Well, you asked for thoughts, as well as clinical observations, so I am tempted to offer my $.02. I believe that the remedy brought about by certain kinds of music on certain kinds of cases generally occurs because it entrains super-linguistic or purely conceptual understanding, in the same way that sometimes a delightful visual harmony will suddenly draw out a severely introverted person. I am more inclined to believe that this is a top down effect -- that our highest aesthetic and spiritual sensibilities are involved and that in more complex and ambiguous symbol system such as language and gestures this order of thought has to "build down" through mental and cranial echelons to function fully.

It seems to me that these latter levels are much more stressful to operate when one is in a condition of decline (physical or emotional or other). Perhaps it is more a case of the sheer aesthetic and simple simplicity of good music, freed from layers of meaning or right or wrong calculations, drawing out the highest abilities of the individual.

It may be true that while folk music often involves a lot of language and therefore might involve heavier effort to receive, and be less effective than harmonious Baroque music, for example, that it does entail an emotional simplicity and muscial clarity and regularity usually that would make it more assimilable than something more cacaphonous.

Well, I guess that's a nickel's worth, but I won't charge ya for writing it if you won't charge me for reading it! :>)

A