[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Happy New Year from your friends at Kindermusik! We’re always looking for ways to incorporate music into daily life because, let’s face it – music makes everything better! Our last post talked about musical resolutions for 2017. In this post, we’ll explore four ways to use music to help keep some of the most common resolutions. We all have access to just about any piece of music, anytime and anywhere. Let’s take advantage of technology and make our lives more musical!
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1. Timing
Let’s go back to 1991 and a fun little movie called Hudson Hawk. The film starred Bruce Willis and Andie MacDowell. Willis played an adept cat burglar who uses standard songs like Swinging on a Star and Side by Side to time his heists. Now – please don’t think we are condoning breaking and entering or stealing iconic pieces of art, but using music to time aspects of your life to help keep you on track isn’t a bad idea.
So what can you time? Well – just about anything. And frankly, music will make anything go by faster. I know that listening to the first movement of Bach’s Cantata 140 – Wachet auf ruft uns die Stimme is roughly 30 minutes – how long I want to walk the dog (remember – I’m a choral conductor – I listen to A LOT of Bach!). Using Bach’s music to time my dog walking activities works very well. And I can change it up with other pieces or play lists that run for the amount of time I want to walk our ball of energy.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]
2. Workouts
We touched on this in the last post – but I wanted to share a story. While in graduate school preparing for my master’s conducting recital, I’d go to the gym three times a week before the boys were awake. I’d take recordings and scores of the music on which I was working to be efficient with my time. Riding a stationary bike, I’d listen to my conducting rep, review the scores, and even practice my gestures.
Fast-forward to rehearsals…whenever I stood in front of the ensemble to rehearse my repertoire, my heart rate would increase and I’d sweat like a race horse! Listening and practicing my rep while working out had conditioned my body to respond to the music as if I was working out – even when I wasn’t! It was fascinating.
The right music during a workout can keep us focused and driven. The right playlist can form an arc that supports the arc of your physical exertion. Workoutmusic.com posted this informative chart that lists tempos which match various activity. Couple this info with songbm.com, a site that will tell you the bpm (beats per minute) if any song, and you can create a custom playlist for your activity.
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3. That New Hobby – Music!
I’ve known several people who have made resolutions to learn a musical instrument or take voice lessons. Do it! Buy a guitar! Get a keyboard or piano! How about a drum set? It is never too late to learn about music. Making music does so much good for the mind, body, and spirit at any age. If your kids happen to go to Kindermusik classes, learn the songs and sing with them in class and at home. You know they’re catchy.
Want to keep your brain young? Make music. Listen to music. Here’s some great advice from the folks at Johns Hopkins:
Jump-start your creativity.
Listen to what your kids or grandkids listen to, experts suggest. Often we continue to listen to the same songs and genre of music that we did during our teens and 20s, and we generally avoid listening to anything that’s not from that era.
New music challenges the brain in a way that old music doesn’t. It might not feel pleasurable at first, but that unfamiliarity forces the brain to struggle to understand the new sound.
Recall a memory from long ago.
Reach for familiar music, especially if it stems from the same time period that you are trying to recall. Listening to the Beatles might bring you back to the first moment you laid eyes on your spouse, for instance.
Listen to your body.
Pay attention to how you react to different forms of music, and pick the kind that works for you. What helps one person concentrate might be distracting to someone else, and what helps one person unwind might make another person jumpy.
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4. Gift Giving
Taking the time to remind how much those we care about with a gift always makes us feel good. Making a habit of gift giving keeps that feeling present and makes others smile as well! And the gifts don’t have to be extravagant – just thoughtful. Why not make it a musical gift? Find out what music your friend, family member, or co-worker likes and pick up a CD or send a digital album. Do you know them really well? How about picking something new for them to experience?
The act of simple gift giving, especially for no specific reason other than to let someone know you care, builds relationships and is actually good for our health. That good feeling? Turns out it’s mentally and physically beneficial. So – why not give music?[/vc_column_text][vc_separator][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Good luck with your resolutions! I’m keeping mine secret; we’ll see how I do. But rest assured, my year will be filled to the brim with music. I wouldn’t have it any other way. Kindermusik wishes you a happy and healthy 2017. May YOU experience lots of music as well![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]