The Mozart effect

Why is it always Mozart?

Seems like any time scientists discover a link between music and some measurable form of well-being, the music is his. Mozart makes you smarter. Mozart improves your memory. Mozart promotes good health.

According to the latest such report, Mozart's music may help slow the metabolism of babies born prematurely. This could mean they'd gain needed weight more quickly.

Cool. But why Mozart and not, say, Brahms? Why not Beethoven, Bach, Chopin, or Debussy?

The researchers themselves say it's not yet clear whether the benefits come from Mozart specifically, or music in general. But ...

They do, however, point to a previous study of adults with seizures that found that compositions by Mozart, more so than other classical composers, appeared to lower seizure frequency. It's possible, according to Lubetzky's team, that the proposed Mozart effect on the brain is related to the structure of his compositions.

Compared with other famous composers, they explain, Mozart's music tends to repeat the melodic line more frequently. Other researchers have speculated that this more-organized musical structure may have greater resonance for the brain.

If the speculation proves correct, it has interesting implications. Find out what about Mozart's music produces the Mozart effect, and composers can incorporate it into some of their own works, on purpose.

It'd be fun to hear what today's aspiring Mozarts think up.

A little grocery store music

I wandered through the vegetable section of the Food Conspiracy Co-op, searching in vain for broccoli. For those readers who live somewhere other than Tucson, the Food Conspiracy is a small grocery store located in the hippie-ish part of town. They've been around for almost 40 years and boast an entirely organic produce department along with (according to their website) a commitment to environmentalism, social justice, and education.

I like the idea of these locally owned and operated stores. It's sad to me that huge chains are homogenizing the landscape of the entire country. Places like the Co-op have more character, more personality.

And yet, as I continued to scan for various items on my list, I thought about why I almost never come here. Parking tends to be a pain, as it was tonight. Plus, I was going to end up stopping off at a chain supermarket anyway because these guys didn't have any broccoli on hand. What grocery store doesn't have broccoli?

My thoughts were interrupted when, suddenly, I heard a violin.

I made a 180-degree turn in the direction of the music. A guy with dark gray hair was standing near one of the checkout lanes and playing "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik." Like me, the other people in the store had stopped what they were doing to watch and listen.

When the music came to an end, everyone burst into applause.

Okay. Score one for locally owned and operated. I'm pretty sure that will never happen at the Safeway.

Rock me, Amadeus

The International Mozarteum Foundation has discovered two previously unknown piano pieces by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. On August 2, this organization will reveal more details about the pieces, and someone will perform them on Mozart's original fortepiano.

Y'all know who Mozart is, so I don't I have to explain why this is cool. Instead, I'll share the reaction I had after getting "Wow, cool" out of the way.

I had come across this news via a Google alert, which directed me to blogger David Duff's post about it. When I did a search for more details, I only found a couple of actual newspaper articles on the subject. (In English, anyway.)

Isn't Mozart kind of a big deal? I know there's a lot of stuff going on in the world right now, but come on. Two articles?