Edify, Encourage and Build: The Effects Of Music

I had a conversation with a friend of mine the other day about music. We were discussing the effects of music. She mentioned that when she plays music in the house throughout the day, the kids react differently than when she does not. Today I read that 'studies show that music with a slow or meditative tempo can relax people by slowing their breathing and heart rate, while listening to faster tempo music speeds up respiration and heart rate. This adds to the research that shows music tempo affects blood pressure, breathing rate and other key factors. Other research has found that music can alleviate stress, improve athletic performance, improve movement patterns post-stroke'. A good example is: my daughter Kalynn has a particular CD my Dad made for her when she was a baby that she plays every night when it time for her to go to sleep. It is a soft, instrumental song titled "Doe Eyes". It relaxes her and she usually falls asleep within minutes of turning it on. It's tempo helps her to "wind down".

Music does seem to set the mood to any occasion. I mean, people exercise to music, dance to music, clean to music, work to music. Music has become an "important" part of everyone's lives. Music has become an intricate part of our lives in the Maloy household also. My kids and I sing all the time throughout the day. The kids even create their own songs. I love to hear them sing. I know my day seems to go better when I have music playing. Of courage, the style played varies from day to day. Classical, Gospel (Southern or Black), some Country, Contemporary Praise...then of course there are the "love songs"...