MUSIC

The oldest and finest forms of human expression is MUSIC. Representing the most ancient literature is Vedas known to the world, are set to a distinctive melody that has been passed down through the centuries in an unbroken oral tradition. Being an abstract art form there are many definitions given to music. Invisible lines and colours of sound on the canvas of silence is a painting of a Music .Music is what we feel from the heart.. Music is like an in exhaustive spring and infinite space. There is music in cosmic breath. The waves of oceans, the embrace of bamboo branches, vibrations of atoms and heartbeats: music is omni present. Music can be divided into Western classical, Hindustani classical, Carnatic classical, folk, Jazz, Pop Music, Fusion, etc. Of these there can be further identification of Vocal and Instrumental music. Within instrumental there can be differentiation of percussive instruments as well as wind and string instruments. In India, the arts have been classified by the scriptures into two major streams known as margi and desi that can be roughly translated as classical and folk. Numerous texts such as the Sangeeta Ratnakara of Saarangadeva lay down the basic tenets of classical music.

The two major systems of classical music today are the Hindustani and the Carnatic. Though today they appear in diferent styles, they in fact have their origins in a common theory and source as is apparent from ancient treatises.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF MUSIC

TRADITIONAL MUSIC IS KATHAKALI

The orchestra is formed of two varieties of drums – the maddalam and chenda; the chenille which is a bell metal gong and the ilathalam or cymbals.Murpancharimelam It is the traditional temple percussion music.Panchavadyam the five instruments in a traditional temple music accompanying processions and pageants. The five instruments are Chenda, kuzhal, Edakka, Elathalam, Timila.

THIRUVATHIRAPPATTU IS AN OCCASSION TO CELEBRATE WOMANHOOD

The Thiruvathirappattu, a song typical to kerala which has got many varieties, is a reminder of the days when Thiruvathira was observed as an occasion to celebrate womanhood. The song accompanies Thiruvathirakali, a dance performed by women for everlasting marital bliss, on the Thiruvathira asterism of the Malayalam month of that is in December and January. The sinuous movements executed by the dancers around a oil-lit wick with lamp made of brass embody lasya or the amorous feminine charm and grace. The dance follows a circular, pirouetting pattern accompanied by clapping and singing. Thiruvathirappattu beginning “Gopala balakanae gopikakanda..” is an ancient song with a devotional tone and describes the romantic tales of Lord Krishna.

YOUTH ARE ATTRACTED TO MODERN MUSIC

The features are rhythmic element, melodies and hooks, a mainstream style, and conventional structure is nothing but a pop music.since from 19th century a profitable industry in America is pop music.In pop music a single person can give sing a song with orchesthra people.Today the youth is completely attracted to the pop music .Now the music is available through online with a special offers which of low cost to you.

Whatever the music it may be it reaches the hearts of the people and makes themselves to be a relaxed one.Music refresh the mind and help to concentrate on the work. I found one of the best sites is deals365.us

Terrestrial radio stations have been subject to stiff competition from streaming music stations lately. This is really not surprising. The streaming stations offer a great deal of new music. Where the stations are closely in contact with their local communities, UK music talent has a much better chance of gaining an international audience, something with which terrestrial radio cannot compete.

Where new music radio stations are concerned, those programs that actually feature local music generally only occupy a short amount of time during the broadcast day—or week—and are not as heavily advertised as those programs which feature the most popular recording artists.

For musicians operating in a local scene, the potential for getting any help from radio is fairly sparse. Radio has become more and more dominated by fewer and fewer broadcasters and radio music has become more homogenized over the years. UK music talent, which once could rely on programs that featured the latest bands from throughout the isles, now have to compete with international acts who come with all the slick production and marketing that multi-national record labels can afford. Because of the expense of broadcasting, many of the best new music radio stations are to be found on the Internet. Of course, this sort of broadcasting carries with it an increased risk of piracy but the tradeoff might be worth it for some bands.

New music always suffers for having to develop an audience before it is taken seriously by record companies. The companies aren’t being evil or scurrilous, they’re simply trying to sell a product and only have a certain amount of capital to invest. Like any investor, they’d prefer that capital were put toward a venture that will generate revenue for them. New music is always a risk, in that regard. A band may become the next Beatles or the next nobody and there is really no way of knowing.

Radio music has essentially been transformed into a means to advertise music that is already selling well. Those artists that dominate the airwaves generally suffer no lack of publicity and are certainly not restricted to notoriety in only a local music scene. This makes it more difficult for local bands to break into the mainstream, especially if they’re playing a particularly innovative form of music that hasn’t yet garnered a large following.

Radio stations, as the world moves more toward digital formats, are likely to become less important to the world of music than they have been in the past. As they’re converted to be essentially advertising mediums, whether the advertisements be purchased by sponsors or are in the form of songs by major label’s current big sellers, their service to new music and to UK music talent is not likely to increase, barring major shifts in the market.

UK music talent would do well to look for other means of gaining popularity and, if they desire to break into those new music radio venues, they would do well to already have a following before they try. Radio is a medium that tends to increase sales once there are sales to increase, but not one which is particularly good for starting from zero.

As a former talent booking agent with the William Morris Agency and jingle singer singing many commercials such as FOX TV, UPN and O’Charley’s, I’ve had the unusual opportunity to visit with many individuals, just like yourself, looking to enter the music industry from one angle or another. Let’s take a few minutes to explore some ideas and concepts that might help to further your career.

The first concept to explore is that you should definitely follow your dream of singing if you feel this strongly about it. We’ll highlight a few strategies you can embrace to eliminate unneeded spending and to avoid the opportunist that line the internet halls and gateways. For now, just follow your passion of singing and look at authentic methods to get you there – And hopefully by the time you’re done reading this you’ll have a foundation to start building from.

What do you want to do? Are you looking to get signed as an artist or are you looking to get into the lucrative session singing market singing commercials and backup vocals on a myriad of projects? Because of the broad nature of this article, I will write from a viewpoint of looking to get into commercial singing and session work because both singers can make money and break into their perspective areas of the business, launched from here. For those of you looking at the dream of becoming a solo artist securing the record deal, I will write more future articles for your benefit.

Let’s get a basic game plan in place and expand on it. You need to start setting goals for today, this week, this month, year and five year goals. You need to have an affordable website that will become your business card and you will have a number of pages including home, bio, sample music that will include your reel, pictures, bio and misc/links. A website can be created for next to nothing and doesn’t have to cost more then $5 – $10 a month. You will need a demo reel of your singing styles and abilities. You will also have your reel in mp3 format to be able to email to producers, etc. You will need a good record keeping system in place. Figure out what works for you and be consistent. You will need a pager or cell phone which virtually everyone has nowadays.

Make sure that your goals are realistic – not over aggressive, but challenging enough to keep your career path moving. You might consider sitting down at a coffee shop once a week and looking at and evaluating goals as well as setting up future goals. This doesn’t have to be fancy; you may jot these down with a pen, but keep these handy and up to date.

Your website should include a logo and picture of yourself. Don’t make the mistake of including cheap looking artwork. Instead, spend a few dollars on a program to help you design artwork layout. We use a $30 program that is fabulous and can’t be beat for the price. Spend a few minutes investigating websites, companies that offer hosting with complimentary website building programs and start visualizing a website layout. It must look pro.

Your demo reel must stand out from the rest. To do this you must create a reel that is without question a knock your socks off, make your socks roll up and down, reel. Your reel must sound like you’ve already arrived on the scene. Don’t be mistaken for the, “My friend has a computer, keyboard and mics,” mentality. Your demo reel needs to sound like you’ve been singing national commercials.

You will want to include jingles as well as song demos on your reel although if time and money are an issue, then it would be better to stick with a straight jingle demo reel including as many jingles as possible on the reel – This gives you multiple styles to showcase, etc. You will want to stretch your singing styles while maintaining musical integrity. Don’t showcase the same musical style over and over – You want as much versatility seen in your demo as possible.

In closing, always remember that content wins. Pro looking and sounding demos reels score more work that multiple half baked reels. Your image on print, media and in person must exude a professional outlook. It is better to be simpler to be more professional, than it is to be sophisticated and not as professional. Understanding these key factors will help drive your career and hopefully land you more session work than you can handle.

Mr Gauger is a former talent booking agent with the William Morris Agency booking many household name artists and is a jingle singer singing on many commercials from FOX TV, UPN Station ID’s, O’Charley’s and many others. Mr Gauger can be contacted at http://www.reelmusician.com or tgauger@reelmusician.com or 615-300-5030.

These websites are completely secure. You can be assured that it won’t harm your computer with its viruses. Moreover all your transactions through such sites as Wermp3 are safe and secure. There are several interesting features and advantages when you download music from this website. The music downloaded from this site can be played on all mp3 players, so you can be assured that your player is compatible with the downloaded music and that your music is not wasted. The site has a newest addition section, which updates its users about the latest in pop music or any kind of music. This new music section is one of the favorite among the teenagers and you can get all your favorite music in this section. So do not forget to check out this section often. This feature shows amount you need to pay for these music downloads, for your convenience. If you are worried about the terms of payment, then you should know that payment is easy with this website. You can pay through your credit card and your full privacy is assured in this regard.

Music lovers can also get them selves registered with Wermp3 and win some exciting advantages and gifts. They need to fill in some online details, which require very less time for the customer, and then they can become the member of the website. A member can make purchases from the appropriate section of the website. The website offers the facility of unlimited burning and copying. This is the ideal destination for all the music lovers, who can go through the services of the website and get entitled to some exciting benefits. So what are you still thinking about? You just need to sign in a simple form to become the member of this website and be entitled to the music of your choice. Just visit the website and keep downloading the best music.

We are sure that our music download site is the thing you necessitate! Whether you are searching for any song, or if you are hunting the freshest mp3 online downloads, you are at the most appropriate site! Of course, you are not a newbie and you know that today it is quite plain to download mp3 songs. It is always possible to obtain some new music by means of Internet. In our days a huge variety of sites provide Mp3 music online for everybody. But along with that, downloading mp3s from different portals is not the same. Mp3 websites are quite similar, they are not identical. The point of difference is not only the number of mp3 tracks which can be downloaded, though we can be really proud of our music archive.

Convenience of mp3 download site interface for the customer is also one of important factors. And, certainly, the quality of sound offered does matter! And along with that, there is one more factor by which various websites providing mp3 downloads differ among themselves. And this trait is the rank of their legitimacy. We are absolutely confident about our right to guarantee that what we do is entirely legal. Our music download site provides you with the best quality of mp3 online downloads, along with legally permitted downloading of every single track!

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You even can look for the mp3 song in order to download it in several ways: either by initiating the search by the name of a track, or by the name of a music group, or an artist, or by browsing it in our tremendous catalog. Searching for the certain song which you need to download is easy and convenient due to presence of several different types of catalogs on this awesome website. All the tracks can be sorted by alphabetical order, or by a definite category, i.e. lounge, rock, jazz, pop music etc.

Ok, that’s it! Now you can see that buying mp3 downloads on our site is a real bargain. Whatever style of music or whatever artist or group you prefer – the mp3 songs of top quality already at your disposal. All of these great tracks are waiting for your consideration, and our perfect collection is updated day by day. You are welcome at all times to discover it. Therefore, you don’t have to waste your time and money for regular music shops! Welcome to the new age of music listening. Find, buy and download all the mp3 songs which are the most suitable and desirable for you, and they will really make you feel fantastic! Whether you purchase and download full albums of you favorite music, or you obtain a single beloved song, you can be sure about the fact that you will get the highest possible quality of sound – and no problems with law. So take your time and use our utterly legal and authorized mp3 music download site and get an absolute satisfaction from your mp3 music!

By using special software you can now legally download just about every song that has ever been written. That’s a lot of music and should keep you happily busy for a good long while.

The Internet really has changed the music industry. At first the music industry powers that be misunderstood the Internet. They ignored it thinking that it was a geekish fad that would soon past. Let the nerds download a few songs from here and there. No matter. How many music loving nerds are out there anyway?

Apparently millions. After just a year or two, as the few nerdy downloads tuned into a flood, the music mogals decided they had better fight back. Thay actually brought lawsuits to bear upon poor average folks who enjoyed listening to music, especially free music they were collecting with peer to peer networks on the Internet. Good hard working folks like your uncle Bob and even Grandmother Beth were served with scary legal papers demanding that they cease all of that Internet music stuff and repent.

But folks love that Internet music. The more the music mogals sued and threw fits over revenue losses the more downloads took place. Millions and millions and zillions of them. Clearly the music bosses were on the wrong side of this issue.

Finally the lights begin to flicker on inside the captains of the music industry’s heads. Perhaps the lights would have come on sooner if they had been thinking clearly about how big a deal the Internet and computers were to become.

But one can’t be too hard on the good music executives. It’s hard for anyone to think too clearly during and after a three martini lunch. Let’s cut the guys some slack here. The gals too if any of them were big shot music execs at the time.

Probably there weren’t big shot lady music executives around as the gals would have realized much sooner that it would be much easier to make the thieving rascals who were stealing all of the good music stuff customers in a different Internet way rather than try to scare them into becoming deaf with frequent threats and letters from expensive lawyers.

But anyhow, the music industry folks finally did realize that the Internet was not going to be a fad after all and that never in the history of this world has there been a better way to distribute a product, especially a product that could be digitilized like music, and distributed worldwide over the Internet at so little cost.

Hey, there’s money to be made if the music goes through the proper Internet distibution channels. Their channels. Those shopping mall stores cost too much to operate anyway.

So what if it took the music industry guys until 2005 to fall into love with the Internet. Now they are in a firm loving embrace and are happy to have zillions of folks from all over the world paying them a little bit every time they download a song or two.

After all when you multiply any little old number times a zillion the total surely does add up fast.

There are still plently of folks who like to download free music but the paid sites are a lot more convienant to use and there is a lot less chance of sucking in some malware, syyware, or some really nasty computer virus during your download. The sound quality will be much better at most of the legal download sites as well, which is important to music lovers, so the pay for downloading model seems to be sound.

The future of music distribution, artists websites, movie distribution, software distribution, in fact anything that can be digitialized and downloaded to your compuer no matter where in the world you are located, looks to be bright.

People everywhere love their music and the Internet is just a dandy way to get it to them fast. And now we have Ipods. And MP3 devices, and more zillions of music loving people using them. The music industry mogals should easily be able to afford those fancy expensive lunches for a very long time.

And of course now they will tell you so. They knew that distributing music over the internet would be a big winner someday. In fact, to hear them tell it now they planned the whole thing.

by Clay Butler

 The recording industry is a very dynamic and ever-changing realm.  In today’s fast-paced culture, which is so focused on the “flavor of the week”, it is often difficult (if not impossible) to maintain a grasp on the fluctuations of the music market and the recording industry.  While styles, trends, equipment, and even techniques may vary drastically, there are certain principles that remain constant when producing a quality recording. 

Know Your Environment

When producing a quality recording, you must be aware of your environment at every stage of the process.  Do you understand the acoustics of the recording space?  Are you comfortable with the equipment?  Are you familiar with the style of music you are trying to record?  These are all important questions you must ask yourself before, and during, your project.  It is very easy to lose focus, especially during a high-pressure, fast-paced recording session.  These questions will not only help you decide how to approach your project, but they will also help keep you on task.  When producing your own music, deadlines may not be an issue.  However, when you are engineering or producing someone else’s music, the old familiar adage still holds true:  time is money.  This is especially true if you are renting studio time.

Understanding the acoustics of your recording space is critical to the quality of your recording.  A bad room can produce an ugly sound.  Conversely, even a good sounding, well treated room can yield unsavory results when combined with improper placement of microphones or the performer(s).  The key is in understanding basic acoustic principles in order to correct acoustic problems or to be able to work around the inadequacies of the room.  Then, you can maximize the overall quality of your tracks.  You can even use an ugly sounding room creatively to produce some interesting natural effects.

Being comfortable with your equipment is equally as important to any project.  Recording sessions are not the time to introduce yourself to new equipment.  If you know you can get a good sound while using as little gear as possible, by all means, do it!  Resist the urge of using that cool new piece of gear just because you have it, especially when you are not familiar with it yet.  If you are recording your own music with no time or budgetary constraints, only then do I advise experimenting with new gear.  However, on a paid session, save experimentation for those times when you really know the gear and you are looking for a unique or fitting sound.  Also (and I’m preaching to myself here too), read the manuals so you don’t get stuck in a rut of using only a small fraction of a piece of gear’s functionality.

Being familiar with the style of music you are trying to record almost goes without saying.  Even if you are not well-versed in the given style (which often happens when you record someone else’s music), at least take the time to listen to similar music throughout the project in order to keep yourself focused.  Especially if you would like your music to compete on a commercial level (i.e. if you want to make money from your music), you have to listen to your competition.  Take notes on particular tricks and sounds that you would like to incorporate in your own music.  In fact, almost all professional mixing engineers reference similar artists or songs during the mixing process.  This technique is even more advisable to those engineers who are just getting started.  Because it is so easy to get tunnel-vision when you are working on your own music, make yourself take a break and listen to those similar songs and artists.

Great Sound is All About the Front End

The old saying “garbage in, garbage out” is particularly true in audio recording.  When engineers refer to “Front End”, they are referring to the sound source (the actual sound you are trying to record), and everything that happens to the audio signal (the gear it passes through) before it gets to the recorder.  The key to getting a great recording, as imparted to me by Ronan Chris Murphy (whose credits include King Crimson, Steve Morse, and Terry Bozzio), is to “capture the best possible source, and don’t f— it up!”  Wise words.  Unfortunately, though, many engineers often say, “we’ll fix it in the mix.”  The problem with that approach is that the engineer will spend more time trying to make bad sounds sound better, rather than using that time for mixing.  Remember, the more time you spend getting the sound right before it goes to tape (or disk), the less time you spend tweaking that sound later.

Obtaining the best possible source is a culmination of many factors.  First of all, your instrument should be properly maintained and tuned (e.g. a guitar with good intonation and new strings, or a tuned drum kit with new heads).  New strings or drum heads have “brightness” in the upper transient frequency range that cannot be recreated.  If you record dead strings or drum heads, no amount of equalization will compensate.  You cannot boost frequencies that were not recorded to begin with.  Similarly, any equipment used should be functioning properly–no bad, crackly cables or noisy, humming guitar amps.

Microphone technique is another important factor, which we will discuss in more depth in the section entitled “The Tracking Engineer.”  Choosing the right microphone and finding what position sounds the best is crucial to capturing the best possible sound coming from your audio source.  If you are recording using multiple microphones, pay careful attention to any phase problems.  Much like those dead guitar strings, no amount of processing can fix an audio signal that is out of phase.

From an equipment standpoint, try to use the highest quality equipment you can afford on the front end.  Use a good quality microphone with good preamps.  If you are recording digital audio, try to get the best A/D (Analog-to-Digital) converters that you can afford.  Also, try to use the shortest signal path possible.  For example, the sound source goes to the microphone, then to the preamp, and finally to the recorder, with nothing (or very little) in between.  That is not to say that only expensive, top-of-the-line equipment will make your recording sound great–you can get good sounds with less expensive gear.  Just know that the cleaner your signal is, and the less equipment it passes through, the better your sound will be when it gets recorded.

Good Music Begins With a Good Song

Most people who are interested in recording are at least somewhat interested in recording his or her own music.  As a general rule, a good production begins with a good song.  I know that, due to politics in the music business, there is a lot of junk on the radio.  However, for those competing in the commercial music market (i.e. those who are trying to make a living from his or her music), the song is the most important element of the production.  A well-crafted song, both musically and lyrically, increases the chances of the song becoming a hit, not the swirling keyboard sound or the trippy effect on the vocal.  When you put loads of work into recording a poorly written song, you still result in a well-produced bad song, and people will notice.  As I tell my clients, “Sure, you can put a nice, shiny bow on a pile of dog poo.  It might make it prettier, but it’s still dog poo!”  All of the production and recording elements support the song, not vice versa.

That being said, it really behooves anyone who is interested in recording to learn basic music theory and songwriting techniques.  Consider taking some courses at a local college, purchasing some books, or even checking some out from your local library.  The more you know about music, the better equipped you are to record it.  Remember (and I can’t stress this enough), all of the production elements support the song, not vice versa!

Capture the Performance, Don’t Manufacture It

 This principle refers a great deal to the editing process.  With today’s technology, primarily the Digital Audio Workstation, it is becoming ever easier to construct songs.  Although this is a viable method of creating music (especially in electronic music), this approach has put so much emphasis on editing that some claim it makes music sound more sterile and robotic.  With technology such as Antares’ Auto Tune pitch correction software, synchronization software such as Vocalign, beat mapping, and the ability to easily slice, dice, and splice audio files, it is also entirely possible to produce music that is perfectly in time and in perfect tune.  Editing products such as these are wonderful tools which are widely used in professional music production, but it is tempting to go too far.  The feel of a live performance, which is really the human nuance of the players, is often what really gives a particular track its magic.  If the performance needs tightening, it is always best to rehearse the band or players a little more in order to get a more solid take.  Then, once the performance is tighter, correct any blatant problems with these handy editing tools.

As far as overdubs are concerned, the more players you can have playing as a band, the better.  Obviously, getting everyone together may not be feasible due to schedules, budget concerns, or even available space.  However, a good, well-rehearsed band playing together will almost invariably produce a better track than individuals laying down tracks at different times.  The players feed off of each other and play with a kind of energy that is often hard to coax out of players in overdub sessions.   Most rock and country records, primarily in Nashville, almost always record the basic tracks together as a band.

http://www.claybutlermusic.com

© 2008 Butler Productions.  All Rights Reserved

Music affects us all. But only in recent times have scientists sought to explain and quantify the way music impacts us at an emotional level. Researching the links between melody and the mind indicates that listening to and playing music actually can alter how our brains, and therefore our bodies, function.

It seems that the healing power of music, over body and spirit, is only just starting to be understood, even though music therapy is not new. For many years therapists have been advocating the use of music in both listening and study for the reduction of anxiety and stress, the relief of pain. And music has also been recommended as an aid for positive change in mood and emotional states.

Michael DeBakey, who in 1966 became the first surgeon to successfully implant an artificial heart, is on record saying: “Creating and performing music promotes self-expression and provides self-gratification while giving pleasure to others. In medicine, increasing published reports demonstrate that music has a healing effect on patients.”

Doctors now believe using music therapy in hospitals and nursing homes not only makes people feel better, but also makes them heal faster. And across the nation, medical experts are beginning to apply the new revelations about music’s impact on the brain to treating patients.

In one study, researcher Michael Thaut and his team detailed how victims of stroke, cerebral palsy and Parkinson’s disease who worked to music took bigger, more balanced strides than those whose therapy had no accompaniment.

Other researchers have found the sound of drums may influence how bodies work. Quoted in a 2001 article in USA Today, Suzanne Hasner, chairwoman of the music therapy department at Berklee College of Music in Boston, says even those with dementia or head injuries retain musical ability.

The article reported results of an experiment in which researchers from the Mind-Body Wellness Center in Meadville, Pa., tracked 111 cancer patients who played drums for 30 minutes a day. They found strengthened immune systems and increased levels of cancer-fighting cells in many of the patients.

“Deep in our long-term memory is this rehearsed music,” Hasner says. “It is processed in the emotional part of the brain, the amygdala. Here is where you remember the music played at your wedding, the music of your first love, that first dance. Such things can still be remembered even in people with progressive diseases. It can be a window, a way to reach them.”

The American Music Therapy Organization claims music therapy may allow for “emotional intimacy with families and caregivers, relaxation for the entire family, and meaningful time spent together in a positive, creative way”.

Scientists have been making progress in its exploration into why music should have this effect. In 2001 Dr. Anne Blood and Robert Zatorre of McGill University in Montreal, used positron emission tomography, or PET scans, to find out if particular brain structures were stimulated by music.

In their study, Blood and Zatorre asked 10 musicians, five men and five women, to choose stirring music. The subjects were then given PET scans as they listened to four types of audio stimuli – the selected music, other music, general noise or silence. Each sequence was repeated three times in random order.

Blood said when the subjects heard the music that gave them “chills,” the PET scans detected activity in the portions of the brain that are also stimulated by food and sex.

Just why humans developed such a biologically based appreciation of music is still not clear. The appreciation of food and the drive for sex evolved to help the survival of the species, but “music did not develop strictly for survival purposes,” Blood told Associated Press at the time.

She also believes that because music activates the parts of the brain that make us happy, this suggests it can benefit our physical and mental well being.

This is good news for patients undergoing surgical operations who experience anxiety in anticipation of those procedures.

Polish researcher, Zbigniew Kucharski, at the Medical Academy of Warsaw, studied the effect of acoustic therapy for fear management in dental patients. During the period from October 2001 to May 2002, 38 dental patients aged between 16 and 60 years were observed. The patients received variations of acoustic therapy, a practice where music is received via headphones and also vibrators.

Dr Kucharski discovered the negative feelings decreased five-fold for patients who received 30 minutes of acoustic therapy both before and after their dental procedure. For the group that heard and felt music only prior to the operation, the fearful feelings reduced by a factor of 1.6 only.

For the last group (the control), which received acoustic therapy only during the operation, there was no change in the degree of fear felt.

A 1992 study identified music listening and relaxation instruction as an effective way to reduce pain and anxiety in women undergoing painful gynecological procedures. And other studies have proved music can reduce other ‘negative’ human emotions like fear, distress and depression.

Sheri Robb and a team of researchers published a report in the Journal of Music Therapy in 1992, outlining their findings that music assisted relaxation procedures (music listening, deep breathing and other exercises) effectively reduced anxiety in pediatric surgical patients on a burn unit.

“Music,” says Esther Mok in the AORN Journal in February 2003, “is an easily administered, non-threatening, non-invasive, and inexpensive tool to calm preoperative anxiety.”

So far, according to the same report, researchers cannot be certain why music has a calming affect on many medical patients. One school of thought believes music may reduce stress because it can help patients to relax and also lower blood pressure. Another researcher claims music allows the body’s vibrations to synchronize with the rhythms of those around it. For instance, if an anxious patient with a racing heartbeat listens to slow music, his heart rate will slow down and synchronize with the music’s rhythm.

Such results are still something of a mystery. The incredible ability that music has to affect and manipulate emotions and the brain is undeniable, and yet still largely inexplicable.

Aside from brain activity, the affect of music on hormone levels in the human body can also be quantified, and there is definite evidence that music can lower levels of cortisol in the body (associated with arousal and stress), and raise levels of melatonin (which can induce sleep). It can also precipitate the release of endorphins, the body’s natural painkiller.

But how does music succeed in prompting emotions within us? And why are these emotions often so powerful? The simple answer is that no one knows yet. So far we can quantify some of the emotional responses caused by music, but we cannot yet explain them. But that’s OK. I don’t have to understand electricity to benefit from light when I switch on a lamp when I come into a room, and I don’t have to understand why music can make me feel better emotionally. It just does – our Creator made us that way.

Music can be employed as assistance in obtaining physical, emotional and spiritual health. During the first half of the nineties, I investigated the therapeutic consequences of distinct types of music on patients under adequate anaesthesia. This investigation was done in Johannesburg at the Garden City Clinic, over a period of four years (1991-1995), with statistics done at the Witwatersrand university, by dr. Jackie Galpin.

Data available on investigations done to test the therapeutic benefits of music, would fill a library of its own. That was not what was done. The effect of music with a known therapeutic value, was investigated on patients under adequate anaesthesia – testing for reduction in pain levels and a shorter recovery period. It is an accepted dictum in psychology that people in a deep sleep, coma or under anaesthesia can hear (not remember). That the auditory pathways up to the auditory cortex actually remain open and untouched by anaesthesia. That you can talk to people in a coma or undergoing surgery, and that the body would respond to whatever was said. In many hospitals, positive suggestions are given to patients in a coma and on the operating table. The capital aim of the project was to test music to serve as a credible alternative for the positive verbal suggestions.

Music has powerful effects on people, whether they are educated in music or not. Wertheim (1961) states that “muscle perception and performance is an inborn capacity of the human brain. This ability is common among human beings and is independent of education or culture…..” This makes the application of music as a therapy, or music as an aid to any other therapy, very simple.

Science, Medicine and Anthropology have completed many years of investigation on the effect of music on the physical body. As early as 1830, articles were published by J. Dogiel, which outlined experiments done to affirm music’s dynamic effect on the body. Absolute physiological reactions were established, and amongst other things, it was proved that music act on the circulation of blood, and can cause blood pressure to rise and fall. According to this, these alternations of pressure rely mainly on the influence which auditory stimulation has on the medulla oblongata and the auditory nerve.

During the first half of the previous century, many investigators throughout Europe agreed that music increases metabolism in a very adequate way, and that it changes muscular energy and enhances respiration.

The positive effects of music on physical and psychological health are truly widespread. In an article on music as cause of disease and healing agent, Assagioli (1965) states that “through its influence upon the subconscious, music can have a still more definite and specific healing effect of a psychoanalytic character. If of an appropriate kind, it can help in eliminating repression and resistance and bring into the field of waking consciousness many drives, emotions and complexes which were creating difficulties in the subconscious”.

It is known that certain kinds of music have the ability to reduce pain, whether it is physical or emotional. Scarantino (1987) states that “Pythagoras of Samos taught his students that certain musical sequences, chords and melodies produced definite responses in the human organism, and could change behaviour patterns that accelerated healing processes”

In a further discussion Scarantino states “In the 1970′s, Bulgarian researchers, under the direction of Dr. Georgi Lazanov, discovered a holistic approach to learning, that allows the body and mind to work in harmony through the linking of music and verbal suggestions…. While listening to largo movements from works of Baroque era composers, with tempos slower than the average heartbeat (sixty beats per minute or slower), the vital signs of test subjects slows down in rhythm with the music, relaxing them physically but leaving their minds alert for the assimilation of information. When the various educational data was presented to the students while the music played in the background, the students experienced significant increases in awareness and retention of information and a whole repertoire of health benefits, including relief from pain and headaches…..”

Relief of physical pain and stress was also observed during the investigation at the Garden City Clinic, Johannesburg. A double blind experiment was performed to investigate the effect of four different genres of music on the pain, discomfort and recovery levels of patients undergoing total abdominal hysterectomies and laparotomies, and it was found that patients who received music had lower pain- and stress levels, specifically with the use of Mozart’s piano concertos.

Baroque Music (1600-1750) – Music of this period is characterized by neatness and precision. Composers were highly influenced by the strict rules of Pythagorean principles and harmony. Their philosophy was that music is the bridge that links all things in the universe.
Well known composers from this era are: Bach, Händel, Vivaldi, Teleman and Corelli.

Classical Music (1750-1825) – During the 18th century a movement called “The Age of Reason” began amongst philosophers such as Voltaire, Locke and Jefferson, who believed that the world could be controlled through reason and science. During this period it was believed that there had to be a reason for everything, and an all-over simplicity was sought that was not known in earlier centuries. The Classical period in music tends to be associated with this movement, and composers perfected the forms of classical music such as the sonata, symphony and concerto. Music from this period tends to be “easier listening” for the musically unsophisticated.
Well known composers from this era are: Mozart and Haydn.

Romantic Music (1825-1900) – Composers from this era wanted to overwhelm their listeners and wanted to “melt their hearts”. The main focus was on the melody and the romantic themes tended to be lyrical.
Well known composers from this era are: Beethoven, Mendelssohn and Tchaikovsky.

COMBINING MUSIC AND DEEP BREATHING

Relax by breathing deeply while you sit in an upright position with closed eyes. Listen to the music of any of the above-mentioned composers, especially the slow movements of concertos from the Baroque, Classical and Romantic eras. Remain in this meditative-position for as long as desired.

The combination of breath- and music therapy provides a powerful tool in establishing the physical and emotional health of the individual.

There are sites galore teaching everything about music from chords to trombone lessons to drum lessons to music theory lessons to guitar lessons to piano lessons, and a whole lot more. Many are free while others charge a very reasonable tuition. But think what a bargain that is; no travel, no traffic jams; no rescheduling lessons; no missed lessons; and because the lessons are online (or in some cases on CD’s and DVD’s) they can be replayed over and over until the lesson is thoroughly learned, which is not the case in a personal lesson or a college classroom. You have one chance to understand, and if you don’t, you’re immediately behind the curve and have to do extra studies to catch up. Not so with online music lessons.

Back just 15 years ago if an individual wanted to learn music, about the only places he or she could do so would be from a private teacher, a music school of some sort — private or public or correspondence, or self-taught from a music book. All of which is fine, but slow if an individual is really chomping at the bit to learn, and learn fast.

But today there are literally hundreds of sites on the internet from which any ambitious person can access and learn virtually anything they want about music. There are sites dealing with music instruction for beginners as well as college-level sites that deal with figured bass and advanced music theory and composition issues, as well as improvisation and arranging music.

For example, there are piano lesson sites that teach how to improvise — all styles of improvisation including jazz, rock, gospel, new age music and more. There are piano instruction sites that shows you how to play piano sheet music as a map, instead of having to sight read the printed music as it is written. By learning how to do this, you can create your own free piano sheet music by creating a song and then notating it in a music software program such as Finale using piano tabs, piano chords, and chord symbols. A person can learn to play piano notes by the fist-full by learning piano chording music styles.

Learning to play the piano, learning to read piano music, learning piano songs from classical music to popular music is one of the most fun things a person can do. There are piano lessons online using major chords, minor chords, 7th chords, and all kinds of chord progressions. Learning to play the piano music of your dreams using piano chords & piano chording techniques is now within the reach of anyone with an internet connection! And don’t forget harmony and music theory — including scales and fingering of scale and chord passages in musical scores and sheet music — it’s all available online. Music history and music appreciation is important too — guys like Bach & Mozart & Beethoven & Chopin knew what they were doing — and we can learn much from them and stand on their shoulders simply by accessing the biggest library in the history of mankind — the cyber library of the internet.

Here are just a few of the phrases you can search online that will lead you to sites where you can learn music online (I have used piano and guitar as an example, but obviously you can search for anything from singing lessons to drum lessons to harp playing and everything in between):

* piano lessons

* music lessons

* guitar lessons

* guitar chords

* piano chords

* how to form chords

* chord piano

* play guitar

* play piano

* learn guitar

* learn piano

* guitar playing

* piano playing

* learn music online

You will find that if you type “music lessons online” into the Google search box, you will come up with something like eight million results! “Piano lessons” will call up about a million and a half, while “guitar lessons online” will bring up over two million search results.

With this abundance of material online, there is no excuse for anyone who really wants to learn music to not avail themselves of the opportunity, especially when they realize that this is the first time in the history of the world that this riches of knowledge has been available with just the click of a mouse.