En Coda’s Does Sound Heal probes therapeutic music and the mystery of 432Hz in Luna cinema premiere

En Coda Symphony Orchestra’s music therapy project goes on national tour this month, with a documentary about its innovative 2021 concert launched this week at Luna Leederville. Sights and smells of the cinema – plush furnishings, popcorn, coffee and red wine – made the first call on the senses as a capacity crowd filled the first of two matinee showings of the film, Does Sound Heal. Creative director and composer Tenille Bentley’s five-year exploration of music tuned to A at 432Hz – rather than the modern convention of 440Hz – has won 14 international film prizes and the movie opened to the public on Sunday. “You guys are the first in the world to see this,” Bentley said, to a rousing cheer. Her personal journey from corporate success to burnout forms the backdrop, with inspiration drawn from a harmonium-like Indian instrument, the shruti box; its mesmeric drone fixed on 432Hz. The 2021 concert at Mt Claremont’s Montgomery Hall teamed Bentley and traditional artists with conductor Mark Coughlan and a string ensemble. Claims about the number include that its lower frequency relates to the rhythms of the human body and the wider universe, but the movie has a broader reach into the world of therapeutic music. Musicians Richard Walley, Julian Silburn and January Kultura bring a First Nations perspective, while Coughlan and WAAPA’s Stuart James offer expertise in the western canon through musical direction and composition. Perth Brain Centre’s monitoring and analysis of audience members’ brain patterns at the 2021 concert is a work in progress, pointing to further research and a possible sequel to the film. Emeritus professor Alan Harvey refers to the “mnemonic power of music” – think ad jingles that linger – as it influences the brain’s limbic system, reaching into long-term memory. Bentley contributes a deeply personal element about care for her late father, and while scientific theories around dopamine seem dry, footage from the concert offers a genuine high. “Our use of music and sound shouldn’t be limited to an entertainment pastime but rather a therapeutic tool to help us when we are feeling unwell or need to connect with self,” Bentley concludes. “So what do you think? Does Sound Heal?”