cohen, N. (Eds.), Psychoneuroimmunology II, Academic Press: San Diego. pp. 849-867.

Knight, W.E.J. & Rickard, N.S. (2001). Relaxing music prevents stress-induced increases in subjective anxiety, systolic blood pressure, and heart rate in healthy males and females. Journal of Music Therapy, v38(4), pp. 254–272.

Leardi, S. Pietroletti, R., Angeloni, G., Necozione, S., Ranalletta, G., & Del Gusto, B. (2007). Randomized clinical trial examining the effect of music therapy in stress response to day surgery. British Journal of Surgery,94(8), pp. 943-7.

Miluk-Kolasa, B., Obiminski, Z., Stupnicki, R., & Golec, (1994). Effects of music treatment on salivary cortisol in patients exposed to pre-surgical stress. Experimental and Clinical Endocrinology, 102(2), pp118-20.

Marucha, P.T., Kiecolt-Glaser, J.K., and Favagehi, M. (1998). Mucosal wound healing is impaired by examination stress. Psychosomatic Medicine 60, pp362-365.

Uedo, N., Ishikawa, H., Morimoto, K., Ishihara, R., Narahara, H., Akedo, I., Ioka, T., Kaji, I., & Fukuda, S. (2004). Reduction in salivary cortisol level by music therapy during colonoscopic examination. Hepatogastroenterology51(56), pp. 451-3

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Butch Porter
Goose Creek Financial
Loudoun County’s best source for Health Insurance Expertise
703-651-3705