What is the story about?
NEW YORK (AP) — Yoselin Sanchez has been in chronic pain since she was born with cervical scoliosis. While little eases the discomfort, she’s found ways
to distract herself from hurting. She practices yoga, performs free flow dance, and frequently listens to house music tuned to 432 hertz while working, a frequency lower than typical concert pitch.
“Music is medicine. Sound is medicine,” said Sanchez, who provides telehealth services for a healthcare management organization in California. “It helps me focus and be engaged with the patient I’m assisting, and it also helps me relax.”Music recorded in 432 hertz (cycles per second) is gaining popularity on social media platforms and music streaming services, where users can find an increasing number of tracks and playlists employing the alternate tuning, ranging from meditation soundscapes to reggae songs recorded by Ziggy Marley.
Many proponents assert that 432 hertz is aligned with nature, with claims of its healing properties and potential to reduce blood pressure. However, robust scientific evidence supporting these claims remains lacking.
“There are frequencies going on right now that are higher than what we can hear and lower than what we can hear. And they’re not special because they’re one of the billions and billions of frequencies that we’re receiving right now,” said Susan Rogers, a Berklee College of Music professor emeritus who worked as Prince's sound engineer during the 1980s. “To set one aside and say that it is the frequency of the universe is, as far as the science community is concerned, nonsense.”
To Sanchez, the scientific explanation for her pain relief and emotional benefits from 432 hertz music is irrelevant.
“When it comes to music, it could activate different feelings in people, the vibrations of it. It’s not like a one-size-fits-all,” she said.
Throughout history, musicians have tuned their instruments to create harmonious sounds. The music genre known as “432 Hz” features a tuning where the A above middle C vibrates at 432 hertz instead of the standard 440 hertz. This lower frequency is discernible to the naked ear, producing slightly lower notes, which some believe creates a warmer, more harmonious sound that resonates with the human body and the natural world.
While many orchestras and musicians now adhere to the 440 hertz standard, this was not always the case. Until the 19th century, musicians tuned their instruments according to varying local standards, as noted by Fanny Gribenski, a music historian at New York University. “For most of music history, people are just singing within their own vocal range,” she added.
As orchestras began tuning to higher frequencies, some composers worried that singers would struggle to perform music from the past. Gribenski explained, “The idea that it should be mainly a lower frequency than the ones that were in use at the time is really the cultural concern for protecting music from the past, protecting the voices of singers.”
With the rise of international travel, the desire for a common tuning frequency grew. In 1939, representatives from multiple European countries and the U.S. agreed to adopt 440 hertz as the international standard.
Over the decades, artists continued to experiment with pitch. In the 1980s and ’90s, sound engineers sometimes altered recorded songs to achieve brighter or slower sounds, deviating from the 440 hertz frequency, according to Rogers.
However, Rogers expressed skepticism that retuning an entire band or orchestra to 432 hertz would enhance sound quality, given that many modern instruments were designed to sound best at 440 hertz.
“Some of those instruments might sound a little sweeter, but it’s likely that most won’t,” she said.
Gribenski noted that higher pitches generally yield more brilliance and power in some instruments. For listeners who appreciate the lower 432 hertz music, she speculated, “I wonder if there is a sense of deceleration, slowing down slightly, and also taking one step down from the bright sounds of modernity.”
Many fans of 432 hertz music cite various reasons for listening while working. Amelia Beamer, who manages marketing at her parents' pharmacy in North Carolina, believes that taking breaks to listen to music tuned to 432 hertz helps her focus due to her attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. She has observed that listening before starting a project enhances her concentration.
Beamer works for 25 minutes, then takes a five-minute listening break before returning to her tasks. She also listens to other frequencies, such as music tuned to 528 hertz.
“It definitely helps me feel more grounded and more centered,” Beamer remarked about 432 hertz music. “It helps me slow down and to take some intentional space and time for myself.”
Diana Wolf Torres, who creates videos and writes a newsletter about robots, often experiences migraines and is sensitive to noise. Listening to music tuned to 432 hertz or other calming sounds, like white noise, while using noise-canceling headphones assists her in maintaining focus.
“I just want to be there and get it done and feel like I’m doing my best writing possible, and anything that keeps me in the zone is a fantastic tool,” Torres said.
Although Torres does not believe in any scientific basis or special properties behind 432 hertz music, she acknowledged that “maybe some people find this lower tuning more soothing.” She also pointed out that most listeners may not verify whether music labeled as 432 hertz on social media is accurate.
“What does it matter? If you're getting an effect, are you really going to check the resonance? Do you care?” Torres questioned.
Sanchez enjoys listening to other alternative frequencies, including 528 hertz and 963 hertz.
“It’s something worth exploring and finding out for yourself whether it has any benefits or not,” Sanchez concluded. “For me, I find that grounding is beneficial to my overall wellbeing, so I see how it helps my livelihood.”
