Classical Music Is More Than Just Relaxing

What people do need help with is identifying the initial pieces to start with but once they have found something that grew on them, they are usually able and wanting to explore on their own. Do I need to be educated in art to find it relaxing, enjoyable or to invoke some sort of passion in me? More than once I've made some totally ignorant comment when viewing art. Someone usually kindly points out some particular point of interest that 1)enlightens me a bit more to what I'm seeing and 2) brings me a little closer to the inside track. For example, if you know they like Jazzy music and saxophones, you could get them to listen to Henk van Twillert's baritone saxophone transcriptions of Bach's unaccompanied cello suites, it's an amazing performance. In fact I noticed that rock band fans often relate to string quartets well, as long as you play something that's "noisy".



Although you don’t need to fully understand the definition of classical music to enjoy it, it certainly helps if you can comprehend that music is constantly being redefined. While Beethoven, Mozart and Haydn will always have their place in classical music, the genre didn’t begin with them and it certainly didn’t end with them. You now how difficult it is to eat slowly, chew your food properly, and really enjoy it. Playing soft music and dimming lights in dining areas has been found to help people enjoy their food more and eat less! This is the main result of a study carried out at Cornell University. On the other hand, places like fast food joints use brighter lights to encourage fast eating and more profit for the business.

It could become a habit – listening classical music while going to school, work, shop, while cooking or drinking tea. A study performed in 2012 found that children who were exposed to adult-directed music at a young age had better listening skills than those who weren’t. This finding was consistent with previous research on adults who had been exposed to classical music during childhood. These findings support the idea that exposure to classical music can improve your auditory memory by improving your ability to focus on sound. And what about people who listen to other types of music?

There is plenty of largely unexplored "classical" music, not only contemporary and 20th century but also from earlier periods. It seems to me that many people need a drumbeat or a person belting out a long note at the top of their lungs in order to recognize a dynamic range. A mere crescendo or increased intensity of sound may completely not register with them.

This minimalistic calm music is just what you need when you want to get far away from the madding crowd. Beethoven dedicated this piece to a 16-year-old countess, Giulietta Guicciardi, who was his student, albeit for a short while. As you listen to this remarkable sonata, you will find the music flowing into your body and pushing out stress and anxiety. Even people with disabilities and life-threatening diseases can benefit from soothing, slow music.

Notably, Debussy’s renowned work has appeared in movies like “Ocean’s Eleven” and “Twilight,” to name a few. Debussy’s most recognizable work consists of soft, melodic tones that illustrate a peaceful setting of serenity and soothing colors. The work embodies the essence of a calm lake with a mountainous landscape. “Clair De Lune” will carry the listener into a calming atmosphere filled with tranquility through the harmony of the work. In 2004, various British railway stations began piping in recordings of Mozart, Bach and Handel, which resulted in a one-third drop in the number of robberies and other crimes. Psychologists speculate that the relaxing melodies had a tranquilizing and disorienting effect on potential criminals.

— brain activity is improved when listening to classical music. This means you can perform tasks quicker with relaxation music better results. — in studies, students’ sleep patterns were greatly improved when they spent 45 minutes listening to classical music before going to bed. Joe Goetz is Music Director for WFIU 103.7 FM in Bloomington, Indiana, and has eleven years of experience hosting and producing classical music programming for public radio.