Strategic Reading -- Music

1 Have you ever felt a sudden rush of joy because a favorite song came on the radio? Then you know that music can have a strong effect on your emotions. You should try to take advantage of this power of music. It can help you beat a bad mood or maintain a good mood, says Alicia Ann Clair, professor of music therapy at the University of Kansas. Music can also help you relax and feel rejuvenated.

2 To cheer up or boost energy, listen to Latin music or anything with accented beats, lots of percussion, and a fast tempo. When you want to relax after a busy day, music with string instruments and woodwinds, less percussion, and a slower tempo can calm you.

3 Listen to calming music before you tackle stressful activities, recommends Dr. Clair. “Once you’re in a good state of mind, it’s easier to maintain.” To reduce stress at work, put on relaxing tunes only when you really need them. Woodwind instruments “If you listen to them all day long, you will screen them out,” Dr. Clair explains.

4 You can change your mood by switching from one kind of music to another. To feel rejuvenated, “Start with something serene and relaxing, then gradually pick up the tempo and beat,” says Dr. Clair. For example, play Frank Sinatra ballads, then move on to something energetic such as Aretha Franklin. When you want to calm down after a busy week at work, do the opposite.

Louis Armstrong

Louis Armstrong had two famous nicknames. Some people called him Satchmo, short for “Satchel Mouth.” They said his mouth looked like a satchel, or large bag. Musicians were more likely to call him Pops, as a sign of respect for his influence on the world of music.

2 Armstrongwas born on August 4,

1901, in Jane Alley, one of the toughest areas of Ne~ Orleans, Louisiana. He grew up poor, but surrounded by great musicians. Jazz was invented in New Orleans a feu years before he was born. Armstrong often said, “Jazz and I grew up together.”

3 Armstrong v~ as arrested in his early teens for a minor offense. That arrest proved to be lucky He was sent to a boy’s home where Professor Peter Davis taught him to play the cornet. Armstrong had a great talent for music, and he went quickly from being the bass drummer in the school band to first bugler and cornetist.

4 On leaving the boys’ home in his late teens, Armstrong began to live the life of a musician. He played ~ ith bands in parades, clubs, and on the steamboats that traveled on the i/lississippi River. At that time, the city was defined by the ne~~ music of jazz and ~~as home to many great musicians. Armstrong learned from the older musicians and soon became respected as their equal. He v~as the best student of the great cornetist and trumpeter Joe Oliver~ and played second cornet in his famous band, King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band.

5 In 1918, Joe Oliver moved to Chicago. At first, Armstrong remained in New Orleans, but in 1922 he went to Chicago to rejoin Oliver’s band. There, the tale of Louis Armstrong, the genius, begins. From then until the end of his life, Armstrong was celebrated, imitated, and loved v~herever he uent. Armstrong had no equal when it came to playing the American popular song.

6 His trumpet playing had a deep humanity and warmth that caused many listeners to say, “Listening to Pops just makes you feel good all over.” In addition to being a brilliant trumpetel; he was also the father of the jazz vocal st~ le. He toured constantly and during the last twenty ~ ears of his life, he ~ as one of the best-known and most-admired people in the world. His death, on July 6, 1971, was headline nev~ s around the world.

Adapted from Marsalis on Music.

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The biology of music

1 What are two things that make humans different from all other animals? One is language and the other is music. While other animals can sing — indeed, many birds do so better than a lot of people — birdsong, and the song of animals such as whales, is limited in type. No other animal has developed a musical instrument.

2 Music is strange stuff. It is clearly different from language. People can, nevertheless, use it to communicate things —especially their emotions. When combined with speech in a song, it is one of most powerful means of communication that humans have. But, biologically speaking, what is it?

3 If music is truly different from speech, then it ought to come from a distinct part of the brain. That part keeps music separate from other sounds, including language. The evidence suggests that such a part does exist.

4 People whose language-processing ability is damaged do not automatically lose their musical abilities. For example, Vissarion Shebalin, a Russian composer, suffered a stroke to the left side of his brain in 1953. After that, he could no longer speak or understand speech. He could, however, still compose music until his death ten years later. On the other hand, there are one or two cases of people who have lost their musical abilities but who can still speak and understand speech. This shows that the brain processes music and language independently.

A lot is known about how music works its magic. Why it does so is a different question. Geoffrey Miller, a researcher at University College, London, thinks that music and love are connected to each other. Because music requires special talent and practice, it is a way of demonstrating your fitness to be someone’s mate. Singing in tune, or playing a musical instrument, requires fine muscular control. Remembering the notes demands a good memory. Getting those notes

right once you have r them suggests a play is in top condition. fact that much music man to the woman vice versa) suggest indeed, a way of sho

Feeling lonely? Why not go to the mall? You’ll find plenty of company, and yes, a new pair of shoes or maybe even a new computer game. It’s quick and effortless; and you don’t need special equipment. You just get in your car and drive to a store. They’re everywhere, and they’re open 24 hours in any weather.

Most people think of shopping as something we do when we need to buy things, but some people shop for different reasons. In fact, if you’re like many people today, shopping is your favorite hobby, something you can easily do to change your mood. You might feel great, but if you are not careful, the total on your credit card bill9 will soon be more than you have in your bank account.

Because shopping is so enjoyable and convenient, it can be addictive. “People get into the dangerous habit of spending money to try to feel good. They become trapped in a cycle of self-defeating behavior that leads to debt and dissatisfaction,” says Fred E. Waddell, author of Money Mastery in Minutes a Day.

~ How do you know if you are a compulsive spender, and not just someone who has spent more than you should have this month? There is no easy answer.

But ask yourself this: Do you have clothes in your closet that you never wear or that still have the price tags on them? Do you ever hide your purchases from your family? Beware, these are some of the warning signs, says Dr. Waddell.

3 According to him, most compulsive spenders are unaware of their habits or strongly deny them. Compulsive spenders prefer to avoid the issues that force them to shop, so the problem is not just that they spend more than they earn. Spending problems may result from deep personal problems that compulsive spenders have. However, they are not fully aware of these problems.

6 Some spontaneous spending is natural: flowers to brighten a rainy day, or a treat for a job well done. To be spontaneous means to act without planning. However, a compulsive spender will shop in response to stress and follow a real physical urge to go out and spend money. When this type of spending causes serious problems for you and your family, you have a compulsive-spending problem.