Music – Yoga for your heart and mind

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YogaLarge

As beneficial for you as yoga and just as much fun.  Classic FM ( Link ) says choral music has been studied, by Gothenburg University, to show it has a link to a singers’ heartbeat showing their breathing and pulse sped up and slowed down at the same rate as the other performers in the choir.  It could be beneficial for lowering blood pressure and improving mental well-being.  They are hoping to test whether choral singing could be used to strengthen team working relationships in schools and colleges.

The Department for Education in England ( Link ) has also proposed studying music up to Key Stage 3 (age 14), including improvisation and composition, learning about great composers and musicians from a range of periods, genres, styles and traditions.  It would certainly have suited me perfectly but what do you think about this proposal?  The consultation closes on August 8th if you feel strongly about it you could comment directly to the document.

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I will be performing with the Tideswell Male Voice Choir at Tideswell Parish Church, known as the ‘Cathedral of the Peak’ near Buxton, Derbyshire on Saturday 27th July.  Dennis Kay the choir master asked me to put together a selection of show songs.  I’ve suggested for the first set a theme of Longing:

My Ship from Lady in the Dark,
Greenfinch and Linnet Bird from Sweeney Todd
Don’t Rain on My Parade from the Funny Girl

For my second set, I was thinking of a theme of ‘The Diva in Me’

As Long as He Needs Me from Oliver
I (Who Have Nothing) featured in the music review Smokey Joe’s Cafe
Diamonds are Forever from the James Bond Film

54 thoughts on “Music – Yoga for your heart and mind”

    1. Hi and thank you for coming back so soon, you are right music can comfort you, energize or provide for relaxation and even take you back to key occasions that you have enjoyed.
      Best Wishes
      Charlotte

      Reply

      1. Classical would be an option, but i néed also some music where pleople CAN danse ( more traditional)

    2. Sorry for the delay I was competing yesterday in the Eisteddfod in North Wales and have been in work this morning. What do you need the musicians for as it sounds quire exciting? Thanks for thinking of me and I will put a shout out for at the Conservatoire.
      Best Wishes
      Charlotte

      Reply

  4. Some people believe the universe was sung into existance. If that’s true, I don’t see why music couldn’t have the capacity to heal or bring people together. I would love to hear your version of “Diamonds are Forever” or “You Only Live Twice”. 🙂 Good article! 🙂

    Reply

    1. Hi Ryan, It is nice to see you back. I’m not sure I’m allowed to video the event, but I’ll ask Dennis as I’d love to share the performance on line.
      Best Wishes
      Charlotte

      Reply

  5. Great choices – what about adding the Handel ‘Did You Not Hear My Lady’? I’m sure you are right re choral singing and I think the work Gareth Malone does is living proof of this.

    Reply

    1. Hi Hilary, I’ve not performed the Handel ‘Did You Not Hear My Lady’ but I listened to it on you tube after your suggestion, a lovely piece. I do like to sing Handel’s oratorios, I have sung both “How Beautiful Are The Feet” and “Come Unto Him” from the Messiah. I love the work Gareth Malone does, I’ll be singing this year at two events that also features the Military Wives Choir in Stockport and Buxton so that’s exciting.

      Warmest Wishes
      Charlotte

      Reply

    1. Thanks for visiting Patricia – I absolutely love your crochet umbrellas, I would love to walk around with one of them in the sunshine to give me shade 🙂 Thanks for leaving a comment.

      Best Wishes
      Charlotte

      Reply

      1. thanks for your kind words Charlotte, but the umbrellas are not mine, found them on google images…eventually I will be working on one though 🙂

    1. Thanks for reblogging my post 🙂 It is good to see you promoting the study and love of music through your blog. Finding a good teacher in any music discipline is priceless.

      Best wishes
      Charlotte

      Reply

  8. That proposal for a new music curriculum looks interesting, I’d have loved something like that at school. It would have to be executed well, though, and would require some excellent teaching to allow large class groups to learn effectively.

    Also, I feel that singing, improvising and composing should come before reading – people need to be able to deal with sound in a very practical way for reading and writing to have any context, much like in spoken languages.

    Still, it looks hopeful and sounds much better than the current system.

    Reply

    1. Hi Nick, Thanks for your comments. I agree about your teaching comment, at High School I had some great Music teachers from Mr Shaw to Mr Leigh and Miss Wright. I also have a fabulous music theory teacher called Suzanne Harvey who helped me in the final year of my A level because I was the only A level student in a BTEC music class, I got an ‘A’ with the combination of their help. I also helped to improve Mr Leigh’s piano playing with all of the complicated pieces I persuaded him to play for me 🙂

      Best Wishes
      Charlotte

      Reply

    1. Hi John, that was such a lovely comment and I am grateful that you took the time to come visit with me. Please come back again when ever you can as you are most welcome.

      Warmest wishes
      Charlotte

      Reply

  14. Thanks for following my blog. I’m glad that you came by. I really love your blog and the opera music is so soothing and peaceful. I will not be a stranger for sure.

    Reply
  15. Pingback: Benefits of Music | How My Mind Tics

  19. I had the great good fortune of having music classes in public school in NY up until age 14. In school, I learned to read music as a child; began piano lessons at 13. The arts belong in education and I hope that program takes hold in England — and everywhere else! Life w/out creative arts education is unimaginable.

    Reply

  22. Thank you so much for following my blog!!! I truly appreciate it…being a singer myself I feel previliged being connected to you. I really feel that singing and listening to good music can uplift your mood and is good for one’s health in general. Teaching kids at an impressionable age like 12 yrs onwards to appreciate music can be greatly beneficial especially to musically inclined children.

    Reply

    1. Thanks for visiting my blog, what type of music is your personal favourite to sing and listen to?
      All the best, I’ll try to get a gang around to make your mulligatawny soup – I’ve never tried it.

      Charlotte 🙂

      Reply

      1. My personal favorite is Rabindranath Tagore’s music… And I am trained in this form of music but I love country and old Bollywood music …actually don’t mind listening to some of the latest Hindi movie music….hope you had a chance to try the mulligatawny soup ….terribly sorry for the late reply as I went to India for a fortnight …

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