Music can be a powerful tool. Music therapy hasn't received enough attention, but hopefully that will change now that the Mozart K.448 effect is being verified.
Musical components important for the Mozart K448 effect in epilepsy
Robert J. Quon 1,4*, Michael A. Casey2,3, Edward J. Camp4, Stephen Meisenhelter4, Sarah A. Steimel1, Yinchen Song1,4, Markus E. Testorf4,5, Grace A. Leslie6, Krzysztof A. Bujarski1,4, Alan B. Ettinger7 & Barbara C. Jobst 1,4
Abstract There is growing evidence for the efficacy of music, specifically Mozart’s Sonata for Two Pianos in D Major (K448), at reducing ictal and interictal epileptiform activity. Nonetheless, little is known about the mechanism underlying this beneficial “Mozart K448 effect” for persons with epilepsy. Here, we measured the influence that K448 had on intracranial interictal epileptiform discharges (IEDs) in sixteen subjects undergoing intracranial monitoring for refractory focal epilepsy. We found reduced IEDs during the original version of K448 after at least 30-s of exposure. Nonsignificant IED rate reductions were witnessed in all brain regions apart from the bilateral frontal cortices, where we observed increased frontal theta power during transitions from prolonged musical segments. All other presented musical stimuli were associated with nonsignificant IED alterations. These results suggest that the “Mozart K448 effect” is dependent on the duration of exposure and may preferentially modulate activity in frontal emotional networks, providing insight into the mechanism underlying this response. Our findings encourage the continued evaluation of Mozart’s K448 as a noninvasive, non- pharmacological intervention for refractory epilepsy.
Apple Music will weave Primephonic technology into a dedicated classical music app it plans to launch next year, according to the companies.
"Bringing the best of Primephonic to Apple Music subscribers is a tremendous development for the classical music industry," Primephonic co-founder and chief executive Thomas Steffens said in a joint release.
"We get to bring classical music to the mainstream and connect a new generation of musicians with the next generation of audience."
And Jambinai -a rather fierce Korean group that mixes metal and Korean traditional instruments and tune fragments. Very unusual to my ears and interesting.
With Josquin began the cult of the great composer—a mind-set that has left a distinctly ambiguous imprint on classical-music culture. And his rise to superhero status brought with it a curious paradox. Although commentators across five centuries have agreed on Josquin’s preëminence, his works can easily be confused with those of other gifted contemporaries.
One of the more interesting features of the remake of Battlestar Glactica was the music. Bear McCreary was the composer and it broke with the traditional music of science fiction shows. Around 2010 Bear had a few concerts. Here's one that had Katee Sackhoff - Starbuck in the show - play part of a musical theme that was central to the show. Here's McCreary description:
I always thought it would be a blast to have Katee come and recreate that [scene] in a live performance. She was of course very nervous. She’s not a pianist. She hasn’t taken piano lessons, but she was such a great sport, though. I told her, “Look, don’t practice, don’t be nervous. Let’s just recreate that scene! I will play this sort of figurative role of this other character who sat next to you and I’ll teach you the notes in front of everybody. And then the band will kick in and support you in the way that the score did during that scene.”