The Whole Music Experience

While I went out walking today I wondered what topic I would write about next to build music consciousness. Then I saw the lyrics to Bobby McFerrin's "Don't Worry, Be Happy" written out with colorful chalk on a log. Thus began my brief exploration of happy songs. There appears to be two camps when it comes to using happy songs to change a mood. In one camp, you change an angry or sad mood gradually by introducing songs that have slightly more uplifting moods than the previous one and work your way towards happy. The second camp believes that we can choose to be happy now since happiness is just a state of mind controlled by our thoughts. In that case, we can change our mood swiftly by singing or listening to a happy song. I guess it depends on the individual and the deepness of their particular funk. Meaning, if someone suffers from chronic depression or anger management problems, then it would be the equivalent to plastering a band aid on a gaping wound to expe...

While we normally make the connection between virtuoso musicians and classical music, we find virtuosos in a variety of musical genres.  We could explore the lives of virtuosos and delve into the character traits and intelligence of virtuosos, but I have a better idea. Often when I feel depressed or in a deep funk, I head over to YouTube and watch a virtuoso performance. Usually, I watch a soloist performing a concerto with a symphony orchestra, but sometimes, I tune into folkloric or jazz virtuosos in which there are many to choose.  Ever watched a virtuoso Colombian or Venezuelan harpist perform?  As I watch these performances, often times holding my breath, I lose myself in the performance and by the time the video ends, I forgot my worries and fears.  I walk away feeling elated (and a bit envious of the talented performer that wowed an audience). To get you started, I'm including five videos representing five different genres in which we witness a virtuoso ...

photo by Patricia Herlevi It happens to all of us.  Trying to stay in a good mood and beat the positive drum, and the blues comes seeping through the cracks.  Pretty soon, the funk gets deeper and the moods spiral downward.  Some people take pills, but for mild to moderate depression, try music instead. Obviously, turning to music with self-defeating lyrics or a vocalist lashing out venom to his or her listeners won't uplift any moods.  Sometimes when people feel a funk coming on, they choose music that will only take them deeper into depression. However, working in increments of positivity goes a long way in battling a bad mood. For moderate depression, you need to move to the next level which is anger.  For this you might need something along the lines of Beethoven's 5th Symphony or classic American blues (not the self-pitying blues).  But you don't want to wallow in anger to then you find music that will take you to the next level.  I r...