out of the mouth of babes

What a wonderful, refreshing voice of a 5 year old,
singing her favorite song with her dad.
Perfect innocence!



via {cover song archive}

beautifully arranged

"The New Ford Focus ad features 21 instruments made from the parts two new Focus cars. Not only have they been made for real but trained musicians were used to play a specially created track by movie composer Craig Richey. The ad agency selected one of the worlds top Directors Noam Murro to capture Ford's latest TV ad, shot in LA."

piano on sandbar

I think this needs some Phillip Glass or Michael Nyman.


{CNN}

learning to listen

Considering that music is based on listening, I loved this article about listening in a different context.

Photo credit

From the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School:

Contrary to popular belief, active listening doesn’t mean sitting patiently while your counterpart talks. Nor does it simply entail saying “I understand” or establishing good eye contact. Rather, active listening is a dynamic process that can be broken down into three different behaviors: paraphrasing, inquiry, and acknowledgment.

And:

Here’s how you might respond using the three aspects of active listening:

• Paraphrase: “It sounds as if you’re satisfied with our component overall. But if I understand correctly, you need me to assure you that we can increase production if large orders come in. You’re also concerned about our proposed per-unit price and our willingness to work with you to create an acceptable arrangement. Have I captured your main points?”
• Inquire: “You mentioned that you found our proposed price to be unacceptable. Help me understand how you came to this conclusion. Let’s also talk about how we might set up a pricing structure that you find more reasonable.”
• Acknowledge: “It sounds as if you’re quite disappointed with various elements of our proposal, so much so that you have serious concerns about whether we’ll be able to work together over the long haul.”

Full article is here.

via {barking up the wrong tree}

The brain on music

Music is easily the widest-reaching, most universal emotional facilitator. Anecdotally, it shapes so many of life’s everyday experiences: An epic movie would fall flat without a cinematic soundtrack, a party without dance music is unthinkable, and a run without an upbeat playlist feels somehow much more tiresome. Scientifically, music has been shown to impact anything from our alertness and relaxation to our memory to our physical and emotional  well-being.

Today, we take a look at just how music affects our brain and emotion, with Notes & Neurons: In Search of a Common Chorus — a fascinating event from the 2009 World Science Festival.
But before we launch into the geekier portion, here’s a quick improvised treat from phenomenal jazz and a cappella performer Bobby McFerrin, who embodies the intimate relationship between music and the human element.
Read more:


World Science Festival 2009: Bobby McFerrin Improvises A Cappella, Song One of Two
from World Science Festival on Vimeo.

The panel — hosted by John Schaefer and featuring Jamshed Barucha, scientist Daniel Levitin, Professor Lawrence Parsons and Bobby McFerrin — takes us through a series of live performances and demonstrations that illustrate music’s interaction with the brain and our emotions, exploring some of the most interesting questions about this incredible phenomenon.
Read more:


World Science Festival 2009: Notes & Neurons, Part 2 of 5
from World Science Festival on Vimeo.

And while we’re at it, we highly recommend neuroscientist Oliver Sacks’ Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain — an utterly fascinating read about the extreme effect music can have on our cognitive and emotional lives.
Read more:
via {brain pickings}