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Music Psychology E-Journal Copyright 2020 MPC Angeles City, Philippines 2009 PDF
Music Psychology E-Journal Copyright 2020 MPC Angeles City, Philippines 2009 PDF
Preface
Dedication
Prof. JPelayo would like to dedicate this collation to his children, Jose Juancho S.
Pelayo and Mikaela Sasha L. Pelayo.
Acknowledgements
Prof. JPelayo would like to acknowledge the efforts of his research assistants
namely Aliza A. Garrido, Karm Jeet Dela Torre and Larrey Y. Ordonez.
Page|2
Table of Contents
Table of Contents 2
Green Music 34
Acoustic Storytelling 37
The four ‗M‘ theory for treating depression (Part 1/4) 145
The Four ‗M‘ Theory for Treating Depression (Part 2/4) 146
The Four ‗M‘ Theory for Treating Depression (Part 3/4) 148
The Four ‗M‘ Theory for Treating Depression (Part 4/4) 149
Music has been used for numerous purposes hitherto and the
beginnings of this practice are still vague and uncertain.
Another study from Bradt & Dileo (2009) discovered that music can
help in treatment with coronary heart disease by decreasing anxiety and stress.
Over 1,000 patients with heart disease were exposed to music resulting to decrease
in heart rate and blood pressure.
Music has also been a catalyst for emotions just by mere listening, all
of us experience that in our daily lives but there is a study Logeswaran et al. (2009)
that is quite interesting. The study found that participants who were exposed to
happy music perceived neutral faces happier and when exposed to sad music,
changed their perception of a neutral face to a sad face. The study suggested that it
would only take as little as a 15 second exposure to music for its influence on your
perception to take effect. On the other hand, there is a cathartic effect on sad music
as according to a study by Kawakami et al. (2013), whose results discovered that
because of the blend and combination of emotions, surprisingly sad music now
inspires and is enjoyable. Obviously there are positive and negative emotions in sad
music but it seems that the combination of these emotions and melody and rhythm
makes it more complex in nature and may have different effects to individuals.
Sanchez, the first recognized music therapist in the Philippines has been advocating
music therapy for decades. Her work and achievements with music therapy are
widely recognized and appreciated here and in other countries as well. We made a
study on Music Therapy with autistic children and results were astonishing, but that
is another story.
The music celebration will include best male dancers showdown, best
female dancers showdown and the Dance Competition proper. It is open to all
organizations in UP Clark who would like to express their opinions and ideologies in a
dance routine.
Music celebrations are often used to express ideas, unite people for a
cause, celebrate a victory or occasion and thus making these significant events or
opinions more meaningful and colorful. This is the aim of the organizers in order to
cultivate camaraderie among the students and build a productive manifestation of
their opinions about current issues in our country.
Organizers are from the UP Tau Gamma Phi/ Tau Gamma Sigma: Janina
Coronel, Nina Macalino, Carmel Gerong, Kathleen Gonzales, Janine Catanghal, Jan
Antonette Magpayo, Angeli Macapagal, Mico Guadalupe, Johnsi Roque, Rodde
Robles, Cristoffer Iverson Nunag and Matthew Fernandez.
There are examples of music that may have lyrics or words that promote
violence. This type of music is the subject of parental criticism, so adolescents may be
prohibited from being exposed to it. In some studies, listening to this type of music may
be an outlet that allows adolescents to release and express their anger or frustration
with no physical violence involved. The measurement to whether the music is a good
or bad influence mainly depends on how adolescents are affected in ideology or
behavior.
Adolescents who become more violent or plan violent acts should not
listen to this type of music.
Forms of music like metal, punk, rock and rap, are associated more with
antisocial behavior. Other genres that are associated with less involvement in violence
and crime are classical, jazz, folk music, pop and country.
Choosing music rather than movies or books may make you more
depressed. A study by University of Pittsburg researchers discovered that adolescents
who listen to music more may have higher levels of depression. Adolescents who are
exposed to depressing music five to six hours a day may be at risk of depression.
Many adolescents are involved in not just listening to music but also
playing music. Being in a band or a group can result to positive benefits with music
Page|9
Many studies have claimed that our music genre (which we always listen
to) will determine certain aspects in your personality. Like for example if your
preferred genre is jazz, you will have similar ideologies and behavior with people who
listen to the same type of music. This claim is very interesting since it shows
emphasis on the influence music genre to our personality.
The study involved over 35,000 volunteers from around the world to rate
over 100 musical styles. Classical music fans have high self-esteem, are creative,
introvert and at ease. Blues fans have high self-esteem, are creative, outgoing,
gentle and at ease. Jazz fans have high self-esteem, are creative, outgoing and at
ease. Rap fans have high self-esteem and are outgoing. Opera fans have high self-
esteem, are creative and gentle. Country and western fans are hardworking and
outgoing. Reggae fans have high self-esteem, are creative, not hardworking,
outgoing, gentle and at ease. Indie fans have low self-esteem, are creative, not hard
working, and not gentle.
Rock/heavy metal fans have low self-esteem, are creative, not hard-
working, not outgoing, gentle, and at ease. Chart pop fans have high self-esteem, are
P a g e | 10
hardworking, outgoing and gentle, but are not creative and not at ease. Soul fans
have high self-esteem, are creative, outgoing, gentle, and at ease.
According to Chey, there was a time when she had no live music for
more than a week and customers were not as much as when they had live music.
She estimated a 30% increase of customers when there was live music compared to
no music in their restaurant. ―Customers would tend to stay for a little more when
there is live music after eating,‖ Chey says.
Acoustic music is what they prefer in the restaurant because the owner
would want people to relax, be able to talk to friends, and personally is not in favor of
loud music. She wants the ambience to be soothing while customers are eating, thus,
acoustic music is the preferred genre for the place.
Interesting insights from Chey were also discussed about the effect of
music to her. She is a singer and music somehow creates a positive perspective in
her life. She claims that music puts her in a good mood all the time and it is sort of a
refuge from stress and frustrations.
Her music genres are varied, like jazz, pop, acoustic and also 70s and
80s music. Music makes her feel young and claims that musicians look younger than
they really are. Memories come back when a certain type of music is heard, it helps
in reminiscing the good times. According to her, music soothes her soul, lifts her spirit
and helps her enjoy life.
Steak Street has good music and good food, so if you want to relax and
P a g e | 11
dine at the same time, you should visit the restaurant and experience acoustic music
while enjoying a delicious meal.
The Jazz Grill, located at the del Rosario Compound, Balibago, Angeles
City owned by Conrado ―Titus‖ del Rosario, offers a unique music experience
every Thursday. The musicians are all instrumentalists and promote improvisation
based mainstream jazz.
―We would like to give people an alternative musical experience and not
just the usual contemporary music that you hear everywhere else all the time – that
is why I chose jazz music,‖ says Titus.
It started last year and from then on created a following of jazz fans.
According to Titus, ever since they tarted the project, the crowd adjusted to jazz
music unlike other music establishments who play music that their customers want.
―The music we play is not the typical lounge jazz. The instrumentalists
are emphasized and we have no permanent vocalist. I am very impressed with other
bands who can play and sing a wide range of songs, but as I have said I want to
introduce something different in the music culture here in Angeles City. This is just
one project and I am planning on other projects in the future.‖
made bamboo instruments. The music it plays is inspired by Nature, Asian Music
and the European Avant Garde. So we play a lot of texture type music which is
something more advanced and beyond Jazz‖. He also would want to set up a
classical music scene in Angeles City, hopefully in the near future.
But for now, the Jazz Grill is one of the places wherein you could unwind,
enjoy jazz music and open your mind to new possibilities. Jazz up your Thursday
nights.
January 2, 2017
famous artists would use in their concerts. Our products ensure reliability and quality
of sound,‖ says John.
Music will always exist in the nightlife and in entertainment – the quality
of music will always depend on the talent and musical knowledge of the musicians
and performers plus the quality of professional audio equipment – Behind the Music
– with MusicBox II.
Post navigation
This study determined the insights and opinions of individuals with no formal
musical training and how it may affect their mood, emotions, feelings, imagination,
attitude, perception in life and personality. The researcher conducted this study in
order to discover if this type of music could be a basis for meditation, relaxation, used
for studying, reviewing, contemplation or other purposes.
The study used Poemusic, an album by Korean pianist Yiruma. There were
26 participants in the study. Based on the results of the study, 84% will recommend
instrumental piano music to others, specially their loved ones as cited in our
discussion after answering the questionnaire. During the discussion, 3 males and 1
female even cited that it was their first time to listen to this type of music but will still
recommend it to their friends and family. The researcher may infer that this type of
music could be accepted by even first time listeners and also to adolescents since
the average of the respondents of the study is 15.8 years old.
The respondents were also asked to write a short story while listening to this
music. The stories were also very interesting as they have different views about the
music they were hearing. During the discussion, some have cited that the music
triggered their imagination compared to just writing a short story without listening to
music.
Respondents claimed that the music was pleasant, relaxing, nice to hear,
amazing, beautiful, peaceful, calming, soothing, sad and lonely. It made them reflect,
P a g e | 14
unwind stress, reminiscing memories, relieve emotional pain, mood became good,
changes the mood, refreshing, opens and clears the mind.
Others said it pushed them to have a deeper relationship with God, helped
them think of solutions to their problems, realized the bad and good things they have
done, made them cry and regret things they failed to do. One said, ―I can feel it in
my heart, It makes me feel that in any problem there is a solution, life must go on and
we must be strong.‖ The music made them feel better, just like floating on air.
One said the music made her close her eyes and smile and feel the emotion.
They also cited that this will be effective after a long stressful day during relaxation
and would want to listen to it on their free time, when they are alone, listen to this
when broken hearted. ―I feel I‘m in a different place where nobody can see, know or
feel.‖ Most of them agreed that piano music can heal the pain in your heart, helps my
personality and may make you feel better.
In line with the results of the study, we may infer that piano insrtumental
music has a positive effect on their mood, emotions, feelings, imagination, attitude,
perception in life and personality. This may serve as a reference to future research
studies and experimental or alternative methods of establishing a conducive postive
environment.
SOURCE:
Pelayo, Jose Maria G. III, 2013. Insights and Opinions of Students on Instrumental
Music
strumming.
The modern guitar was based by the gittern, the vihuela, the four-course
Renaissance guitar, and the five-course baroque guitar, all of which attributed to the
construction of the modern six-string instrument.
The main types of modern acoustic guitar are the classical guitar (nylon
string guitar), the steel-string acoustic guitar, and the archtop guitar. Vibration is the
root of the tone of the guitar strings, which is amplified by the body of the guitar that
serves as a resonating tool to produce the sound of every string. The classical guitar
is often played as a solo instrument using a comprehensive fingerpicking technique.
For the experiment, an attractive man approached 300 women and after
complimenting them, asked for their phone numbers. He did this in three different
P a g e | 16
scenarios: holding a guitar case, toting a sports bag, or not carrying anything at all.
Over a third of the women gave their digits when the guy was carrying the guitar case,
14 percent responded positively when he was empty handed, and only 9 percent
shared their number when a gym bag was in sight. Women associate musical talent
with a genetic advantage and intellectual ability. Plus, there‘s the coolness and fun
factor. ―Music induces a positive effect, and this positive effect primes receptivity to a
courtship request -‖says Nicolas Guéguen, study author and researcher at the
University of South Brittany in France
3. The guitar (as stated on the Literature Review) had a very big impact
on the opposite sex
August 4, 2017
methods to interpret and understand musical sounds, musical behaviors, and the
effects of music. The subject is strongly inter-disciplinary, and generally combines
empirical data collection, through observation, experiments, surveys or otherwise,
with theoretical innovation. The scope of research ranges from fundamental
questions related to music perception and cognition to applications of music
psychology in everyday life. The breadth of research is reflected in the discovery of
new concepts and ideas in cognitive enhancement with the use of music as a
medium.
The paper concludes with an analysis of what drives listeners and the
Arnett (1991a; 1991b; 1992) heavy metal studies, which show that music is the way
adolescents deal with emotional upheaval and how music can be used as a means of
achieving catharsis.
So the next time you have a bad day and curl up in bed with the soft
sounds of Mozart or the energetic sounds of Metallica, think to yourself, why am I
listening to this music? When I‘m done listening to it, will I feel better? Or worse?
Combining elements of Funk, R&B, Rock, Pop, and yes, Jazz – Smooth
Jazz – was wildly popular as a commercial subgenre of jazz. Smooth jazz artists also
could be found in adult contemporary radio and is called smooth because of its
downtempo melody that carries the song.
First emerging in the 1960s, smooth jazz works well as background music
and wasn‘t necessarily as complex or innovative as traditional jazz music.
Nevertheless, top jazz artists rose to prominence in the late 1980s before peaking in
the 1990s and early 2000s. Though smooth, contemporary jazz isn‘t as big as it once
was – its impact can‘t be disputed and many famous jazz artists are considered to be
some of the best musicians of modern time.
Jazz music was very much a continuation of blues music, except that it
P a g e | 20
took advantage of the instruments of the marching band. The jazz musician was
basically ―singing‖ just like the blues singers even though he was playing an
instrument instead of using his vocals. The kind of dynamics and of improvisation
was identical. The call-and-response structure was replicated in the dialogue
between solo instrument and ensemble. Compared with European music, that for
centuries had ―trained‖ the voice to sound as perfect as the instruments – jazz
music moved in the opposite direction when it trained the instruments to sound as
emotional as the human voice of the blues.
Jazz eventually spread to every corner of the world. In fact, jazz was one
of the first musical genres to owe its diffusion to a whole new world of communication
of information. The birth of jazz music parallels a revolution in music ―media‖.
The dichotomy between jazz music and Euro-centric music is rather blurred.
Jazz musicians began to compose their own material because improvising on other
people‘s material was neither fun nor as rewarding as improvising on one‘s own material.
Even in its most extreme ―free‖ genre, one can find a kind of jazz ―composition‖: the
set of rules on how to create the sound desired by the ―composer‖.
The focus on the performer in jazz was real – but perhaps it simply
masquerade the rise of a different kind of composer.
This was a qualitative research study that determined the influence of rock
music on adolescents by gathering empirical data and thematic coding analysis. The
participants are all college students with a total of 30 respondents. Twelve (12) males
and eighteen (18) females were involved in this study. Average age of males is 18.75
and females 20.73.
Rock music is very popular especially with the youth. The researchers
have identified salient themes and common ideologies of adolescents about rock
music. All of them listen to rock music and somehow use this genre of music to
stimulate or release their anxiety as stated in the results.
The researchers may infer that music has effects on the individuals‘
personality, actions, decisions, and even cognitive enhancement. This study focused
on the influence of rock music on their lives.Many studies have been done about rock
music but insufficient data has been concluded on the effects of rock music. The
researchers acknowledge the fact that this study is purely descriptive and does not
assess, evaluate or correlate the data gathered.
Music is something that every person has his or her own preference.
Different people have different tastes, and various types of music have many ways of
leaving an impact on someone. It can be relaxing, disturbing, soothing, energizing,
and many more.
Among the respondents who all listen to rock music, majority of both
males and females (66.67%) are willing to expose their children to rock music at an
early age. This statement is true for both males and females despite the differences
in ages and reasons for listening to rock music. In terms of age, the average age for
males is 18.75 and females 20.73. The findings show that females are older; yet,
willing to expose their future children to rock music.
The researchers determined that even though males (28%) felt more
energized than females (10%), both male and females were willing to expose their
future sons and daughters to rock music at an early age.
examined the musical processes of a three-member rock band, their roles within the
group, and considered how they constructed musical meaning. The most salient
findings that emerged from this study lie at the intersection of musical growth,
musical enculturation, and musical meaning. Collaborative composing was facilitated
by shared musical tastes and grounded in friendship and commitment to music
making. Engagement and investment in the music prompted meaningful musical
experiences for group members. Ownership, agency, relevance, and personal
expression fuse at the core of the value they place on this musical and social
experience. Implications for the instrumental music classroom are also shared.
A lecture was conducted last Sept 25, 2017 about Traditional Music and
Modern Composition in Asia and then join in Round-table discussion about ―Defining
the ―Asian style‖ in new music‖, ―Traditional performers as composers‖ and ―The
question of appropriation‖ Speakers: Sam Ang Sam (Cambodia) Conrado del Rosario
(Philippines) Anant Narkkong (Thailand) at the UP College of Music-Diliman in the first
day of the Maceda Centennial International Symposium. Then ConradoTitus Del Rosario
conducted our Angeles based SUNLAG Ensemble in a performance at the Philippine
International Convention Center PICC last September 26, 2017 at 10 am
P a g e | 23
Source:http://historylists.org/people/top-10-most-famous-classical-musiccomposers.html
November 5, 2017
Semisonic frontman Dan Wilson predicted the second life of the band‘s
only big hit; in 2010, Wilson told The Hollywood Reporter, ―I really thought that that
was the greatest destiny for ‗Closing Time,‘ that it would be used by all the
bartenders.‖ But when Wilson penned lyrics like ―Time for you to go out to the
places you will be from,‖ the song‘s focus was more an emphasis on the miracle of
childbirth than an ode to kicking late-night barflies to the curb.
When Rolling Stone named the former Beatle‘s ubiquitous hit the third
greatest song of all time, Lennon‘s hallmark lyrics were described as ―22 lines of
graceful, plain-spoken faith in the power of a world, united in purpose, to repair and
change itself.‖ But the feel-good sentiments behind the song Jimmy Carter once said
was ―used almost equally with national anthems‖ have some serious Communist
underpinnings.
Lennon called the song ―virtually the Communist manifesto,‖ and once the
song became a hit, went on record saying, ―Because it‘s sugarcoated it‘s accepted.
Now I understand what you have to do—put your message across with a little honey.‖
The only thing that might be more oblique than the lyrics to what Smith
told Blender is ―the best pop song The Cure have ever done‖ is Smith‘s explanation
for the love song‘s cryptically esoteric poetry. In the same 2003 interview with
Blender, Smith said ―Just Like Heaven,‖ inspired by a trip with his girlfriend to
Beachy Head in southern England, was ―about hyperventilating—kissing and falling
to the floor.‖
Smith‘s dissection of the song‘s opening lines (―Show me, show me,
show me how you do that trick‖) is less obvious. According to the singer, the line is
equal parts a reference to his affinity for performing magic tricks in his youth and
―about a seduction trick, from much later in my life.‖
Born in the winter of 1959, Bryan Adams would‘ve only been 10 during the
eponymous summer of one of his best-known hits, released in 1985. But ―Summer
of ‘69‖ isn‘t so much Adams waxing nostalgic over the dog days of 1969 as much as
it is a reference to the sexual position of the same name. In 2008, Adams told CBS
News that ―a lot of people think it‘s about the year, but actually it‘s more about
making love in the summertime. It‘s using ‘69 as a sexual reference.‖
Parts of the song are still steeped in hints of truth, though: Adams has gone
on record saying that he picked up his second-ever electric guitar at a pawn shop, and
that his fingers indeed bled while he was ―totally submersed in practicing.‖
P a g e | 25
Other facts are indisputably wrong; Adams‘ first band, Shock, formed when the singer
was 16, and ―Summer of ‘69‖ co-writer Jim Vallance stands by the song as a wistful
trip in the wayback machine.
When the Georgia natives unleashed their first Top-10 single in concert,
R.E.M. guitar-slinger Peter Buck felt baffled by audiences‘ romantic reactions. Said Buck:
―I‘d look into the audience and there would be couples kissing.Yet the verse is …
savagely anti-love … People told me that was ‗their song.‘ That was your song?‖
Between at least 60,000 and 30,000 years ago, ancient humans experienced
a type of ‗cultural explosion‘ – they started creating art in the form of paintings on cave
walls, jewelry and ornaments, and to bury their dead ceremonially. If we assume that
these new forms of behavior reflect the emergence of intentionality, then music as we
know it must also have emerged at least during this period.
In 2008, another discovery was made – a bone flute in the HohleFels cave
near Ulm in Germany dating back 43,000 years. The five-holed flute has a V-shaped
mouthpiece and is made from a vulture wing bone. It was one of several similar
instruments found in the area, with others dating back to 35,000 years ago and made
from mammoth ivory. The mammoth-ivory flutes would have been especially
challenging to make. Using only stone tools, the flute maker would have had to split a
section of curved ivory along its natural grain. The two halves would then have been
hollowed out, carved, and fitted together with an airtight seal.
The cave in southern Germany contains early evidence for the occupation
of Europe by Homo sapiens and on announcing the discovery, scientists suggested
that the ―finds demonstrate the presence of a well-established musical tradition at
the time when modern humans colonized Europe‖. They suggested that music may
have helped to maintain bonds between larger groups of humans, and that this may
have helped the species to expand both in numbers and in geographical range.
Those who have rejected the finding of the Divje Babe flute have claimed
that music played a role in the maintenance of larger social networks which may have
given modern humans the edge over the Neanderthals. However, looking at the
images of the Divje Babe flute, which dates back to the time of the Neanderthals, it
seems quite ridiculous to assume that it was made by the tooth holes of carnivores.
For most people, music is an important part of daily life. Some rely on
music to get them through the morning commute, while others turn up a favorite
playlist to stay pumped during a workout. Many folks even have the stereo on when
they‘re cooking a meal, taking a shower, or folding the laundry.
P a g e | 27
Music is often linked to mood. A certain song can make us feel happy,
sad, energetic, or relaxed. Because music can have such an impact on a person‘s
mindset and well-being, it should come as no surprise that music therapy has been
studied for use in managing numerous medical conditions. All forms of music may
have therapeutic effects, although music from one‘s own culture may be most
effective. In Chinese medical theory, the five internal organ and meridian systems are
believed to have corresponding musical tones, which are used to encourage healing.
Dalcroze Eurhythmics
Also known as the Dalcroze Method, this is a method used to teach music
to students and can be used as a form of therapy.
Kodaly
It has been observed that this method helps to improve intonation, rhythm
and music literacy and has also had a positive impact on perceptual function, concept
formation, motor skills and learning performance in a therapeutic setting.
It uses the difference between the brain with and without music and
manipulates this to instigate changes in the brain to affect the patient, even outside
the realm of music.
Specialists of this type of musical therapy claim that the brains changes
and develops as a direct consequence of engaging with music. This can be beneficial
to train motor responses, like tapping a foot to music, and to develop related motor
skills.
Nordoff-Robbins
Paul Nordoff and Clive Robbins partnered together for nearly two decades
to investigate the place of music in therapy, with a particular interest for disabled
P a g e | 29
children.
Orff-Schulwerk
December 4, 2017
influenced by positive mood but the mechanism underlying this impact remains
unclear. Based on the observation that schizophrenic patients, who suffer from an
overdose of the neurotransmitter dopamine, sometimes exhibit extraordinary creative
performances, some researchers have assumed a strong link between creativity and
dopamine. Indeed, positive-going mood is accompanied by phasic changes in the
production and availability of dopamine in the mesolimbic and nigrostriatal systems of
the brain, which again is likely to facilitate cognitive search operations and related
processes underlying creative behavior. If so, factors or techniques that are likely to
modulate dopamine production or transmission could be suspected to have an
impact on cognitive operations underlying creativity.
How exactly the brain produces the perception of these beats is unclear,
but the reticular activation system and the inferior colliculus seem to play a role. In
animals, binaural-beat producing stimulus conditions have been shown to produce
particular neural patterns of phase locking, or synchronization, beginning in the
auditory system and propagating to the inferior colliculus. Even though the neural
response to objectively presented beats is stronger, binaural beats seem to elicit
similar neural responses in both humans and, suggesting that the illusion arises
through pathways normally associated with binaural sound detection. As in humans
binaural beats have been found to affect cognitive functioning and moodand
responses to binaural beats are detectable in the human EEG, it can be assumed
that neuronal phase locking spreads from the auditory system and the inferior
colliculus over the cortex. A spreading pattern of neuronal activation and
synchronization might affect short- and long-distance communication in the brain,
processes which depend on neuronal synchronization and, presumably, on particular
neurotransmitter systems, thus affecting cognitive processing.
possible that the frequency of the beat matters. For instance, short-range
communication within brain areas is often associated with neural synchronization in
the gamma frequency, while long-range communication is associated with neuronal
phase locking in the slower frequency bands. Moreover, a variety of frequency bands
have been considered to represent the ―messenger frequency‖ of cognitive-control
signals. For instance, synchronization in the gamma frequency range seems to play a
role in the top-down control of memory retrieval, which should be relevant for many
creativity tasks. Also of interest, phase locking in the alpha band has been associated
with lower cortical arousal in general and enhanced top-down control in creativity-
related performance in particular. Especially divergent thinking seems to be
associated with alpha wave synchronization. It could therefore be reasoned that
inducing a state of lower cortical arousal by presenting people with alpha frequency
binaural beats temporarily increases their performance on a divergent thinking task.
Given that the available evidence highlights the alpha and gamma bands as possible
messenger frequencies of control signals in creativity-related tasks, researchers
investigated whether binaural beats presented at these two frequencies might affect
performance in convergent- and divergent-thinking tasks—as compared to a control
condition.
Carols were first sung in Europe thousands of years ago, but these were
not Christmas Carols. They were pagan songs, sung at the Winter Solstice
celebrations as people danced round stone circles (The word carol originally meant
to dance to something). The Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year, usually
taking place around the 22nd December. The word Carol actually means dance or a
song of praise and joy! Carols used to be written and sung during all four seasons,
but only the tradition of singing them at Christmas has really survived.
Early Christians took over the pagan solstice celebrations for Christmas and
gave people Christian songs to sing instead of pagan ones. In 129, a Roman Bishop said
that a song called ―Angel‘s Hymn‖ should be sung at a Christmas service in Rome.
Another famous early Christmas Hymn was written in 760, by Comas of Jerusalem, for
the Greek Orthodox Church. Soon after this many composers all over Europe started to
write ‗Christmas carols‘. However, not many people liked them as they were all written
and sung in Latin, a language that the normal people couldn‘t
P a g e | 32
understand. By the time of the Middles Ages (the 1200s), most people had lost
interest in celebrating Christmas altogether.
This was changed by St. Francis of Assisi when, in 1223, he started his
Nativity Plays in Italy. The people in the plays sang songs or ‗canticles‘ that told the
story during the plays. Sometimes, the choruses of these new carols were in Latin;
but normally they were all in a language that the people watching the play could
understand and join in! The new carols spread to France, Spain, Germany and other
European countries.
The earliest carol, like this, was written in 1410. Sadly only a very small
fragment of it still exists. The carol was about Mary and Jesus meeting different
people in Bethlehem. Most Carols from this time and the Elizabethan period are
untrue stories, very loosely based on the Christmas story, about the holy family and
were seen as entertaining rather than religious songs. They were usually sung in
homes rather than in churches! Traveling singers or Minstrels started singing these
carols and the words were changed for the local people wherever they were
traveling. One carols that changed like this is ‗I Saw Three Ships‘.
Also, at this time, many orchestras and choirs were being set up in the
cities of England and people wanted Christmas songs to sing, so carols once again
became popular. Many new carols, such as ‗Good King Wenceslas‘, were also
written in the Victorian period.
Green Music
January 4, 2018
Research has shown that any sound has the ability to stimulate plant
growth. In one study, plants that were exposed to sounds for six hours a day showed
more growth than plants in a soundless control group. However, that same research
showed that while music helped plants grow, it wasn‘t more effective than non-
musical sounds. In other words, plants don‘t distinguish between music and other
sounds.
However, music does help plants grow The exact cause of music‘s effect
on plants is unclear. It is thought that plants may have ―mechanoreceptors‖ that
respond to pressure. Sound waves are made up of compressed air molecules. In
humans, mechanoreceptors in the ears are able to detect and distinguish sound
waves in the form of pressure as each wave strikes the inner ear. If plants have
similar receptors, they too could respond to the changes in sound waves, such as
those from music.
Plants also seem to listen to the vibrations of one another. Plants that are
near other plants tend to grow faster and healthier than those grown in isolation.
Research suggests that plants may ―talk‖ to one another via vibrations, and these
communications let a plant know when it is safe to grow. Other research indicates
that vibration from sounds such as music can turn genes on and off, indicating that
plants may ―listen‖ to their surroundings to know when to express certain genes. If
scientists can gain a better understanding of this phenomenon, it is likely that sounds
such as music could be used to promote growth.
other plants then know to ready their defenses, or even stop growing until it is safe.
There is also evidence that plants have evolved to respond to vibrations, such as
those caused by the wind. When plants sense the constant vibration caused by the
wind, they may know not to grow quite as tall. Being shorter may save them from
being snapped or bent by strong winds. More research in this area may guide
scientists design sounds and music that may help plants ward off or prepare for
possible harm.
Music is more complex and beautiful than one can ever imagine, and it
can physically affect your body when listening to it. It doesn‘t just alter your
physiology, but it can cure emotional distress, amplify moods, and even help treat
diseases as well. It is one of the few activities that involves using the majority, and
sometimes whole, of your brain. Moreover, it doesn‘t discriminate to culture, and has
surprising benefits.
The chills and shivers you get when listening to a song you really like are
actually caused by the release of dopamine in your body. Scientists ran experiments
by monitoring brain activity and found that music caused dopamine peaks and
emotional arousal. This release of dopamine is connected to why people place such
a high emphasis on music‘s ability to manipulate our emotions. Music can quite
literally alter the chemical balances in your brain.
Some studies are suggesting that music is as addictive as sex and drugs.
The researchers found the release of dopamine both in anticipation of the music, and
in hearing the music much like the effects of drug withdrawal and fixes. Ever had that
itchy feeling when you can‘t wait to hear a song because your phone is dead, and
when you finally hear it, you feel a wave of pleasure just wash over you? That‘s all
chemicals working in your brain.
Many doctors are now prescribing music to help treat patients with
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diseases like Parkinson‘s, Alzheimer‘s, and people with anxiety and depression. It
was found that it can help overcome bradykinesia (difficulty initiating movement, often
coupled with Parkinson‘s) by stimulating brain neurons to translate the music into
movement, and allowing patients to retain control of their bodies. It has also been
found to help restore the loss of language in patients with aphasia (impaired speech)
that results after severe head trauma or strokes.
As a fatigue fighter, dance music can be a great way to find some extra
energy. It can effectively eliminate exercise-induced fatigue and fatigue symptoms
caused by monotonous work. A report in the Journal of Neuroscience of Behavior
and Physiology concluded that a person‘s ability to recognize images, including
letters and numbers, is faster when music is playing in the background.
Listening to happy or sad music can affect how you interpret a neutral
facial expression. Studies showed that after hearing a short piece of music,
participants were more likely to match the perceived facial expression with the tone of
music. Moreover, we can understand the emotions of a piece of music without
actually feeling them, which explains why some of us find sad music enjoyable,
instead of depressing.
February 5, 2018
This coming February 14, 2018, the Assessment, Counseling, Alumni and
Placement (ACAP) Center in Systems Plus College Foundation, Balibago, Angeles
City will be having its 1st Valentine Music Celebration. The occasion will present
students from different colleges to render their favorite acoustic love songs, some
special numbers from invited singers and musicians, and a program for students to
enable them to embrace the true meaning of love.
love, to elucidate the different kinds of love, to present the several meanings of love
and to value the true essence of love. This include topics like:
1. Love is unconditional
The ACAP Center (formerly Guidance and Testing Center) was formed
last August 2017 with the mission of holistic education through creative, innovative
and dynamic psychological approaches. During the launch of the ACAP Center,
strategic programs were added to its artillery for dynamic interventions that would
prove to be more efficient compared to traditional approaches in education. One of
the principles of the ACAP Center is that music, art and research are essential for
holistic education and must be utilized to its maximum potential.
Acoustic Storytelling
May 1, 2018
If you want to appeal to the subconscious and compel people to act, you
have to form an emotional connection. Music is a powerful, invisible tool in achieving
that goal. It‘s an intricate expression of controllable elements that helps influence the
way people interpret your message. From retail stores to TV commercials, it‘s used to
affect our emotions – and ultimately to guide our decisions.
Music gives you the opportunity to tell your story in a different way. It plays
a crucial role in content marketing by influencing the amount of consideration
audiences give your message. It increases the value of your content by steering
storylines, driving audience engagement, and increasing retention – making your
story not only more interesting, but impactful.
Richard Talbot from Marconi Union said, ―It was fascinating working with
a therapist to learn how and why certain sounds affect people‘s mood. I always knew
the power of music but we have previously written using gut feeling.‖
But what is it about the song itself that makes it so effective? According to
Lyz Cooper, the founder of the British Academy of Sound Therapy, there are basic
musical principles that correlate with relaxation. She explains that the song
―contains a sustaining rhythm that starts at 60 beats per minute and gradually slows
to around 50.‖ The listener‘s heartbeat will naturally slow down to match the track‘s
BPM (beats per minute). The song‘s length is also critical. Cooper explains, ―It takes
about five minutes for this process, known as entrainment, to occur. And there is no
repeating melody, which allows your brain to completely switch off because you are
no longer trying to predict what is coming next.‖
While there‘s still a lot of research to be done in this space, it‘s clear that
music has the power to help us clear our heads, relax and focus. We all know the
value of sleep and relaxation, and toxicity of stress and anxiety. So keep this as a
resource in your back pocket to unwind, on-demand, any time you need it. Having
trouble falling asleep? Drift off to this 10-hour version of ―Weightless‖.
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Music, like language, is one of the few universal human cultural activities.
Its use transcends religion, economics, social organization and ethnicity. It is found in
the most primitive isolated jungle tribes and the most advanced, wealthiest and
congested cities. It‘s woven into the everyday fabric of life of every human culture
throughout history. Music is popular, but also powerful. Our most important personal,
communal or national events nearly always employ the power of music – weddings,
parties, celebrations and funerals. It is used in entertainment, sport, war … and in
worship
Why?
Music is Cultural: We probably all have those songs that when we hear
them we are automatically ―transported‖ to a particular time and place, complete
with the feelings and circumstances of the moment. Music has this incredible ability
to evoke and express times of great and vivid personal meaning. Music becomes
enmeshed in an event or entwined around a cause, weaving together our thoughts,
emotions and senses into a poignant, resonant and memorable moment. Our
cultures are full of such music-charged commemorations.
Music and Worship: This gives us a clue to the connection between music
and worship. Believers love the Lord with all their heart, soul, mind and strength. And
music uniquely has the power to engage the entirety of who they are in that moment
of expressing devotion to God. When singing in worship, individuals are engaged
emotionally, physically and intellectually. It‘s like ―all of me‖ is caught up in this act
of love. It is music that makes this happen. And because they are holistically and
completely engaged, the words sung are pregnant with meaning in that moment.
Pouring out in a song of worship, and feel that they are finally able to get close to
expressing all that is in the heart to say, but for which mere spoken words seem
insufficient. Their experiences are in unison. The same words, the same rhythm, the
same melody. The same emotions, the same holistic engagement and the same rich
cultural memory, all are together, in one voice, around one cause, focusing all of who
we are in an outpouring of deep devotion.
SOURCE: Duncan Corby October 21, 2018 (Hillsong College Academic Dean)
drums, driving vocals, and other attire borrowed from modern ―rock and roll‖. The
more traditional service typically offers musical praise directed by an organ or piano,
and accompanied by a choir or other vocal soloists. It is rare that one stumbles
across a church practicing congregational, ―a cappella‖ music.
The disparate proportions lead one to believe that those who restrain from
using instrumental music must be in grievous error, since they appear to be
numbered in the scandalous minority. Surprisingly, history shows that it is not always
been the case. In fact, instrumental music is a relatively modern addition to the
services of those who would worship God.
The Temple Model follows the structure of the Jerusalem Temple. The
temple can be broken down into four main parts: The outer courts, inner courts, holy
place, and holy of holies. Worship will typically move from high praise (or fast music)
into deep worship (or slow music).
Outer Courts
Scripture tells us to ―Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts
with praise!‖ (Psalm 100:4) Therefore, the first step in this model begins with a time
of high praises and faster music. This is an expression of our excitement about
coming into the presence of the Lord! Have fun with it! But our prayer doesn‘t end
here – we‘re just getting started! After a series of high praise songs, you then
transition into what we call the inner courts.
Inner Courts
Holy Place
Holy of Holies
In the holy of holies, the music itself begins to cease. Our hearts have
quieted. In the days of the Old Testament, the high priest spoke little when he
entered this sacred place. Instead, he would remain silent and in awe of the presence
of the Lord. This was the place where God‘s very presence resided. Here we give
God the opportunity to speak in the quiet of our hearts as we soak in His presence.
The earliest keyboards were played with the hands, wrists, fists, knees, or
feet. Up to the 13th Century the scales were diatonic (as in GABCDEF) rather than
the twelve tone chromatic scale we use today.
Grand Prince of Tuscany, as the Keeper of the Instruments. The first piano he built
was about the year 1700 or 1698. Historians are not in total agreement as to the
exact date. The keyboard looked different to today‘s piano keyboard layout; the
natural keys were black while the accidentals were white. It was Sebastian LeBlanc
who suggested that the black and white keys be switched. The three Cristofori pianos
that survive today date from the 1720s.
A major drawback of the harpsichord was the fact that the dynamics
(loudness or softness) of each note couldn‘t be controlled. This meant that
composers couldn‘t evoke emotion in their music as needed. The clavichord aimed to
improve on this shortcoming. While it still plucked at strings, it allowed the strings to
continue vibrating as long as the key was depressed. As a result players had more
control over the volume of their instrument. The technically more advanced
clavichord became very popular but it still had its weaknesses. Although it allowed
artists to be more expressive, the tone of the harpsichord was too delicate. It was not
suited for large hall performances and would often be drowned by other instruments.
The piano was likely formed as an attempt to combine the loudness of the
harpsichord with the control of the clavichord.
the piano was created it was still called a harpsichord. This has made it difficult to
know this specific aspect of the history of the piano, whether the great composers of
the age such as Scarlatti or Vivaldi knew of its existence. The word pianoforte,
shortened later to piano, appeared only in 1732.
Cristofori‘s piano was largely unknown until 1711 when an Italian writer,
Scipione Maffei wrote about it. His article was a very enthusiastic one and included a
diagram of the mechanism. Subsequently, many piano builders started their work
because of what they read in that article. One example was Gottfried Silbermann,
better known as an organ builder. He built pianos that were direct copies of
Cristofori‘s except for one important addition; he invented the forerunner of the
damper pedal we use today. It lifts all dampers from the strings at once.
When speaking about the history of the piano, mention must be made of
Johann Sebastian Bach. When Silbermann first showed Bach one of his early
instruments in 1736, he did not like it. According to legend, Bach did not think much
of its sound. He was said to have destroyed it with an axe. Bach later saw a new
instrument in 1747 and approved it. At the time, he was visiting Frederick the Great of
Prussia at his court in Potsdam. He improvised an impressive three-part figure on a
theme suggested by the king. The instrument caught the attention of composers
across Europe. Its fame extended to the British colonies in America. Having a piano
in the home became the height of fashion for high-ranking nobles in these colonies.
To unpick the meanings behind the rhymes is to be thrust into a world not
of sweet princesses and cute animals but of messy clerical politics, religious violence,
sex, illness, murder, spies, traitors and the supernatural. A random sample of 10
popular nursery rhymes shows this.
Baa Baa Black Sheep is about the medieval wool tax, imposed in the 13th
Century by King Edward I. Under the new rules, a third of the cost of a sack of wool
went to him, another went to the church and the last to the farmer. (In the original
version, nothing was therefore left for the little shepherd boy who lives down the
lane). Black sheep were also considered bad luck because their fleeces, unable to be
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Ring a Ring o Roses, or Ring Around the Rosie, may be about the 1665
Great Plague of London: the ―rosie‖ being the malodorous rash that developed on
the skin of bubonic plague sufferers, the stench of which then needed concealing
with a ―pocket full of posies‖. The bubonic plague killed 15% of Britain‘s population,
hence ―atishoo, atishoo, we all fall down (dead).‖
Mary, Mary Quite Contrary may be about Bloody Mary, daughter of King
Henry VIII and concerns the torture and murder of Protestants. Queen Mary was a
staunch Catholic and her ―garden‖ here is an allusion to the graveyards which were
filling with Protestant martyrs. The ―silver bells‖ were thumbscrews; while
―cockleshells‖ are believed to be instruments of torture which were attached to male
genitals.
Lucy Locket is about a famous spat between two legendary 18th Century
prostitutes.
Be cautious on what you let your children listen to, this is why I would
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suggest classical music with no lyrics to be safe and even boost cognitive functioning
as they grow up.
Depending on your family background or the part of the world you are
from, the combinations of music you may have been exposed to are probably
endless. Because of this, the music people enjoy, either by listening to or actively
playing, varies. Have you ever considered what the Bible says about music? Do you
know that God created music with several specific purposes in mind?
Improperly Used
As with almost everything that God has created for man to use for a right
purpose, it should not come as a surprise that mankind has perverted music to be
used in many wrong ways. All of these wrong uses originate from the ruler of this
world, Satan.
The devil was created as the archangel Lucifer, a perfect being in every
way (Ezek. 28:12-15), and this applies to his ability as a musician. Lucifer was given
the ability to play beautiful music through his ―workmanship‖ and to understand its
purpose as well. But Satan eventually became a perverted being. Now, as the
―prince of the power of the air‖ (Eph. 2:2), he broadcasts into our lives all of the
wrong ways to use music. It is now his desire that we use this wonderfully positive
tool in a way that God did not intend. Even though the Bible was written thousands of
years ago, it contains numerous examples of the right purposes for music, and these
can still be applied today. You will find that music is a wonderful tool that can benefit
you in many ways.
Most have seen in their own lives that music can profoundly affect
emotions—either positively or negatively. This even applies to God Himself! When
―all the men of Israel assembled‖ with King Solomon to celebrate the Ark of the
Covenant‘s arrival at the completed Temple (II Chron. 5:3), we are told that in
addition to the feast and many physical sacrifices made to honor God, music was
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played. The immediate effect? God‘s response was so profound that the Temple was
―filled with a cloud,‖ which represented His approval (vs. 13).
Think about this for a moment. Even the all-powerful Creator God
responded to music when it was used to glorify Him. This was not just any kind of
music—it truly was ―special music.‖ In II Chronicles 5:12-13, there is an amazing
description of what garnered this response. When the singers and musicians praised
God in song (there were over 120 priests playing trumpet alone), they all played ―as
one, to make one sound.‖ This means the musicians played with instruments,
together in harmony. The result was uplifting due to the unison and harmony. This
wasn‘t like the disorderly or incoherent expression found in much of today‘s music.
In another example, music can have a calming effect and be helpful for
relaxation. In I Samuel 16, the young David is described as a cunning and skilled
harp player, who, when he played, ―refreshed‖ the king with his wonderful music.
Again, music can have a positive effect. It is a tool with tangible benefits.
31:27). In other words, Laban would have organized a celebration to honor him. King
Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, wrote the book Song of Solomon as a love
song to his wife. So even ―love songs‖ are appropriate—when used correctly.
While music doesn‘t always need to be used to directly praise God, all of
these examples have one thing in common: whether used to praise, express joy,
teach, celebrate, relax or even express love, music is always used in a positive way.
Music, at its core, influences our spiritual lives and our relationship with
God—either drawing us closer to the Lord, or quenching the Holy Spirit. God always
desires our lives to be filled with and controlled by the power of His Holy Spirit:
Ephesians 5:18-19, ―And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled
with the Spirit; 19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;‖ 1 Thessalonians 5:19,
―Quench not the Spirit.‖ Ephesians 4:30, ―And grieve not the holy Spirit of God,
whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.‖
The biblical fact is this: the right kind of Spirit-led music can be an
immensely powerful force that aids us in bringing our body and soul into submission
to the leadership and control of the Holy Spirit of God. That is to say, it can feed and
fan the flames of the work of the Holy Spirit within.
understand that composers are generally not creating something out of nothing when
they write a new piece. Instead, they are creating out of past experience – their
understanding of music theory, what they‘ve studied and listened too, what they
would like to hear themselves – or maybe even just to answer some specific musical
question they have. These are the things, parts, or elements they use. It really is
about putting together the different elements of music
Our goal is to eventually create something new and unique, but not before
we master that which has come before us. How then, do we go about learning to
compose music
The first step in learning to compose, is realizing that you are just
beginning, and not to place too heavy a burden on yourself. Our job as composers is
not to create masterpieces, but instead, piece together a master. A great corollary to
learning to compose is found in the greek method of the Trivium. The Trivium follows
three distinct phases if learning:
There are many resources for learning to read music out there, and a
quick google search should point you in the right direction. You‘ll quickly find there
isn‘t all that much to reading music. The challenge lies more in becoming fluent, than
becoming familiar. But also part of the fundamentals are the basics of music theory.
Things such as scales, triads, and seventh chords. These are your building blocks. If
music notation the alphabet, these are your words. And much like a child, you
probably already have an aural knowledge of these ―words‖. You know what a
major chord sounds like, or what a minor chord sounds like. But as a composer, your
knowledge needs to go beyond the aural and superficial level. You need to
understand exactly what they are.
Know the basics of theory, such as scales, and triads, the next step is to
learn how these combine to create small scale, simple music. That is in fact exactly
what my free beginner‘s course teaches. Music‘s apparent logic, comes from the fact
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that most of the music we hear follows the same guidelines. These guidelines
become ingrained in our ears, and we expect to hear them. These expectations are
built into the music. The logic is in understanding how to use these expectations.
Great composer know about these expectations, and know how to use
them to their advantage. Most of the time, they follow expectations, but sometimes
they don‘t. This is what great music is about. It is at this level, that you are like a
greek rhetorician, persuading people to your musical view point.
The Stages of Learning to Compose Music – Where are you on the path
to becoming a composing master? Not all people are at the same place in their
efforts of learning music composition. It is very important to take a step back and
evaluate where you are in the spectrum of knowledge. Why? Well for one, it will give
you focus in what you are learning, but almost more importantly, it will allow you to
accept what you compose, based on your actual knowledge of the craft of
composition. You can‘t be too hard on yourself if you want to write like Mahler, but
you‘ve only been composing for a month. Be patient and the melodies and harmony
will come to you.
Whether you‘re listening to it or creating it, music can reduce stress and
anxiety, distract you from negative feelings and emotions, and even relieve
symptoms of health or mental health conditions. Music has been used to reduce
physical and emotional pain and increase quality of life in medical and psychiatric
hospitals, drug and alcohol programs, assisted living facilities, and cancer centers.
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These same music practices can be worked into your daily life, especially with the
guidance of a counselor, coach, or licensed music therapist who can assess your
needs and use specialized and research-based techniques to help guide you towards
reaching your therapeutic goals.
There are several mechanisms by which music can have this effect. First
of all, music has positive physical effects. It can produce direct biological changes,
such as reducing heart rate, blood pressure, and cortisol levels.
Finally, music is a connecting experience. Pete Seeger was well known for
his use of the sing-along, and he made his goal of building communities explicit,
saying, ―The idea of using music to try to get the world together is now all over the
place.‖ Research clearly demonstrates that improved social connection and support
can improve mental health outcomes. Thus, any music that helps connect people can
have a profound impact on an individual‘s mental health. Pete Seeger is one of the
spiritual godfathers of using music to improve mental health and well-being. Mental
health professionals must capitalize on the path he blazed, to continue the important
work of improving public health and well-being.
―Participation. That‘s what‘s going to save the human race.‖ His influence can also
be seen in organizations such as Musicorps, which heals disabled vets through
teaching music, and Rock Against Dystrophy, which organizes concerts to raise
money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
―Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind,
flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything.‖ ~Plato
Music plays a very important part in our culture. When thinking about
everyday life, music is present in a variety of social and educational activities. We
listen to music on TV or when we go to the movies. Most governmental ceremonies
include a component of music while we use songs to celebrate birthdays or to
worship god. Given this importance of music, it is no surprise that parents use music
instinctively to express joy, and to engage or calm their children.
whereas singing along to a song helps them to practice their singing voice. In
general, the exposure to music supports children in their development process to
learn the sound of tones and words.
Parents play the most important role in musical education when it comes
to expanding a child‘s musical horizon. For many years, researchers have been
pointing out that children whose families are more musically orientated are
considerably more developed in their musical behavior than children who experience
a less musically orientated environment. Research undertaken by Kelley and Sutton-
Smith explains this situation well with clear examples: the two researchers developed
case studies that followed the early childhood years of three girls whose families had
different musical backgrounds. While the parents of the first girl were professional
musicians, the parents of the second girl practiced music from a non-professional
background. Finally, the third girls‘ parents made the least musically orientated
choices due to their own non-musical background. The researchers‘ findings suggest
that there was a major difference between the two families who exposed their girls to
a varying degree of music and the family who did not engage in integrating musical
education at all. They concluded that a rich musical environment at home fosters a
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child‘s exposure to music and improves a child‘s music ability. Further research also
indicates that parents develop a stronger bond to their children when they enjoy
music together. This way music is not only a tool that contributes to the growth and
development of a child but it also helps the family to spend quality time and have fun.
A Remarkable Musician
David was remarkable in that he was both a musician and a poet. Over
half of the psalms are attributed to him. While a boy, he was a shepherd, and his
sensitive and perceptive mind was nourished with the pastoral scenes of Bethlehem.
He had known the simple joys of listening to babbling brooks and the bleating of
lambs responding to his voice. Touched by the beauty of this ―music‖ in the world
around him, he took up his harp and raised his voice in praise to God. What a moving
experience it must have been to hear the music that David composed to Psalm 23!
Music, which David loved so much and which filled him with happiness,
sometimes caused problems. One day, when David and Saul returned victorious from
their combat with the Philistines, triumphant and joyful music came to the ears of the
king. The women were singing: ―Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his
tens of thousands.‖ At this, Saul became so angry and jealous that he ―was
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continually looking suspiciously at David from that day forward.‖—1 Samuel 18:7-9.
Moved by Music
With his exuberant personality, David loved joyful, lively music that was
highly rhythmic. When he brought the ark of the covenant up to Zion, he leaped and
danced with all his power to celebrate the event. The Bible account indicates that the
music must have been extremely rousing. Can you imagine the scene? It brought
recriminations from his wife Michal. But it did not matter to David. He loved Jehovah,
and this music, which filled him with such joy, caused him to leap before his God.—2
Samuel 6:14, 16, 21.
A legacy of David was the organization of singing and music in the house
of Jehovah. At the head of 4,000 singers and musicians, he placed Asaph, Heman,
and Jeduthun (apparently also called Ethan). David associated them with 288
experts, who trained and supervised the rest of the group. The 4,000 singers and
musicians were all present at the temple for the three large annual festivals. Imagine
the grandeur of that magnificent choir!—1 Chronicles 23:5; 25:1, 6, 7.
At the temple, only men sang. The expression ―upon The Maidens,‖ in
the superscription of Psalm 46, suggests high-pitched voice or instrument. They sang
in unison, as indicated at 2 Chronicles 5:13: ―The singers were as one.‖ The songs
could be melodies, such as Psalm 3 and many other psalms of David, and
sometimes included refrains, such as the one at Psalm 42:5, 11 and 43:5. Songs
using antiphony, in which choirs and/or soloists responded to one another, were also
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much appreciated. This is the case in Psalm 24, which was no doubt composed for
the time when David brought the ark of the covenant to Zion.—2 Samuel 6:11-17.
Singing, however, was not restricted to the Levites. It was the people who
sang when they went up to Jerusalem for the annual festivals. This is perhaps what is
meant by ―A Song of the Ascents.‖ (Psalms 120 to 134) In Psalm 133, for example,
David exalts the brotherhood that the Israelites tasted in those moments. He opens
with these words: ―Look! How good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell
together in unity!‖ Try to imagine the music that accompanied this song!
One tenth of the Bible is made up of such songs, and the book of Psalms
encourages all humans to pour forth praises. (Psalm 150) Music has the power to
cause one to forget life‘s worries, and singing can act as a balm to wounded hearts.
However, the Bible also recommends that those who are in good spirits sing psalms.
—James 5:13.
Singing is an act by which one can express one‘s faith and love for God.
The night before Jesus‘ execution, he and the apostles concluded their meal with
singing. (Matthew 26:30) What a voice the Son of David must have had—he who had
known the glorious singing of God‘s heavenly court! It is likely that they sang the
Hallel, Psalms 113 to 118. If so, with the apostles, who were unaware of all the
events that were about to take place, Jesus would have sung out loud: ―I do love,
because Jehovah hears my voice, my entreaties. . . . The ropes of death encircled
me and the distressing circumstances of Sheol themselves found me. . . . ‗Ah,
Jehovah, do provide my soul with escape!‘‖—Psalm 116:1-4.
Man is not the inventor of music. The Bible describes music and singing in
the heavens themselves, where spirit creatures play figurative harps and sing praises
around Jehovah‘s throne. (Revelation 5:9; 14:3; 15:2, 3) Jehovah God gave music to
mankind, implanting in their heart a feeling for music and the irrepressible urge to
express their sentiments by playing an instrument or by singing. For the man of faith,
music is above all a gift from God.—James 1:17.
the temple dedication, trumpets and singers were ―causing one sound to be heard.‖
(2 Chronicles 5:12, 13) This seems to mean that they were in tune and that there was
no discord. Percussion instruments included tambourines and sistrums, a kind of
musical rattle, as well as ―all sorts of instruments of juniper wood.‖ There were also
cymbals—small ones ―of melodious sound‖ and large ones called ―clashing
cymbals.‖ —2 Samuel 6:5; Psalm 150:5.
August 2, 2018
Playing an instrument isn‘t only good for your brain, it‘s also great for
expanding your social circle. Joining a musical group at any age encourages you to
develop relationships with new kinds of people. It also builds skills in leadership and
team-building, as well as showing you the rewards of working with others.
Music keeps you calm. It has a unique effect on our emotions, and has
even been proven to lower heart rate and blood pressure. Psychologist Jane
Collingwood believes that slow classical music is often the most beneficial.
―Listening to music can have a tremendously relaxing effect on our minds and
bodies, especially slow, quiet classical music. This type of music can have a
beneficial effect on our physiological functions, slowing the pulse and heart rate,
lowering blood pressure, and decreasing the levels of stress hormones.‖
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OK, Franz Liszt wrote some insanely difficult music. But it‘s an important
lesson to learn that the more effort you put into something, the better the result will
be. Dawsons Music advises to ―give it a year‖ before you see big improvements in
ability and confidence. ―[Then,] you‘ll look back and be glad of those hard first few
months. Indeed, those first few months will forever be a badge of honor, saying you
stuck it out and earned your stripes. There are no shortcuts to learning an
instrument.‖
Practicing and perfecting a piece of music does wonders for the creative
side of your brain. No matter how much a composer annotates their composition,
they cannot fully express how a piece of music should be played. So it is up to the
player to put their own stamp on a piece, to inject some of their personality into the
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music.
This article is based on our survey of over 4000 respondents who were
asked about their music preferences. The survey has revealed the outlooks different
personalities have on music – what we listen to, when we listen to it, and how we do
the listening.
Analysts
The music genres that Analyst personality types tend to appreciate more
than the other Roles – rock (80%), classical (76%), jazz (54%, tied with Diplomats),
punk (46%), and metal (44%) – also tend to be the ones that are most often
respected for the sheer technical expertise at work as much as for the more
emotional qualities of these songs. Not to say that other genres are lacking in
musicianship, but Analysts may nonetheless find these five forms particularly likely to
prize efficient, precise virtuosity for its own sake. After all, the only thing an Analyst
loves more than a good challenge is seeing that challenge bested through skill alone,
whether the challenge is a dazzlingly intricate guitar solo or an entire movement of a
tricky concerto.
As the Role with the most typical affinity for technology, it may be
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unsurprising that Analysts were the Role most likely to listen using a PC, laptop, or
tablet (42%), devices which are rarely far from most Analysts‘ reach. The utilitarian
appeal of a computer – useful for so many tasks outside of audio – may be more
important to an Analyst than any fidelity lost to inferior speakers.
Diplomats
The depths of the devotion that Diplomat personality types have to their
music may also be exemplified by the fact that they are the most likely Role to
embrace MP3 players (14%). Where some Roles may see music as an afterthought,
an added feature for their workstation or means of conveyance that is nice, but hardly
necessary, Diplomats may feel that having their own tunes close at hand is
absolutely vital. For a Diplomat, an MP3 player may take on almost talismanic
properties, adored as much for its form – and its symbolism – as its function.
Sentinels
Of the four Roles, Sentinels only came first in their appreciation of two
genres: country (43%) and religious music (40%). The strong sense of community
that characterizes Sentinel personality types – whose work ethic and desire for order
stems from their belief that life is fundamentally about maintaining the social fabric for
the good of all – may explain their affinity for these two forms, both of which often
contain messages in praise of service, whether to a higher power or to one‘s fellow
human being. The ambivalence that Sentinels tend to have for popular entertainment
– so much of which strikes them as a waste of valuable time – may also explain why
music must include at least a bit of didacticism to hold their attention for long.
Sentinels were also the Role least likely to listen to music for more than
two hours per day on average (32%), and most likely to listen for less than five
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minutes a day (5%) – however, when they do listen to music, Sentinels are the most
likely to use speakers rather than headphones (53%). Again, Sentinels may feel that
music is an extravagance that must be kept in moderation, and they may dislike
headphones due to their need to stay connected at all times with the people around
them, rather than shutting them out.
Finally, Sentinel personalities were significantly more likely than any other
Role to listen to music on a car stereo (13%). For many Sentinels, travel time may be
the only space that they truly feel comfortable allowing music into their lives, because
at any other time, music may be interpreted as a distraction from more pressing
matters.
Explorers
The genres that Explorers favor more than other Roles – namely,
electronica (68%), hip-hop (49%), pop (74%), and reggae (35%) – may most
frequently match the Explorer mood: energetic and in the moment. Whether it is a
fast-driving techno beat or a reggae groove, Explorers may look for music that is
more textural than intellectual, evoking an immediate, visceral response.
Conclusions
At times, the modern ubiquity of music can deafen us to the beauty of sound,
the often subtle interplay between voice and instrument communicating a feeling that no
other medium can quite match. Moreover, with limitless availability, we also have
limitless variety, a much-celebrated blessing that carries with it the curse of the ―tyranny
of choice,‖ the idea that, when faced with too many options, we become overwhelmed
with the number of variables at play, and end up choosing none of the above. Awash in
an ocean of music, our identities, so closely bound to our sonic preferences, may
sometimes feel in danger of being drowned out by the noise.
On the other hand, the songs that cut through this static may be cherished
all the more, and define us ever the more clearly, than if we had less of a surfeit at
our disposal. Rather than molding ourselves to fit a small selection of niches, we
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Still, just as two personality types may enjoy the same genre – or an artist,
or even a single song – for different reasons, it is important to remember that music
must not necessarily foster division and tribalism, though it can certainly be turned to
those ends. Music is a mode of communication, a means of bridging gaps in our
understanding when mere words fail.
Pentecostal worshipers often clap, shout and raise their hands in praise. A
worship leader or pastor may ask the congregation to do any of these corporately at
times, but they are more often spontaneous expressions of the worshipers as they
are led by the Holy Spirit. Detractors criticize Pentecostal praise and worship as
disorderly and confusing, but Pentecostals are quick to point to Scripture verses that
encourage each of these expressions of praise and worship.
Dancing
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Dancing has been part of Pentecostal worship since the early days of the
movement. Pentecostals believe that both the Old and New Testaments include
examples of dance as worship.
Many Pentecostal pastors take the time to explain the gifts when they are
expressed during the church service. This is especially true of the gift of tongues,
which may seem unusual to those unfamiliar with Pentecostals‘ teachings on the
subject.
Another key aspect of the Pentecostal faith is the idea that a relationship
with Jesus is not merely a formal one, embodied through ritual and prayer, but a
deeply personal experience that is as real as any other relationship in your life. When
you head to your local church, you are participating in the type of worship that will
make Jesus a genuine presence in your life.
September 2017
The growth of new brain cells doesn‘t always mean improved health
benefits, but in this instance one of the researchers, ImkeKirste, says that these new
cells appeared to become functioning neurons. ―We saw that silence is really
helping the new generated cells to differentiate into neurons and integrate into the
system.‖So, basically this means that silence can actually grow your brain.
Another study from 2001 defined a ―default mode‖ of brain function that
showed that even when the brain was perceivably resting, it was still perpetually
active and internalizing and evaluating information. Follow up research found that this
default mode is also used in the process of self-reflection. In 2013, in Frontiers in
Human Neuroscience, Joseph Moran et al. wrote that the brain‘s default mode
network ―is observed most closely during the psychological task of reflecting on
one‘s personalities and characteristics (self-reflection), rather than during self-
recognition, thinking of the self-concept, or thinking about self-esteem, for example.‖
Noise, at pretty much any levels cause stress and tension to the body,
silence releases tension in the brain and body. A study published in the journal, Heart
– discovered that just two minutes of silence can prove to be even more relaxing than
listening to ―relaxing‖ music, go figure.
The effect of noise pollution on our ability to perform a cognitive task has
been studied extensively. Noise can interfere with task performance at work and
school and can also be the cause for a decrease in motivation and an increase in the
making of errors. Cognitive functions that are most commonly affected by noise are
reading attention, memory and problem solving. You may be able to relate to this if
you‘ve ever tried to read or study and another person is blaring music or watching
T.V. close to you, it‘s almost impossible to concentrate.
Interestingly, a number of studies have also shown that children that live in
houses or go to schools which are near airports or under airplane flight paths,
railways, or highways have lower reading scores and are slower in their cognitive and
language skills.
The human body is a truly remarkable thing, and the brain – well, this is
beyond comprehension. In other words, it is beyond the brain to fully understand the
brain, how about that? It is possible for the brain to restore its finite cognitive
resources and according to the attention restoration theory, when you are in an
environment with lower levels of sensory input the brain can actually recover some of
its‘ cognitive abilities. When exposed to silence the brain can let down its‘ heightened
sensory guard and restore some of what has been lost through exposure to excess
noise.
Music therapy is useful with children with autism, owing in part to the
nonverbal, non-threatening nature of the medium. Parallel music activities are
designed to support the objectives of the child, as observed by the therapist or as
indicated by a parent, teacher or other professional.
A music therapist might observe, for instance, the child‘s need to socially
interact with others. Musical games like passing a ball back and forth to music or
playing sticks and cymbals with another person might be used to foster this
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interaction. Eye contact might be encouraged with imitative clapping games, or with
activities that focus attention on an instrument played while positioning for eye
contact. Preferred music may be used contingently for a wide variety of cooperative
social behaviours, like sitting in a chair or staying with a group of other children in a
circle.
It has been noted time and again that children with autism show
sensitivities to music. Some have perfect pitch, while many have been noted to play
instruments with exceptional musicality. Music therapists traditionally work with
children with autism because of this responsiveness, which is adaptable to non-music
goals.
Since children with autism sometimes sing when they cannot speak,
music therapists and music educators can work systematically on speech through
vocal music activities. In the music classroom, songs with simple words, repetitive
phrases, and even repetitive nonsense syllables can assist the child‘s language.
Meaningful word phrases and songs presented with visual and tactile cues can
facilitate this process even further.
When a person tells you about his musical tastes, he tells you a lot about
himself. If a person you have just been introduced to says he likes classical music,
the next thought that comes to your mind might be ―Perhaps he can play an
instrument‖ or ―He must know at least a little about Beethoven.‖ If a person says he
likes Hip Hop music, your next thought might be, ―Maybe he likes dancing.‖
We tend to develop a liking for the people who share our musical
preferences because of the common ground that is forged.
Not surprisingly, people tended to like a person better when they shared
similar musical tastes. These people also tended to have more similarities between
them.
Take a mother who is constantly asking her teenage son to ―turn the
volume down‖ when he listens to his favorite techno track, something his mother, a
die hard Beatles fan, has no inclination to listen to.
Knowing each other‘s musical tastes can be the fertilizer that helps the
flower of love to blossom. Such knowledge contributes to the growth of love in
several ways.
Having similar interests or knowing the other party‘s musical interests and
therefore sometimes making allowances for them opens the doors to many
conversations. When you find little to ask the other party while out on a date, talk
about music and it is hard to go wrong.
Music is the easiest element for you and your partner to relate to. It is
universal and many people easily associate with it. So common is it to find crowds at
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Music therapy also appeared to help ease anxiety and improve functioning
in depressed individuals, and it appeared just as safe as traditional treatments. ―We
can now be more confident that music therapy in fact improves patients‘ symptoms
and functioning, and that this finding holds across a variety of settings, countries,
types of patients, and types of music therapy,‖ said senior study author Christian
Gold of Uni Research Health in Bergen, Norway.
―The present review update confirms these findings and broadens them,‖
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Gold said by email. ―We still think that more research is needed; however, we feel
that research on music therapy for depression can now turn to more specific
questions, such as comparing different types of therapy to each other.‖ Studies
included in the current review ranged in duration from six to 12 weeks. The smallest
study had just 14 participants, and the largest one included 79 people. The total
number of treatment sessions ranged from eight to 48, and the duration of sessions
varied from 20 minutes to two hours. Only one of the studies in the analysis
compared active versus passive music therapy, and it didn‘t find a difference in the
short-term severity of depression.
But modern brain imaging studies have shown that music therapy
activates regions of the brain that are involved in regulating emotions. Joyful and sad
music can have different effects, too, Ndrepepa added. More research is still needed
to figure out what type of music therapy works best for specific patient situations,
Gold said. ―Until we have more specific research results comparing different music
therapies to each other, music therapy should be seen as one of a variety of options,‖
Gold said. ―It is important to have choices because no therapy works for everyone.‖
September 8, 2018
Listening to Mozart can give your brain a boost, according to a new study.
People who heard the classical composer‘s music showed an increase in brain wave
activity linked to memory, understanding and problem-solving, researchers found.
For the study, which was published in the journal Consciousness and
Cognition, the researchers used EEG machines to record the electrical activity of the
participants‘ brains. The group was made up of 10 young healthy adults with an
average age of 33 (referred as the Adults), 10 healthy elderly adults with an average
age of 85 (known as the Elderly), and 10 elderly people with mild cognitive
impairment with an average age of 77 (referred to as MCI).
Recordings were made before and after they listened to ‗L‘allegro con
spirito‘ from the Sonata for Two Pianos in D Major K448 by Mozart, and before and
after they listened to Fur Elise by Beethoven.
‗The results of our study show an increase in the alpha power and MF
frequency index of background activity in both Adults and in the healthy elderly after
listening to Mozart‘s K448, a pattern of brain wave activity linked to intelligent
quotient (IQ), memory, cognition and (having an) open mind to problem solving. ‗No
changes in EEG activity were detected in both adults and in the elderly after listening
to Beethoven.
‗This result confirms that the observed EEG patterns are the result of the
influence of Mozart‘s sonata and not just a consequence of listening to music in
general.
Stress reduction
While small amounts of stress are a normal part of everyday life, some
older adults experience overwhelming stress and tension. Listening to music has
been found to help people deal with stress and anxiety by slowing high heart rates
and reducing levels of the stress hormone cortisol. In music therapy programs,
therapists may use songs with certain rhythms, themes, or lyrics to help people relax
and reduce stress.
Music therapy is often used in memory care treatment to slow the decline
of speech skills in dementia patients. In some instances, music therapy can inspire
individuals who are nonverbal to communicate by singing or humming. Music therapy
may also improve cognitive ability in older adults. In a Stanford University study on
the effects of music therapy on older adults, researchers found that rhythmic music
stimulates certain areas of the brain to increases blood flow and improved seniors‘
performance on cognitive tests.
Inspire movement
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Playing music can motivate older adults to get moving, whether it‘s by
dancing, clapping, or even tapping their toes. Many music therapy programs use
drums or tambourines to encourage seniors to participate and make their own music.
Did you know that musicians have a bigger corpus callosum than non-
musicians?
The corpus callosum is the part of our brains that connects the right
hemisphere to the left. It allows both sides to communicate with each other, and is
responsible for eye movement and helping us maintain our balance. It also holds the
largest amount of white matter in the brain, which influences how our brains learn
and function. Researchers tell us that white matter (wherever it is housed, in the brain
or spinal column) is responsible for communication between nerve cells; thus, the
corpus callosum is the communicator for the brain.
Current research from Anita Collins suggests that when our students play
their instruments, they are working on their fine motor skills. Both parts of our brain
are responsible for these fine motor skills. Additionally, as the right side of the brain is
responsible for the creative process, while the left side is responsible for our linguistic
prowess, musicians use both of these hemispheres simultaneously when they create.
Consequently, musicians adapt to these challenges by creating a larger corpus
callosum, much the way an athlete would grow his or her muscles.
start out with at least one slightly larger measure of corpus callosum size, differences
in finger skill tend to develop slowly.
They proposed that synesthesia may be learned and arise from childhood
memories. A 2014 study performed by Olympia Colizoli of University of Amsterdam
supports this hypothesis to a certain extent. Colizoli trained a group of participants to
associate colors with specific letters to simulate a grapheme-color synesthesia (one
of the most common forms) by having participants read passages where specific
letters were colored. Another 2014 study from the University of Sussex reviewed a
1944 study in which researchers successfully taught listeners to create sound-color
synesthesia connections.
―These findings imply that if scientists are able to figure out a way to
teach people chromaesthesia, it may enhance how well people learn to read and
compose music,‖ Dutton wrote.
auditory cortex, where music and sound are first processed, is close to the occipital
lobe, where the brain distinguishes color and shape. Simultaneously triggered senses
are examples of the brain making excess neurological connections or failing to prune
existing connections. In fact, the brains of infant primates show evidence that their
senses are all a hyperconnective blend until a few weeks or months after birth. By
that logic, we all may be synesthetes until we grow out of it.
Neonatal theory has been criticized in recent years, though, as has all
research that frames synesthesia as a neurological disorder. Researchers out of the
University of London and the University of Oxford argued that the development of
adult synesthesia is ―better explained by their being learned‖ than by erroneously
pruned connections.
SOURCE: Barnes, T. (2015) This Is What‘s Happening In the Brains of People Who
―See‖ Music
Music therapy can assist the brain in re-organizing and creating new
neural pathways. In the linked article below, Dr. Elizabeth Stegemoller outlines the
ways in which music therapy can promote neuroplasticity in the brain. Music
therapists work with individuals with a variety of neurologic and physical challenges,
using the elements of music to make changes in the brain. Music is used to build
non-musical goals such as movement, speech, communication, receptive language,
and cognitive skills.
people‘s behaviors were not static over time, and not long after, Spanish
neuroscientist Santiago Ramón y Cajal suggested that behavioral changes had an
anatomical basis in the brain. It is now well accepted that neuroplasticity
encompasses changes on multiple levels, from individual synapses to entire cortical
networks.
Enjoyable music activates the reward network of the brain, including the
ventral tegmental area (VTA) and nucleus accumbens (NA). By pairing such
rewarding music with desired, nonmusic behaviors, music therapists may be tapping
into the brain‘s reward pathway.
The first has to do with the brain‘s reward circuitry. Research has
consistently shown that dopamine is a primary neurotransmitter involved in
neuroplasticity, and dopaminergic neurons in the reward network of the brain,
including the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and nucleus accumbens (NA), have been
implicated in cortical remodeling, reward-related learning, and hippocampal long-term
potentiation (the strengthening of synapses due to a long-lasting increase in signal
transmission between two neurons). And in the past few years, researchers have
demonstrated that, like food and drugs, enjoyable music activates these reward
networks. Thus, by pairing music with non-music-related behaviors, music therapists
may be tapping into the brain‘s reward pathway.
This coming September 30, 2018 there will be a WORSHIP EXPLOSION with the
theme ‖THE PLUG‖. This will be held in Systems Plus College Foundation,
Balibago, Angeles City. PAMPAC Annual President, Irene Gabrielle M. Mungcal,
RPm says ―It started with a vision from previous officers of the organization to have
an event for the whole Pampanga. It was a plan made to awaken the true meaning of
worship for the young generation and to establish that, no matter what
you went through or going through, you can still worship God.‖
Praise in the original Greek means to sing, to tell of, to give, or to confess.
In simpler terms, it means to be thankful for God‘s blessings, and to declare that
good news to God and to others.
Worship, in both the original Greek and Hebrew, convey the idea of: ―to
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prostrate oneself, to bow down, to fall face down, to pay homage and to pay respect.‖
In other words, worship is the highest form of honor and respect that we can show
towards God. While worship can be done in public, its main directive is very different
from praise. Worship is a direct conversation between you and God. It is highly
intimate and personal.
Objectives: To win souls for God and to regain the true meaning of
worship for the young generation
What to expect in the event: Unlimited praise and deep lessons for
brokenness and heart break and worship satisfaction all for God
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October 1, 2018
Music training may provide an ideal tool for such a new perspective: it allows
considering each one of the multiple facets of dyslexia as a potential target to be
improved. In this respect, music training may be one of the most complete and rational
ways of treating dyslexia. Whatever the exact mechanism(s) subserving the observed
improvements, their occurrence after relatively short sessions of musical training opens
interesting avenues for future research as well as practical applications. First, our results
suggest that several cognitive functions, including reading but not only, may be improved
by adding a musical content to classical speech therapy and remediation of dyslexia. Our
view is that such training could usefully complement more classical methods, in particular
when they have been used extensively but children still need reeducation. Second, as
others have also noted (Heim et al., 2015), the improvement may depend upon two main
features of the CMT method; an intensive training and that this training is given
collectively to small groups of children. Finally, our results open new avenues for future
research. For instance, it would be of interest to include recording of electrophysiological
or neuroimaging data, to assess the brain changes underlying the observed
improvements. Also, direct comparisons with other remediation methods could provide
important additional understanding of the exact nature of the improved processes, for
example by comparing musical training to more specific attentional or phonological
training. Finally, testing the hypothesis of impaired connectivity in other
neurodevelopmental disorders such as dyscalculia (Srinivasan and Bhat, 2013) would
certainly contribute to enrich the ―The Dyslexia Debate‖ (Elliott and Grigorenko,
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2014).
SOURCE: Michel Habib, Chloé Lardy, Tristan Desiles, Céline Commeiras, Julie
Chobert, and Mireille Besson (2016) ―Music and Dyslexia: A New Musical Training
October 2, 2018
Music has been in its formal existence for so many years now and it has
also been utilized to enhance, relax and help man‘s meditation. This study focused
on how music can or may influence an individual. The researchers investigated and
described the influence of Howard Gardner‘s theory on Multiple Intelligence
(specifically, musical intelligence). The study is a qualitative investigation on the
respondent‘s social and emotional dynamics in relation to musical intelligence and
music training.
Howard Gardner theorized that there are multiple intelligences, and that
we all use one or two for the most effective learning. Our culture teaches, tests,
reinforces and rewards primarily two kinds of intelligence: verbal/linguistic and
logical/mathematical. His theory proposes that there are at least eight other kinds of
intelligence that are equally important. They are ―languages‖ that most people
speak, and that cut through cultural, educational, and ability differences.
Bodily Kinesthetic intelligence (able to use the body skillfully and handle
objects adroitly, as in an athlete or dancer): Use activities that involve role playing,
physical gestures, drama, inventing, ball passing, sports games, physical exercise,
body language, dancing.
This study can be used as a basis for future studies about musical
intelligence and musical training either at an early age or during adolescence period.
It limits itself in just describing the social and emotional dynamics that musical
intelligence or musical training‘s influence in their personal lives.
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The study did not experiment, compare or evaluate any particular group of
individuals but instead, investigated and described the social and emotional
dynamics of selected college student participants. It is considered as a qualitative
study that entailed multiple case studies.
After answering the questions there was a brief discussion about their
experiences in music and how they were influenced by it. Their thoughts and views
about music as they grew up were also discussed briefly. This served as a more in
depth analysis of a participant in the case study.
Based on the results of the study all of the participants accepted that there
was an increase in their self-confidence because of musical intelligence and/or music
training. This may be attributed to public performances since they are all performing
artists. The researchers may infer that the more public performances these
individuals render, the higher the confidence level and comfortable they become as
the time goes on.
Music has always been used for relaxation, prayer, meditation for many
years now. This may have paved the way to developing the personality of an
individual, the perspective in life, optimism, and even self-healing and understanding
of the beauty of the world.
Many leaders have an in-depth appreciation for music. This indicates that
music may influence them in some way or another. Leaders have listened to music
and have appreciated it for a long time now. Some leaders have used music to plan,
organize and evaluate situations.
Not to mention the great minds of Einstein, Mozart, Beethoven, Bach and
even military leaders have been influenced by music.
D. INVOLVEMENT IN MUSIC
E. MUSIC TRAINING
This coincides with a recent article from Amy Spray (2018). According to
Spray (2018), musical training has shown to lead to improvements in a wide variety
of different skills, including memory and spatial learning for example. In addition,
language skills such as verbal memory, literacy and verbal intelligence have been
shown to strongly benefit from musical training.
REFERENCES:
Pelayo, J. M. G. III (2013) Social and Emotional Dynamics of College Students with
Musical Intelligence and Musical Training: A Multiple Case Study – Education
Resources Information Center (ERIC)
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October 4, 2018
The term ―soaking‖ is simply a way of describing the posture of our heart
(and often our body) during worship. It is a time of stillness and quiet reflection upon
the Lord where we can commune with Him and enjoy His Presence. If you stop
focusing on all the instruments, the singing, the words of the songs, the worship
leader‘s exhortation and simply focus on intimacy with Jesus; that is soaking. It is
where the music washes over you and your heart finds rest in worship. During times
of soaking, our emphasis is on simply ―being‖. People often meditate on scripture or
journal; but it is all from a posture of stillness before the Lord.
The key is where your focus is. On the things of God or on things of this
world. Bible reading and prayer are not enough. We must take time alone with Him,
not asking for anything but more of Him, more of His fullness, more of His Presence
in our everyday lives. God releases power through us as we dwell in intimacy with
Him. The natural outworking of His Presence is miracles.
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In its‘ most basic form, soaking is the practice of finding a quiet place to
spend time with Yahweh, emptying your mind of all distraction and attempting to get
into contact with the Ruach.
October 8, 2018
Although music is part of virtually all cultures in the world, little is known
about how it affects us. Since the beginning of this century several studies suggested
that the response to music, and to sound in general, is complex and might not be
exclusively due to emotion, given that cell types other than auditory hair cells can
also directly react to audible sound. The present study was designed to better
understand the direct effects of acoustic vibrations, in the form of music, in human
cells in culture. Our results suggest that the mechanisms of cell growth arrest and/or
cell death induced by acoustic vibrations are similar for auditory and non- auditory
cells.
Despite being an integral part of virtually all cultures in the world, little is
known about how music affects us. A number of studies suggest that music may be
useful in medical care, alleviating stress and nociception in patients undergoing
surgical procedures, as well as in cancer and burned patients but the mechanisms by
which these effects occur are still unidentified. It is commonly accepted that the
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effects of music are secondary to emotional responses, but Møller and Pedersen
affirmed that vibrotactile sensations and a feeling of pressure might also occur in the
chest and throat while hearing sounds.
Since the beginning of this century several studies suggested that the
response to music, and to sound in general, is complex and might not be exclusively
due to emotion, given that cell types other than auditory hair cells can also directly
react to audible sound. For example, it has been shown that sound wave stimulation
makes significant changes to protein structure of tobacco cells, producing an
increase in α helix and a decrease in β turn; also, sound stimulation produced effects
on the cell cycle of Chrysanthemum and in the callus growth of Dendranthema
morifolium. More recently, it was demonstrated that the tonal sounds of 1 kHz and
5 kHz promoted the growth of Escherichia coli.
It was observed that the two breast cancer cell lines reacted to music in
different ways. While Mozart‘s composition did not alter cell viability of MCF-7 cells, it
led MDA-MD-231 to apoptosis. Moreover, the speaker alone was able to significantly
reduce MDA-MD-231 viability, while it had no effect on MCF-7 cells. Moreover, the
compositions of Beethoven and Mozart inhibited MDA-MB-231 migration, without
altering cell viability. These results suggest that the cellular response to music, and
perhaps to sound in general, is dependent not only on the nature of the sound, but
also on intrinsic characteristics of the cellular type. Since this is the second report
about the direct effects of music in nonauditory cells in culture, more studies are
needed to achieve comprehension of these phenomena.
The very nature of politics is, like music, rooted in conflict and harmony.
The heart of music is the interplay of the physical and the mental, as the compromise
between them forms a cohesive whole. Compromise is also the heart of the political
process, trying to find common ground and consensus solutions to problems of
society through open communication. Both seek to inspire their targets, and both
have made great use of the other to advance their ideas. With a hotly contested
election on the way this November, we thought it would be a fine time to examine the
way music and politics have become strangely entwined.
The relationship between music and politics has existed for centuries,
sometimes harmoniously, and other times not as much. Historical records are full of
examples of songs that laud the achievements of nations, dating all the way back to
ancient Egypt. On the other hand, however, songwriters have turned to their craft
when confronted with social and political unjustness, and give birth to songs that
seek to shine a light on the perceived inequities of the day. From protest songs to
voter campaigns, campaign rallies to musical endorsements and musicians
campaigning, there‘s been no shortage of love between music and politics.
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Music is a great way to create a bond between people and make them act
as one. It is also the unofficial voice of resistance. An intriguing case study is
provided by Peter Wicke, who argues that rock musicians in East Germany were the
catalysts for collapse of the East German regime. He states that government‘s
repression of rock turned it into a resistance, which was more or less impossible to
control (Street, 2003). A local example from Turkey, a protest rock group named
―Grup Yorum‖ had released countless recordings which created conflictions with
government, and often resulted in group members ending up in jail. All of these
happened because of the group‘s political stand, but these events made them the #1
protest group in Turkey. In addition, Woodstock music festival was the biggest event
of its time, showing youth‘s resistance to government, while uniting the general young
population. Bennett stated that Woodstock ‘69 is remembered as much for its
―bringing together‖ of counter – cultural generation, as for the music performed. The
festival was a milestone for the political use of music and it opened the way for
events (Williams, 2009). Woodstock ‘69 festival spread to the world the concepts like
free love, civil rights and anti – war stance. Just like this, summer of 1967 was called
―Summer of Love‖, due to the events going on in that summer, as freedom or anti –
war thoughts, similar to Woodstock. Music was one of the main parts of these events,
it helped to re – shape the community, united youth and resisted to the existing
reactionary thoughts. Music created a better way of living for us, starting from these
events.
For many times, music was used to inform the society about various issues.
Soul music in 1930s demonstrated the hardships of anguished Afro – Americans. Folk
singer Woodie Guthrie wrote many songs about the lives of black people, especially in
rural areas, where black people were used as slaves. An example for this, is the song ―I
Ain‘t Going to Be Treated Like This Way‖. His outspoken lyrics caused him to be labeled
―un – American‖, but his work informed the US society and influenced many artists to
follow his way (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum, 2012). There are also much more
peaceful attempts, just as the ―USA for Africa‖. Many famous artists including Michael
Jackson, Bruce Springsteen etc. founded this group and recorded ―We Are The World‖.
It made the community aware and raised millions of dollars to stop the growing famine in
Africa. Some artists wrote a song called ―Sun City‖, criticizing the Apartheid in South
Africa. Bob Geldof can be considered as the father of charity concerts, such as Live Aid,
which was also started for the poor living standards in Africa. These concerts raised
hundreds of millions and created conscious in society, while giving immeasurable
pleasure to its audience.
people, and the political issues at a certain time, as seen in the examples that were
mentioned. Music brings support to various causes. Plus, it connects people and
opens a way for a better future, also raising money and consciousness in societies. It
is being said that music is irrelevant with politics, but people define themselves with
music and search for same political views in artists, as written here in examples. All
these points emphasize that music is an effective political tool, and the political use of
music should be done strongly and continuously.
Music listening is one of the most pleasurable experiences for the human
being (Dube and Le Bel, 2003). Music can be defined as the organization of the tone
over the time. By mean of the exposure to musical pieces in everyday life, listeners
acquire sensitivity to the regularities of the tonal system (Tillmann, 2005). This
knowledge creates expectancy in the listeners, with experience of tension, suspense
or relaxation, when the rules are confirmed, or violated (Meyer, 2008; Ockelford,
2008). Activations to pleasant and unpleasant musical stimuli were observed within
an extensive neuronal network of limbic and paralimbic brain structures. Activations
in the ventral striatum, anterior superior insula, and in Rolandic operculum were
observed in healthy subjects, during the listening of pleasant music (Koelsch et al.,
2006). Moreover, inferior frontolateral cortex, ventrolateral premotor cortex, and
anterior part of the superior temporal gyrus were found active in the processing of
musical syntax, whereas the processing of musical semantics appears to activate
posterior temporal regions (Koelsch, 2005).
The emotions felt by the listening to music were described as linked to the
musical structures (Juslin and Sloboda, 2010). The parameters, defined as Formal
Complexity and General Dynamics, provide informations about the relationship
between musical structures and emotions (Imberty, 1976). Imberty defines Formal
Complexity and General Dynamics, combining musical variables (as note duration,
metric interval, density of notes per time unit, loudness, accents, syncopation and
other characteristics of melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic structures) associating them
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to the emotion induced by the music (Imberty, 1976, 1997). In particular, the General
Dynamics is defined as the number per time unit of notes played and their relative
intensity, while the Formal Complexity as the intrinsic homogeneity of the musical
structures (i.e., melodic recorsivity, rhythmic structure, dissonance etc;
The experience of music listening is based on the idea that the music
represents and induces emotions, which are, respectively, perceived and felt by
listeners, although these two aspects may not coincide (Gabrielsson, 2002). The
association of different psychological mechanisms, associated to the physiological
correlates of the music listening, were suggested (Harrer and Harrer, 1968). Several
modes of music listening were described as associated to conscious (e.g., structural
analytic, associative oriented. ect.) or unconscious (e.g., associative emotional,
motor-kinetic, etc.) listening (Rauhe, 1975; Rösing, 1985; Behne, 1986). As reported,
the music internal structure plays a primary role in the induction of emotions, and
rhythmic aspects are considered the major determinants of physiological responses
(Gomez and Danuser, 2007). More, the tonal variation was correlated to the
psychophysiological happy/sad distinction (Khalfa et al., 2008).
Music holds a ubiquitous role in our society (McDermott & Houser, 2005)
and the creation and consumption of music represents a universal human activity
(Rentfrow & Gosling, 2003). Of note, the role of group music making as an
evolutionary advantage has long been considered and questioned (Darwin, 1859).
Specifically, acoustic synchronization likely served as a mechanism to enhance
likelihood of reproductive success (Cross, 2009) and as a way to communicate, build
cohesion, and foster cooperation with others (McDermott & Houser, 2005;
Disanayake, 2009).
There is a long and rich tradition of using music to cultivate resilience and
facilitate healing in the wake of violence and oppression. Songs and chanted hymns
often accompanied physical labor endured by American slaves to coordinate
movement and boost resolve to complete arduous tasks (Gregory, 1997). The
introduction of communal music-making activities to adolescent groups in post-
apartheid South Africa led to self-reported reduction of anxiety, stress, and fear in the
wake of community violence (Pavlicevic, 1999). These historical accounts of healing
with music are complimented by research demonstrating that emotional responses to
music are neurally mediated, such that listening to music activates brain structures
involved in reward, pleasure, and emotional processing (e.g. insula, ventral medial
prefrontal cortex, ventral striatum, amygdala, hippocampus; Koelsch 2009). Further,
group music making has been shown to help solidify an individual‘s sense of identity
within their perceived social group (Gregory, 1997). More recently, trauma
researchers and clinicians have been promoting the use of alternative and less
verbally-intensive treatment modalities for trauma survivors involving body movement
and creative arts (e.g. Garrido, Baker, Davidson, Moore, & Wasserman, 2015; Van
der Kolk, 2014; Van Westrhenen & Fritz, 2014).
reward (e.g. ventromedial prefrontal cortex and posterior cingulate cortex) and
increase the production of stress reducing hormones (e.g. oxytocin and endogenous
opioids; Eisenberger & Cole, 2012). Studies have also shown that engagement with
music is correlated with increased self-esteem and the reduction of feelings of
worthlessness, particularly in younger populations (Haines, 1989).
SOURCE: Landis-Shack, N., Heinz, A. and Bonn-Miller, M. (2017) ―Music Therapy for
Posttraumatic Stress in Adults: A Theoretical Review‖
Mere quantity changes are expanded into changing qualities, and even
the emergent production of the wholly new. The traditional pluralist approach cannot
deal with such in any meaningful way: we just have to accept them and find
pragmatic ways of including them.
Only the holistic approach admits there is more than mere complication in
the emergence of the new, and it isn‘t a purely continuous process: sometimes it
requires a major dissolution to even make possible a new direction of developments.
And as, distinct from the old conceptions causality can act in both directions = from
the old to the new, and from the new to the old. What is actually possible leaves the
usual assumed combinations of fixed entities and eternal Laws well behind, on the
foreshores of the Pluralist World: the majority of the vast oceans of the Holist World
remain to be explored!
But in the 1960s the musical experimenters using tape loops and early
electronic musical instruments, such as those used by Terry Riley with his ―In C‖,
also extended the variations to a much wider set of changes, initially at least, NOT
totally under the control of the players.
And, in Physics, the French physicist Yves Couder, focused primarily upon
the properties of liquid media, devised analogistic experiments at the macro level,
using a liquid substrate, and absolutely nothing else, to produce persisting entities
called Walkers, which began to reveal qualities analogous to those occurring at the
Sub Atomic level, including quantized orbits.
SOURCE: Music and Holism (2018) ―A Gateway to the full Richness of Reality?‖
flushing toilet, and a dog barking. None sparked the same population of neurons as
music.
The MIT team adopted a new technique to break down the fMRI data.
They tried to explain the response to each of the distinct sounds at each point in the
brain as a sum of a small number of canonical responses, each potentially
corresponding to a different population of neurons. It was a little like zooming in on a
photograph until pixels appear, and then finding a way to separate each pixel into
even smaller components.
The results challenge a persistent claim that the brain processes music
and language in the same way. ―You have different neural circuitry that‘s involved in
music and language,‖ says McDermott. ―There doesn‘t seem to be a whole lot of
overlap.‖ Could music be its own form of communication? ―To the extent that music
functions for communication, it‘s quite different from language in that it doesn‘t
denote specific, concrete things in the world, like something you would say,‖ he says.
―But it obviously expresses something, typically something emotional.‖
McDermott says his research ―doesn‘t really speak to any kind of social
activity.‖ It locates music-selective neurons in an area anterior to the primary auditory
cortex. ―Beyond the anatomical location,‖ he adds, ―we don‘t really know anything
more.‖ Yet McDermott, whose field of study is hearing, and not necessarily music,
would love to know the role and purpose of musical circuitry in the brain.
―It‘s pretty clear that music has a biological basis,‖ he says. ―The evidence
is that music is a universal phenomenon. It doesn‘t seem to be a purely cultural
convention in the way that movies are. In pretty much every culture we know of, no
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SOURCE: Gross, D. (2018) ―Your Brain‘s Music Circuit Has Been Discovered‖
Around one in 240 children under the age of 16 in the UK have epilepsy.
But in around 20-40% of cases, drug treatment does not adequately control seizures.
The study showed that Mozart‘s K448 decreased epileptic activity during EEG tests –
a recording of brain activity – in children.
―There is great potential to further investigate this effect and the possible
use of music as a therapy for epilepsy in children, as well as adults,‖ the researchers
concluded.
The study involved 45 patients aged two to 18, who were all undergoing
EEG tests at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh. The participants
listened to five minutes of the first movement of the Sonata for Two Pianos in D
Major.
Since then, small studies have been carried out looking at the effects of
Mozart on epilepsy, with most focusing on Mozart‘s K448, although one paper found
similar effects with another Mozart sonata K545. There is a rare form of epilepsy
called musicogenic, where seizures can be induced by listening to, or even just
thinking about or dreaming of, music. Chantal Spittles, of charity Epilepsy Action,
said: ―It is encouraging to hear this latest study has found beneficial effects on
children with epilepsy. ―We look forward to seeing how this study translates into
positive change for children with drug-resistant epilepsy.‖
SOURCE: Duffy, J. (2018) Study finds that listening to the sonatas of Mozart can ease
epileptic seizures
Reading and spelling performance was tested with the Salzburger Lese-
und Rechtschreibtest (SLRT; Landerl, Wimmer, & Moser, 1997). The SLRT is an
individually given test assessing reading accuracy and reading speed for three word
and two non-word reading subtests as well as spelling performance with regard to
different types of spelling errors. Musical education has a beneficial effect on higher
cognitive functions, but questions arise whether associations between music lessons
and cognitive abilities are specific to a domain or general. Active music performance
relies on a demanding action-perception-loop calling for long periods of focused
attention on dynamic visual, auditory, and motor signals. Given this extra training of
high-level cognitive skills in children who learn to play an instrument, it can be asked
whether making music enhances children‘s performance in domains other than
music.
SOURCE: Katrin Hille, 1 Kilian Gust, 1 Urlich Bitz, 1 and Thomas Kammer 2 Advances
in Cognitive Psychology (2011)
There is a reason why music and sex go so well together, and it actually
has a lot to do with science. Neuropsychologist Dr. Rhonda Freeman says that music
is likely to affect three regions of the brain — the reward or pleasure system, the
social affiliation or bonding system, and the limbic system (which processes
emotions).
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When triggered, the reward system, for example, involves dopamine and
endogenous opioids. Dr. Freeman explains, ―Dopamine is a neurotransmitter linked
with desire, wanting, craving, motivation, or anticipation of someone or something —
in this instance, of our intimate partner. And endogenous opioids are the hedonic
response, which includes pleasure and enjoyment.
Here‘s how else music affects your brain when you‘re being intimate with
your partner.
Tenor
Just about everyone has their preferred type of music to have sex to, and
some people even have specific songs that get them ready. There‘s no denying that
music‘s influence and the inextricable tie to sex are well known, but just why does it
affect us this way?
Another reason is that when we listen to music and get this increase in
dopamine, we also start to associate it with whoever we‘re with, which can evoke
emotional feelings directly correlated to that person. If the relationship is a romantic
one, then the songs that you listened to together also become inexorably tied to love,
romance, and yes, sex. Songs can literally ―pump us up,‖ empower us and get our
primal drives going. Neuroscientists have said that ―virtually all people‖ respond
more to a lower-pitched beat than they do to something higher, which is why most
pop music doesn‘t cut it in the bedroom. Anything with bass is quite soothing to our
ears and can get your heart rate going and alter your mood.
Imgur
Of course, this low tone can also cause quite a lot of vibrations, which
people find… rather pleasing, for obvious reasons. Some people even have a
physical response when they listen to music that produces a reaction similar to
orgasm — trembling, sweating, arousal, increased heart rate— which is, in effect,
your skin ―orgasming‖ to the music and the dopamine you‘re experiencing. Music
has a powerful, primal connection in our heads, and can literally change the way that
we‘re feeling, what we‘re thinking about, or get us into a particular mindset. It‘s a
wonderful experience that shouldn‘t be taken for granted, so if you have a specific
―sexy time‖ song that you love to play, then don‘t be afraid to use it and light some
candles, no matter how cliché it might seem, because it really does work.
SOURCE: Lyons,B. (2018) Listening To Music During Sex Has These 3 Effects On
Your Body & Brain / Najjar, M. (2017) Listening To Music During Sex Gives You Better
Orgasms
But are they really? What if they are not and deaf people can actually feel
the music? The reality is that a lot of people often wonder if those whom are deaf-
mute can hear music? Moreover, how do deaf people learn about music at all? And if
they can learn it, are they able to enjoy it? These are some of the many questions
that those of us who can hear may take for granted or not even think about. Yet for
people who spend so much time each day listening to music, it must be something to
ponder.
Throughout history, it was widely believed that those who were completely
hearing impaired could not hear music. But after many studies and research, there is
a lot of evidence to the contrary. A few years ago, Doctor Dean Shibata, MD,
performed a study on the the hearing impaired. The research was done at the
University of Rochester School of Medicine in New York City. During his research, he
found that in there is a part of our brain that is used for hearing. The study found that
deaf people are actually able to sense those vibrations in that same part of the brain.
More than 10 students who had hearing loss from birth were used in the
experiment. They were then compared to 11 other people with normal hearing. Using
a pipe, all of the students were asked to see if they could detect the vibrations.
Simultaneously, brain scans were performed on them to detect if any signals were
being transmitted to the brain. The scans were able to pick up the activity and the
deaf people felt the vibrations. That same part of the brain we all use for hearing,
picked up the music signals via vibes and pulses for those that were deaf.
A vast majority of people who study music or instruments are often told by
their teachers, to feel the music. Truth is that the tenet of ‗feeling the music‘ is one
that anyone who wants to play, sing or write about music is told to do. The belief is
that you can only truly love something unless you are able to genuinely feel it. That
concept has taken on a new meaning when it comes to the hearing impaired. For
them, feeling the music is an actual reality.
One of the biggest and greatest examples of this comes from Beethoven.
He was a preeminent composer and one of the greatest of all time. However, towards
the end of his life, Beethoven actually ended up deaf. Although he did have the
advantage of once being able to hear music early on his life, he still ended up having
to use vibrations at the end. It was through those vibrations when he played the
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It may be true that those who are hearing impaired probably won‘t be able
to fully enjoy music in the same manner that those who hear it can. Nonetheless, the
deaf are still able to feel and enjoy the rhythm of the music via vibrations. To a deaf
person, being able to feel the vibes and pulses which music generates, equates to
actual sounds. In the end, our brain processes it in the same part. That part of our
brain is what lets us know to appreciate and enjoy not only what we hear, but what
we feel.
Music moves us, both literally and figuratively. The relationship between
music, movement and mood is so fundamental that they‘re often described by the
same set of words in many languages: we sway to ―heart-wrenching‖ ballads; sprint
to ―angry‖ rock n‘ roll. The ability to enjoy music across modalities seems to be a
unique yet ubiquitous human trait; across the globe people describe intense pleasure
from listening to music, grooving to music, exercising to music. What lies at the core
of this abstract euphoria? What is it about our perception that allows us to experience
all three in unison?
neurotransmitter that mediates the pleasurable effects of natural and drug rewards.
As music gradually built up, edging closer and closer to the climax, dopamine flooded
the right caudate nucleus, correlating with the listener‘s experience of anticipation. At
the moment of the ―chills‖, dopamine rushed out from the synapses of neurons in
the right nucleus accumbens (NAc). This intangible mental ―high‖ accompanied a
measurable physical response – increased heart rate and sweating, rapid breathing,
and a drop in skin temperature – all physical signs of emotional arousal.
At the same time, functional connectivity increased between the NAc and
brain regions involved in emotional processing and value-guided decision-making,
showing that the brain is keeping track of and constantly reappraising new music as it
plays. Finally, desirable songs increased connectivity between the NAc and auditory
brain areas; the relationship was so strong that the degree of increase could predict
the level of desirability for a certain individual.
Together, these results suggest that the NAc responds not only to familiar
and pleasurable songs, but also to new songs that ―fit‖ our taste for music. Based on
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It‘s a beautiful theory, though still in its infancy. How do we first generate
musical templates? How do some songs, neutral or unpleasant when first
encountered, manage to grow on us with time? How is music so variable cross
cultures, yet universally loved at the same time?
One theory proposes that our cognitive connection to music evolved from
a more ancient skill – the ability to express emotion through movements. While
seemingly unrelated on the surface, music and physical motion share many
spatiotemporal characteristics – speed, rhythm, smoothness – that engage the same
brain circuits, particularly ones involved in time-keeping, learning of sequences and
motion perception.
After ample time to familiarize themselves with the program, the students
fiddled patiently with the bars until they found the perfect representation for five
emotions: angry, happy, peaceful, sad, and scared. Incredibly, regardless of which
particular emotion represented, both music and movement groups moved the bars
into essentially the same general scheme. That is, while the absolute position of the
bars differed between groups for each emotion, positions representing ―angry‖ in
music was always more similar to those of ―angry‖ in movement, as compared to
bars representing ―happy‖. Remember, the students were free to construct their
interpretation of something as abstract as emotion, using two different brain modules
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– yet the result was highly similar! These data tease us with a tantalizing idea, that
music and movement tickles our brain in comparable ways.
Thus, music and movement share a common structure that the brain
processes to express emotions in a similar way. This dynamic coupling seems to be
universal, at least for most of the emotions tested, inviting speculations of an
evolutionary origin. Perhaps humans first learned to extract emotion through
movement (Grok raised his fist – he‘s angry); the same areas that process
emotionally-relevant changes in rhythm and speed were later recycled for detecting
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changes in sound, speech, and finally music. Thus, the brain creates a music-
movement-emotion triad that is fundamentally inseparable due to their shared neural
circuits.
Some evidence supports this nascent theory. Think about the many times
you unconsciously bobbed your head, tapped your fingers or matched your steps to a
tune. When we groove to the beat, our auditory and motor brain areas synchronize to
produce a type of propagating brain wave called beta-oscillations, which parallels an
intense feeling of enjoyment.
In the past, our ancestors may have used the power of music in rituals to
promote bonding within communities. In the future, as we increase our understanding
in the evolution and neuroscience of music, its psychological powers may potentially
be harnessed as therapy for those with behavioural and psychiatric disorders. Such
research is under way.
Ah, wedding season. The middle of the year is a popular time to tie the
knot, but after it‘s all over, the newly married couple needs a little time to relax. Enter
the honeymoon.
The word derives from the Old English hony moone. Hony refers to the
new marriage‘s sweetness, as well as a reference to the European custom of giving
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newlyweds enough mead, ―an alcoholic liquor made by fermenting honey and
water,‖ to last a month. That would keep many a couple happy.
Moon refers to how long that sweetness might probably last, or from the
changing aspect of the moon—from full to waning. In French, the equivalent word is lune
de miel. The German version is flitterwhochen, from flitter, which means ―tinsel.‖ Not
exactly the type of positive thinking a couples counselor would recommend, is it?
Of course, it‘s now customary to toast the new couple. But does toast, as
in cooked bread, have anything to do with clinking glasses together? It actually does.
Originally, a toast was raised to the health of a beautiful or popular woman. The
notion was that her name would figuratively flavor or strengthen the drink. And drinks,
way back, were actually flavored with spiced toast. As for the ceremonious clinking of
glasses, the custom is said to have evolved from fears of poisoning. The idea was
that the liquid would spill from glass to glass. It is also believed that the roots of the
custom are related to the offering of sacrificial libations to the gods.
These days it‘s not just all for the toast—a little liquid helps wash down all
that delicious wedding cake, a term that dates back to 1648. Fun fact: wedding cake
is also used to describe a style of architecture in which buildings have distinct tiers.
Go ahead and throw the music on before you start having sex if you want,
but know you are taking some incredibly real risks in your hands. There‘s the
possibility of finding, midway through ―Body Party,‖ that you‘ve been thrusting to the
beat for three minutes and aren‘t actually paying attention to your partner. There
could be a particularly sick key change that‘s better than the sex you‘re having and
distracts you both from what you‘re doing. There‘s the keen awareness that you only
sexed for 1.5 songs, and that‘s way less than the hour you used to spend really
getting into it. And then the biggest risk of all is that something will play that
absolutely will — and this is a guaranteed inevitability — obliterate the mood. It could
be a Spotify commercial, it could be a stray Evanescence song you forgot to remove
from your playlist, or it could be some song called ―As We Go Up, We Go Down‖
playing while a guy‘s got his mouth on your vagina. No matter what it is, it‘ll be
unsexy and ruin what probably would‘ve been a perfectly nice experience.
Let‘s make something clear: Putting on some tunes while you eat a
romantic dinner? That‘s lovely! Playing some jams while you do some kissing? Pretty
OK! But when things start to escalate (you choose where to draw the line, my line is
―nudity‖), turn off that shit. Be an adult and relish in the sounds of your butt
rhythmically slapping a dude‘s sweaty abdomen. Unless you want your next orgasm
to be soundtracked by Father John Misty crooning about fucking Taylor Swift in a VR
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headset (thereby ruining orgasms for you forever, probably?) turn off the music
before the sex starts happening.
Different Tastes in Music Affect Relationships and Reveal their Intellectual Limits
with their Partners
I now take a look at how our musical whims are influenced by our cultures,
speaking from the modern perspective of today. Whichever culture we grew up in has
a large part to play in deciding what goes on our ITunes playlist these days. If we
grew up in a family that listened mainly to Italian songs, it would not be surprising to
find some of them, if not all, on the list. If you grew up in a Korean family, many K-
Pop songs would make up that list.
When a person tells you about his musical tastes, he tells you a lot about
himself. If a person you have just been introduced to says he likes classical music,
the next thought that comes to your mind might be ―Perhaps he can play an
instrument‖ or ―He must know at least a little about Beethoven.‖ If a person says he
likes Hip Hop music, your next thought might be, ―Maybe he likes dancing.‖
We tend to develop a liking for the people who share our musical
preferences because of the common ground that is forged.
Not surprisingly, people tended to like a person better when they shared
similar musical tastes. These people also tended to have more similarities between
them!
Music is a symbol of identity and a unifying force. I use again the example
of the girls in my class. They had unified themselves as a group of Justin Bieber
lovers.
How understanding each other‘s taste in music can help love blossom
Knowing each other‘s musical tastes can be the fertilizer that helps the
flower of love to blossom. Such knowledge contributes to the growth of love in
several ways.
Having similar interests or knowing the other party‘s musical interests and
therefore sometimes making allowances for them opens the doors to many
conversations. When you find little to ask the other party while out on a date, talk
about music and it is hard to go wrong.
Music is the easiest element for you and your partner to relate to. It is
universal and many people easily associate with it. So common is it to find crowds at
concerts moved by the lyrics of a song. This is true for couples as well.
Johann Sebastian Bach‘s Six Solo Cello Suites are some of the most
iconic classical music works. They have inspired not only cellists and audiences but
other artforms as well, and they have been featured in ballet and theatre productions,
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even in films.
Leopold and his principality followed the Calvinist faith, a fact that had a
major influence on Johann Sebastian‘s life. The Calvinist liturgy allowed little if any
instrumental music to be performed in the churches of the town, and for six years,
between 1717 and 1723, Bach composed mostly instrumental (but not organ) and
secular compositions. Bach‘s six Brandenburg Concertos, the four Orchestral Suites
and inexhaustible supplies of keyboard music, such as the first volume of his famous
Well-Tempered Clavier, are all products of these fruitful years.
He also became interested in a genre that was not only new to him but
also had little past history that he could rely on, and composed two sets of pieces for
solo string instruments: one for violin and the other for cello.
While there was some existing repertoire written for solo violin, hardly any
composer had the temerity to write solo works for a bass instrument, such as the
cello. Until the first decades of the 18th century, the cello was seen as an
accompanying instrument, providing harmonic foundation and accompaniment to the
melody along with a number of other instruments. This was an important and
functional role, but without any of the implied glory, virtuosity or elegance of a well-
written work for recorder or violin.
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We do not know if Bach was familiar with any of these works. When he
decided to compose for solo cello, he chose a different path and turned towards a
well-known if by then somewhat old-fashioned genre, the suite. This term refers to a
series of dance movements in the same or related keys.
Interestingly, there are no tempo markings for any of the movements given
by the composer. Therefore, it is up to the performer to choose the suitable pulse for
their interpretation. This can lead to significant differences, as demonstrated by the
following two outstanding, but very different recordings of the first, G major Suite‘s
Prélude.
And here is the same movement, played almost twice as fast by the
flamboyant German cellist, Heinrich Schiff:
The dance movements, coming after the Prélude, always follow the same
sequence, originating from different countries: first comes the Allemande from
German lands, then the Courante (French), and then the Sarabande (Spanish). The
fourth dance is a pair of so-called Gallantries: Minuets, Bourrées or Gavottes vary
between the suites. The final dance is an English Gigue.
performer will play exactly what is in the written music, but will hear different notes
from what he or she sees.
The instrument needed for Suite VI in D major is, in fact, a different cello
altogether: one with five strings instead of the customary four, again significantly
changing the sonority of the instrument. While for the performer the extra string can
take some time to get used to, it permits new, otherwise impossible chord
combinations to be written and performed.
For such a popular set of works, it is amazing how little we know about the
genesis of the Cello Suites. Bach‘s autograph manuscript of them is lost, with little
chance it will ever be found. However, Anna Magdalena Bach, his second wife,
copied a large amount of her husband‘s works and a copy in her hand of both the
Violin and the Cello Solos survives. The two manuscript sets were combined into one
volume with the following cover page:
Apart from this manuscript, three other handmade copies survive from the
18th century. While it might be hoped that these copies could help nail down the
origin of the suites, they do quite the opposite. All of the four surviving copies contain
numerous mistakes and, to increase the confusion, they are vastly different from
each other. For these reasons, none of them can be nominated as a truly dependable
copy of Bach‘s autograph.
This curious circumstance is the main reason for the amazingly large
number of published editions of the suites. To date, over 100 musicians (mostly
cellists and musicologists) have offered their solution to the problems of divergent
notes, rhythms, slurs and other markings between the four manuscript sources. All
these editions were prepared with honest musicality and the intent to shine light on
obscure details, yet, as a result of the scarcity of reliable sources and the numerous
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methods to interpret them, they can provide a truly misleading mix of scholarship and
speculation.
Although the Cello Suites have not been published for over 100 years
after their composition, in our times they are an integral part of the cello repertoire.
Most well-known cellists regard performing and recording the whole set as a
milestone in their career.
One of the most moving performance comes from the French cellist,
Pierre Fournier. His interpretation of the Suites even inspired Ingmar Bergman. The
brilliant Swedish film director created a mesmerising wordless scene in his
masterpiece Cries and Whispers (1972), in which the terminally ill, exhausted and
suffering protagonist, Agnes, feeling abandoned by her sisters, finds solace at the
bosom of her maid in a Madonna-like image, accompanied by Fournier‘s
performance of the Sarabande of Suite V.
SOURCE: Szabo, Z. (2017) Decoding the music masterpieces: Bach‘s Six Solo Cello
Suites
The peripheral hearing system consists of three parts which are the outer
ear, the middle ear and the inner ear:
The outer ear consists of the pinna (also called the auricle), ear canal and
eardrum.
The middle ear is a small, air-filled space containing three tiny bones
called the malleus, incus and stapes but collectively called the ossicles. The malleus
connects to the eardrum linking it to the outer ear and the stapes (smallest bone in
the body) connects to the inner ear.
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The inner ear has both hearing and balance organs. The hearing part of
the inner ear and is called the cochlea which comes from the Greek word for ‗snail‘
because of its distinctive coiled shape. The cochlea, which contains many thousands
of sensory cells (called ‗hair cells‘), is connected to the central hearing system by the
hearing or auditory nerve. The cochlea is filled with special fluids which are important
to the process of hearing.
How do we hear?
The physiology of hearing, just like its anatomy, is very complex indeed
and is best understood by looking at the role played by each part of our hearing
system described above.
Sound waves, which are really vibrations in the air around us, are
collected by the pinna on each side of our head and are funnelled into the ear canals.
These sound waves make the eardrum vibrate. The eardrum is so sensitive to sound
vibrations in the ear canal that it can detect even the faintest sound as well as
replicating even the most complex of sound vibration patterns.
The eardrum vibrations caused by sound waves move the chain of tiny
bones (the ossicles – malleus, incus and stapes) in the middle ear transferring the
sound vibrations into the cochlea of the inner ear.
This happens because the last of the three bones in this chain, the stapes,
sits in a membrane-covered window in the bony wall which separates the middle ear
from the cochlea of the inner ear. As the stapes vibrates, it makes the fluids in the
cochlea move in a wave-like manner, stimulating the microscopically small ‗hair cells‘.
What happens next is even more remarkable because, when each ‗hair
cell‘ detects the pitch or frequency of sound to which it‘s tuned to respond, it
generates nerve impulses which travel instantaneously along the auditory nerve.
Hearing well depends on all parts of our auditory system working normally
so that sound can pass through the different parts of the ear to the brain to be
processed without any distortion. The type of hearing problem you have depends on
which part of your auditory system is not responding well.
If you have a problem in the outer or middle ear, it means that there is
inefficient transfer of sound to the cochlea in the inner ear. Generally, this affects the
volume of sound so that it simply doesn‘t seem loud enough.
If the problem is somewhere between the cochlea in the inner ear and the
brain, this is called a sensorineural hearing loss. The pathway through the outer and
middle ears is functioning normally but, after sound arrives at the cochlea, it isn‘t
processed normally either because of damage to the delicate ‗hair cells‘ in the
cochlea or to the auditory nerve or because of defects in the auditory pathway
leading to the brain.
There are very many causes of sensorineural hearing loss but exposure to
excessive noise or the effects of ageing are the most common. The typical signs of
sensorineural hearing loss are a general difficulty in hearing clearly and problems
understanding speech in difficult listening conditions such as in background noise.
Summary:
Women rate photographs of male faces more attractive and are more
likely to date the men pictured when they have previously heard music. Moreover,
highly arousing music led to the largest effect on sexual attraction.
Music is a worldwide phenomenon and part of every culture, but the origin
of music remains a longstanding puzzle. Why do people invest so much energy, time
and money in music? Various theories have been proposed, some of which
emphasize the biological and social aspects of music. For instance, Charles Darwin
said, within the framework of his theory of evolution that music has developed
through sexual selection. The motor and cognitive abilities necessary for making
music serve as in indicator for good genes and thus increase the reproductive
success.
This is similar to the singing of birds in the mating season. ―There are
currently few empirical findings that support Darwin‘s theory on the origin of music.
We wanted to use a new experimental paradigm to investigate the role of music in
choosing a mating partner‖ says Manuela Marin, the leader of the study and former
associate of the Institute for Basic Psychological Research and Research Methods at
the University of Vienna.
In the current study, Marin and her colleagues investigated the impact of
musical exposure on the subjective evaluations of opposite-sex faces. ―Facial
attractiveness is one of the most important physical characteristics that can influence the
choice of a partner. We wanted to find out how music can alter the perception of this
feature‖ says Helmut Leder from the Faculty of Psychology at the University of Vienna.
Since music, especially before the advent of modern technology, has always been
experienced in the here and now, and mostly in a social context, it is plausible to assume
that music could positively influence the visual perception of faces. ―There is some
evidence in the psychological literature that so-called arousal transfer effects can occur if
two stimuli are processed consecutively. The processing of the first stimulus produces
internal arousal, i.e. increased physiological activity, which is then attributed to the
second stimulus. This mostly unconscious mechanism can then influence our actions, in
this case, the choice of a partner‖ explains Manuela Marin.
photograph of a face from the opposite sex with a neutral facial expression. The face
was assessed in terms of its attractiveness on a scale. In addition, participants were
asked to rate whether they would date the person pictured. In the control condition
only faces without music were presented. There were three groups of participants:
women in the fertile phase of their cycle, women in the nonfertile phase of their cycle,
and men. These groups were similar in their musical preferences and musical
training, as well as in their mood before the experiment and in their relationship
status. The results showed that female participants rated the male faces as more
attractive and were more willing to date the men pictured when previously exposed to
music. The fertility cycle did not have a large influence on the ratings. Overall, highly
stimulating and complex music led to the greatest effect compared to the control
condition. This effect was not present among male participants.
January 2, 2019
Music therapy uses music and sound to help express emotions and
improve emotional and physical well being.
listen to music
move to music
sing
There are more than 600 registered music therapists in the UK. They work
in various places, including NHS hospitals, hospices and nursing homes.
One of the main reasons people with cancer use music therapy is
because it makes them feel good.
pain
anxiety
depression
sickness
Music therapy can be a safe place for people to explore fear, anxiety,
anger and the range of emotional responses to living with cancer.
Some studies show that music therapy can help children with cancer to
cope by encouraging them to cooperate and communicate.
You work with your music therapist to plan a programme that suits your
needs. You decide together how often you should have the therapy and how long
each session will be.
You might have regular therapy for weeks or months. You may want to
see your therapist on your own, or take part in group music therapy sessions.
Your relationship with your music therapist is very important. If you don‘t
feel comfortable with anything your therapist is doing, do talk to them about it.
Music therapy cannot cure, treat or prevent any type of disease, including
cancer. But some research shows that music therapy can help people with cancer
reduce their anxiety. It can also help to improve quality of life and reduce symptoms
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We don‘t yet know about all the ways music can affect the body. But we
do know that when music therapy is used in the right way for each person, it can help
them to feel better. To learn more about its full benefits, we need larger trials across
a wider range of cancers.
January 6, 2019
The study utilized case studies and testimonies, and even articles about
Music Therapy with autistic children. Music therapy in the Philippines is still relatively
growing in number. One of the pioneers of Music Therapy in the Philippines is one of
the co-authors of this research study Ms. Celeste S. Sanchez, the first didactic
Licensed Music Therapist in the Philippines. Prof. Pelayo is now undergoing
workshops under the Divine Mercy Mobile Center of Music and Arts Therapy for
Special Children, Adults and Seniors.
people of all cultures listen to, performs, creates and enjoys. Music is an experience
common to everyone.
SOURCE:
January 7, 2019
Harana
During a serenade, one can pretty much sing any love song he likes, even
English ones, and still get away calling it a harana. But if you are going for a truly
authentic harana experience like they did in old Philippines, you have to use a
particluar set of songs specifically written for the endeavor. These songs were written
by some of the better-known composers in the last 75 years such as Santiago
Suarez, Constancio de Guzman and Antonio Molina, to name a few. Harana music
has its very own distinctive style and a clear stamp of authenticity.
exchanges between the guitar and voice in the middle, like they do here.
Another area to look for signs of authenticity is in the lyrics. True harana
songs place the singer in the act of serenading such as when he implores ―Dungawin
mo hirang‖ (Look out the window, my beloved), ―Natutulog ka na ba, sinta‖ (Are you
asleep, my love) or ―O Ilaw, sa gabing madilim‖ (Oh light, in a night so dark).
Harana lyrics is its use of pure, unadulterated and archaic Tagalog. They
use words you and I will never hear in a daily conversation in Manila. Words such as
idampulay (to offer or give), tanglaw (luminous or luminosity), or pagkagupiling (a
light sleep). You will also never encounter even a hint of Spanish word – a
characteristic shared by kundiman songs. Harana and kundiman may be the last
refuge of the ancient Tagalog language. Instrument-wise, the guitar is the most
trusted companion. Though other instruments were known to be used such as the
violin and banduria most recordings of harana from the 1940s to 1960s featured only
a guitar (or two) accompanying the vocals.
Kundiman
This is intractable. Stray from this formula, and you no longer have a
kundiman. As mentioned, the language is also in archaic Tagalog but the theme subject
is different from harana. Kundiman songs have a fatalistic woe-is-me streak to it. He is
always heartbroken, very poor with nothing to offer other than his undying love, and
willing to suffer, even die, to prove his love. In fact, the word kundiman is said to be the
contraction of the phrase ―kung hindi man‖ (if not, or if not meant to be).
If there is a single art form that captures the Filipino character, kundiman
would be it for it is said that the Filipino‘s humble nature and willingness to be
trampled on is the main reason we allowed years of colonization and oppression from
Spain, America and Japan. Even a fellow Filipino dictator was in on the flogging.
Perhaps a controversial statement if not an exaggeration.
Atang dela Rama and Sylvia la Torre. This is because it happened during the advent
of recording in the early 1900s as well as the rise of the formalization of kundiman art
form championed by Nicanor Abelardo, Bonifacio Abdon, et al. These composers
were trained in the west and were very successful in integrating the operatic aria
style into the kundiman. It is sung by a soprano and accompanied by full orchestra or
the piano. This is the kundiman most of us know today (samples below).
However, there was a more basic form of kundiman that existed prior to
that. They were songs the commonfolk could sing, and not operatic in style. This is
the kundiman that existed long before the Abelardos and the Abdons. It uses just the
guitar and voice and often sung by men. These were the kundimans sung by the
haranistas during a harana.
So, the next time you hear an old Tagalog song, try not to automatically
categorize them as harana or kundiman. Chances are they are neither because true
ones are hard to come by. But should you encounter one, you may now consider
yourself armed with the knowledge to distinguish between the two.
January 8, 2019
Marvin Gaye and Chris Isaak exist for a reason: the bedroom. Whether
you religiously press play before you jump into bed, or have never reached for a sexy
soundtrack, listening to good music before, during, or after sex can be fantastic.
Instead of wondering who‘s going to make the first move or whether your
partner is in the mood tonight, putting some music on can act as a signal which takes
the guesswork out of it. A lovers‘ code, if you will. Not only this, but once you know
your partner‘s keen, the right tunes can help get you a little tingly too.
Have you ever been mid-rhythm, completely lost in the moment, only for
things to come to a halt because of a frustrating loss of momentum? It could be an
awkward slip, a phone call, an unsubtle adjustment, but for whatever reason, you
both lost your groove and need quick repositioning/restart. Music isn‘t going to stop
the interruptions, but it will help you find a beat and get back into it faster than you
can say ‗libido.‘
Sex sounds are inevitable. There are a lot, from creaky beds and squeaky
springs to groans and body fluid squelches. You don‘t want to cover up all of them,
but you‘ll probably feel more comfortable about the involuntary body sounds if there‘s
music on to help hide them. Plus, you‘ll feel more relaxed and less self-conscious
about making them in the first place if you‘re lost in the moment with Frank Ocean
crooning out of a speaker next to you.
If you‘ve been with the same partner a while, there‘s nothing worse than
sex feeling like a chore, and for it to be the same every time it does (eventually)
happen. Music can be a simple way to change things up a little, with a different
sensory experience happening. Maybe you went to a gig for an early date so you put
on that album. It doesn‘t matter what the music is, as long as it‘s different to what
you‘ve been doing the past 1/4/10/30 years.
On the opposite end of the ‗mixing things up‘ scale is breaking the ice.
For a first encounter, self-consciousness can be high and nerves can be running wild.
The right music can help you both relax, and if things are looking a bit shaky, can
work as a conversation starter. There could be a common interest there, it could
bring up an old story, and if you like their choice of tune, could give some assurance
they‘re normal.
It heightens sensations
A new study released Monday (Aug. 6) found that nine out of 10 social
media users do a music-related activity within the framework of an app, according to
data compiled by research and analysis firm MusicWatch. The data was compiled in
April via a survey of 800 people who use one of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or
Snapchat at least once a month, with the majority of those users engaging with social
media daily.
―Fame may be fleeting on social media, but music artists and bands
have staying power — and influence,‖ MusicWatch wrote in a blog post
accompanying the study. ―Of all the types of celebrities artists are No. 1 when it
comes to pull. We are twice as likely to be following bands as politicians, or Kendall
and Kourtney. The reason is simple; while today‘s tweet or fashion comment is
evanescent, users have a sustained interest in the careers of their favorite artists and
want updates on their music projects, live tours and lifestyles.‖
―Two out of three (63 percent) users agree that they are discovering new
artists on social media,‖ the blog post continues. ―Almost 60 percent of social media
users are visiting streaming services to listen to music after they see an update,
tweet or post. On Facebook, the most valued music activity is being able to share
links to music from streaming services, including playlists.‖
SOURCE: Rys, D. (2018) New Study Shows Close Relationship Between Social Media
& Music
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A growing body of research attests that music therapy is more than a nice
perk. It can improve medical outcomes and quality of life in a variety of ways. Here‘s
a sampling:
Restoring lost speech. Music therapy can help people who are recovering
from a stroke or traumatic brain injury that has damaged the left-brain region
responsible for speech. Because singing ability originates in the right side of the
brain, people can work around the injury to the left side of their brain by first singing
their thoughts and then gradually dropping the melody. Former U.S. Representative
Gabby Giffords used this technique to enable her to testify before a Congressional
committee two years after a gunshot wound to her brain destroyed her ability to
speak.
Aiding pain relief. Music therapy has been tested in a variety of patients,
ranging from those with intense short-term pain to those with chronic pain from
arthritis. Over all, music therapy decreases pain perception, reduces the amount of
pain medication needed, helps relieve depression in pain patients, and gives them a
sense of better control over their pain.
Improving quality of life for people with dementia. Because the ability to
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engage with music remains intact late into the disease process, music therapy can
help to evoke memories, reduce agitation, assist communication, and improve
physical coordination.
Now that we‘re on the same page, there‘s a reason music and sex go so
well together, and it actually has a lot to do with science. Neuropsychologist Dr.
Rhonda Freeman says that music is likely to affect three regions of the brain — the
reward or pleasure system, the social affiliation or bonding system, and the limbic
system (which processes emotions).
The experiment didn‘t wind up working out, but he‘s not the only person
who enjoys listening to music during sex. He certainly isn‘t the only person with a sex
playlist, either. I mean, Khloé Kardashian‘s sex playlist features John Mayer, and
Ivanka Trump‘s allegedly includes John Legend. There are no rules here, so don‘t
judge me for having Bruno Mars on mine.
When triggered, the reward system, for example, involves dopamine and
endogenous opioids. Dr. Freeman explains, ―Dopamine is a neurotransmitter linked
with desire, wanting, craving, motivation, or anticipation of someone or something —
in this instance, of our intimate partner. And endogenous opioids are the hedonic
response, which includes pleasure and enjoyment.‖
Here‘s how else music affects your brain when you‘re being intimate with
your partner.
SOURCE: Lyons, B. (2018) Listening To Music During Sex Has These 3 Effects On
Your Body & Brain
To perform the main part of the study, Biswas and his team took over a
cafe in Stockholm, Sweden, for several days to conduct their study among hundreds
of subjects. As patrons perused menus coded into ―healthy,‖ ―unhealthy‖ and
―neutral‖ (like coffee and tea) choices, researchers played the same playlist with a
mix of contemporary rock, pop music and classical tunes in a loop for several hours.
On some days, they played songs at 55 decibels and on other days they pumped up
the jams to 70 debibels.
When Biswas reviewed the cafe sales, he found that 20 percent more
customers ordered high-calorie foods when the music volume was high, regardless of
what song was playing.
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Despite the many instruments playing into our dining experiences, USF
says Biswas‘ study is the first to detail music volume and its effect on healthy (or
unhealthy) eating habits.
SOURCE: E. C. Wida (2018) ―How loud restaurants can lead to unhealthy eating
choices‖
After a five (5) day observation period and successfully documenting the
current dynamics of high students in the academic and social settings before the
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exposure to Mozart‘s music, the researcher continues with a twenty (20) day
observation period of the same participants in their respective environments while
exposed to Mozart‘s music.
On the other hand, the dynamics of High School students in the Social
setting, during the five (5) day observation period, many students have not shown
behavior leading to social interaction. Presented are the averages of the observed
behavior of High School students before the exposure to Mozart‘s music.
The students cited that while they were listening to Mozart‘s music, they
discovered that they could read and study at the same time, the music did not distract
them while they were reading or studying. Some students have cited that when they
were reviewing or studying their lessons in the past, they were bored and spent little
time reviewing or studying. But other students stated that Mozart‘s music made them
enjoy reading and studying because they were not bored. Some students claim that
Mozart‘s music made them feel they could do new things, it inspired them to try to
learn how to play chess, to answer the crossword puzzle and to solve the Rubik‘s
Cube. They cited that when they watch students playing chess, answering the
crossword puzzle and solving the Rubik‘s Cube, the music inspired them to play,
answer and solve too. One particular student said that, somehow, while listening to
Mozart‘s music and watching other students play, answer and solve, it looked easy
and enjoying. While students play, answer and solve the materials, Mozart‘s music
made them nod their heads, wave their hands and tap their feet to the highs and lows
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of the music.
This is particularly true if you are actively working on being more honest
with yourself. Self-deception, at the most basic level, is a protective mechanism: its
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role is to keep us safe and secure. Often unconsciously, lying to ourselves protects
us from knowing truths that would temporarily harm our ego—our core sense of self.
As we confront these truths, we are going to feel worse before we feel better. Feeling
some discomfort is an inescapable part of the process of becoming more honest with
ourselves.
I am not suggesting that you use music to wallow in pain or negativity; that
would not be positive for your mental health or for those around you. What I am
suggesting is that when we are emotionally struggling, we often have a hard time
expressing how we feel through words. The intellectual, verbal expression of feelings
doesn‘t do justice to our experience of the emotion. Connecting to music is one
effective way to become more honest about who you are, what you are really
experiencing, and coping with negative emotion.
The Naked Truth is this: Whether we resonate with rap, classical, house,
techno, country, alterative, heavy metal, or blues, music is an incredible vehicle for
expressing emotions and capturing our internal experience of life. In times of strife or
newly-discovered truths, use it to find your true voice. Perhaps you may want to write
your own song, analyze the lyrics of a favorite artist, or play an instrument. Perhaps
you will explore new genres that are foreign to you. The key is that music is a
powerful vehicle for helping you become more aware and honest with yourself.
SOURCE: Cortney Warren, Ph.D., (2014) Psychology Today ―Music Is What Feelings
Sound Like‖
solace. However, music also has a number of other influential factors and can even
influence the genetic code within each one of us. It does this through our thoughts
and through how we relate with one another.
1. Verbal IQ is improved
It has been found that the verbal and visual skills are improved when an
individual practices on the piano. This was found in the study of individuals aged
between 8 and 11 who were able to develop a higher level of IQ verbally when they
took music classes that were extra curricular.
This showed that the practice of the musical instrument developed visual
and cognitive perception.
One may often feel a chill down the back of the spine when they are
listening to music that they enjoy. This was found in a study that showed that over
90% of us had felt this. Whether you feel it or not all depends on your personality and
those who have a sense of being open to experience are more likely to feel this chill.
It was also found that people who were open to experience were also more likely to
see music as an important activity.
It was found in another study that when we try and feel happy it is a
useless endeavor. A study carried out in 2013 by Sheldon and Ferguson showed that
individuals who listen to classical compositions that were upbeat were automatically
trying to feel a sense of happiness, and were lifted in terms of their mood. This study
showed that when we try and engage with music it gives us more of an emotional
experience.
It has been found in a study that singing can bring us together and this
was showed when a large number of pupils from a Finnish school took part in a
music class that was extended. The results were that the individuals who took part
felt more satisfied when they were carrying out other tasks within the school. The
study also showed that we find happiness when we synchronize with other
individuals and this is what took place when everyone sang together.
Anxiety and stress is one of the main causes of heart disease and a study
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showed that when music was enjoyed by over 1500 patients, it reduced the blood
pressure and heart rate that lead to anxiety and heart disease. (a 2009 study by Dileo
and Bradt).
Sad music has the ability of allowing us to manage our moods, and we will
often listen to the music. This leads to a cathartic effect on us which results in an
improved mood.
Music has the ability of making you give a facial expression which
suggests the way in which you perceive the music you are listening to. This means
that when you listen to music that you enjoy, your facial expression will also be one
that is positive.
A study was carried out in 2013 by Palmer et al, which showed that
individuals connected colors with certain pieces of music. Sadder pieces of music
would result in darker and more dull colors, where as happier pieces of music would
result in bright and vibrant colors.
When an individual has a stroke it is often the case that the visual part of
the brain is damaged. The patient may then not be aware of certain objects and may
have trouble seeing them. Studies have shown however, that when these patients
listen to their favorite music, the vision was restored.
It has been found that individuals who are only five months old will
respond to music in a rhythmic way and connect with it more so than speech. Zentner
and Earola conducted a study in 2010 that showed that babies will dance in a
spontaneous way to different music and will enjoy it by smiling.
Music engages not only your auditory system but many other parts of your
brain as well, including areas responsible for movement, language, attention,
memory, and emotion. ―There is no other stimulus on earth that simultaneously
engages our brains as widely as music does,‖ says Brian Harris, certified neurologic
music therapist at Harvard-affiliated Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital. This global
activation happens whether you listen to music, play an instrument, or sing — even
informally in the car or the shower, he says.
Music can also alter your brain chemistry, and these changes may
produce cardiovascular benefits, as evidenced by a number of different studies. For
example, studies have found that listening to music may
help heart rate and blood pressure levels to return to baseline more
quickly after physical exertion
help people recovering from heart surgery to feel less pain and anxiety.
it.‖
In the cardiac stress test study (done at a Texas university), most of the
participants were Hispanic, so the researchers chose up-tempo, Latin-inspired music.
In the artery relaxation study, which tested both classical and rock music,
improvements were greater when classical aficionados listened to classical music
than when they listened to rock, and vice versa. Someone who loves opera might find
a soaring aria immensely calming. ―But quite frankly, if you don‘t care for opera, it
could have the opposite effect!‖ says Harris.
If you want to firm up your body, head to the gym. If you want to exercise
your brain, listen to music.
―There are few things that stimulate the brain the way music does,‖ says
one Johns Hopkins otolaryngologist. ―If you want to keep your brain engaged
throughout the aging process, listening to or playing music is a great tool. It provides
a total brain workout.‖
Research has shown that listening to music can reduce anxiety, blood
pressure, and pain as well as improve sleep quality, mood, mental alertness, and
memory.
Experts are trying to understand how our brains can hear and play music.
A stereo system puts out vibrations that travel through the air and somehow get
inside the ear canal. These vibrations tickle the eardrum and are transmitted into an
electrical signal that travels through the auditory nerve to the brain stem, where it is
reassembled into something we perceive as music.
resonance imaging) machine to watch and see which areas of their brains light up.
Listen to what your kids or grandkids listen to, experts suggest. Often we
continue to listen to the same songs and genre of music that we did during our teens
and 20s, and we generally avoid hearing anything that‘s not from that era.
New music challenges the brain in a way that old music doesn‘t. It might
not feel pleasurable at first, but that unfamiliarity forces the brain to struggle to
understand the new sound.
Reach for familiar music, especially if it stems from the same time period
that you are trying to recall. Listening to the Beatles might bring you back to the first
moment you laid eyes on your spouse, for instance.
Pay attention to how you react to different forms of music, and pick the
kind that works for you. What helps one person concentrate might be distracting to
someone else, and what helps one person unwind might make another person
jumpy.
SOURCE: Johns Hopkins University (2019) Keep Your Brain Young with Music
Research shows the benefits of music therapy for various mental health
conditions, including depression, trauma, and schizophrenia (to name a few). Music
acts as a medium for processing emotions, trauma, and grief—but music can also be
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Lyric Analysis
While talk therapy allows a person to speak about topics that may be
difficult to discuss, lyric analysis introduces a novel and less-threatening approach to
process emotions, thoughts and experiences. A person receiving music therapy is
encouraged to offer insight, alternative lyrics and tangible tools or themes from lyrics
that can apply to obstacles in their life and their treatment. We all have a song that
we deeply connect to and appreciate—lyric analysis provides an opportunity for an
individual to identify song lyrics that may correlate with their experience.
Songwriting
Health
The Four ―M‖ Theory for Treating Depression was formulated by Prof.
Jose Maria G. Pelayo III (2019) in order to have a guide for intervention in a dynamic
systematic method based on scientifically based data. This Theory includes
MEDITATION, MUSIC, MOVEMENT and MEDICATION inclusive of their specific
components. A combination of all methods can be utilized depending on the mental
health practitioner‘s recommendation to their client. All of the contents of this collation
of literature are empirical based and had positive effects in treating depression. This
is a collection of related literature and related studies that may support a construct to
treat depression.
But in this article, only the facet of MUSIC will be elucidated. This will
coagulate the proficiency of utilizing Music Therapy and Music Psychotherapy as
interventions in treatment for individuals with depression. Since the content of this
facet is too extensive for just an article, this was subdivided into four (4) part
successions. This is PART 1.
Researchers used group settings more often than individual sessions and
our results indicated a slightly better outcome for those cases.
The Four ―M‖ Theory for Treating Depression was formulated by Prof.
Jose Maria G. Pelayo III (2019) in order to have a guide for intervention in a dynamic
systematic method based on scientifically based data. This Theory includes
MEDITATION, MUSIC, MOVEMENT and MEDICATION inclusive of their specific
components. A combination of all methods can be utilized depending on the mental
health practitioner‘s recommendation to their client. All of the contents of this collation
of literature are empirical based and had positive effects in treating depression. This
is a collection of related literature and related studies that may support a construct to
treat depression.
But in this article, only the facet of MUSIC will be elucidated. This will
coagulate the proficiency of utilizing Music Therapy and Music Psychotherapy as
interventions in treatment for individuals with depression. Since the content of this
P a g e | 147
facet is too extensive for just an article, this was subdivided into four (4) part
successions. This is PART 2.
Term used primarily for a setting, where sessions are provided by a board-
certified music therapist. Music therapy [MT] (Maratos et al., 2008; Bradt et al., 2015)
stands for the ―…clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to
accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship by a credentialed
professional who has completed an approved music therapy program‖ (AMTA)2.
Many different fields of practice, mostly in the health care system, show an increasing
amount of interest in [MT]. Mandatory is a systematic constructed therapy process
that was created by a board-certified music therapist and requires an individual-
specific music selection that is developed uniquely for and together with the patient in
one or more sessions. Therapy settings are not limited to listening, but may also
include playing, composing, or interacting with music. Presentations can be pre-
recorded or live. In other cases (basic) instruments are built together. The process to
create these tailor-made selections requires specific knowledge on how to select,
then construct and combine the most suitable stimuli or hardware. It must also be
noted that music therapy is offered as a profession-qualifying course of study.
(Title: ―Up to Date‖), or Louis Armstrong (Title: ―St. Louis Blues‖) are some of the
featured artists. The third major genre researchers used for their experimental groups
was percussion and drumming-based music.
The Four ―M‖ Theory for Treating Depression was formulated by Prof.
Jose Maria G. Pelayo III (2019) in order to have a guide for intervention in a dynamic
systematic method based on scientifically based data. This Theory includes
MEDITATION, MUSIC, MOVEMENT and MEDICATION inclusive of their specific
components. A combination of all methods can be utilized depending on the mental
P a g e | 149
health practitioner‘s recommendation to their client. All of the contents of this collation
of literature are empirical based and had positive effects in treating depression. This
is a collection of related literature and related studies that may support a construct to
treat depression.
But in this article, only the facet of MUSIC will be elucidated. This will
coagulate the proficiency of utilizing Music Therapy and Music Psychotherapy as
interventions in treatment for individuals with depression. Since the content of this
facet is too extensive for just an article, this was subdivided into four (4) part
successions. This is PART 3.
Future trials based on adequate design and larger samples of children and
adolescents are needed to consolidate our findings. Researchers should consider
investigating mechanisms of music therapy for depression. It is important to clearly
describe music therapy, TAU, the comparator condition, and the profession of the
person who delivers the intervention, for reproducibility and comparison purposes
SOURCE: Aalbers S, Fusar-Poli L, Freeman RE, Spreen M, Ket JCF, Vink AC, Maratos
A, Crawford M, Chen X, Gold C (2017) ―Music therapy for depression‖
May 4, 2019
The Four ―M‖ Theory for Treating Depression was formulated by Prof.
Jose Maria G. Pelayo III (2019) in order to have a guide for intervention in a dynamic
systematic method based on scientifically based data. This Theory includes
MEDITATION, MUSIC, MOVEMENT and MEDICATION inclusive of their specific
components. A combination of all methods can be utilized depending on the mental
P a g e | 150
health practitioner‘s recommendation to their client. All of the contents of this collation
of literature are empirical based and had positive effects in treating depression. This
is a collection of related literature and related studies that may support a construct to
treat depression.
But in this article, only the facet of MUSIC will be elucidated. This will
coagulate the proficiency of utilizing Music Therapy and Music Psychotherapy as
interventions in treatment for individuals with depression. Since the content of this
facet is too extensive for just an article, this was subdivided into four (4) part
successions. This is PART 4.
Music therapy also appeared to help ease anxiety and improve functioning
in depressed individuals, and it appeared just as safe as traditional treatments. ―We
can now be more confident that music therapy in fact improves patients‘ symptoms
and functioning, and that this finding holds across a variety of settings, countries,
types of patients, and types of music therapy,‖ said senior study author Christian
Gold of Uni Research Health in Bergen, Norway.
―The present review update confirms these findings and broadens them,‖
Gold said by email. ―We still think that more research is needed; however, we feel
that research on music therapy for depression can now turn to more specific
questions, such as comparing different types of therapy to each other.‖ Studies
included in the current review ranged in duration from six to 12 weeks. The smallest
study had just 14 participants, and the largest one included 79 people. The total
number of treatment sessions ranged from eight to 48, and the duration of sessions
varied from 20 minutes to two hours. Only one of the studies in the analysis
compared active versus passive music therapy, and it didn‘t find a difference in the
short-term severity of depression.
But modern brain imaging studies have shown that music therapy
activates regions of the brain that are involved in regulating emotions. Joyful and sad
music can have different effects, too, Ndrepepa added. More research is still needed
to figure out what type of music therapy works best for specific patient situations,
Gold said. ―Until we have more specific research results comparing different music
therapies to each other, music therapy should be seen as one of a variety of options,‖
Gold said. ―It is important to have choices because no therapy works for everyone.‖
May 6, 2019
Music Psychology Center (MPC) is the Central Office of six focal areas:
All of these focal areas were constructed before MPC. This was a
strategic move to establish MPC from the ground up. The six focal areas have their
own functions and when amalgamated, the vision and mission of MPC is clearly
established.
Music has the ability to deepen the meaning of words that accompany it,
both in a religious context or even on your local pop radio station you listen to on the
way to work.
In the early Christian tradition, as with many other religions, one had to be
careful with their use of music. According to Weiss and Taruskin‘s Music of the
Western World, using music for unholy purposes such as pleasure was sinful
because pleasure gets in the way of the Lord. If early Christians considered music a
pleasure capable of distracting them from their relationship with God, then the impact
music had on people of this time must have been significant. Luckily, many religions
agreed the sin of music is taken away when it is used for worship. Putting religious
text to music allows for a more involved worship experience, incorporating song
performance skills that give the performer and the listener a heightened sense of
praise. In this way, music can be used as a tool for praise that is appealing to the
worshiper.
Music has a way of filling in the gaps in thought, feeling, and emotion that
words cannot do justice, which can be incredibly powerful when accompanied by a
spiritual belief. Using music for religious reasons also gave early humans the ability
to experience and explore the tantalizing effects of music without committing a sin. In
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the present day, music is used much more widely and for purposes other than
worship, which has allowed religious music to grow and expand into many types of
praise that have a wider impact many people.
REFERENCES
Aalbers. S, Fusar,i L. Freeman, RE, Spreen M, Ket, JC. Vink AC, Maratos A, Crawford
M, Chen X, Gold C (2017) ―Music therapy for depression‖
Barnes, T. (2015) This Is What‘s Happening In the Brains of People Who ―See‖
Cortney ,W. Ph.D., (2014) Psychology Today ―Music Is What Feelings Sound
Duffy, J. (2018) ―Study finds that listening to the sonatas of Mozart can ease epileptic
seizures‖
Freeman, S. (2015) ―What Does Honeymoon Really Mean? With or without Music‖
P a g e | 156
Hille, K., Gust, K., Bitz, U., and Kammer, T. (2011) ―Advances in Cognitive
Psychology‖ Hopkins University (2019) ―Keep Your Brain Young with Music‖ Ketler, A.
Lyons, B. (2018) ―Listening To Music During Sex Has These 3 Effects On Your Body &
Brain‖
Pelayo, JMG. III, 2013. ―Insights and Opinions of Students on Instrumental Music‖
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Pelayo, JMG. III, (2013) ―Social and Emotional Dynamics of College Students with
Musical Intelligence and Musical Training: A Multiple Case Study.‖
Pelayo, JMG. III ―Recent Developments on Related Studies of the ―Mozart Effect‖
(2016) ―Pentecostal Beliefs & the Importance of Worship September‖ –(2017) ―College
Hill, Cincinnati / Pentecostal Praise & Worship By Dell Markey ; Updated September‖
Rys, D. (2018) ―New Study Shows Close Relationship Between Social Media & Music‖
Schmidt (2010) ―Encouraging, Equipping, and Engaging Ideas From Local Church
Leaders‖ / The Restored Church of God (2018) ―God‘s Purpose for Music Positive
Examples Throughout the Bible‖
Szabo, Z. (2017) ―Decoding the music masterpieces: Bach‘s Six Solo Cello Suites
Watson, R. (2018) ―Soaking Worship Music‖ / Kleint, K. (2015) ―Soaking vs. Quiet Time‖