Music and Personal Development

Music is the universal language that can bring people of every race, background and belief together in a shared experience.

Confucius said, "Music produces a kind of pleasure human nature cannot do without."

On one occasion Confucius was so affected by music after listening to an orchestra that he was unable to taste his food for three months.

Few of us music lovers have experienced such dramatic after-effects from listening to music, however, there is no question it soothes, inspires and stirs the intellect and the emotions.

The benefits of music and its contribution to personal growth are immeasurable. It enriches us on so many levels and in so many aspects it is astonishing.

It helps the young and old connect with themselves and others by encouraging communication, creativity and cooperation.

Sight reading music has been found to enhance intellectual development by activating regions of the brain in all four cortex lobes and parts of the cerebellum.

In the elderly it helps decrease anxiety, depression and loneliness.

Music can improve your workout, your brain and lung power  too! If you listen to music while you exercise you'll do more than without it. The combination of music and exercise also boosts brainpower more than either alone. One study showed that a bout of exercise enhanced verbal ability more when accompanied by Vivaldi music.

Music and Me

When it comes to my personal taste, I love music ranging from classical to various rock genres. I even enjoy some of the rap and hip hop with their different rhythms and beats that young people listen to.

Each decade from the sixties on has brought new and innovative bands and artists to be enjoyed. In fact, my husband has been a musician since he was a young boy and currently plays in a rock and roll band covering the tunes of the British Sixties bands (Beatles, Rolling Stones, The Who, Eric Burdon and The Animals and more).

Here are some of the genres in music that I love and listen to regularly.

Classical - including Symphony, Orchestral, Vocal, Band Music, Opera, Musical Theatre. Some of my favorite composers are Mozart, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Schubert, Mendelssohn and Rachmaninov:  artists include:  Yo Yo Ma, Joshua Bell

Jazz - including Free Jazz, Latin Jazz, Jazz Fusion, Big Band, Contemporary and Pop Jazz.Favorite artists include: John Coltrane, Stanley Clarke, Dave Brubeck, Chieli Minucci and locally John Drew and Alexander Zonjic. 

New Age - Yanni, John Tesh. 

Vocal Artists - Andrea Bocelli, Celine Dion, and my all time favorite Josh Groban.

Rock - including Alternative, Pop Rock, Rock and Roll, Punk, New Wave, and some Rap (believe it or not).

Some Favorite Bands/Artists: Chicago, Queen, Jimi Hendrix, Rolling Stones, U2, ABC, Talk Talk, Live, Alanis Morissette, Sarah McLachlan, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Eminem, Outkast, Greenday, Mutemath.

 Look for updates down the road in this section where I will add articles on different genres and artists with some background history on them.

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