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Become Better Than You Ever Thought Possible

September 01, 2017 - 08:05 AM Why are some people so good at what they do whereas others struggle with the most basic of tasks? Have you ever wondered if you were capable of achieving more in your work and life? This question is what researcher Anders Ericsson has spent most of his career pondering. And the answers might surprise you. In his recent book, Peak, Ericsson points out the obvious fact that many people in our world appear as if they are endowed with certain genetic gifts and abilities that seem downright superhuman. But where do these gifts actually come from? Can anyone become an expert? Or is that category reserved for only the elite? Take the example of famous composer Mozart, who at the age......

Healing Hands - In music, a therapy for all

August 25, 2017 - 08:05 AM “Music hath charms to soothe the savage breast.” – William Congreve, in “The Mourning Bride,” 1697. Music plays an important role in the daily life of many people. Some rely on music to get them through their morning routine, while others listen to it to stay inspired during a workout. Many folks even have their iTunes on when they’re cooking a meal, taking a shower or folding the laundry. And how many of you, when you hear a tune from your past, think back on those times and reflect on what you were doing back then? Music is quite often linked to mood. A certain song may make us feel happy, sad, energetic or relaxed. In fact since music can have such......

Guitars for Vets Program Teaching Music and Healing

August 17, 2017 - 08:05 AM OMAHA, Neb. — Friday was graduation day for veterans in the 10-week Guitars for Vets program. The program wasn't just about learning to play a new instrument. It was also about healing. Air Force veteran Jon Goff said times were tough for him. "Depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, those types of things," Goff said. The newfound love of music helped to change him. "When your mind's racing and your thoughts are all over the place, to put your mind on something like trying to work on a chord pattern, or trying to get a strum down with a song that you've been trying to get, it really helps out because next thing you know, you're an hour or two hours down the road and your mind's......

Mom Turned Loss of Her Daughter Into Legacy of Music

August 13, 2017 - 05:42 PM After Nikki McCarthy lost her daughter Sam to a rare blood disorder, she channeled her grief into a charity that honors Sam’s memory by providing the healing power of music to young hospital patients. Hoda Kotb learned of Nikki and her work as part of TODAY’s Summer of Yes series, which let Hoda combine two of her loves — music and surprises. In this case, the music comes from a special song Nikki’s daughter sang for her mom. And later, Nikki was then surprised by the musician who recorded the radio hit. At the center of it all is Sam McCarthy, who spent years in and out of hospitals because of fanconi anemia, a rare genetic disorder. “She was......

Music As Medicine

July 23, 2017 - 08:00 AM SCIENCE WATCH Music as medicine Researchers are exploring how music therapy can improve health outcomes among a variety of patient populations, including premature infants and people with depression and Parkinson’s disease. By Amy Novotney The beep of ventilators and infusion pumps, the hiss of oxygen, the whir of carts and the murmur of voices as physicians and nurses make rounds — these are the typical noises a premature infant hears spending the first days of life in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). While the sounds of such life-saving equipment are tough to mute, a new study suggests that some sounds, such as lullabies, may soothe pre-term......

How Music Helps Resolve Our Deepest Inner Conflicts

July 16, 2017 - 07:00 AM Billions of people enjoy music; many feel that they can’t live without it. Why? It’s a question that has puzzled scientists and philosophers for centuries. 2,400 years ago Aristotle wondered, “Why does music, being just sounds, remind us of the states of our soul?” In the 19th century Darwin tried to decipher if our ability to create music evolved by natural selection. Of all human faculties, only music seemed beyond understanding; flummoxed, he came to the conclusion that “music is the greatest mystery.” More than 200 years ago, Kant declared music useless. And near the end of the 20th century, celebrated psychologist Steven......

Here’s How Music Really Could Soothe Your Soul

July 09, 2017 - 01:21 PM Here’s How Music Really Could Soothe Your Soul By Laura Clark SMITHSONIAN.COM A leading scholar theorizes that music developed as an evolutionary adaptation to help us deal with the contradictory nature of life Why does music impact us so deeply? There's never been a real answer. But Leonid Perlovsky, a research physicist and investigator of human cognitive functioning, has a new theory—music helps our brains integrate distasteful contradictions. According to Perlovsky, writing at The Conversation, music’s effect on the brain is connected to the theory of cognitive dissonance. “Cognitive dissonance is the idea......

6 Ways to Create A Saner Life

May 26, 2017 - 08:00 AM Brought to you by our friends at Life Reimagined by Janice Holly Booth Feeling overworked and overwhelmed? Wondering how to stay sane? Follow these work life balance tips for adding more balance and bliss to every day. Years ago, the secret to work life balance was the number eight: eight hours for work, eight hours for sleep, and eight hours for you. That was good math until technology added the numbers 24/7 to the equation. We are bombarded daily by an avalanche of information and a tsunami of tasks; just sorting through the debris to determine relevance can be a full-time job. Is it possible any more to segregate work time from down time? Yes, but it takes a determined approach.......

The Science of Healing Thoughts

May 22, 2017 - 08:00 AM Story at-a-glance- Positive thoughts are able to prompt changes in your body that strengthen your immune system, decrease pain and chronic disease, and provide stress relief Burn patients experienced more than 50 percent less pain during their burn treatments when playing a virtual reality game Inert placebo painkillers exert real biological effects, including an increase in endorphins, your body’s natural pain-relieving chemicals Your State of Mind Influences the State of Your Immune System By Dr. MercolaYour mind wields incredible power over the health of your immune system, for good or for bad. Stress, for instance, has a major negative influence on the......

10 Things To Do With Your Mother On This Mother's Day

May 13, 2017 - 11:43 AM It's that special day when we celebrate the woman who brought us into the world and we can make it even more special with small gestures that carry our love across. Here are 10 simple yet sweet ideas for a Mother's Day to remember- brought to you by our friends at Dreamstime

News

Become Better Than You Ever Thought Possible

Healing Hands - In music, a therapy for all

Guitars for Vets Program Teaching Music and Healing

Mom Turned Loss of Her Daughter Into Legacy of Music

Music As Medicine

How Music Helps Resolve Our Deepest Inner Conflicts

Here’s How Music Really Could Soothe Your Soul

6 Ways to Create A Saner Life

The Science of Healing Thoughts

10 Things To Do With Your Mother On This Mother's Day

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