Building a 'Sesame' Song

He was not looking to make big money. His heart always wanted to do something great and original, to leave a mark. He recorded new music from upcoming artists, only to stop doing that once the real surge in sales was about to begin.

... was the original name given by Billboard to the genre which was later called Rhythm & Blues.

Black artists were more creative, edgy, talented, and had a wild style that was light years ahead of white performers. This made ‘race music’ popular across all demographics and regions, something that was picked up by many record companies, including Sun Records.

Music is a very powerful tool during quarantine. People in Italy, Spain, and the wider world are using music to bring their communities together.

When you're making music, you submit your mind and body to its regulation. When you're doing the Macarena with your neighbors, you're contributing to the larger goal of the group and inspire global solidarity.

Since the time of ancient Greece, medicine claimed that maintaining a positive mind can help treat physical disease.

• During the Renaissance, patients were encouraged to compose and study art and play music.
• When plague approached England, Henry VIII chose his organ player as one of the five men he quarantined with.

Music asks that we laugh, and sing, and dance, and seems to be a real antidote to fear, just as the Renaissance doctors claimed.

It is also known as music design, music consultancy, or as part of a broader package of experiential design or sensory marketing.

The work involves creating distinct,  compatible musical identities for brands.

Muzak, a brand of background music, set the template for background music. It played in retail stores and other commercial premises and sold itself on the basis that it could increase productivity in workplaces. 

Muzak's template for background music persisted for decades. The music was a balm to ease awkward silences and to encourage and brighten the mood.

• Musically, Nirvana popularized a sound and a DIY aesthetic.
• Culturally, Nirvana removed the distinction between the underground and mainstream and marked the end to the baby-boomer era.
• Aesthetically, they spawned “grungy” fashion, while the Nirvana T-shirt - a yellow logo and a smiley face - remains a festival favorite.

• Cobain, Krist Novoselic, and Dave Grohl, all in their early-to-mid 20s, had left independent label Sub Pop and signed to DGC Records, a subsidiary of major label Geffen Records.
• Sub Pop was almost entirely responsible for the grunge sound of sludgy and detuned guitars, with darkly neurotic lyrics.
• Moving to a major was grounds for "public hanging," where any push for commerciality was seen as selling out. But Nirvana wanted to break out and strive for broader recognition.
• The frame of Nevermind's 12 tracks were recorded in a week. Nevermind joined the central tenents of the grunge sound - crunching guitars and loud vocals - with memorable tunes.
• In covering the dual bases of noise and melody, Nevermind ensured Nirvana had crossover appeal to young and old, fans of punk and folk alike.
• "Nevermind" sold a million copies in the US alone. The alternative was now mainstream.

• In the 1960s, the radical new rocky sound emerged from the Beatles to the Rolling Stones.
• The minor seventh chords were introduced through funk, soul, and disco in the 1970s.
• In the 1980s, there was a blip where the introduction of arena rock meant that music lacked diversity.
• New technology, synthesizers, samplers, and drum machines marked the second major style shift in 1983.
• In 1991, rap and hip-hop went mainstream. This revolution doesn't use a lot of harmonies. Emphasis is on speech sounds and rhythm.

Wearing a posture belt during the first few hours of morning is good practice. 

• Place the strap over your upper back and hold the ends in each hand.
• Drape each end of the strap over its respective shoulder.
• Cross the strap in the back holding one end in each hand.
• Pull the straps so that you feel it in your trapezius muscles and secure the ends at the front.

• Keep your arms straight and pull your shoulders back.
• Bring your shoulder blades together.
• Tuck your chin.
• Push your chest up and extend your spine.
• Your fingers can be pointed forward or backward.

In a musical reward experiment, researchers found that music is, in itself, a viable reward to motivate the brain to learn new information. 

In a study, people from different cultures mostly agreed on general emotional characterizations of musical sounds, such as anger, joy, or annoyance. They agreed that a song is angry but differ on whether the feeling is positive or negative.

• Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” make people feel energized. 
• The Clash’s “Rock the Casbah” pump people up. 
• Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together” evoke sensuality.
• Israel (Iz) Kamakawiwoʻole’s “Somewhere over the Rainbow” elicits joy.
• Heavy metal is widely viewed as defiant.

This happens because music stimulates the entire brain and not just segments of it. Using this knowledge can help you in various ways.

• Meditation. Some people use music to help them clear their minds.
• Listening to music while studying or working can help you remember more of the information.
• During exercise. It takes the mind’s focus off of fatigue.
• Focus on sleep. Music calms the mind and causes you to focus on your rest.

Ambient music at 70 decibels will increase specific creative tasks by activating the parts of the brain that think in abstract ways.