Archive for September, 2011

Classical Music Activates the Mind

I have long enjoyed classical music from the many great composers.  When I was in high school, I once had the opportunity to play the Tuba part of  J. S. Bach’s Tocatta and Fugue in D Minor adapted for wind ensemble.  Its was quite a challenge to play a piece which was intended for organ on a wind instrument, especially with all of the jumps between the top and bottom of the scale.

During the dozens of times I played it, during rehearsals, personal practice and concerts, I noticed new connections being made in my mind, new centers of thought and awareness activating.

I have always heard that classical music activates the mathematical centers of the mind.  I believe this is true and there’s probably far more going on than we are consciously aware of.

I hope you’ll take a moment to enjoy this Tocatta and Fugue video complete with a fascinating visualization, so you can not only hear the sound, but also get a sense of how the music is structured from a visual perspective.