Listening To Music

The definition of “radio” is changing. While commercial and non-commercial stations continue to pour forth their offerings on AM, FM and shortwave, much more is available online. There, Internet technology provides a booster shot to traditional amplitude and frequency modulation to create new pipelines to programming of an almost infinite variety.

Three basic types of radio service are available online:

+ Internet feeds of “terrestrial” (regular broadcast) stations
+ Internet-only stations
+ Internet feeds of High-Definition (HD) broadcasts that are otherwise only available over the air to those who have HD radios

Here’s a breakdown of these online free radio offerings.

AM, FM and shortwave stations routinely stream their programming on the Internet. This gives them a worldwide reach but is primarily useful for listening in offices and other locations where a station’s signal may be marginal or unavailable. Most of what you hear on a station’s Internet feed is what’s actually on the air. There are two exceptions. Commercial breaks, where union voice talent requires additional pay for Internet play, are often “covered” on the Internet feed by public service announcements or station promos. The other exception is sporting events, which are sometimes blocked on the Internet by rights holders who assign exclusive markets to local broadcasters for their events.

The number of internet-only stations has waxed and waned. While some are hosted by large government broadcasters such as the BBC and Voice of America, many are small, independent operations. Music channels must pay rights fees to music licensing agencies and while special Internet-only fees have been negotiated many small broadcasters can’t afford to pay and go dark. Another expense is bandwidth. An Internet-only station with only a few listeners can carry on quite cheaply. But more popular stations are sometimes sunk by their own successes as increased listener numbers mean greater bandwidth requirements and higher costs to broadcast.

The last flavor of free online radio is the most recent. As AM and FM stations roll out HD channels a major drawback to mass listening has been the somewhat limited availability of HD-capable receivers. Auto manufacturers are installing HD radios in an increasing number of brands, beginning with luxury models. HD allows broadcast stations to actually add new channels to their signals. A station continues to broadcast its regular signal but uses digital HD transmission to create three or four more signals. These are purely digital and carry many types of programming that was previously only available online or from satellite radio services. A station that broadcasts classic rock on its regular FM service, for example, might program alternative rock, punk rock and new music on its HD signals. Only the regular FM signal will be available to standard tuners, however. An HD radio receiver is required to receive everything else — EXCEPT that many stations also stream their HD programming on the Internet!

Online free radio is always evolving. The only way to keep abreast of what’s on — and what’s gone — is to check regularly with site like live365.com and real.radio.com.

People burn cds for free online thousands of times daily. But are they really getting those songs or movies they download for free or not. There are some lucky people out there who can find sites that do not require them to pay anything for the downloads but most people are not lucky enough to be able to find them.

Usually when you burn cds for free online the only thing that you are really getting for free would be the burning part. You can subscribe to many different companies that offer music downloading and free CD burning but they usually charge some kind of monthly membership fee to be able to download those song or movies to the cds. Napster for instance charges a 14.95 a month membership to be able to download the songs that you are looking for. But when it comes to actually burning the songs that you have chosen you have to pay .99 extra per song to actually be able to burn the songs to a CD. A new dite that allows P2P sharing has emerged that charges nothing to join and nothing to burn CDs in called Ares. It must be something good over millions of people have joined and have begun to benefit from burning cds for free. All that is required to enjoy the many great benefits of this site is you do some sharing of files that you have your self downloaded from the Internet.

People can of course burn cds for free online but it may take a while to find the actual site or sites that will allow them to be burned for free. You must really be careful when dealing with the Internet. There are so many scams out there you just never know what is legit or not. Years ago people were sued and some got jail time for downloading and burning CDs for free online. So taking the time to find out the responsible thing to do would be the best route to go. Of course we all something free, who doesn’t?

So many of the actual artists of the songs that you may be looking for are not allowing any music of theirs to be downloaded because it decreases their revenue and CD sales. But can you really blame them? They make a living too. Of course you can always ppurchase the disk then burn it for free for anyone you know.

When choosing to burn cds for free online just make sure to do the right thing. If you can find a site that allows free cd burning and you did your research to know it is okay then there really is not anything wrong. Just be careful when dealing with the Internet. You may think you are getting into something you think is great and then your left with nothing. CD burning can be fun and why do it the right way so you can enjoy it. Free cd burning online can be and is tons of fun!

Recently, we can often hear both from pediatricians and psychologists about benefits of listening to music for babies. Of course, it is not surprising at all, as already our grannies sang songs to babies, to calm them down. Are there any medical researches on this subject?

Excursus to history

THE ANCIENTS were the first who noticed a beneficial effect of music both on soul and body. They treated neural-mental illnesses with music, and tried to use it as anaesthetic in Middle Ages… But all these experiments were carried out with adults.

In the beginning of 20th century scientists already could see that it was curative for babies to listen to classical music and lullabies, that music not only develops children, but also makes them healthier.

Scientists decided to find scientific grounds of music therapy. And the first patients, who received treatment with music, were prematurely born babies.

What the researches showed

AS a rule, if a baby suffered from lack of oxygen during his prenatal development, no matter whether he is premature or not, his activity of cell ferments is lowered. After listening to classical music, activity of babies’ cell ferments rose. A cytochemical analysis showed this. They also took babies’ blood pressure, pulse, rhythm of breathing. And they always observed a classical reaction of adaptation: organism adjusted itself to environment and felt better.

Well, may be, children react this way to any sound irritant - alarm-clock ticking, conversation? May be, harmony and melody have nothing to do with it?

Researchers switched on a metronome for babies, which beat out a slow rhythm at a calm music pace. Babies behaved rather well: calmed down and fell asleep. But cytochemical analysis registered objectively: on the background of metronome working, an oppression of ferments took place in cells.

By the way, this is a proof of the fact that rock music with pronounced pulsatile rhythm is harmful for small babies.

When parents were going to take away their babies from hospital, doctors recommended them to continue carrying out music therapy procedures at home, along with massage, special gymnastics and exercises in water. Parents treated such advices in different ways, some of them switched on music for their babies, some of them did not.

But when a year later all these babies passed a checkup, interesting facts were discovered. Babies, who were constantly listening to classical music, coped better with neurologic defects, than the ones, whose parents did not believe in a healing power of music therapy. This way a reliable statistics appeared.

Which music should babies listen to?

EXCITABLE, fidget children should listen to melodies at a slow pace – “adagio”, “andante”. As a rule, second parts of classical sonatas and instrumental concerts have such pace. German scientists worked out main scientific literature on this subject, and German and Viennese classical music prevailed in their programs: Mozart, Schubert, Haydn… Later they added Vivaldi and Tchaikovski…

For example, this can be a second part of a “Short nocturnal serenade” by Mozart, “Winter” from “Seasons” by Vivaldi, a duet of Lisa and Polina from Tchaikovski’s opera “Queen of spades”, lullabies.

A melody with words influences babies stronger, than a melody without words. And live singing is stronger, than instrumental performance recorded on CD. A language of singing does not matter, new-born babies can gladly listen to, for example, a lullaby by Brahms or Christmas motets in German language.

And babies, suffering from syndrome of distress, who nurse badly and sometimes even breathe spasmodically, should listen to musical compositions at “allegro” and “allegro moderato” pace by Mozart, Schubert, Haydn… For example: waltzes from Tchaikovski’s ballets “On troika” from his “Seasons”, “Spring” from Vivaldi’s “Seasons”, and also martial music.

Music therapy procedures are also of benefit for healthy, normally developing children. They also should be calmed down or, on the contrary, emboldened sometimes. This can be done with the help of relaxing or energetic music.

On no account, put on ear-phones on your baby. Our ears are adjusted to diffused sound by nature. Immature brain can receive an acoustic trauma because of directed sound.

Music therapy is contra-indicated to:

Babies with predisposition to fits.

Babies in a serious condition, which is accompanied by organism intoxication.

Babies suffering from otitis.

Babies, whose intracranial pressure increases sharply.

Rest on a cellular level

NOW parents have large selection of remedies – they can buy CD-discs with classical music in traditional performance. Or discs with classical music, arranged especially for babies. This music is accompanied by hand bells. Some may like such arrangement, other may not. You should see yourself your baby’s reaction.

You can also buy CD-records of classical music on the background of sounds of nature – rote, sound of rain, murmur of the forest…

Listen to music together with your baby and relax, as restless babies’ mothers just need a good rest, on a cellular level.

Yana Mikheeva is the creator of the Baby-Health.Net at http://www.baby-health.net

Are you going to get pregnant? Visit our friendly resource and read information on pregnancy and parenting, painless childbirth, growth and development of a baby, baby health, safety, signs of pregnancy.

She also has a blog for women at http://www.womanspassions.com/blog/

Two two easiest parts of learning Spanish are reading and writing, especially for those who are learning Spanish in a country where Spanish isn’t spoken predominately, like in the United States, Canada or England. As a result, the parts that Spanish students develop the slowest are speaking and listening comprehension.

So how does one go about developing Spanish listening comprehension? Well, there are a number of ways. Just pop in a Spanish DVD and watch the movie and you’ll soon start picking up on the sounds, or find a converstion partner. But I recently discovered a great technique that has helped me develop better Spanish listening comprehension.

A really great way to improve your listening comprehension skills is by listening to Spanish music. The goal, however, is to be able to listen to it and write out the song lyrics in Spanish. This may take some time, and you may become frustrated as you listen to the same part a million times over and still can’t distinguish the word. But keep at it. Start with slower Spanish songs, songs in which the pronunciation is much clearer and where it is easier to distinguish the words.

This Spanish listening comprehension drill will really help you improve your listening abilities, especially when it comes to speaking with native Spanish speakers. And if you’re learning Spanish so you can communicate with others, then it’s not going to help you if you can’t understand what they’re saying back to you in Spanish, right?

So get moving and start working on your Spanish listening comprehension through music!

Sonny Sheth is the author of OuterSpanish, http://www.outerspanish.com, a free Spanish learning resource with grammar lessons, vocabulary, listening comprehension drills and practice exams. He also maintains two other sites: SpeakAbroad, http://www.speakabroad.com and MyHomeCareTips, http://www.myhomecaretips.com

Will listening to music make you smarter? Will learning to play a musical instrument make your brain grow larger than normal?

Questions like these ones have been popping up all over the place in the past few years, and not just in scientific journals either.

In recent times the media has been fascinated by the research surrounding brain development and music, eagerly reporting on the latest studies to the delight of the music-loving parents of young children.

But all this information - and some misinformation too - has led to generalized confusion about the role of music and music training in the development of the human brain. The bottom line is this: if you’re confused by all you read about music study and brain development, you’re certainly not alone.

In part, this is due to the manner in which the phrase “the Mozart Effect” has been popularized by the media and bandied about to describe any situation in which music has a positive effect on cognition or behavior.

In fact the Mozart Effect refers specifically to a 1993 research finding by Frances Rauscher, Gordon Shaw and Katherine Ky and published in the prestigious journal Nature. The scientists found that 36 college students who listened to 10 minutes of a Mozart sonata performed higher on a subsequent spatial-temporal task than after they listened to relaxation instructions or silence.

An enchanted media reported this interesting research as “Mozart makes you smarter” - a huge over-simplification of the original results.

As Rauscher explains in a later paper, the Mozart Effect was studied only in adults, lasted only for a few minutes and was found only for spatial temporal reasoning. Nevertheless, the finding has since launched an industry that includes books, CDs and websites claiming that listening to classical music can make children more intelligent.

The scientific controversy - not to mention the popular confusion - surrounding the Mozart Effect, has given rise to a corresponding perplexity for parents. They wonder: “Should my kids even bother with music education?”

In fact the answer to this question is still a resounding yes, since numerous research studies do prove that studying music contributes unequivocally to the positive development of the human brain. Other researchers have since replicated the original 1993 finding that listening to Mozart improves spatial reasoning. And further research by Rauscher and her colleagues in 1994 showed that after eight months of keyboard lessons, preschoolers demonstrated a 46% boost in their spatial reasoning IQ, a skill important for certain types of mathematical reasoning.

In particular, it is early music training that appears to most strengthen the connections between brain neurons and perhaps even leads to the establishment of new pathways. But research shows music training has more than a casual relationship to the long-term development of specific parts of the brain too.

In 1994 Discover magazine published an article which discussed research by Gottfried Schlaug, Herman Steinmetz and their colleagues at the University of Dusseldorf. The group compared magnetic resonance images (MRI) of the brains of 27 classically trained right-handed male piano or string players, with those of 27 right-handed male non-musicians.

Intriguingly, they found that in the musicians’ planum temporale - a brain structure associated with auditory processing - was bigger in the left hemisphere and smaller in the right than in the non-musicians. The musicians also had a thicker nerve-fiber tract between the hemisphere. The differences were especially striking among musicians who began training before the age of seven.

According to Shlaug, music study also promotes growth of the corpus callosum, a sort of bridge between the two hemispheres of the brain. He found that among musicians who started their training before the age of seven, the corpus callosum is 10-15% thicker than in non-musicians.

At the time, Schlaug and other researchers speculated that a larger corpus callosum might improve motor control by speeding up communication between the hemispheres.

Since then, a study by Dartmouth music psychologist Petr Janata published by Science in 2002, has confirmed that music prompts greater connectivity between the brains left and right hemisphere and between the areas responsible for emotion and memory, than does almost any other stimulus.

Janata led a team of scientists who reported some areas of the brain are 5% larger in expert musicians than they are in people with little or no musical training, and that the auditory cortex in professional musicians is 130% denser than in non-musicians. In fact, among musicians who began their musical studies in early childhood, the corpus callosum, a four-inch bundle of nerve fibers connecting the left and right sides of the brain, can be up to 15% larger.

While it is now clear from research studies that brain region connectivity and some types of spatial reasoning functionality is improved by music training, there is growing evidence that detailed and skilled motor movements are also enhanced.

Apparently the corpus callosum in musicians is essential for tasks such as finger coordination. Like a weight-lifter’s biceps, this portion of the brain enlarges to accommodate the increased labour assigned to it.

In a study conducted by Dr. Timo Krings and reported in Neuroscience Letters in 2000, pianists and non-musicians of the same age and sex were required to perform complex sequences of finger movements. The non-musicians were able to make the movements as correctly as the pianists, but less activity was detected in the pianists’ brains. The scientists concluded that compared to non-musicians, the brains of pianists are more efficient at making skilled movements.

The study of music definitely affects the human brain and its development, in a staggering number of ways. But what to make of all the research, especially in terms of deciding the best course of music study or appreciation for yourself or your offspring?

A 2000 article by N M Weinberger in MuSICA Research Notes makes the following excellent point: Although the Mozart Effect may not list up to the unjustified hopes of the public, it has brought widespread interest in music research to the public. And listening to ten minutes of Mozart could get someone interested in listening to more unfamiliar music, opening up new vistas.

Irregardless of the hype surrounding the Mozart Effect, the overall academic evidence for music study as a tool to aid brain development, is compelling.

At the University of California School of Medicine in San Francisco, Dr. Frank Wilson says his research shows instrumental practice enhances coordination, concentration and memory and also brings about the improvement of eyesight and hearing. His studies have shown that involvement in music connects and develops the motor systems of the brain, refining the entire neurological system in ways that cannot be done by any other activity. Dr. Wilson goes so far as to say he believes music instruction is actually ‘necessary’ for the total development of the brain.

So the bottom line is this: Music study and practice probably does aid in the development of the brain in various important ways. And after all, if you enjoy music, there is nothing to lose by trying, and everything to gain!

Duane Shinn is the author of over 500 music books and products such as DVD’s, CD’s, musical games for kids, chord charts, musical software, and piano lesson instructional courses for adults. He holds an advanced degree from Southern Oregon University and was the founder of Piano University in Southern Oregon. He can be reached at http://www.pianolessonsbyvideo.com. He is the author of the popular free 101-week e-mail newsletter titled “Amazing Secrets Of Piano Chords & Sizzling Chord Progressions” with over 55,000 current subscribers. Those interested may obtain a free subscription by going to http://www.playpiano.com/

Noise cancelling headphones are fast becoming the must have item of the year. Both music lovers and travelers alike are beginning to realize the benefits of noise cancelling devices. In fact this new product is taking the audio industry by storm and promises to develop into a significant portion of the headphone market in a very short time.

Both audiologists and consumers agree that headphones that cancel ambient noise are very beneficial. From a consumer standpoint, the electronic devices allow for a far more peaceful journey, particularly in noisy environments such as planes and cars. In fact, noise cancelling headphones can reduce or eliminate the persistent hissing of an aircraft or the drone of an engine and even the muffled conversations that so often disturb our listening experience.

But perhaps more importantly, from an audiologist’s point of view, noise cancelling headphones allow people to listen to their favorite music, without competing with noise pollution. This is quite a significant issue, because people have a tendency to compete with other noise by just increasing the volume level of the music that they are trying to hear. Clearly this ploy has a major flaw in the sense that it ultimately results in negative impacts upon a persons hearing.

According to http://www.cancelingnoise.com the human ear is capable of shifting its threshold of hearing to suit the noisier conditions and thus noisier headphones will appear to be blocking out the sounds. Ultimately the noise will damage the function of the ear, most likely leaving the person with permanent hearing loss and possible tinnitus.

On the other hand, by using noise cancelling headphones, not only can the wearer enjoy a quieter journey, he or she can also listen to music at lower levels without losing clarity. In this case, the human ear will shift its hearing threshold to a lower level and a person can therefore listen to music at lower volume levels, without sacrificing their listening experience.

The technology is quite exciting for consumers, particularly those who have previously relied upon smaller headphones in the past. One drawback that has been observed is that it does require an over the ear style of headphone to work most effectively. This will mean that people who like to jog or exercise while listening to music will most probably need to buy a separate set of regular headphones and also a set of noise cancelling headphones for travel. But let me assure you that anyone who finds them self on a long distance flight will be glad that they made the investment in a set of quality noise cancelling headphones.

The author is a regular contributor to http://www.cancellingnoise.com and permission to reproduce this article is given only on the basis that all links remain active and intact.

There are many people who like to listen to music while they work and I am certainly one of them. I find it helps me focus more on the task at hand. Of course I can imagine that there are people who listen to music because it helps them NOT to focus on their job.

Whilst there may be many reasons for wishing to listen to music in the workplace, can it really improve your productivity?

We know that music can alter your mood. Films have been using musical scores for years to create the right mood for a scene. At times you hardly notice the music at all but you are very receptive to the mood being conveyed. So can we use music to put us in a “productive” mood?

Research seems to support such a claim. For example, a trial where 75 out of 256 workers at a large retail company were issued with personal stereos to wear at work for four weeks showed a 10% increase in productivity for the headphone wearers. Other similar research conducted by researchers at the University of Illinois found a 6.3% increase when compared with the no music control group.

So if we accept that music does increase productivity, does it matter what types of music we listen to? Does all music have the same effect or are certain types better in certain circumstances?

If your goal is to increase your concentration then music which has a constant, easy beat and light melodies are recommended. These are said to be good for those trying to study as they help you pace your reading to aid focus and memorising. Baroque music is reported as an excellent example, especially the works of Vivaldi, Bach and Handel.

Rock music can have a similar effect. According to a report in the journal Neuroscience of Behavior and Physiology, the Russian Academy of Sciences discovered that a person’s ability to recognize visual images, including letters and numbers, is faster when either rock or classical music is playing in the background.

If you are aiming to be more productive through being more relaxed, then you may be interested to learn that research has shown that music with an upbeat rhythm can reduce stress hormone levels by as much as 41%.

Some of the most publicised studies into whether listening to music increases productivity have centred on what has been termed the “Mozart effect”. The term got its name after a study showed that college students had performed better solving mathematical problems when listening to classical music. The effect of listening to Mozart does not appear to be limited to humans either. Apparently cows will produce more milk if Mozart is played.

Mike Seddon is one of the founders of Kutchka. Their mission is to make life easier in the office by providing tools which help you get the best out of Microsoft Office. Each week through their newsletter they provide free tips for Microsoft Office users. Why not sign up yourself at http://www.kutchka.com

Apple iPods have revolutionized the way one listens to music. For the uninitiated, Apple iPods are portable media players that are designed and delivered by Apple Inc. to cater to the growing needs of tech-savvy music lovers from across the globe. Since the launch of Apple iPods in 2001, these innovative gadgets have provided stiff competition to digital music players that were prevalent in the market upto that period. Music lovers have been more than eager to store and carry “1000 songs in their pockets,” made possible with many of the Apple iPods.

However, innovation is an on-going process. Technical experts have not been satisfied with their developmental efforts; they have strived to make these high-end gadgets more effective - viz-a-viz the needs of users. Since the launch of the Apple iPod, a lot of innovation has been carried out to make these gadgets all the more user-friendly. These efforts have resulted in the design and development of more versatile iPods from Apple Inc. Apple iPod Classic is one such high-end iPod from the Apple kitty.

One could use the Classic iPod from Apple to play music files in a host of file formats - AAC, AIFF, MP3 and WAV are some among them. This light weight Apple iPod comes with a storage capacity of 160 GB, quite comprehensive by any standards. Users can use the photo viewer option of the Apple iPod Classic to connect to their personal computers. Additional features such as video playback make the Apple iPod Classic all the more desirable.

And the good news does not end here. A person interested in owning an advanced iPod such as the Apple iPod Classic can now easily do so. This and other equally innovative gadgets are now available at industry leading costs. Many such deals are featured on reputed e-tailing sites and one needs to visit the web pages of these sites to avail of these interesting offers.

Adam Caitlin is expert author of Telecommunication industry.

Who writes on cheap laptops, mobile phones and Apple iPod Classic

Everyone has stress in their lives. Stress can range from mild to severe. If we let the stress build up without doing anything to relax, our health can be affected. Headaches, diarrhea and gastric problems can be caused by stress. If it is constant and for a long period of time we are putting our health in danger. Serious problems such as heart problems and diabetes could develop.

One way to combat stress is using music therapy. A music therapist views the particular needs of their client. The client and the therapist both are involved in the therapy. Music heightens mental functioning, promotes healing and helps you feel calm and relaxed. It is considered a creative art therapy. Experts propose that it is the rhythm of the music that has a calming effect on us. A therapist encourages the use of different kinds of instruments. One way listening to music can manage the degree of your stress is it relaxes tense muscles. When you feel relaxed, your worries float into the background.

If you listen to music that has affirming lyrics you are feeding your brain positive thoughts. This may make music therapy twice as successful. It will surround you with positive energy instead of negative energy. The positive energy should decrease your stress levels.

Our energetic system is affected by the tone of music. This causes a physical reaction to certain sounds and frequencies. No one likes the same type of music. Whatever you choose to listen to should make you feel comfortable. Listen to your emotions. Make sure your nerves feels soothed. That way you’ll know if it is a positive type of music for your individual taste. Fast paced beats can speed up your heart rate and cause difficulty in relaxing your mind. Slow beats or rhythms will slow down your thoughts and you will naturally relax.

There are other ways to listen to music for lessening your stress besides going to a music therapist. Music affects the mood in different situations. If you listen to music when you wake up in the morning, your day might run smoother. When you have a hard day at work, the last thing you probably want to do is to make supper. Put on your favorite music and cooking may seem like a breeze. Taking a walk and listening to music with nature sounds or sounds of the sea can be extremely calming. Slow tones will cause relaxation and is great to hear right before bedtime.

Illness can cause severe stress. Listening to music together with whatever treatment you are receiving can have a strong healing effect on your body. It can also cause your endorphins to raise in your brain. Endorphins are natural painkillers.

Serotonin is a chemical that transmits the nerve signals between nerve cells. If your serotonin levels are to low, you may become depressed. Depression can make the stress in your life seem a lot worse. Music may raise your serotonin levels and lift your depression and stress anxiety.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Stress