SOOTHING MUSIC TO YOUR EARS

Do you sometimes have trouble concentrating? Sometimes, when I’m sitting at my desk trying to remember what it was I promised my manager I’d do two hours ago, and at the same time thinking about whether I’ve forgotten to lock the back door, and remember my gran’s birthday my mind just gets over crowded.

What about the 4 am stress session? Do you ever wake up at an ungodly hour for absolutely no identifiable or useful reason, and find yourself fretting about absolute rubbish like the size of your overdraft, the deadline for a work project, or whether you remembered to put the bins out before you went to bed?

Work, home, parenting, school, finances and even shopping can lead to increased stress levels. Well, if you’re anything like me, you’ll be relieved to find out that the secret to effortless relaxation and peaceful slumber could be simpler than you thought.

John Levine

Australian composer, John Levine has pioneered the concept of Alphamusic to help people just like me switch our busy brains into neutral. Alphamusic is calm, inoffensive and soothing music that’s designed to induce an alpha state within four minutes, It’s based on John’s knowledge of the centuries-old pentatonic and Lydian scales.

Music offers the quickest path to what’s called an alpha state, without demanding that you sleep - or even leave your desk! From Gregorian Chants to timeless lullabies, the effect is the same. I tried the ‘Orange Grove Siesta’ and found that I was listening to it to begin with, and it reminded me a bit of Brahms’ Lullaby (maybe there’s something in the old lullaby traditions?) but after a while I just dozed off, and slept like a log. Lucky for me, I was in my bed and not at my desk!

The science bit

In 1924 Dr Hans Berger used an early EEG (electroencephalograph) to monitor electrical activity in the brain. As often happens in scientific research he was looking for something else entirely when the evidence for brain waves emerged.

Certain sounds trigger the brain to produce alpha waves, which have a slower, more relaxed frequency than beta waves. Many of us find it hard to switch from these buzzing beta waves that we all run on when we’re busy and stressed, to the slower, longer alpha waves that help us relax and wind down, as well as allowing us to focus on a task, shutting out distractions like annoying workmates.

Alphamusic is composed along ‘planes’ of sound, often exploring and re-exploring the same key. It forms a smooth backdrop of sound that engages you just enough to block the impact of ‘auditory toxins’ and just enough to keep your thoughts moving. This blocking out of interference can help us find a clear space in which to rest, think or play. A backdrop of Alphamusic calms your over-busy mind while you're occupied with other tasks, when you study, work, play, eat and of course, try to sleep at stupid o clock and just can’t stop thinking about the ironing…