Lullabies Establish a Soothing Connection With the outside World.

A baby’s first awareness of the world is huge and frightening. The swaying rhythm of a lullaby is close to the infant’s own heartbeat, and the quiet harmony is a relief from the rest of the world. A simple, repeating melody is a source of comfort.

There’s an ancient part of the brain in the limbic system which is responsible for the emotional responses to music. When the emotional part of the brain is stimulated by music, this decreases the arousal level, which decreases pain levels.

Child Care Worker Used Harp Music to Get Children to Sleep.

Carol McKenna of San Rafael, California, cared for dozens of foster children over her lifetime. She used two of my harp CDs, Healing from the Harp and Soothing Lullabies from the Harp, to calm the children for naps and bedtime. The children learned to associate sleep time with the music, and it made getting to sleep easier. Occasionally, if Carol forgot to play the music, the children would ask her to play it to get them to sleep.

Relaxing Music Calms the Nervous System, Slows Breathing and Heart Rate.

Playing soft background music or singing a lullaby before bed or during naps makes falling asleep easier and quicker. It also improves sleep duration and the quality of sleep.

Music is everywhere. It is felt in bird song, rain drops, harp strings, and drum beats. Music is a gift which we can share and enjoy. Helping babies sleep better is a beautiful way to take advantage of the gift of music.

Listen to samples of soothing harp music. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00005V6EI

Your Memory of Music Creates Network of Memories

When you hear music, it’s not stored separately, but with all other aspects of the situation that you perceived. The smells and sights of the place, your mood, the people you were with, what you were doing, are all stored together and connected with the music, often in detail. Do you have some favorite songs that bring up memories of certain friends or family members? When you hear one of those songs, you may find yourself back in another time and place, remembering a certain party, encounter, or even what you did after the party. The music may bring back the entire scene and mood, and maybe even the reason for the mood.

Smells Trigger Emotional and Nostalgic Memories

Scent brings up memories faster than about anything else. Smells stimulate nerve impulses which travel to a part of the brain called the olfactory system. The olfactory system sends the information to the limbic system, then we become aware of the emotions connected to the smell. The limbic system interacts with the emotion and memory centers in the brain, but not with more developed regions. That is why memories sparked by aroma bring up feelings of pain, pleasure, affection, anger, etc., rather than details.

Music and Smell Are The Two Strongest Memory Triggers

Music travels from the auditory system to the brain, activating both left and right sides of the brain. Music heard at a certain dinner party can bring back memories of people’s faces, the taste of the food, the environment, the conversation. Add to this the smell of certain food, perfume, scent of a flower, etc., which will bring back a certain mood. No wonder we love to eat out or gather for a meal while listening to music!

Listen to some timeless classical music from the harp. http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/heavenlyharp8

Getting Closer To Your Spirituality
The most direct way to get in touch with your spirituality is through music. Artists often picture angels playing on harps, and music is called “the celestial art.” Beautiful, soothing, healing music can appeal to the soul. This “soul music” is sometimes referred to as the music of the angels and can connect you to cosmic consciousness or perhaps spiritual perfection.

Music Helps You Feel At One With the Creator
Certain music can give you an inner thrill. You feel at one with the Creator, inspired and illuminated. When you discover music that helps you get to this state, listen to it over and over. Playing soulful music quietly as you go to sleep will enhance your dreams with solutions, divine direction and ideas. Your creative mind is busy while you’re sleeping, and music can truly be like a spiritual vitamin. Some examples of spiritual music from the harp, Hymns for Healing, are available at www.amazon.com/dp/B0006H5M6Y

Who Was St. Patrick?

St. Patrick, known as the “Apostle of Ireland,” was an Irish patron saint, who actually started out in a pagan religion. At some point in his life he was captured in Wales, Scotland, then taken to Ireland as a slave. He escaped, became a Christian, and went back to Ireland for mission work.
St. Patrick used the green three-leafed shamrock to illustrate the Holy Trinity. The wearing of the green and the shamrock are still a tradition for this Irish celebration.

Why Do We Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day?

In America, St. Patrick’s Day was first organized by the Charitable Irish Society of Boston in 1737. It started as a feast and religious service, then later evolved into the festivities and parades that we know today. Many events feature Irish food, especially corned beef.

Ireland is One of the Most Musical Countries in the World

In Ireland you can’t walk three blocks anywhere without hearing music. St. Patrick’s Day has become an annual celebration of Irish culture. When it comes to music, nothing outside the legacy of black Americans matches the legacy of the Irish. We love to hear Danny Boy any time of year.

Why Do We Pinch Those Who Don’t Wear Green?

It has nothing to do with Ireland, and Irish people think Americans are crazy for the pinching and the heavy celebrating. Some say it started in Boston in the early 1700’s. They believed that wearing green made you invisible to the Leprechauns, who pinched anyone they could see. The pinching reminds you to watch out for the Leprechauns. Some other speculations: Pinching gives you a bruise so you can have some green on you. You get pinched as a reminder to wear green. Do you have an idea why we pinch those who don’t wear green?

Have Fun on St. Patrick’s Day.

No matter what the reason for celebrating St. Patrick’s Day, have fun and sing!

How Music Travels to Your Brain

1. First, the sound waves travel through the air.
2. Next, the outer ear collects the sounds.
3. Then the middle ear sends the sound waves to the inner ear, where they cause the eardrums, small hairs and bones to vibrate.
4. This creates nerve signals that the brain understands. The brain changes this energy into electrical energy and sends the impulse to the cerebral cortex, the part of the brain that controls thought, perception and memory.
5. From there the cerebral cortex sends the impulses to the response centers of the brain that control emotion, anxiety, pleasure, arousal and creativity.
6. Next in line is the hypothalamus, a tiny area deep in the brain that controls many autonomic functions, heart rate, respiration, blood pressure, body temperature, and the nerves to the skin and stomach.
7. Finally, your cortisol, the stress hormone, drops and your DHEA and dopamine (romantic and happy chemicals) go up. The pheromones (sex hormones) kick in.

All of this happens in less than a second, just because you chose to put on some music that you enjoy. Learn more about the power of music with my book, Music, Healing and Harmony. http://www.amazon.com/dp/0961551305

USUAL AND UNUSUAL WAYS TO BETTER SLEEP

1. Make a worry list. Put the list in an imaginary balloon and release it. (Don’t worry, you can get it back in the morning if you still want it!)

2. Curl your toes up then relax them.

3. Establish a ritual, so your brain and body knows it’s time to sleep. It might be washing your face, brushing your teeth, 5-10 minutes of yoga or other stretching, listening to your favorite relaxing music. A good example of relaxing music is Serenity from the Harp. You can also find this CD at amazon.com. www.amazon.com/dp/B000FL87N6

4. Avoid alcohol or caffeine for several hours before bedtime - 3 hours for alcohol and up to 12 hours for caffeine.

5. Choose a regular waking time and bed time. Even on the weekends, try to keep the routine at least approximately the same.

6. Roll your eyes upward for a few seconds, then relax them.

7. Do some slow deep breaths. Count as you inhale and exhale - any number you choose.

Do you have some tips for sleeping better? Please let me know.

The Organ Seems to Express The Full Range of Human Sentiments.

The pipe organ has been called the king of musical instruments because it takes up all the sounds of creation. The organ has a wide expressive range, from piano to a thundering fortissimo. The largest pipes (the lowest) can make the floors of a church or hall shake, while the smallest pipes (the highest) can sound like a delicate bird. It seems to echo and express the fullness of human sentiments, from joy to sadness, from praise to lamentation. Differences in the shape of pipes enable the organ to imitate many other instruments, which creates a wide variety of sounds (timbres).

The Almost Endless Possibilities of the Organ Remind Us of the Magnificence of God.

Beautiful organ music, like all music of quality, seems to transcend the human sphere, and evokes the divine. The endless range of timbre and variety of sounds of the organ seems to remind us of the immensity and the magnificence of God.

“The Lost Chord” by Organist, Adelaide Anne Proctor

The beginning of this poem by organist, Adelaide Anne Proctor, puts into words the magnificence of the organ.

Seated one day at the organ,
I was weary and ill at ease,
And my fingers wandered idly
Over the noisy keys;
I know not what I was playing,
Or what I was dreaming then,
But I struck one chord of music,
Like the sound of a great Amen,
Like the sound of a great Amen.

To hear some magnificent organ music …… https://www.cdbaby.com/cd/sallyfletcher2

Music and Love Are Common in All Religions

Over the years, I have served as a church organist and harpist, playing for over ten denominations. I can’t imagine a worship service without music. Singing about love is the common thread that connects the different churches - love of God or Higher Power, love of other people, and love of nature and beauty (including music).

All Religions Use Music to Sing About Love

The bible verse, “God is Love,” I John, pretty much says it all. Many hymns that are sung in church are about love. “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling” by Charles Wesley, is a good example. Many Unity churches sing “Let There Be Peace on Earth” at the end of each service. “Love Lifted Me,” “You Will Know We Are Christians by Our Love” and “O Love That Will Not Let Me Go” are more familiar hymns about love.

Use Beautiful Music for a Spiritual Connection

Whether you attend a place of worship or not, you can feel a spiritual connection by listening to some beautiful music - religious, classical, jazz, new age music or another type of music. Be quiet, listen, observe, feel a sense of gratitude for life, for the beauty and love that’s all around you. The harmony in the music will transfer to inner harmony, which leads to good will and love for others.
Listen to some timeless hymns to feel the love that surrounds us. https://www.cdbaby.com/cd/heavenlyharp5
What is your favorite music to help you get in touch with God or to meditate?

Our reaction to music isn’t always “joyful” pleasure.

One evening, Hector Berlioz, a French composer, started sobbing loudly at a concert. The person sitting next to him asked if he wanted to go out to the lobby. Berlioz replied, “What?! Do you think I come here for pleasure?” The melancholy and grief he experienced from the music obviously gave him a certain pleasure. This is why we enjoy crying at a sad movie or story. It’s cathartic to get in touch with all our emotions, good and bad, and express them. Music is a safe way to do this.

Music helps us get pleasure from even negative emotions.

When music puts us in a sad state, we feel that maybe the pain occurred for a reason. There is always a resolution in music, from dissonance to harmony, and we can identify with that since life is a series of ups and downs, conflict-resolution, sadness-joy, stress-relaxation. When we allow all the emotions to come to the surface, it is cathartic. Wayne L. Misner, owner of Healthcare CIO, says, “Songwriters somehow have learned to share my memories, your memories, and with their memories merge them into a song ball. Forever bouncing the song ball off us, they play dodge ball, hitting our minds and hearts.”

It’s healthy to get in touch with our emotions, both happy and sad.

Like Berlioz, go ahead and experience the “pleasurable grief” from music. Choose any kind of intense music that stirs your emotions, and let it help you get in touch with your inner needs. Learn more about how music is so powerful “Music, Healing and Harmony” http//amzn.com/B00578UYBU

Establish a Routine at Bedtime and Be Consistent.

Sing lullabies, give your baby a bath or read a book. The routine helps the baby relax, feel safe, and is also a signal that it’s time for sleep.

Use the Same Music Each Time You Put Your Baby to Sleep

When a soothing lullaby begins that the infant hears often, a sense of order and calmness begins.
Choose music that is approximately 60 beats per minutes, which is a calming rhythm. The music establishes a correlation between the baby’s general physiology and the outside world. The rhythm of a lullaby is similar to the baby’s heartbeat. The quiet repetitive melodies of a lullaby is a comfort and a relief.

Put Your Baby Down as Soon as He or She Is Sleepy.

Babies (and adults) sometimes have a hard time getting to sleep if they too tired.

Listen to some soothing harp lullabies at https://www.cdbaby.com/cd/heavenlyharp6