The Whole Music Experience

Classical / Jazz   Harmonia Ensemble Piotr Tchaikovsky/Duke Ellington Nutcracker Suites Harmonia Mundi No one was thinking of swinging to Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker in 1892 when the Russian composer wrote the incidental music for ballet. Yet, when you listen to the Overture , we hear hints of jazz, even if this seems preposterous or impossible.   And when Harmonia Ensemble performs the March , again, we hear the delights of jazz.   Is this a coincidence? Perhaps, since Harmonia Ensemble performs back-to-back Tchaikovsky’s late romantic era ballet along with Swing Master Duke Ellington’s 1960 Harlem ballet version.   So if you’re wondering if much was lost in the translation, let’s just say a lot more layers were added. While this is a fabulous concept, I feel that the ensemble rushes through the classical version, which is probably why I’m thinking “swing” while I try to catch my breath.   Oh, the performance is still majestic and nostalgic,...

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...

Wikipedia  Print Publications: I found a new magazine Mindful at the library and in the August 2013 issue, the editors included an article on Evelyn Glennie (the deaf percussionist from Scotland), "Tune in, Turn on" written by Mariko Jesse.  Since I promote mindfulness through music, I highly recommend reading this article and the new magazine. http://www.mindful.org  In the March/April 2013 issue of Natural Health magazine,  a brief news piece on page 24 mentions mindful eating while listening to soft jazz music.  The article is based on a study in Psychological Reports .  You might also check out Brian Wansinka, Ph.D. book Mindless Eating (Bantam). http://www.naturalhealthmag.com  Online articles: Also check out the Guardian article, "Head First: Mindfulness and Music." http://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/jun/16/mindfulness-meditation-music "Mindfulness and Meditation Boosts Music Engagement, Study Finds", Huffington Post...