I?ll always remember my dad saying that he loved listening to birdsong early in the morning. The singing centered him in a way that I didn?t understand at the time.

Now I know why he felt so refreshed.

Birdsong is a high frequency sound ? around 5,000 hertz. Any sound between 5,000 and 8,000 hertz has been found to recharge our brain?s batteries.

You know what else is amazing?

5,000 hertz is also the frequency that energizes plants. In fact plants showed a 700 percent increase in efficiency of absorbing nutrients when exposed to high frequency classical music. This frequency actually helps the little pores on the plant’s leaves called stomata to open up.

And who says nature doesn’t have a plan. That?s why you’ll find that in areas that don’t have a lot of birds singing, there’s not a lot of plant growth either.

Lots of birds equals lots of plants. Few birdsongs means not a whole lot of greenery. Now I know why we moved from Los Angeles to Asheville, North Carolina ? we wanted birds and trees in our life.

Have you ever entered a room that has a weird or uncomfortable feeling about it? You might just be getting uncomfortable because of low frequency sound waves.

The lowest of those are called infrasound. They?re produced by machines such as vehicles, household equipment and heating and cooling systems. It?s been known for some time that these low frequency waves can cause symptoms such as nausea, headaches, fatigue, insomnia, vibration of internal organs and a feeling of oppression.

On the other hand, certain high frequency sounds literally energize your mind. Scientists have found that sounds from 5,000 to 8,000 hertz recharge your brain?s batteries.

If your CD collection includes music by Mozart, Baroque Music or even Tibetan Chants, keep listening. In numerous studies, these sounds have been found to charge the cortex of the brain and stimulate health and wellness.

At 120-125 hertz you begin to hear the kick drums and bass guitar common to rock music. These lower frequencies produce the opposite effect – they drain us.

Why is this?

Because they have wave-lengths longer than we are tall, which is why lower frequencies are FELT as well as heard. You can feel this low frequency full-body sensation at dance clubs and rock concerts. Or from listening to most FM radio stations.

Since we are mostly exposed to low frequency sounds in the media, I strongly suggest you balance your brain and body by listening to high frequency classical music at least once a day. It?s easy and effortless ? and great for you.

Here?s to your sound health.

Copyright 2006 Tania French

Composer Tania Gabrielle French has enjoyed performances and radio broadcasts of her music worldwide by Grammy Award winning artists. Her popular newsletter tells all about the secret effect of music on your mind and body. Subscribe now at http://www.artabundance.com ? 2006 Tania Gabrielle French. All Rights Reserved.

The Ave Maria Polka is blaring on the radio, Jingle Cats are meowing Greensleeves, and the doorbell is chiming a shrill Silent Night. To the untrained ear this musical goulash may seem tacky and not, by any means, traditional. However, this festive household has been influenced by many sophisticated classical composers!

Its easy to forget the classical origins of our most cherished carols when the 9-year-old next door is hollering Batman Smells! to the tune of Jingle Bells. To most childrens (and adults) surprise those dead guys with wigs are responsible for many of their favourite holiday tunes.

German composer Felix Mendelssohn wrote symphonies, concertos, masses and hundreds of other works. Strangely his most recognizable piece, excluding his popular Wedding March, is Hark! The Herald Angels Sing. It was written in 1840 as a part of his cantata Festgesang that honored printer Johann Gutenberg and the invention of printing!

The original lyrics were written by Charles Wesley 99 years before the music, but were changed to suit the cantata. Ironically, Wesley had specifically requested slow solemn music for his words. To top it all off, Mendelssohn had made it clear that his music was for secular use only!

Though it was written 260 years ago, George Frideric Handels Messiah is the most performed Christmas work in symphonies around the world. Oddly enough, it was composed while Handel suffered partial paralysis on his left side as a consequence of a stroke and took only 3 weeks to write! Even stranger was the cool reception it received during Handels lifetime. It was only through annual Eastertide performances to benefit the Foundling Hospital that Messiah was heard at all!

Music historians have recently discovered an embarrassing credit error. Cleric Isaac Watts published Psalms of David, based on Psalm 98 of the Old Testament, in 1719. In 1839 American composer Lowell Mason decided to set Watts translations to music and Joy to the World was born.

The confusion came from Masons modest footnote, From George Frederick Handel, which was said to be a tribute to the late composer. A misunderstanding was soon accepted as truth and for 100 years Handel was given credit for writing the music to Joy to the World!

Other music greats such as Beethoven, J.S. Bach, Holst, Corelli, Saint-Sans and Vaughan Williams are responsible for lovely Christmas Cantatas, Oratorios, and Carols we hear every December. Whether they meant to or not, these beloved artists have inspired generations of carolers.

Yes, even the off-key 9-year-old next door.

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If you think music doesnt affect you, youll be changing your tune after reading this. This is a true story of a recent study from Leicester University in England.

Youre off to the supermarket and decide to stop by some shelves offering French and German wine. You make up your mind to buy a bottle of the French wine.

While checking out, youre asked why you picked the wine. You respond The label looked great, or I liked the price. Then youre asked if you noticed the French accordion music that was playing when you took that bottle off the shelf. You say that you did. Did it affect your choice of wine today? No, of course not, you answer.

Thats funny because on the days that French music is played nearly 80% of shoppers chose the French wine. On the days that German music the Opposite happens.

In other words, this study found that if you bought some wine from their shelves you were 3 or 4 times more likely to choose a wine that matched the music than the wine that didn’t match the music.

Guess what these wine-buyers responded when asked at the checkout if the music influenced their choice. Only 1 out of 44 customers said that the music was the reason they bought the wine. Thats 2%!

The influence of the music was Huge but the customers Didnt Notice or Believe that it was affecting them. It only took a matter of minutes or seconds for music to get into these peoples brains in a powerful way.

Similar experiments have shown that classical music can make people buy more expensive wine.

Heres another study to chew on. Most of us go out to eat at least once a week. Do you know which music makes you spend more when youre at a restaurant?

In this study, a British restaurant played pop music, classical music and no music over the course of 18 evenings. Average spending prices per person were calculated for the following categories:

Appetizers, Main Courses, Desserts, Coffee, Drinks from the Bar, Wine, Overall Beverage Bill, Overall Food Bill, and Total Amount Spent

They also measured the total time people spent in the restaurant. Heres what they found.

There was a Significant difference between evenings when classical music was played and no music or pop music were played. Classical music resulted in higher spending. Across the board in all categories. Other restaurants here and abroad have had similar results.

What does this mean? Its pretty simple. Classical music relaxes and makes you feel good. And feeling good makes you want the best.

Thats why so many successful people listen to high frequency classical music. They know it helps them work better, think better, and get higher levels of energy. They know it wont deplete them, get them distracted and raise their heart rates, like hard-hitting low frequency music does.

The amazing effect that music has on your mind and body is being proven in study after study. Its information that should not be ignored. Especially these days, when were exposed to music anytime we enter a building.

Copyright 2006 Tania French

Composer Tania Gabrielle French has enjoyed performances and radio broadcasts of her music worldwide by Grammy Award winning artists. Her popular newsletter tells all about the secret effect of music on your mind and body. Subscribe now at http://www.artabundance.com 2006 Tania Gabrielle French. All Rights Reserved.

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