Wednesday 26 January 2011

Music And The Chill Factor

A recent study by scientists at the ‘The Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital – The Neuro at McGill University’ have found that listening to music releases dopamine, a neurotransmitter in the brain that is more closely related to the pleasures that go with rewards like food, drugs and sex.  If a volunteer enjoyed a particular piece of music this produced a chill like response in them which in turn increased the volunteer's dopamine level.  It also resulted in an increase in the volunteer's heart rate, breathing and sweating.
".....this is the first demonstration that an abstract reward such as music can lead to dopamine release. Abstract rewards are largely cognitive in nature, and this study paves the way for future work to examine non-tangible rewards that humans consider rewarding for complex reasons.”   MORE

Wednesday 12 January 2011

Mick Karn: In Memory Of The Former Japan Bass Player

In memory of the multi-instrumentalist of Mick Karn who died on  4 January 2010 after suffering from cancer, he was 52 years old.    He came to prominence in the early 1980's as bass player with the band Japan who he helped to co-founded along with David Sylvian and his younger brother Steve Jansen in  1974.  After Japan broke up in 1982 he went on to have a solo career and released a number of albums.
....... .was an English multi-instrumentalist musician and songwriter, who came to fame as the bassist for the art rock band Japan, from 1974 to 1982. In June 2010, he was diagnosed with advanced stage cancer, and died in January 2011. "  
"The band Japan, whose other members included David Sylvian, keyboardist Richard Barbieri and Sylvian's brother Steve Jansen as drummer, began as a group of friends, who all studied at the same school. As youngsters they played music as a means of escape, playing Sylvian's two-chord numbers – sometimes with Karn as the front man, sometimes with Sylvian at the fore, guitarist Rob Dean joined the band later. "

source:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mick_Karn

Other Links

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-12118209

Mick Karn offical home page :  http://www.mickkarn.net/

Tuesday 11 January 2011

Captain Beefheart: Few Words In His Memory

In memory of Don Van Vliet better known as Captain Beefheart who died on the 17th December 2010 aged 69.

He certainly was one of the great original geniuses of popular music of the 20th Century. With his gritty and growling voice and his fusion of blues, jazz and psychedelia  he carved out sound that was uniquely his.

" His work, whether in music or drawing, was never mainstream and only ever gained a relatively small following, but he was a larger-than-life character who pushed the boundaries of his art in a way which influenced many who followed in his wake "

quoted from  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-11811289

Other Links

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12024652

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/captain-beefheart-dead-at-age-69-20101217


Wednesday 5 January 2011

Gerry Rafferty The Musician, Songwriter and Singer Dies Today



Gerald Rafferty The Musician, Songwriter and Singer Is No More.  He died earlier today of  liver failure after a long illness.  


Goodbye Gerry, your music gave me a lot of pleasure over the years   


"Gerald "Gerry" Rafferty (16 April 1947 – 4 January 2011) was a Scottish singer and songwriter best known for his solo hits "Baker Street" and "Right Down the Line", and "Stuck in the Middle" with the band Stealers Wheel."
It was publicly known that Rafferty was battling with alcoholism.[11] In November 2010, Rafferty was admitted to the Royal Bournemouth HospitalBournemouthDorset, suffering from liver failure. He died at home on 4 January 2011, of liver disease.[19] He is survived by his daughter, Martha.[20]


The irony of the success of "Baker Street" was that the lyrics reflected Rafferty’s disenchantment with certain elements of the music industry. This was elaborated by music journalist Paul Gambaccini for BBC World News:[11]

His song "Baker Street" was about how uncomfortable he felt in the star system, and what do you know, it was a giant world hit. The album City to City went to no. 1 in America, and suddenly he found that as a result of his protest, he was a bigger star than ever. And he now had more of what he didn’t like. And although he had a few more hit singles in the United States, by 1980 it was basically all over, and when I say ‘it’, I mean basically his career, because he just was not comfortable with this.


Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerry_Rafferty



"Gerry Rafferty's Baker Street provided a welcome relief from the wall-to-wall disco that dominated the UK charts in the late 1970s."  .....   http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-11728112


Tuesday 26 October 2010

The How And The Why On Music !

A fascinating book on the how and the why of music and why it is so important to human beings.

  "All human cultures seem to make music - today and through history. But why they do so, why music can excite deep passions, and how we make sense of musical sound at all are questions that have, until recently, remained profoundly mysterious."  ....... MORE

Thursday 23 September 2010

Snippets of Some Rambling Reflections - Part 1

You get what you give and you give what you get. !

Although verbal communication ie speaking and writing is important, the non-verbal aspect of communication should not be under estimated.
"Some studies show 60 per cent of any dialogue is made through nonverbal means – such as gestures, posture ......."   MORE   
All verbal communication is affected by the non-verbal communication that accompanies it. Face to face, expression  ......."   MORE 
 
If people spoke less and listen more perhaps we would have a better world ! ! !  .....  MORE  

If no one speaks there would be no need to listen. Perhaps human beings might then regain the art of telepathy !   Well it is just a thought !
"Communication was an important component of life in the ancient world, and could be divided up into three ....."   MORE    
  "According to some studies, communication between people is more that 50 percent nonverbal. That being the case ....."  MORE    
"Some studies show 60 per cent of any dialogue is made through non-verbal means – such as gestures, posture ......."    MORE         
"Colour is so deeply imbedded in our psyche that it's like the air that we breath… we don't notice the power, ...."    MORE      
 "Colours, like people have different personalities and these are perhaps the reason why we are attracted to ........ ."    MORE      
 "Everyone likes to imagine they are rational, fair, and free from prejudice. But how easily are we   misled by ...."     MORE     

............................    too be continued    ...........................

Wednesday 8 September 2010

A Perspective of Colour and Its Role In Human Communication

Colour affects us all in subtle and more noticeable ways during the course of our daily lives, here are some links which expand on this further.
"Colours, like people have different personalities and these are perhaps the reason why we are attracted to ......." MORE
"Colour is so deeply imbedded in our psyche that it's like the air that we breath… we don't notice the power, ...." MORE
Can There Really Be A Colour And Music Relationship ?
 “The relationship of colour and music has inspired philosophical and creative discovery throughout the ages. ....."  MORE
Musical  Color Experiences
 “The experiences of color and music have always been closely intertwined. ......."  MORE
The Great Color Music Debate.   Painting music by colors is a subject which has occupied many a great mind down the centuries. The pondering goes along these lines. When one hears a particular musical sound one is drawn to a particular color or a particular sound is associated with a particular color or a color with a sound. Whether this is only a subjective experience on the part of the listener or whether we can draw a wider correlation between certain musical sounds and certain colors is open to debate. .........  MORE

Check out:  Color Codes: Modern Theories of Color in Philosophy, Painting and Architecture, Literature, Music and Psychology. by Charles A. Riley (Paperback)   …..  MORE

The author thinks that by trying to understand our own and other people’s ‘personality color’ it would help us to communicate with others better.
“Each one of us has one of four personality colors that dominate the way we behave and communicate  ......" MORE

Tuesday 24 August 2010

What Says Jimi ?

On the 40th anniversary of Jimi Hendrix death Tom Robinson in this radio programme takes a look at  Hendrix's political  position during the late 1960's .

Along with Tom Robinson, this programme also features contributions from Eric Burton, Robert Wyatt, Hendrix's younger brother Leon Hendrix, Black Panther Party members of the period Aaron and Elmer Dixon and comments from the author Charles Sharr Murray.
"The programme culminates with Jimi's Woodstock Festival performance of 'The Star Spangled Banner', an eloquent (and wordless) statement against the Vietnam war......"  MORE

Sunday 15 August 2010

Those Musical Feelings That We Have

I suppose you do not need to be a neuroscientist to know the power of music and the physical and psychological effects it can have on human beings.  Nevertheless, it is good to know anyway that neuroscientists of this interesting study have taken the time and effort to confirm and explain why we feel these ‘physical and psychological effects’
Over the past decade or so, studies have shown that music stimulates numerous regions of the brain all at once, including those responsible for emotion, memory, motor control, timing and language. MORE

Thursday 24 June 2010

Are You A Good Listener ?

Listening is one those skills in communication which many of us overlook. If you are the one who does most of the talking in a conversation it probably means that you not listening or paying close attention to what the other person is saying. Often this can lead to a lot misunderstanding between the parties. So if you wish to be a better communicator try to talk less and listen more.  You may be surprise at the difference this might make, you might even improve your communication skills in the process!
In my journey toward better communication, here are 5 ways I’ve found to help reduce the distractions we face in communication: ............  MORE

Wednesday 21 April 2010

Are Your Facial Expressions Innate Or Learnt ?



Human Facial Expressions are Inborn, Study Found
A research paper published  by the 'Journal of Personality and Social Psychology' says that our facial expressions have "strong connections with our genes". This study goes  on  to say that " facial expressions of our emotions are innate" and consequently are not acquired in "cultural learning". ........ MORE

Thursday 4 March 2010

The Musical World of Confucius

Confucius grew up in a world in which the Ancient Chinese believed that sound had a profound influence on the harmony of the universe. This importance is reflected in his own teachings in which music is featured very prominently.

Confucius considered music to be one of the two defining social and cultural structures that is attributed to a proper ordered society, along with correct observance of ritual. For him music encompassed learning, thinking, behaving, and governing.

Confucius felt that an individual education could not be completed without a musical education. As Confucius so eloquently put it "To educate someone, you should start with poems, emphasise of ceremonies, and finish with music".

Thursday 19 November 2009

Music and Its Origins

The Singing Neanderthals: The Origins of Music, Language, Mind and Body
A book written perhaps with the linguist Steven Pinker in mind who in 1997 stated that music in evolutionary terms was in fact "useless".  The author Steven Mithen challenges this assertion of Pinker and argues that ......." music has been neglected if not ignored.  Like language it is a universal feature of human culture, one that is a permanent fixture in our daily lives. " ........ MORE






Wednesday 18 November 2009

Music And The Imagination

Music, The Brain, And Ecstasy: How Music Captures Our Imagination


An informative and an introduction to what is music and how and why it affects us..... Robert Jourdain explores these topics and others, ..... " from the essential nature of sound through composition, performance, and, finally, the nature of ecstasy "  ....... MORE

Tuesday 17 November 2009

How Much Emotion and Meaning Is There In Music ?


 Emotion and Meaning In Music

"Emotion and Meaning in Music " by Leonard B. Meyer  ........ A thought provoking book which   "Analyzes the meaning expressed in music, the social and psychological sources of meaning, and the methods of musical communication"  ....... MORE


Monday 19 October 2009

The Timeless of Rock Music


Study Finds Rock Music Popularity On Rise

Yes, rock music is the most popular music in the USA according a report by the Pew Research Center released in August.

“Nearly 35 percent of respondents to the survey said they listen to rock often, and another 30 percent said they listened sometimes, which beats out six other musical genres tested in the survey: country, rhythm and blues, hip-hop, classical, jazz and salsa” ....... MORE

Thursday 10 September 2009

Human Communication

The Importance Of Non-Verbal Communication

I believe that human communication involves both verbal and nonverbal exchanges. When individuals first hear the word "communication," they frequently assume it refers to speaking and writing, which is verbal communication. The non-verbal components of communication are frequently only given second-class status. The non-verbal parts of communication, such as touch, eye contact, indirect body language cues, facial expressions and gestures, and listening to what the other person is saying, are of utmost significance in the human communication process.

Therefore, nonverbal cues or expressions are a crucial component of human communication and shouldn't be disregarded.

It is rare that you will observe the other person's facial and physical expressions if you attempt to communicate with them in writing, on the internet, or over the phone. As a result, you never know whether the communication process was completely genuine. Even when you are face to face with someone and do the majority of the talking, it is unlikely that you are listening much.

There can be no understanding without the ability to listen, and there can be no communication without understanding.

Monday 15 June 2009

How Does 'Music' Exactly Differ From ‘Noise’ ?


The Psychological Significance of Music in Human Communication


Human beings throughout the ages have long considered music to have magical and mysterious qualities. Our primitive ancestors may have found music incomprehensible, perhaps they sensed it as only a series of sounds that expressed moods, threats or order from the spirits that constantly surrounded them. Music nevertheless was a vehicle by which our primitive ancestors were able to communicate direct with the spirits that occupied the outer and invisible world in which they lived.

The Babylonians and the Ancient Greeks try to create a structure on these ‘musical sounds’. In this structure, sound was related to that of the cosmos through an elaborate mathematical conception of sound vibrations connected with numbers and astrology.

As time went by humankind relationship to music slowly changes. No longer was it a means to communicate with the spirits, a threatening force or had supernatural qualities. Music became a vehicle by which human beings were now in personal communication with the deity, one that was a harmonious relationship with God.

Finally it was recognised that music was a medium by which human beings could communicate with their fellow human beings and help to strengthen the bonds of understanding between one another.

Music over the centuries has therefore been looked on as a power that could change and affect humans in a fascinating sort of way. So what exactly is in music that can produce these extraordinary effects on humans? In addition, one needs also ask how 'music' exactly differs from ‘noise’.

If we care to look for a purely scientific analysis explanation of these questions, we are offered the following. Music consists of vibrations in the air or a combination of vibrations that remain constant long enough for the air to be able distinguish them as units in other words as ‘notes’. Noise on the other hand may contain the same vibrations but can only be sustained for a short time. In other words the human ear does not have the opportunity to characterise or distinguish this combination of vibrations as‘notes’.

Does the scientific analysis explanation of music tell us anything about the psychological significance of music in human communication? Cannot music be ‘noise’ and ‘noise’ ‘music’?
I suppose it all down to one's cultural environment !

To decide whether a particular series of 'sounds' is 'noise' or whether it is 'music' is really down to the cultural environment it was created in. This has been the case ever since human beings first began to produce 'sounds'. The 'sounds' produced can only really be understood as 'music' from within the cultural environment from which these 'sounds' were created in. So to understand this 'music' one really needs be 'educated’ in the cultural environment in which it was created.

So 'noise' can be 'music' and 'music' can be 'noise', it all depends on the cultural environment it was created in and from the cultural environment the listener originate from.

Monday 1 June 2009

Can You Really Become A Happier Person By Listening To Music ?


Music & Emotions: Can Music Really Make You a Happier Person?


The connection between music and emotions has been known since the days of the Ancient Egyptians. It was then taken up by the early Persians, Chinese, Hindus, Egyptians, Israelites, and finally the Ancient Greeks, especially Plato, Aristotle and Pythagoras. Can listening to music therefore make you happy? Well the act of listening and playing music does alter how our brain work which in turn has a knock-on affect on how our body work. It is only now the beneficial effects of listening to music are starting to be understood. When used in music therapy it helps to lessen anxiety and stress in patients and offers some relief of pain. Further it has a positive effects on mood and emotional states.
"Doctors now believe using music therapy in hospitals and nursing homes not only makes people feel better, but also makes them heal faster. And across the nation, medical experts are beginning to apply the new revelations about music’s impact on the brain to treating patients" ........ MORE

Thursday 21 May 2009

Please Take Your Partners for the Communication Dance


Tips on Communication - Essential Skill For Success

It has been suggested that when two individuals try to communicate to each other they go into a state of ‘Hallucination’. This communication space therefore becomes a reality that it is not shared between the two individuals. Instead it is an hallucinating experience, which is actually shared between the two individuals. So if some misunderstanding does occur between two individuals one should not be surprised by this fact.

However do not despair, as there are some guidelines if followed correctly can improve the accuracy of your communication with another person.
“First, we should take into consideration that communicating is somewhat comparable to dancing. Both parties must be on the same tempo before they can start. One person cannot be waltzing while the other is doing the jitterbug.” MORE


Discover the Hurdy Gurdy: A Musical Journey Unveiling the Enchanting Sounds of a Timeless Instrument

The Hurdy-Gurdy Player (Le Joueur de Vielle) at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Did you know that the hurdy-gurdy is a string instrument tha...