The Whole Music Experience

"Tranquility" by Patricia Herlevi People have told me that certain music that irritates me might actually be healthy for them. It's true we all have varying musical tastes and different bodies. Some of us have thicker skin than others, but there is some music that is toxic for everyone. Still, how do you know what is right for you? First, you must pay attention to your body sensations, emotions/feelings/moods when exposure to music or even sound frequencies. I have yet to meet someone who isn't bothered by the noise of airplanes flying overhead, leaf blowers, or power lawn mowers. Most people just shut out these noises and tell themselves that they are part of the modern and urban lifestyles. Unfortunately, we have little control over music or noise that we encounter throughout the course of our day. However, we can decide what will play in the background or foreground of our homes. We can set the volume to a level that won't cause harm to our hearing or n...

photo by Patricia Herlevi Prelude Just like we wouldn’t try wearing shoes we wore as a child, as adults, our musical tastes and experiences evolve over time.  We might even discard genres of music in the wake as we evolve spiritually and our minds and bodies mature.  Certain songs will bring only sad memories and hanging onto those memories or songs no longer serves us.  Other types of music provide bridges from one genre to the next. For instance, when I began evolving from alternative rock to world music, I discovered the new tangos of Astor Piazzolla, African pop, and archival fados.  I began hearing my first strains of jazz and Cuban music, such as Perez Prado’s mambos ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NjERL5oZrc ).  When I first began listening to world music I listed to global pop music as opposed to field recordings or traditional music played on traditional instruments.  Then over the following decade, I embraced global j...