News

Music Is More Than A Form Of Art; It’s A Form Of Treatment

January 01, 2018 - 08:05 AM The legendary king of pop, Michael Jackson, transformed the face of pop music and culture. While he broke international sales records repeatedly with his unique and infectious songs, he is arguably best remembered for his ability to bring people together. His voice, songs and dance moves united people of all ages, nationalities and cultural backgrounds. Michael Jackson’s musical contributions are proof of the universal transformative and healing powers of music. In general, music often plays a major role in shaping cultural groups. It can help define a culture’s values, identities and contexts, as well as provide a platform for political expression. For example, in Native......

Greater Happiness in 5 Minutes a Day

December 30, 2017 - 09:58 AM How to teach kids loving-kindness meditation Might be that sitting with your legs crossed repeating stuff like "May all beings be free from suffering," is a little too far-out for you. I'm a scientist for crying out loud, so you can imagine how I might feel meditating while surrounded by prominent neuroscientists, which I once did on a 7-day silent meditation retreat. Except that I actually didn't feel silly. Why? Because research demonstrates the incredible power of loving-kindness meditation: No need to be self-conscious when this stuff might be more effective than Prozac. Also called metta, loving-kindness meditation is the simple practice of directing well-wishes......

Sleep and Noise

December 25, 2017 - 08:05 AM Here’s the thing about sleep and sound: While the wrong noises (like your neighbor’s yapping dog or your partner’s snoring) will keep you up at night, other sounds (such as crashing waves or the hum of an air conditioner) can lull you into dreamland. And certain sounds—including falling rain—can actually improve the quality of your slumber. Read on for the three best noises that’ll lead to sounder sleep (pun intended). White Noise This sound combines all noise frequencies to create a steady background hum that drowns out other sounds that can keep you up. It also may help treat insomnia. But because it could lead to hearing problems, skip the......

Remembering the “me” in Merry: Self-care strategies for this holiday season

December 21, 2017 - 08:47 AM The holiday season is filled with hustle and bustle. There’s plenty of excitement from seeing family and friends, but also stress, travel, long lines, planning, preparation — and a range of emotions from positive to negative. For many, the holiday season means planning and taking care of others. However, this leaves little time for taking care of oneself. Below are a few ideas on how to practice self-care during this holiday season. Regularly schedule time to engage in self-care activities. Schedule self-care activities (exercise, meditation, a hobby you enjoy) at the same time each day so they become routine, or set a timer or alarm to remind yourself. Practice......

Sleep & Music

December 18, 2017 - 08:05 AM Lullabies aren’t just for babies—they’re great for adults, too. Using soothing music to wind down before bed each night is perfectly acceptable—even encouraged—as a relaxation technique. It turns out that bedtime listening can even help people with sleep disorders by boosting sleep quality and quantity. The benefits may not happen overnight—it can take as many as three weeks to see improvement—but listening to music pays off. Putting on some tunes can help you fall asleep faster, wake up less during the night, and feel more rested in the morning. Music can help sleepers of all ages, from toddlers through the elderly, at naptime and nighttime......

Can Music Help You Study and Focus?

December 11, 2017 - 08:05 AM Listen. What’s that in the background? Is it rock, country or classical music? Did you know that certain types of music can help you focus? March is Music in Our Schools Month, which was created to increase awareness of the importance of music in student’s lives. “Music activates both the left and right brain at the same time, and the activation of both hemispheres can maximize learning and improve memory,” explained Dr. Masha Godkin, a professor in the Department of Marriage and Family Sciences at NCU. “Music has the potential to take a person from the Beta brain wave state to deeper Alpha, and then Theta brain wave states, depending on the......

Sting's Brain on Music Offers Scientists Clues to What Fuels Creativity

December 08, 2017 - 09:29 AM Poets and philosophers have pondered the quiet, contemplative times of reflection in our lives. Now neuroscientists are finding our brains are really on fire during these restful periods when the brain daydreams. People had assumed that since we're not doing anything during daydreams, the brain would be on idle. In fact, a network of activity takes place during daydreams. The neuroscientists say daydreams reflect the brain's default mode network — the attentional system when you're not in control of your thoughts and they drift loosely from one to another. It's when much of our creativity and problem solving occurs. Dr. Daniel Levitin, an emeritus professor of......

How Music Could Help You To Concentrate While Studying

December 08, 2017 - 08:33 AM It’s fair to to say the majority of students prefer to study while listening to music. Whether frantically cramming some last-minute reading to Kanye, or finalising an essay to the sound of the Arctic Monkeys, go to any university or college library and the majority of students there will be listening to their music of choice. Music is a very significant part of our daily lives; the image of the quietly-focused student isolating themselves into a personal study zone has led to interest into whether listening to music actually helps studies or not. Research into the field has proven fairly ambiguous, with manystudies contradicting each other. However this does......

The Healing Arts In Palliative Care

November 13, 2017 - 08:05 AM YOU MAY HAVE HEARD that art can be therapeutic for those grappling with cancer or its aftermath. But what kinds of art can have these benefits, and how can patients and survivors decide which forms to pursue? What instruction and other help do they need?A recent conference in New York City offered a glimpse of some art forms that can be part of a palliative care plan designed to reduce suffering and improve quality of life. During the June 7, all-day palliative art conference sponsored by End of Life Choices New York and the Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service, presenters demonstrated how their art therapy programs help patients and their loved ones — no matter where......

Health Matters: Musical Healing for Kids

November 09, 2017 - 08:05 AM Music and laughter are probably not the sounds you would expect to hear from inside a hospital. But at Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida patients are encouraged to get out of their rooms and enjoy themselves. Doug MacGregor, Arts in Healthcare program coordinator says it’s all part of a nationwide movement focused on bringing art into the hospital. “It’s part of the Arts in Healthcare program. We use arts of all different kinds, expressive arts. We use theatre, we use music, and we use art to keep our patients busy.” Arts in Healthcare are designed to bring expressive and healing arts into the hospital. The goal is to help reduce stress and......

News

Music Is More Than A Form Of Art; It’s A Form Of Treatment

Greater Happiness in 5 Minutes a Day

Sleep and Noise

Remembering the “me” in Merry: Self-care strategies for this holiday season

Sleep & Music

Can Music Help You Study and Focus?

Sting's Brain on Music Offers Scientists Clues to What Fuels Creativity

How Music Could Help You To Concentrate While Studying

The Healing Arts In Palliative Care

Health Matters: Musical Healing for Kids

On Air

Find Us

The Team

Lora Cain

Ed Bazel

Terry Anderson

Julie Gates

Catherine Carter

Last photos

The River of Calm Livestream Holiday Concert 2020

The River of Calm Live Stream Concert March 2022 - Flutist Sherry Finzer

The River of Calm Holiday Live Stream Concert 2021

The River of Calm Live Stream Concert Series July 2021 - 10X1

The River of Calm Live Stream Concert Series March 2020 - David Nevue

Our Podcasts

The River of Calm Beyond The Music Podcast - Ed Bazel

The River of Calm - Beyond The Music Podcast - featuring Danielle Archer of The Artist Minds - Fear

The River of Calm - Beyond The Music Podcast - featuring Danielle Archer of The Artist Minds - Imposter Syndrome

The River of Calm Playlist - Study & Chill

The River of Calm Playlist - Chill Music To Study To

Contact us