The Whole Music Experience

Conversation with German Early Music Specialist Klaus Miehling After I posted an announcement for music awareness interviews on the Linked In group Music and Emotions, German composer/musicologist/musician (harpsichord and vocals), Klaus Miehling contacted me. I know Klaus briefly from my interaction with this fascinating group where musicians discuss how music affects the brain, nervous system, and ignites our emotions. Klaus comes from the realm of Early Music, but he also composes music for modern instruments (as well as early music instruments). He did his undergraduate studies at Schola Cantorum Basiliensis in the 1980s and he earned his Doctorate (musicology and art history) at the University of Freiburg, where he currently resides. He is the author of several books and 250 compositions for historic and modern instruments. Whole Music Experience : With so much awareness now with brain science and music or musical effects on our physical, mental, and emotional ...

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...

"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...

Listen to Tibetan musician Nwang Khechog's recordings As the frequency on the planet continues to rise and more people discover the connection between sounds and their physical well-being, why not join them? Raise your consciousness through the art of listening to music. The best way to do this, and I've mentioned it already in numerous posts, is to keep a music diary or journal to track physical, mental, and emotional effects of music. Basically, any notebook or journal will work. Create three columns and write "Physical," "Emotional" and "Mental" at the top of the columns. Then on the left hand side write down the piece of music or genre you heard, location where you heard it, and time of day. Granted, since we live in a world wallpapered with music and sound frequencies, you're not going to be able to cover every soundbite you hear throughout the day or evening. However, if you are at the grocery store or mall and you notice strong r...

Wikipedia When I was a child, I couldn't wait to get out the Christmas carol albums and I didn't care if the songs were secular or sacred--I just enjoyed floating off on those prized melodies. But as I grew older and garnered Christmas memories that upset me, I started noticing that holiday music left me feeling more depressed than uplifted. So last night the thought occurred to me, at least in the US where Christmas music appears like plastered wallpaper in shopping malls and grocery stores, that some people might actually feel ill at ease when hearing the songs. First, they might not enjoy listening to Christian carols if they come from another religious background, or they might harbor bad memories associated with those songs. Perhaps, it's hard to believe that anyone would associate pain or grief with "Rudolf the Red-Nose Reindeer" unless they lost a loved one, received a dire medical diagnosis, or experienced some other challenging event around the ho...

By Patricia Herlevi Have you ever found yourself in a funk and didn't know how to transform or shift your mood? Finding the right music helps us to release a "negative" mood or shift it. After all, moods and music share vibrations in common. Here are a few suggestions to help you apply music to cathartic experiences. First thing you must know is to not suppress a mood or layer another mood on top of it. This reminds me of putting a band aid on a gaping wound. Second, know that moods pass and that all humans experience the spectrum of moods. Third, even though a mood doesn't feel good, it serves a purpose and has you tune into your mind-body-spirit so you can see what thoughts, feelings, or behaviors require a shift in consciousness. I have covered this topic previously on Whole Music Experience so some of these tips and music selections will sound repetitive to some of you. And I would never tell someone not to feel their sadness or anger because some times we...

Long before Don Campbell published his acclaimed book, The Mozart Effect in 1997, sound healing tools and music therapy entered the realm of conventional medicine. In fact, music therapy as we know it today began in the late 18th century and in the US, developed during the 20th century, starting with a discovery that occurred with musicians entertaining wounded soldiers... While many of us probably have conventional or alternative doctors who haven't embraced sound and music therapies yet, we also know family members, friends, or colleagues who have experienced sound healing or music therapy in the form of adjunct to massage and energy healing or while staying in a hospital and experiencing the healing effects of a trained bedside musician. Some of you have probably used music or seen it used with hospice care as the music prepares the patient to crossover to the other side, peacefully. And yet, I was surprised during a visit to my local library where I came across an entire ...

peaceful photo by Patricia Herlevi With the holidays upon us and the year winding down, most people deal with stress overload. Add to that dealing with holiday crowds in shopping malls, traffic on the highways, and calamities that occur around the planet which I think has to do with all this stress rippling out. So unwind and relax to music. I'm going to get you started with suggestions from diverse music genres: Classical I suggest staying away from the wild Romantic Era composers with the exception of Tchaikovsky and listen to his ballets and sacred music (Rachmaninoff also has sacred recordings). For the most part, stick with chamber music such as string quartets, slower Mozart, Debussy , Ravel , Satie, Grie g , Sibelius, Aaron Copeland, and solo harp or cello recordings. Classical holiday music will either bring peace or strife depending on the person so use discernment and listen in to your feelings. Also try Renaissance polyphony such as Anonymous 4 or Stile Ant...

Glenn Gould, Wikipedia, musician that changed my life First, I would like to say even though I had some success as a former folk-rock singer-songwriter, I was never famous. And I'm okay with that given my life journey thus far which immersed me in musical traditions from around the world and awakened my consciousness. How many musicians can say that? And what I discovered was that every moment of my journey leaves me with no regrets. I followed my heart along the way--from shattered and disturbed to healthy, whole, and complete. In my teens, I fell under the trance of rock music as many teens tend to do. The lure of the rock gods drew me in and I used their songs as catharsis during that time in my life. Then in my 20s and 30s, I followed my own path to rock diva-hood, though I never quite manifested that given the amount of anger flowing through my body, mind, and spirit. But boy, could I belt out my anger when required. But at some point, after a long-drawn out illness ...

Ayurvedic humors, Wikipedia For those of you familiar with the Ayurvedic medical tradition of India, you will know about the three doshas--Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. You'll probably even have a handle on which dosha(s) fits your body and personality type. But did you know, that your dosha also determines the best type of music for you for healing your unique mind body spirit? For instance, I'm a Vata-Pitta and during the windy and cold fall months, I experience an imbalance of the Vata energy which rules air and space. This causes me to feel more irritable, shaky and spaced out when the wind is blowing. The cold and dampness brings on a Kapha imbalance which rules water and cold despite my Vata predominance, yet I'm not likely to catch a cold, more likely to suffer from head aches, sore throats, and trembling. I've tries listening to nostalgic rock songs of my past and while my mind enjoys dancing down memory lane, my nerves scream at me in pain. So right now I...

found on Wikipedia When I first started researching the healing power of music I thought that only certain genres radiated healing vibrations. I thought this even though evidence came in the form of new age music that left me feeling cold, and rock or pop music that lifted my spirits or raised my energy level so that I could accomplish a task. Yet, there was another ingredient that came along that intrigued me--intent. It's similar to the person who acts like a saint out in the community but hasn't dealt with their shadows. They wear the right labels, do the right deeds, and hand out hugs like candy to children. But you some times have to wonder about the real intent behind their deeds--is it to collect more kudos, earn recognition with some community honor or award, or are they giving from their heart? Let's think about how this relates to music because musical genres really are arbitrary--and I tell you this after interviewing hundreds of musical artists and revie...

The music videos had been deleted so you will need to look them up on YouTube or another music channel. I apologize for the inconvenience. I'm going to include 5 music videos here from different genres. Please listen to or watch the videos with headphones and keep track of the changing of your moods. If you keep a music diary, then write down your emotions and physical effects to the various tracks. Be aware of nostalgic memories, mood you began with, attitudes towards certain genres, and it's best to close your eyes while listening, at least one time through the process. Watching the video will dilute the effect of listening to the music. This exercise is to track moods caused by musical vibration. Notice timbre, chords, scales, contours of the melodies or harmonies. If you're a trained musicians this will be easier, but we can all do it. First here is a track by the rock band R.E.M who at this time was more folk and acoustic sounding. This is off the band's firs...

Wikipedia When did my love affair with music begin? Was it while I swam in the waters of my mother's womb when she played old jazz standards and Broadway tunes for me? Was it during my first music class in elementary school? Was it after John Lennon's untimely death when I played Beatles albums back to back and cried quietly in the background? Or was it during my college radio show when I discovered alternative rock and folk-rock music? Or was it the first time I heard one of Astor Piazzolla's tangos sizzle on my stereo? With a human-to-human love affair we know when we first taste love on the lips of another or see it in the eyes of another as he or she gazes at us from across a room. But what is it about music that has some of us going gaga or giggling behind a veil of indifference? And what is music anyway? It's intangible and we can't hold it in our hands? We can't really embrace something intangible, but our emotions can. I happen to believe that the ...

In 2005, I came up with the concept of Power Songs because as a journalist, I noticed the effects of certain music on my daily activities and moods. Then shortly after that, I came up with the concept of keeping a  music diary based on the food elimination diet and food allergy journal. So I'm surprised to find a book published in 2012 that combines brain science with music playlists. Your Playlist Can Change Your Life by Galina Mindlin, Don Durousseau and Joseph Cardillo (Source Books, 2012) , offers an easy and flowing read that revolves around using everyday music to boosts moods, relax the mind, organize the mind, create more dopamine in the brain, and so on. The authors also include exercises which are basically how-to sections on how to change your brain and neurological patterns without side effects (though some of the songs on their playlist have text messaging I wouldn't want floating around in my brain's pathways). While I do understand that including lis...