Scottie Sound Bath
Join us as we harmonize mind, body, and spirit, one sound bath at a time.
Scottie Sound Bath
Scottie Sound Bath
About Us
Housed on Carnegie Mellon University's campus, Scottie Sound Bath is a pioneering endeavor in wellness and innovation, driven by the passionate minds of music entrepreneurship students at the School of Music in collaboration with Student Affairs and Athletics, Physical Education and Recreation. Our mission is to introduce the transformative power of sound baths to the university community and to facilitate further scientific investigation into the healing power of music. Our goal is to add an enjoyable research-based modality to CMU’s menu of self-care offerings.
What is a Sound Bath?
It’s called a sound bath because you lie down, relax, and immerse yourself in sound. Also referred to as vibroacoustic therapy, it’s a full-body listening experience that allows you to experience sound in a visceral way. Conducted by trained musicians, the Scottie Sound Bath lasts 50 minutes and utilizes vibrations from quartz crystal “singing bowls” to induce deep relaxation. Our musicians will also treat you to short instrumental solos at the end of each session. We hope that you’ll leave with mental peace, emotional balance, and calm focus.
Questions? Our team is delighted to provide you with more information or discuss how we can bring the soothing waves of sound to your corner of campus.
Looking for Relaxation Throughout your Day?
Enjoy an album of relaxing, bite-sized soundscapes for every hour of your day. Created by CMU students, these one to three-minute tracks include relaxing sounds of singing bowls, flute, and ocean drum, as well as guided meditations. Inspired by each hour of the day between 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., these soundscapes invite you to take a few minutes each day to find peace, presence, and relaxation.
Listen now on Soundcloud and find relaxation every day!
Enjoy this 30-second sound bath meditation.
CMU is on the cutting edge of researching the effect of sound baths on the nervous system, with current studies being conducted in collaboration with CMU neuroscientists and psychologists.
Research & Benefits
Around three-quarters of adults (76%) said they have experienced health impacts due to stress, including headache (38%), fatigue (35%), feeling nervous or anxious (34%), and/or feeling depressed or sad (33%), according to the American Psychological Association.
Music interventions have been found to effectively ameliorate some of these effects. In 2023-24, Prof. Mead’s team conducted a study at CMU with researchers from University of Pittsburgh School of Behavioral Health. Over 250 participants responded to 15 questions related to mood and stress before and after a 45-minute sound bath. Results showed a 70% decrease in stress and 80% increase in ability to relax and focus.
Scottie Sound Bath Pre/Post-Mood Survey Graph
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Reducing anxiety and PTSD
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Improving mood
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Relieving depression
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Soothing tension
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Promoting restful sleep
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Lowering blood pressure
Participant Testimonials
"[The Sound Bath] allowed me to tune out everyday thoughts and focus on deeper feelings and memories."
“The sounds of the bowls served as a focal point for meditation — and almost like a barrier against outside, random thoughts coming in — allowing relaxation.”
~ Scottie Sound Bath Participant
“I felt more relaxed than I have in a long time.”
~ Scottie Sound Bath Participant
"I learned so much about different facets of music that I had not experienced before in this class! I loved working with a team on an album concept, and getting plenty of hands-on experience with singing bowls."
~ Kate Manuel, Collaborative Project in Music Entrepreneurship Class Participant
Meet Our Founder
Monique Mead has been a lifelong advocate for the healing power of music. Her career as a professional violinist spans three decades performing on major international stages throughout North America and Europe. This artistic excellence infuses her Sound Healing practice, training, and research.
As director of Music Entrepreneurship at CMU, Monique has created the first university course in sound healing, and established student-run sound bath programs at CMU, University of Pittsburgh and other universities in the U.S. and Indonesia. For her groundbreaking research in this field, she was awarded a grant from the American College Health Association in 2024 and recently presented her research at the Music and the Brain Conference in Bali, Indonesia.
Mead heads her own sound healing studio at the Awareness & Wellness Center where she provides weekly sound baths and practitioner training. She invented SonicScore, the first notation system to map soundscapes as well as a sound bath training app to facilitate remote training and make the sounds of singing bowls more accessible.
Mead's cutting-edge research on sound therapy, evidence-based training, large-scale performances, and passion for peace have captured local and international attention. In 2025, she staged the first Mega Surround Sound Bath with 20 practitioners in Heinz Chapel and was featured on the front page of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette as well as NPR, CBS, and Next Pittsburgh.