The Whole Music Experience

Lisa Spector and Sanchez Feed Your Mind with Whole Music  Originally published in the Natural Inquirer (Skagit Valley Food Coop) What if your shopping list looked something like: Organic broccoli, organic carrots, organic soy milk, and acoustic music CDs? It might if you think of music as an energetic substance that your body absorbs and digests.   Current research shows it does. According to psychoacoustic experts (researches the effects of sound/music on the nervous system) music entrains our minds and bodies.   Every cell in our bodies responds to musical vibration and while some types of music lifts our moods and immune responses, some music can lead us into a black hole of depression and low immune responses (think heavy metal).    While many of us recall Don Campbell’s 1997 book, The Mozart Effect , not everyone prefers classical music. We can still reap the benefits of music by listening to other genres including world...

My article on animal communication, music, and spirit animal guides appears in the February 2013 issue of the New Spirit Journal . http://www.newspiritjournal.com/an-animal-carnival-the-music-animal-connection/

Thai Elephant Orchestra Dave Soldier & Richard Lair Mulatta Records (2000) Thai Elephant Orchestra Dave Soldier & Richard Lair Elephonic Rhapsodies Mulatta Records (2003)     Thai Elephant Orchestra Dave Soldier & Richard Lair Water Music Mulatta Records (2010) Never in my wildest imagination did I ever expect to review CDs by elephant musicians.   True elephants play music differently than humans, but when we consider that they are limited to a trunk and their front feet, the music they do make seems extraordinary.   Little did I know ten years ago, living in Seattle and testing recordings out on squirrels and crows that musicians with a scientific bent in New York were actually playing music with birds and elephants.   While there are likely animal advocates who will think that human musicians encroach upon the non-human’s space for ego gratification, I would disagree.   The musical interaction and interludes...

Birds do it, dogs do it, and children do it.  And before humans develop our analytical and rational minds, we also responded to music and sometimes without inhibitions.  Put on some Cuban or Brazilian or really, any type of music then watch what happens to a room full of toddlers.  They don't get out pens and paper, grab music theory books, or pontificate about perfect fifths.  They are the lucky ones who respond to music purely and in an uncomplicated manner. A few years back, David Rothenberg (a musician/philosopher turned researcher) wondered why birds sing.  Yes, they sing for survival, mating, and defending of territory, but did they also sing for pleasure? Rothenberg leaned towards yes.  More recently, while reading Elena Mannes book The Power of Music--Pioneering Discoveries in the New Science of Song ), I learned that Thai elephants can play music and that cockatoos among other creatures can synchronize to the rhythms of human made music....

Did you know that animals enjoy human music? Yes, I realize that you probably already know that various creatures enjoy their own music.  Wolves and coyotes enjoy howling, whales sing their songs, and we can add crickets, bees, birds, and frogs to this list. I often wondered about a connection between human musical expression and the animals themselves.  Then I started observing birds and squirrels, especially around various types of music.  For instance, when I lived in my last apartment in Seattle, I befriended a family of squirrels.  These squirrels would find delight in listening to Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto #3. At first, I thought hmmm, what a coincidence.  But every time I played that piece of music on my CD/cassette player, the squirrels would run back and forth on the roof and even let out gleeful cries, if no better words to describe the experience. They also like traditional guitar music from the Dominican Republic. The music matched the ...

Wikipedia, Bangle Tiger Tabby This article that reveals research regarding the vibration of a cat's purr promoting bone growth was brought to my attention.  Who would have thought?  What power lies in a cat's meow? Here is a link to the research page: http://www.animalvoice.com/catpurrP.htm

Announcement from Pianist Lisa Spector/Through A Dog's Ear FREE MUSIC TO SHELTERS We'd like your assistance on an important community program. Can you help us spread the word about the Through a Dog's Ear Shelter Program? For free, we offer two hours of clinically tested classical piano music to non-profit dog advocacy groups (shelters, dog rescues, service dog organizations, etc.). Currently, Through a Dog's Ear music is being played in 75 shelters in three countries. Please tell your local shelters about our program.   Go to http://www.throughadogsear.com/

Joshua Leeds and Lisa Spector Through A Dog's Ear Music to Calm Your Dog in the Car Sounds True Concert pianist Lisa Spector has the good fortune of a dog named Sanchez who relaxes when he hears classical piano. So when Lisa takes Sanchez along in her car, playing a recording of classical piano music is similar to hitting Sanchez' snooze button. Sound unreasonable? Too good to be true? For those folks with anxious dogs that pant excessively or bark in the car or won't get in the car to begin with, there is hope. The latest installment of the Through A Dog's Ear project, Music to Calm Your Dog in the Car is now available. Again, psycho-acoustic expert Joshua Leeds, pianist Lisa Spector have teamed up. The beauty of this recording is that it relaxes dogs without putting the driver to sleep. Music by Chopin, Brahms, Bach, Beethoven, Scarlatti, Mozart, Gluck and Debussy flows generously off of this disc. While the music acts as a wonderful soundtrack for a d...