The Brief

It’s a common belief that music soothes the soul. But some researchers and healthcare companies say it can be used to heal the mind — and maybe the body.

Several popular apps claim to help relieve anxiety through music, meditations and mindfulness. A company in Los Angeles takes that idea further: It’s seeking approval from the Food and Drug Administration to prescribe music treatments for specific mental health conditions, such as generalized anxiety disorder.

A recent study out of UC Irvine found that listening mindfully to improvisational jazz was linked to a decrease in pain and anxiety for some patients.

Sean Young, lead author of the study, told LAist that just as doctors prescribe opioids for chronic pain, “you could imagine that prescribing something like jazz or certain sounds might be in the future of what we can do in helping patients with pain or other kinds of clinical, mental, behavioral health issues.”

Alpha brain waves and ‘restorative music’ 

Sona Labs, an L.A.-based company that bills itself as “music as medicine,” is seeking FDA approval for its music treatment so that mental health professionals can prescribe them for conditions like generalized anxiety disorder.

Sona’s founder, Neal Sarin, said music compositions created with the company’s proprietary technique have been shown in tests to increase alpha waves in listeners’ brains.

Alpha waves are a type of electrical activity in the brain that are typically present when a person is calm — like when they are meditating or daydreaming. There are five common types of brainwaves: gamma, beta, alpha, theta and delta, with gamma associated with high alertness and concentration.

Sarin, a musician and former music executive, said he gives musicians certain parameters, like keeping beats per minute below 65 and using soft tones, in order to produce music he said increases alpha brain wave activity.

The result is dulcet soundscapes with transitions that ebb and flow like ocean waves.

The concept came to him around 2015, Sarin said, when he was experimenting with his own musical compositions. His idea was to make music that could bring on the calming effects he’d experienced with his meditation practice, just by listening to it.

By 2019, he had composed roughly 10 minutes of serene music.

“You know, I was feeling kind of sedated after listening to it. But it was also having that effect on family and friends as well,” Sarin said.

Sarin developed a proprietary, 10-step composition process he said can consistently yield what he calls “restorative music” that increases alpha waves in the brain. He and his team built an app where users can listen to his specialized music.

The app uses artificial intelligence to recommend music to users, but all of the compositions are created by humans, Sarin said.

In 2022, the FDA approved Sona’s plans for clinical trials, and Sarin is trying to raise money to see that through, he said.

Does it work?

Dr. Robert Knight, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at UC Berkeley, conducted a study at Sarin’s request to try to measure what was going on in the brain when people listened to Sona compositions.

Knight study used electroencephalography — a process in which electrodes attached to the scalp measure electrical activity in the brain.

The study showed that alpha brain waves were increased when a group of people listened to Sona music over a selection of pop music. The alpha brain waves were increased by 13% in the group listening to Sona music over the other group.

“It definitely worked,” Knight said.

He said there is some precedent for what might be called digital medicine, software and app-based interventions that aim to treat mental-health-related or other symptoms. He points to a San Francisco-based company that received FDA approval for a video game designed to treat ADHD symptoms in children.

“So you’re seeing this, I guess it could be ‘digital-ceuticals’ if you will. ‘Electro-ceuticals’ in some ways.’ ... So it’s not out of the question,” Knight said.

According to Knight, products like the ones Sona produces could meet a real need if they can show scientifically that the music is helpful for people with specific conditions, including anxiety.

“Which is very pervasive in the modern world and, in my experience, only getting more intense, anxiety in general,” Knight told LAist.

According to a report last year from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the percentage of American adults with anxiety symptoms saw a “significant increase” between 2019 and 2022, to 18.2%, from 15.6%.

Daniel Levitin — author of the book “I Heard There Was A Secret Chord: Music As Medicine” and a neuroscientist who lectures at UCLA — said research has shown that music can alter heart and breathing rate.

“There’s a lot of evidence that music — even when you control for all the other factors, you try to parcel out the placebo effect — music relieves anxiety, stress, muscle tension. It leads to better mood. It can relieve depression ... not every person and in every case,” Levitin said.

Still, Levitin said he’s skeptical of any person telling you a certain song will relax you. Or an app that’s one-size-fits-all.

The UC Irvine study found that mindful listening to improvisational jazz, like “Have You Met Miss Jones?” by the Oscar Peterson Trio, was linked with a decrease in pain and anxiety for patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain.

Young, lead author on the study, said that although the results of the study were clear, we don’t really know why the mindful jazz listening group had decreased pain and anxiety.

“There haven’t really been many studies prescribing certain types of sounds and testing that, or prescribing certain types of music,” Young told LAist.

The musician will see you now 

Nailah Hunter, a Los Angeles-based harpist who has composed music for an app that aims to help people reduce anxiety.

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Ben Kalra

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Sarin said he’s worked with more than a dozen composers to produce music for Sona, including L.A.-based harpist Nailah Hunter.

Hunter said there’s been a lot of crossover between the music and wellness spaces in the last several years.

“Ever since COVID, it just kind of burst, and it’s because people need it,” Hunter said.

It’s not just Sona, companies like Calm offer a vast library of music intended for users to improve their wellbeing.

German-based Endel uses artificial intelligence to generate soundscapes to help users chill out. Spotify has playlists like “Stress Relief” and “Relax and Unwind.” And Angelenos have a wide array of local soundbaths and ambient music experiences they can attend on any given day.

Hunter said she wouldn’t mind living in a world in which someone dealing with anxiety is prescribed a musical experience.

“I think that’s beautiful. ... We are always kind of self-prescribing music. But it would feel nice to have it be respected and kind of upheld by the medical institution,” Hunter said.

“Because it does work.”

A federal judge ruled today that the Trump administration is not entitled to personal information belonging to California’s 23 million voters. Judge David O. Carter made the ruling.

Last year, the U.S. Department of Justice sued California, along with 22 other states and Washington, D.C., for access to their full, unredacted voter files. That includes driver’s license, social security numbers and other sensitive data.

DOJ officials said they needed the data to assess whether states were properly maintaining their voter rolls and ensuring "only American citizens are voting, only one time," as Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said in a social media post in December.

California refused, citing state and federal privacy law. Only a handful of states have complied with the government’s request for their full voter files, according to the Brennan Center for Justice, which has been tracking the issue nationwide.

What did the judge say?

In Judge Carter’s ruling, he wrote that amassing sensitive information at the federal level would have a chilling effect on voter registration, which would lead to decreased turnout “as voters fear that their information is being used for some inappropriate or unlawful purpose.”

He added, “This risk threatens the right to vote which is the cornerstone of American democracy."

LAist emailed a request for comment to a spokesperson for the Department of Justice but has not yet received a response.

Reaction to the ruling

Jenny Farrell, executive director of the League of Women Voters of California, applauded the decision. The group had joined California in opposing the government’s data request.

“ We think that voters should never have to choose between their privacy interests and the right to participate in our democracy,” she said.

Justin Levitt, a Loyola Law School professor and former Department of Justice employee said, “The court did what we thought the court should do.”

Levitt and a group of other former DOJ employees had filed an amicus brief in the case, siding with California.

In a news release, California Secretary of State Shirley Weber wrote: “I will continue to uphold my promise to Californians to protect our democracy, and I will continue to challenge this administration's disregard for the rule of law and our right to vote.”

What's next?

The DOJ's lawsuits against other states are still making their way through the courts.

During a hearing in the case in December, Judge Carter said he anticipated his eventual ruling — whichever way it went — would be appealed, and that a final decision on the issue could rest with the U.S. Supreme Court.

A Superior Court judge has found that the city of Los Angeles violated public open records laws nearly two years ago by taking action on matters related to its homelessness response and failing to report it.

That decision could be a factor in an ongoing hearing in federal court where a different judge is considering whether to hold the city in contempt of court.

In a ruling last week, L.A. County Superior Court Judge Curtis A. Kin found that the city violated the Brown Act on two occasions in January and May 2024 when it took action in closed session on the following:

— approving an encampment reduction plan;

— approving a memorandum of understanding with the county for support on interim housing beds and other issues.

Afterward, the city did not report those approvals in open session.

The city argued its actions were allowed under the Brown Act because they stemmed from the ongoing settlement between the city and the L.A. Alliance for Human Rights, a group of business owners and residents who sued the city over its response to the homelessness crisis.

But Kin disagreed with that argument, saying what the city had done in closed session did not fall within the Brown Act exemptions because they were policy decisions, not litigation decisions concerning the L.A. Alliance settlement.

In federal court, U.S. District Judge David O. Carter has been overseeing the city’s compliance with the settlement. Carter has said he’s concerned “the city has demonstrated a continuous pattern of delay” in meeting its obligations.

Carter has been hearing testimony since November from city officials and others in an ongoing contempt-of-court hearing. This week, the judge said in court documents that he would consider Kin’s ruling as the contempt hearing proceeds.

The parties were last in federal court earlier this week. It’s not yet clear when that hearing will resume.

Sidewalk vendors can now apply to receive a free, health-code-compliant food vending cart through a new program launched in a partnership between the county and the city of Los Angeles.

Who can apply

To receive a cart, applicants must be at least 18 years old, live in LA County, be self-employed as a sidewalk vendor, and earn less than $75,000 annually from vending, according to a news release. Applicants must operate within unincorporated LA County or the city of LA, and commit to full compliance with public health and safety regulations.

You can find the application here.

Permits to secure

Vendors who are awarded carts will have to secure required permits in order to begin operating as fully permitted businesses. This includes obtaining the Compact Mobile Food Operation (CMFO) certificate from the LA County Department of Public Health and any Sidewalk Vending Registration Certifications or permits required to comply with the county and city sidewalk vending programs.

Applications will be selected by lottery, will be reviewed on a monthly basis, and will be prioritized based on “compliance readiness.” Priority will also be given to those who are based in the county’s “highest-need areas,” as according to the county equity explorer map.

Eligible applicants will be connected to partner organizations like Inclusive Action for the City to help navigate the permitting process and to provide business business support and language assistance.

What kind of carts?

Carts offered through the program include:

• Integrated grill carts for precooked meat for tacos, hot dogs, and hamburgers that are assembled on a cart
• Hot-holding carts for pre-portioned cooked tamales, corn, quesadillas, gyros, pupusas
• Cut fruit carts for fruits, bionicos, and acai bowls
• Cold-hold ice cream carts that store prepackaged ice cream items

Currently, the county and city have 50 hot-holding and 30 cold-holding carts for the first round of awards with 40 integrated grill carts underway.

More about the program

The launch of the Sidewalk Vending Cart Program – which invests $2.8 million in more than 280 carts – follows the passage of state legislation that decriminalized street vendors and that streamlined the permitting process.

“The program aims to help vendors meet new legal requirements, overcome financial barriers to formalization, and operate safely and legally in their communities,” according to the news release.

Los Angeles County Board Chair Hilda Solis said the program can help ensure a “permitted pathway” toward entrepreneurship.
“Many vendors are navigating increasingly difficult and uncertain times due to cruel federal immigration actions, and we know vendors play an essential role in the economic and cultural vitality of Los Angeles County,” Solis said in a statement. “This is more than a program — this is a chance to support small business growth, economic stability, and even generational wealth.”

The biggest mobile network in the United States, Verizon, experienced a huge outage on Wednesday, leaving at least tens of thousands of customers without cell service for much of the day.

An update on Verizon's website today said the outage had been resolved. "We are sorry for what you experienced and will continue to work hard day and night to provide the outstanding network and service that people expect from Verizon," it said.

What happened?

It's still unclear. Verizon has not posted details nor an explanation of the cause of the outage on its website. In an email to NPR, a company spokesperson wrote that the problem stemmed from "a software issue" and that Verizon is conducting a full review.And while Verizon hasn't released a figure for how many customers were affected, the staff at the Downdetector website — where users go to report service outages — posted on Facebook that they received 2.3 million outage reports for Verizon throughout the day. (That doesn't necessarily translate to 2.3 million affected customers.)

Cell networks experience small outages fairly regularly, though, and sizable ones are not uncommon. Verizon had a disruption across several major cities in September 2024, and competitor AT&T was hit by a large outage in February 2024, affecting more than 125 million registered devices and customers in all 50 states.

Sanjoy Paul, a wireless network expert at Rice University, says telecommunications systems have become more complex over the past decade and a half as they've moved from physical infrastructure — wires and cables — and into the cloud.

"What used to be a completely hardware-dependent network transformed into a complete software-dependent network," he said. That shift has given operators more flexibility to add services or tweak products but, he said, it has come at the expense of reliability.

With a cloud and software-based networks, there are more opportunities for glitches and attacks, he said. Small issues with computer code buried inside these systems can have big consequences.

What have been some consequences of the outage?

Users had no connectivity for much of the day and were only able to access "SOS" mode during the outage.

Verizon, which has styled itself as America's best and most reliable network, has been in damage control mode. The company has issued instructions for customers to restart their devices to reconnect to the network if they are still having problems. It also pledged $20 credits as "a way of acknowledging your time and showing that this matters to us," according to their website.

The Federal Communications Commission said in a statement it was "continuing to actively investigate and monitor the situation to determine next steps."

Could it happen again?

Yep — to Verizon or any of its competitors.

Since the cause of this latest outage remains unclear, it's too early to say whether or not this exact thing could happen again. But Lee McKnight, an associate professor in the School of Information Studies at Syracuse University, told NPR's Morning Edition outages are "a fact of life these days for major telecommunications firms."

"Modern telecom networks are cloud networks. 5G networks are mainly, like, hundreds of different cloud services," he said. "The telecom companies haven't yet adjusted their training to that reality, that their staff have to be expert not just in cell towers and wireless, like we think about, but about cloud services, like AWS, or Microsoft, or Google."

At the end of the day, experts say, consumers should consider having a "Plan B" for connectivity. That may mean a land line for your house or getting a second phone on a different cell network.
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