The Power of Music

What is it about music that can so powerfully transform the soul?

Books and scholarly articles have been written about the subject: namely, the relationship between music and the brain, changes in brain circuitry while listening to music, and increased levels of beneficial serotonin that contribute to an easing of tension. This scholarly perspective is well and good, but like the ethereal sounds emanating from the strings of a violin, or the magical notes blown from the pursed lips of a saxophonist, I prefer a less scientific approach.

Nothing can compare to the absolute power of attending a live music event. Consider, in years gone by, a dark, musty, smoke-filled club, standing with a drink in one hand, the other hand tapping against your leg in rhythm to the beat, or perhaps touching your mate's back, watching the performers on stage mystically coordinate their instruments to produce a unifying yet discrete sound, the silhouetted audience jostling, humming, and bellowing words of appreciation to the musicians. That setting is magical. All five senses are heightened to create a unique experience that allows you to forget about past troubles or impending tribulations. For a couple of hours, you are living in the present, a Zen moment of pure ecstasy.

Live events notwithstanding, music has the ability to bring you back in time and evoke friendly memories. Perhaps more than any other external factor, music seems to leave an indelible imprint on the brain. When I listen to a song for the four-hundredth time, for example, I am emotionally transported to the place where I first heard that song, or to an event that has become synonymous with that particular song. And these mental events are invariably pleasant. It is almost as if the brain has intentionally protected the purity of music by disengaging any potential negative link between a song and an unpalatable past occurrence.

In its most benign form, is there anything more enjoyable than rising early on one's day off, perhaps on a Saturday morning in the spring, and turning up the sounds of a favorite artist? Or pulling from the shelf a CD of an overlooked artist and re-living the remarkable beauty of a forgotten song? Or listening to an oft-heard song only to hear something entirely new and distinct this time -- perhaps an instrument or voice in the background that had not been previously detected -- and running for the liner notes to learn about this new discovery?

On Saturday mornings like those described above, not only are the undertakings of the immediate household chores bearable, but the longer term foundation has also been laid for a gratifying and uplifting weekend.

Few things in life have the power to mystically transform and transport us to a better place. Music certainly has this mysterious quality.

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The Daily Harangue was started by a group of friends who had much to say, but agreed on little. These candid discussions on topics ranging from politics to music, nature to art, life, love, and the human condition have always been a free flow of ideas that serve to strengthen, rather than to destroy, the bonds of our friendship.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brian_Gaynor

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Planning Your Perfect Wedding - Live Music at the Cocktail Hour of Your Perfect Wedding Reception

When you're planning your wedding it's easy to assume that the cocktail hour can get along just fine without music, and it probably can. But music will elevate it to a whole new plane. And here's what great: if you're clever about it, it doesn't need to be very expensive. If you've had music at the wedding ceremony and or are having music at the reception, you've already paid for the first hour of the musician's time and that's the most expensive hour. If they're available, the extra hour will be cheaper. So, are you more interested in hearing more from your string quartet that enriched the ceremony, or are you ready for a little easy listening from the band that's going to rock the house later?

This is a great time for something like

• Classical guitar
• harp
• quiet vocals
• Jazz trio (very quiet drums, if at all.)
• String Quartet
• Woodwinds

Play music you like: And the music you have them play can be from a wide variety of music. As always, the most important thing about the music is that you like it. So, if you hate new age music, don't let anyone play it. You don't need to choose everything that gets played (especially if you want the band members to be talking to you at the end of the evening) but have a couple of favorites pop up. There's nothing wrong with using a song in the ceremony (when you say your wedding vows?), at the cocktail hour and at the wedding for your first dance. All of the musicians can give it a slightly different feel, but it will start to work its way into people's memories. Then it's not only you that's reminded about how much you love one another when you hear it. Every one who was at your wedding will stop and think, wait, I wonder how our friends are doing with their marriage when they hear "your" song.

Play music from your families' histories: This is also a great time to have your parents' favorites played (providing they're not going to be out having pictures taken the whole time!). But you want them to feel comfortable. Did they have wedding songs? What were they? Why yes, I have heard "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" done by a string quartet. How about your grandparents' songs if they're going to be with you. Or remember your sibs and your friends and the music that was played at their weddings.

Just remember this is quiet background music. People are needing to talk about how beautiful you looked, how wonderful the ceremony was, and how really perfect, perfect, perfect the promises you made to one another. They need to mingle a bit, either to catch up with old friends or to meet new. This is music to become community by. This is music that's going to help your marriage thrive. (And it's a good deal! Perfect!)

Bottom Line?: Give your relationship the chance it deserves to succeed wildly, against all odds! After all, you deserve it. Your relationship deserves it! And now I'd like to invite you to sign up to receive 2 free templates for creating the wedding ceremony of your dreams, the wedding vows of your heart and the marriage of a lifetime: http://annkeelerevans.org/weddings/free The Rev. Ann Keeler Evans - helping you move from "I do" to happily and healthily ever after! Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ann_Keeler_Evans

Find More : Live Music , Live Music Band , Music Event , wedding ceremony

Marrakech Nightlife - Traditional Live Music in Marrakech

Marrakech has an exhilarating and varied nightlife which offers many opportunities to enjoy all kinds of live music in different settings and ambiances. Moroccan traditional music is a key element to discover the richness of Maghribian culture and is present in most celebrations and religious festivities. There are several venues that offer the most extraordinary and exotic traditional Moroccan music, where the most skillful and gifted musicians and Oriental and belly dancers will delight you with their Moroccan and traditional rhythms and choreography.

In Le Comptoir Darna, located in Hivernage, East and West meet and merge in perfect harmony at candlelight. Musicians, oriental dancers and DJs will enrapture you while you delight in the aromatic and exquisite cuisine served in this relaxing and elegant setting.

At the very heart of the medina, Ksar El Hamra is an ancient riad with magnificent Moroccan salons and serves first rank cuisine. With regard to ambiance, your evenings will be animated by Gnawa musicians and an Andalusian orchestra, and will be brought to a close by an oriental dancer.

Le Marrakchi, right next to the Jemaa el Fna square, is a superb place decorated with the utmost refinement and an absolute must as far as excellent Moroccan cuisine goes. Your dinners will be animated by oriental dancers and you will certainly enjoy its authentic Moroccan architecture and the impressive view of the square.

You can also discover a true Lebanese Oriental club by visiting Layali Oscar on the avenue Moulay Hassan I in Gueliz, which offers a remarkable and original cabaret-style show, with an orchestra and male and female singers and dancers, together with a typical first-class Lebanese dinner.

Chez Ali, in the Palmeraie, offers quite possibly the most impressive dinner-show in Marrakech. Dozens of performers will perform folkloric music, dances, acrobatics, and horse prances, in a bewitching atmosphere under Berber tents and with stunning fireworks in the background.

The restaurant Borj Bladi, on the Rue Mauritanie in Gueliz, suggests 1001 flavours and aromas of local cuisine served in a lovely and authentic Moroccan setting, under Berber tents and surrounded by an enormous palm grove. The place will treat you to an atmosphere in the rhythm of traditional dances, chants and fantasias with tribes come from all corners of the Kingdom which invite you to share in the exceptional ambiance.

Le Tanjia is a true palace located between the Badii and the Bahia palaces in the medina. Many celebrities enjoy there the traditional Moroccan and the international cuisine as well as an atmosphere sensitive to the mixing of cultures. Your dinner will be livened up by a show by Oriental dancers, accompanied every night by a traditional music ensemble or, occasionally, by a DJ.

The best recipes of traditional Moroccan gastronomy can be savored at La Maison Arabe, one of the best guest houses in Marrakech, located in Bab Doukkala in the medina, to the sound of a lute and guitar duo playing Arab-Andalusian music.

At the heart of the medina and near the Jemaa El Fna square you will discover Chahramane, a splendid Moorish palace, with its mural sculptures, its hand-woven tapestry and its purely Moroccan decoration. Besides the exquisite traditional Moroccan cuisine, the place offers you a chance to enjoy a varied range of folklore, entertainment, and musical evenings performed by several folk troupes come from all corners of the country.

So, if you want to discover the Moroccan culture in full, music constitutes a means at once fun and enlightening, as well as very accessible. Many hotels in Marrakech will help you choose the most convenient venue according to your needs and budget, and many Marrakech riads even have their own restaurant that includes a traditional Moroccan music show. Come to Marrakech and go wild! David Gonzalez-Company is a writer, journalist, educator and translator who has traveled extensively and has lived in several European, North American and African countries. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Gonzalez_C.

Find More : live music , traditional music , musical evenings , Live Music Band , Music Event

Live Music - Musicians Fascinate UK Youngsters

In the UK for the last 18 years at least, a whole generation has been virtually starved of live musicians for a variety of reasons. The advent of computers being a standard household utility with their accompanying music production and downloadable music format devices, together with widespread video and latterly DVD technology has kept many a youngster indoors for most of their leisure time. Coupled with the rising overheads and prohibitive licence fees and conditions imposed on UK venues such as pubs and restaurants to house live artistes (or even play recorded music), this has had a devastating effect on professional musicians and potential artistes alike. The biggest losers are the members of our younger generations – many of whom have never even heard a live musician or band.

It is easy to see why therefore, that during my live gigs lately, I am frequently faced with a young person totally agape watching the live musician at work. They have no doubt become conditioned to accepting music as an impersonally generated medium and find it fascinating to witness the live, hands-on music creativity. Fortunately, this seems to be having an inspirational effect. Having spent most of my career working with theatre orchestras and larger musical combos, I have recently returned to working a lot of solo gigs as a cocktail pianist playing a variety of music styles but often older standards such as Cole Porter, George Gershwin, etc. The thing is, not only am I now finding I’m being booked by the youngster that first saw me a few years ago, but they are requesting that I play the same style of music for their wedding reception or birthday party. It seems that they have got into this sort of music through being made aware of it when I first played for them and they were so intrigued by it.

There is very little coverage on UK radio or television of any music style other than the most recent commercial music. The sad thing is that if younger people do not get the opportunity to witness other musical styles because it is not in the mainstream broadcasts and because live music is so rare, we are not giving them the chance to decide if they like it or not. We have therefore been creating a generation for many years that is one-tracked in its musical culture, when we should have been giving our youngsters much more choice.

Brian Farley has been a worldwide professional Musical Director and pianist since 1974. His duet sheet music website "Easy Duets, Sheet Music for Schools, Musical Instrument Students" provides original musical duets and trios for early level students and some good free "reading musical notation" information.

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