Roll upper Beethoven

This week’s Scientific American blog ‘Mind Matters’ reports that classical music can ease depression. Researchers at Alzahra University in Tehran took depressed participants and administered Beethoven’s 3rd and 5th piano sonatas in twice-weekly, 15-minute doses. Participants’ depression scores improved significantly – and without side effects. Mind Matters blogger David Dobbs notes that ‘if classical music… Continue reading Roll upper Beethoven

It’s a bouncing baby Nano

My friend Dave loves vinyl. He’s made small concessions toward CDs, but his true love has always been the turntable. So it was something of a surprise to find out he’d won an iPod Nano. The little silver device had been confined to its box for months, bursting with unheard melodies, a tiny bud of unrealised musical delight.… Continue reading It’s a bouncing baby Nano

Stuff that makes me happy – Music videos

“What came first, the music or the misery? People worry about kids playing with guns, or watching violent videos, that some sort of culture of violence will take them over. Nobody worries about kids listening to thousands, literally thousands of songs about heartbreak, rejection, pain, misery and loss. Did I listen to pop music because… Continue reading Stuff that makes me happy – Music videos