The Whole Music Experience

photo by Patricia Herlevi The Sound of Music opens with a nun Maria (Julia Andrews) roaming around an Austrian mountain singing, listening to church bells, and connecting with the natural world.  We would call her enchanted.  Another movie that provides an enchanting blend of nature and music comes to mind, Brother Sun, Sister Moon which chronicles the early life of Saint Francis of Assisi who used songs to connect to nature.  But do we need movies to remind us of the everyday musical sounds that surround us? And do we need these movies to remind us of our musical connection to the natural world? Take a walk on a park or a street with little car traffic and listen intently to all the sounds that greet your ears.  How do these sounds make you feel? Do they remind you of a childhood event? Are you taken to a pleasant place or do you feel dissonance grinding away at your muscles? Take a walk in a wooded park, where most everyday sounds are drowned out and natural sounds greet

Elio Villafranca and Arturo Stable Dos y Mas Motema Records I’m starting off the year with my first CD review of the delicious Dos y Mas by Cuban jazz pianist Elio Villafranca and Cuban percussionist Arturo Stable.  Certainly the songs on the recording feel inspired, passionate, and innovative, yet familiar.  Agua Marina takes flight with piano runs bursting forth and then alternating like gentle waves lapping a shore.   The opener 1529 features Arabic-Andalusian flavors, which isn’t surprising since the duo provides an expanded musical palette including music from Spain, the Middle East, African, and Cuba. The elegiac Alla takes Cuban jazz to a higher level with Villafranca’s piano portraying melancholy not expected with Cuban music.  En La Colonia opens with Stable playing a kalimba (thumb piano) and off to Africa we head, soon exploring the Arabic side too.   With A Las Millas , the piano riff imprints on the brain in the same way as a melodic Coltrane song.  

These days, I'm practicing what I preach about the healing power of music.  During winter days I have a difficult time waking up, but I like to greet the sunrise at least.  So today, (and I recommend this practice), I pulled out Michel Camillo and the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra's Rhapsody in Blue (a George Gershwin classic) and I listened to it while I watched the sun rise. Of course you have a variety of morning music to choose from, such as Indian morning ragas, kirtans, Gregorian chants for specific times of day, the morning piece of Ferde Groffe's The Grand Canyon Suite , etc...  Basically you need a piece of music that last at least 10 minutes or if you have time up to 30 minutes then meditate on the sun rising as you listen to the music via headphones (if you don't want to wake others up).  You can also choose music for sun set too. If you want to take an afternoon break, pull out Claude Debussy's Prelude to the Afternoon of the Faun or La Me

photo by Patricia Herlevi My stress levels have shot through the roof lately.  I jumped into self-publishing a book with no idea the amount of hours I would need to put in or the learning curve that it takes to publish for new media.  Recently I gave advice to my writing colleagues to take breaks, even music breaks.  But I haven't been following my own advice.  So now after I complete my morning meditation, I listen to music for 30 minutes over headphones. Today I gave myself a massage with essential oils sandalwood and geranium in coconut oil.  Then I listened to Bezuidenhout and Von der Goltz "Medelssohn Double Concerto for Violin and Piano," the first two movements.  Since the first movement is lively, usually the case with concertos, I focused on the quick tempo music instead of my racing thoughts.  The adagio movement calmed my mind and I almost fell back to sleep.  For that moment I truly felt relaxed.  But when I returned to my computer with projects and le