Forums IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ Genius Code Classical Music for IQ Points?

Brian:

"Actually, Mozart was a classical era composer. Bach, Vivaldi (et al) were baroque. In fact, Mozart has been criticized for lacking the counterpoint that typically characterizes late baroque composition - and for which Bach is considered a master. "

ahhhhh... i should recheck my history, lol.

when i was doing my research on the mozart effect the reserahcers would always class Mozart and baroque style together, in the sense that they were both able to provoke an accelerated learning state. so, i presumed mozart *was* of baroque style, as opposed to just being similar in its psychological impact.

glad you told me that
thanks.

Mozart was considered a genius of sorts in the sense that he started composing music from a very early age.

It is probably the idea that the music he composed influenced the genius in him to be sustained later in life. Since he continued to compose music his entire life. Afterall all children are born genius they usually fail to sustain it into their adult lives.

Baroque music music has a soothing effect in that the consistant tempo of 60 beats a minute slows the heart to that pace. It seems that the beat of music influences the heartbeat. A slow heartbeat of about 60 beats per minute is a resting beat and as such is a relaxed state. The relaxed state is found to be more productive to learning and remembering.

Alex

quote:

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Originally posted by AlexK:
Mozart was considered a genius of sorts in the sense that he started composing music from a very early age.

It is probably the idea that the music he composed influenced the genius in him to be sustained later in life. Since he continued to compose music his entire life. Afterall all children are born genius they usually fail to sustain it into their adult lives.

Baroque music music has a soothing effect in that the consistant tempo of 60 beats a minute slows the heart to that pace. It seems that the beat of music influences the heartbeat. A slow heartbeat of about 60 beats per minute is a resting beat and as such is a relaxed state. The relaxed state is found to be more productive to learning and remembering.

Alex

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Thanks for the note, as always, Alex. Interesting comments on genius and relaxation.

<begin music lesson>
As a point of musical-correctness:
The idea that Baroque music has a constant tempo of 60 beats per minute is inaccurate. Listen to the ever-recorded Four Seasons (Vivaldi) and it will be evident that the tempo is neither constant nor 60 beats per minute.

Tempo indications in classical music are inexact. (eg, adagio = slow, allegro = fast presto = very fast, etc) so beats per minute will vary by performance. The metronome wasn't invented until the early 1800s (after Baroque composers were gone), and even then, metronome markings are not always commonly used.

<end music lesson>

I should point out that the 'preferred' baroque pieces are the approximate 60 seconds peices the faster movements from Vivaldi's Four seasons and other faster pieces are not often used. If used they are not usually associated with the learning phase.

Without the variation in the tempo the baroque pieces would boring. Since the research into the impact of music on the body and mind 'new age' pieces have been created. Admittedly I find the uneven tempo of baroque more natural to my mind than the mechanical attempts created by so many of the relaxation products being sold.

Baroque may not even be as effective as some of the newly developed 'new age' material anymore. It just happened to be the first effective pieces that they found. And just as everything else in life, what works for one doesn't necessarily work for another since we are all individuals with individual preferences.

Alex

Studies using the music of Mozart are mixed. If you want to use music to improve your intelligence, look into the recordings that are based on the theories of Alfred Tomatis. Regardless of the type of music, it is the distribution of the frequencies especially the higher frequencies.

Check out the Sound therapy system developed by Patricia Joudry or the SAMONAS (Spectrally Activated Music of Optimal NAtural Structure) CD recordings.

"The Samonas system is a powerful and sophisticated tool for auditory intervention based on the findings and experience of classic music therapy, neurobiological research and understanding of brain functioning.

Somonas combines and represents the knowledge of Nature, Physics of Acoustic Sounds and the development of Psycho-Acoustic Structures relating to all parts of the human organism.

Samonas Sound Therapy comes from the "Klangstudio Lambdoma" of Ingo Steinbach. Steinbach's highly original work should be seen in the tradition of the great Alfred Tomatis, but it extends Tomatis' ideas in several important ways.

Tomatis and Steinbach agree that music's overtones (high-frequency tones that you may not even notice) can profoundly energize and invigorate our ears, brain and total body. But Steinbach stresses the importance of using enjoyable, euphoric, audiophile quality CD recordings, because he found that the brain is more responsive to pleasant sounds.

Feed the brain and body through the ear Steinbach's Sound Therapy entails listening every day - for four weeks to seven months or more - to classical music that is specailly recorded and specially activated via a Steinback Envelope Curve Modulator to include a complex overtone frequency matrix ranging from 5 to 20,000 Hz. Steinback's special CDs feature his own hand-selected musicians, instruments and recording environments, and meticulous production. Heard through high-quality headphones and top-quality equipment, the music has a startling richness. It provides a micor-massage to the middle ear and stimulation to the inner ear, resulting int he specific input the brain needs to process the full range of sound necessary for the brain's development (rather than the limited range in our normal environment). This in turn stimulates full functioning of body and nervous system."

"The astounding effect of this therapy is due to a special treatment of classical music with the newly developed envelope shape modulator of the SAMONAS principle. This process is called Spectral Activation. This ensures that the healing effect of this special music reaches the psychological level of human hearing in the body. The body's own memories are naturally awakened.

Sound Therapy establishes a connection to the echo of the past in which the vibrating energy of sound simultaneously signifies vitality, life energy, and immediate presence. For the individual who wants to use Sound Therapy, it is an instrument for the stimulation and harmonisation of vitality, life energy, and the ability to concentrate. In addition it stimulates creativity and productivity.

The therapeutical applications of SAMONAS Sound Therapy have been practiced for many years. It affects the brain and nervous system directly through the sense of hearing and can be used to improve hearing. It can be used to improve psychological and physical conditions such as hearing, learning difficulties, voice problems and behavioural disturbances which are causally associated with the area of acoustic perception. Some problems, especially by Tinnitus and Stress are helped by listening to the CDs. Spectral Activation of Sounds in the SAMONAS Sound Therapy and the concept of syn-energy"