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	<title>SpreadingHappiness.org &#187; Classical Music</title>
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		<title>A Guide to Enjoy Classical Music (3/3): Techniques for Advanced Listeners</title>
		<link>http://www.spreadinghappiness.org/2009/11/a-guide-to-enjoy-classical-music-33-techniques-for-advanced-listeners/</link>
		<comments>http://www.spreadinghappiness.org/2009/11/a-guide-to-enjoy-classical-music-33-techniques-for-advanced-listeners/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 07 Nov 2009 18:43:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Nick</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Classical Music]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tapping New Sources of Happiness]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.spreadinghappiness.org/?p=367</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
	This is the third post in the series &#8220;A Guide to Enjoy Classical Music&#8221;; the first two posts dealt with A.) Getting Motivated and B.) Enabling an Easy Entry to Classical Music.&#160;
	If you&#8217;re fortunate enough to have access to classical music, and willing to &#8220;invest&#8221; a bit more time and effort to explore it further, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>
	<span style="background-color:#(color);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; ">This is the third post in the series &ldquo;A Guide to Enjoy Classical Music&rdquo;; the first two posts dealt with <a href="http://www.spreadinghappiness.org/2009/10/a-guide-to-enjoy-classical-music-13-why-giving-it-a-try/">A.) Getting Motivated</a> and <a href="http://www.spreadinghappiness.org/2009/10/a-guide-to-enjoy-classical-music-23-enabling-an-easy-entry/">B.) Enabling an Easy Entry to Classical Music</a>.&nbsp;</p>
<p>	<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; ">If you&rsquo;re fortunate enough to have access to classical music, and willing to &ldquo;invest&rdquo; a bit more time and effort to explore it further, some of the following ideas may provide some inspiration:</span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-left: 40px; ">
	<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB"><strong><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:<br />
EN-GB"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">1.<span style="font:7.0pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></span></span></strong></span><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:<br />
EN-GB">Take a Deep Dive I: Listen to the Piece Many Times Until You Know It Very, Very Well</span></b></p>
<p style="margin-left: 40px; ">
	<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">Our familiarity with a piece seems to play a key role in how much we enjoy it. For example, if someone listens to Beethoven&rsquo;s <i><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqtZ_c3cyhE&amp;feature=related">Ode to Joy</a>, </i>and they take the time to become well acquainted with the lyrics and melody, they are probably more capable of enjoying it.</span></p>
<p style="margin-left: 40px; ">
	<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">What could be the reason for this? I&rsquo;ve yet to learn a scientific explanation, but maybe it&rsquo;s because we are more in sync with the piece, knowing what we can expect next and therefore we are inclined to feel more comfortable (i.e. reducing uncertainty and thereby meeting our basic need for security). Or perhaps a certain level of familiarity with the piece is required, allowing us to enjoy the anticipation for certain movements.<sup>1</sup></span></p>
<p style="margin-left: 40px; ">
	<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">Whatever the reason, for me the joy has always increased after becoming familiar with a piece.<sup>2</sup> After listening to Schubert&rsquo;s string quartet <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Yy9szBIKCw"><i>Death and the Maiden</i></a> for the first time, I instantly felt a connection to this piece. I wouldn&rsquo;t say I enjoyed it at that time; at least not to the extent it turned out to be enjoyable later.<sup>3&nbsp;</sup></span></p>
<p style="margin-left: 40px; ">
	<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">So what&rsquo;s the takeaway from this &#8211; rather well-known &#8211; observation? Maybe that we should keep this fact in mind and act accordingly; although obvious, I&rsquo;ve caught myself several times abandoning a piece without having given it a fair chance, without actively listening to the work several times. I&#39;m certain: the more familiar we are with music, the more rewarding it can be. So let&rsquo;s give it a decent try &#8211; it will probably pay back nicely.<br />
	</span></p>
<p style="margin-left: 40px; ">
	<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB"><strong><span style="mso-list:Ignore">2.<span style="font:7.0pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></span></strong></span><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">Take a Deep Dive II: Learn More About the Piece</span></b></p>
<p style="margin-left: 40px; ">
	<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">In addition to the above, we can also become familiar with music on an &ldquo;intellectual level&rdquo;. This includes all information which helps us to &ldquo;rationally understand&rdquo; the piece, i.e. :</span></p>
<p style="text-indent: -0.25in; margin-left: 80px; ">
	<span style="font-size:10.0pt;<br />
mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Courier New&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:<br />
&quot;Courier New&quot;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">o<span style="font:7.0pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">Which musical era the piece belongs to</span><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p>
<p style="text-indent: -0.25in; margin-left: 80px; ">
	<span style="font-size:10.0pt;<br />
mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Courier New&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:<br />
&quot;Courier New&quot;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">o<span style="font:7.0pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">The circumstances surrounding its creation</span><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p>
<p style="text-indent: -0.25in; margin-left: 80px; ">
	<span style="font-size:10.0pt;<br />
mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Courier New&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:<br />
&quot;Courier New&quot;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">o<span style="font:7.0pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">What the composer intends to express with it &nbsp;</span><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p>
<p style="text-indent: -0.25in; margin-left: 80px; ">
	<span style="font-size:10.0pt;<br />
mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Courier New&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:<br />
&quot;Courier New&quot;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">o<span style="font:7.0pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">Playing techniques used, why it is difficult to play, etc.</span><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p>
<p style="text-indent: -0.25in; margin-left: 80px; ">
	<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:<br />
10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Courier New&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:<br />
&quot;Courier New&quot;;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">o<span style="font:7.0pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">How interpretations of the piece can be different (slowly/faster played, more emphasis on certain notes, etc.)&nbsp; <o :p=""></o></span></p>
<p style="text-indent: -0.25in; margin-left: 80px; ">
	<span style="font-size:10.0pt;<br />
mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Courier New&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:<br />
&quot;Courier New&quot;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">o<span style="font:7.0pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">Particularities about special movements in the piece</span><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p>
<p style="text-indent: -0.25in; margin-left: 80px; ">
	<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:<br />
10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Courier New&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:<br />
&quot;Courier New&quot;;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">o<span style="font:7.0pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">Etc.</span></p>
<p style="margin-left: 40px; ">
	<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">I never found this as important as the &ldquo;emotional familiarity&rdquo; achieved through re-listening as mentioned above. However, in some cases it can be useful, especially by trying to understand the intent of the composer, what he or she wanted to express with it; this may help us to connect it to the real world (so that we can make sense of it and don&rsquo;t feel lost).</span></p>
<p style="margin-left: 40px; ">
	<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">Jeremy Siepmann&rsquo;s introduction to </span><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Introduction-Beethoven-Pastoral-Symphony-Explained/dp/1843790068/ref=sr_1_24?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1256900367&amp;sr=8-24">Beethoven&rsquo;s &quot;Pastoral Symphony&rdquo;</a><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB"> or the podcast &ldquo;</span><a href="http://www.br-online.de/podcast/mp3-download/bayern4klassik/mp3-download-podcast-starke-stuecke.shtml">Starke Stuecke</a><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">&rdquo; (only in German but at least it&rsquo;s free) are among the easily accessible resources which explain classical pieces with audio examples. I&rsquo;m sure there are more. If you know of good ones please add in the comment section below!<br />
	</span></p>
<p style="margin-left: 40px; ">
	<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB"><strong><span style="mso-list:Ignore">3.<span style="font:7.0pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></span></strong></span><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">Take a Deep Dive III: Experience It Your Way&hellip; and Identify With It</span></b></p>
<p style="margin-left: 40px; ">
	The key to enjoying a piece is emotional connection. The proposed techniques 1 and 2 from above may help to do that, however there is also another level to this, which I like to call &ldquo;identification&rdquo;. This is going beyond feeling familiar with the piece (be it on an emotional or intellectual level); instead it is about making the &ldquo;story&rdquo; relevant to us.</p>
<p style="margin-left: 40px; ">
	<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">It&rsquo;s no coincidence that Benjamin Zander suggests to think of a personal relative who &ldquo;is no longer there&rdquo; when listening to Chopin&rsquo;s <i>Prelude No. 4</i> (referring to the video in the </span><a href="http://www.spreadinghappiness.org/2009/10/a-guide-to-enjoy-classical-music-23-enabling-an-easy-entry/">last post</a><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">). By doing so, we give the piece a personal meaning, thereby allowing us to truly identify with it.</span></p>
<p style="margin-left: 40px; ">
	<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">A possible suggestion could be to actively try to connect the piece to our world by looking for life associations. For example, we may ask ourselves which experience matches the music well, or we may try to find patterns which remind us of something in our worlds (i.e. when listening to the </span><span lang="EN-GB">overture in Mozart&rsquo;s </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hr7c6Sbuor4"><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">Le Nozze di Figaro</span></i></a><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB"> at 0:44-0:48, I picture a waterfall &ndash; maybe you see something completely different). It&rsquo;s absolutely no problem if our associations are not what the composer intended with the piece; quite the opposite, they are likely to be stronger, and longer-lasting as we create them ourselves.<sup>4<br />
	</sup></span></p>
<p style="margin-left: 40px; ">
	<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; "><strong><span style="mso-list:Ignore">4.<span style="font:7.0pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;">&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></strong></span></span><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">Try Out Something New</span></b></p>
<p style="margin-left: 40px; ">
	It&rsquo;s tempting to stick with what we know (familiar = more joy) but that does not broaden our horizons; perhaps we should drill the landscape for new sources of happiness &#8211; they may become important once the existing sources have dried up (after being familiar with the pieces we may also experience diminishing returns at some point).<sup>5</sup></p>
<p style="margin-left: 40px; ">
	<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">An easy way to get inspiration is to see what people with similar tastes enjoy listening to. <a href="http://Ivotings.com">Ivotings.com</a>,&nbsp;one of my websites with a whopping 43 registrants a couple of months of after going live &#8211; don&rsquo;t miss the action -, provides users with an extended version of Amazon&rsquo;s &ldquo;Users who liked X also liked Y&rdquo;, which can also be used for classical music pieces. Who knows, maybe ivotings finally proves to be useful for something.</span></p>
<p style="margin-left: 40px; ">
	<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">For a bigger step, we should also think about experiencing entirely new genres. If you&rsquo;re a symphony lover, why not consider giving chamber music a <b>serious</b> chance. Or, if you&rsquo;ve only tried concerts so far, why not give opera a try? In case you already like, or love, Verdi and Puccini operas, it may be time to explore what Wagner&rsquo;s<i>&nbsp;<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Flying_Dutchman_(opera)">The&nbsp;Flying Dutchman</a></i> or Weber&rsquo;s <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Der_Freisch%C3%BCtz"><i>Freischuetz</i></a> have to offer etc.</span></p>
<p style="margin-left: 40px; ">
	<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">In this context, it may be worthwhile checking out CDs such as Jeremy Siepmann&rsquo;s<i> Introduction to Chamber music</i>, or introductions to opera such as </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Opera-Explained-Introduction-Verdis-Traviata/dp/B0000682W2/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&amp;s=music&amp;qid=1256053641&amp;sr=8-3">this one</a><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB"> or </span><a href="http://www.amazon.de/Weg-zur-Oper-Traviata-Lange/dp/B00004W17L/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&amp;s=music&amp;qid=1256053464&amp;sr=8-7">this one</a><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">.<br />
	</span></p>
<p style="margin-left: 40px; ">
	<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB"><strong><span style="mso-list:Ignore">5.<span style="font:7.0pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></span></strong></span><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">Take the Freedom To Do What the Piece Requires You To Do</span></b></p>
<p style="margin-left: 40px; ">
	<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">Listening to music may appear as a passive activity at first, but it&#39;s not: it stimulates our brains, awakening emotions, inspiring us, creating pictures (sometimes even colours) and much more. It may also make us want to become physically active, which we can do by dancing, singing, tapping our foot on the floor, moving hands, or other movements (&ldquo;the piece pushed <b>me</b> over&rdquo; &ndash; again referring to Ben&rsquo;s video in the </span><a href="http://www.spreadinghappiness.org/2009/10/a-guide-to-enjoy-classical-music-23-enabling-an-easy-entry/">last post</a><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">).</span></p>
<p style="margin-left: 40px; ">
	<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">Satisfying these needs for physical activity can enhance the enjoyment we get from listening to a piece significantly; that&rsquo;s why I propose not to allow any pre-learnt inhibitions to prevent us from doing so (i.e. &ldquo;What would other people say if they saw me moving like that?&rdquo; &ndash; who cares? Everything that maximizes our joy is good as long as it does not come at the expense of others<sup>6</sup>).</span></p>
<p style="margin-left: 40px; ">
	<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">For example, why not sing along with the music if you want to? Learn the lyrics (otherwise lalala is okay too), and give a stunning performance to your bathroom walls (they are docile listeners and won&rsquo;t complain&#8230; trust me I know <img src='http://www.spreadinghappiness.org/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif' alt=';-)' class='wp-smiley' /> ). Or, become a maestro in your mind and conduct Beethoven&rsquo;s fifth, like Superintendent Skinner does in one Simpsons episode (sorry, forgot which one it was). Whatever it is, allow yourself to enjoy the piece, and let your emotions lead the way.</span></p>
<p style="margin-left: 40px; ">
	<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">Incidentally, I believe one of the major drawbacks of attending live concerts are the restrictions: don&#39;t move, hum, or speak. These &ldquo;social norms&rdquo; impose strict rules when it comes to im &ldquo;feeling and reacting&rdquo; to the music. When attending a concert recently, I was fortunately able to stop myself from becoming too expressive; otherwise I&rsquo;m sure the guys in the white shirts would have come and taken me to the padded cells&hellip; again. Hehe.<br />
	</span></p>
<p style="margin-left: 40px; ">
	<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB"><strong><span style="mso-list:Ignore">6.<span style="font:7.0pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;">&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></strong></span><b><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">Learn More Classical Music in General&hellip; or Start to Play an Instrument</span></b></p>
<p style="margin-left: 40px; ">
	<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">Knowing more about classical music in general will certainly also help people to enjoy it more, although it is not as much a direct approach like the ones above.</span></p>
<p style="margin-left: 40px; ">
	<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">Good sources for learning more:</span></p>
<p style="text-indent: -0.25in; margin-left: 80px; ">
	<span style="font-size:10.0pt;<br />
mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Courier New&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:<br />
&quot;Courier New&quot;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">o<span style="font:7.0pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Classical-Music-Dummies-David-Pogue/dp/0764550098/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1256908927&amp;sr=8-1">Classical music for dummies</a><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB"> (read it myself, nice and informative, but not suited for the newbie to find access to classical music)</span><span lang="EN-GB"> </span></p>
<p style="text-indent: -0.25in; margin-left: 80px; ">
	<span style="font-size:10.0pt;<br />
mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Courier New&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:<br />
&quot;Courier New&quot;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">o<span style="font:7.0pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">Explanations of the orchestra&rsquo;s instruments, either explained by </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Story-Orchestra-Listen-Instruments-Composers/dp/1579121489/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1256909061&amp;sr=1-3">Robert Levine and Meredith Hamilton</a><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB"> (I have not tested it, but it has very good reviews) or by </span><a href="http://www.amazon.de/Yehudi-Menuhin-erklärt-Instrumente-Orchesters/dp/B000026UVY/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&amp;s=music&amp;qid=1256909049&amp;sr=8-8">Yehudi Menuhin</a><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB"> (very good, but in German) </span></p>
<p style="text-indent: -0.25in; margin-left: 80px; ">
	<span style="font-size:10.0pt;<br />
mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:&quot;Courier New&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:<br />
&quot;Courier New&quot;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">o<span style="font:7.0pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span></span></span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Idiots-Guide-Classical-Tomaso-Albinoni/dp/B000003FPT/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&amp;s=music&amp;qid=1256910379&amp;sr=8-3">Idiot&rsquo;s guide to classical music</a><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB"> (similar to the one for dummies above)</span></p>
<p style="margin-left: 40px; ">
	<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">Of course, taking up an instrument is another good way to learn more about &#8211; and enjoy &#8211; classical music. Taking up an instrument helps us appreciate the work that goes into professional composition, and the commitment of musicians when performing a symphony. Also, playing an instrument comes with several more advantages (i.e. it keeps our brain challenged, we socialize with people, etc.) so if your time allows it, why not give it a try?<br />
	</span></p>
<p>
	<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language:EN-GB">All these ideas are merely brainstormed<sup>7</sup>. I invite you to enrich this post by adding your comments below. How did you find the access to classical music? What methods help you to increase your enjoyment? Please share your experiences and make others benefit from them!</span></p>
<p>
	<span style="font-size:12px;"><i><span lang="EN-GB">If you&rsquo;ve read all 3 articles, I congratulate you on demonstrating so much stamina which may also prove useful in some of the not so-good concerts <img src='http://www.spreadinghappiness.org/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif' alt=';-)' class='wp-smiley' /> .&nbsp;<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; ">If you enjoyed reading these posts, please subscribe to my <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/Spreadinghappinessorg" style="color: rgb(184, 91, 90); text-decoration: none; ">RSS Feed</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=Spreadinghappinessorg" style="color: rgb(184, 91, 90); text-decoration: none; ">Email newsletter</a>!&nbsp;</span></span></i></span></p>
<p>
	<span style="font-size:11px;">&#8212;&nbsp;</span></p>
<p>
	<span style="font-size:11px;"><span lang="EN-GB">1) I.e. anticipating the &ldquo;big bang&rdquo; of a piece like in Strauss&rsquo; </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvDZSfhvMtU">Thus spoke Zarathustra</a><span lang="EN-GB">, or more moderate elements, such as the triangle appearance in Smetana&rsquo;s </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsP-RhaAeDg">Moldau</a><span lang="EN-GB">. &nbsp;This may also explain why people who remember classical pieces well are capable of enjoying it more as they get more value from anticipation.</span></span></p>
<p>
	<span style="font-size:11px;"><span lang="EN-GB">2) I have heard of people who were &ldquo;stunned&rdquo; by listening to a piece the first time; However, this would be no contradiction to what has been said above, only if their enjoyment when hearing it for the second or third time was less (or the same) compared to hearing it for the first time. I assume this is rather unusual (correct?).</span></span></p>
<p>
	<span style="font-size:11px;"><span lang="EN-GB">3) In other words, the &ldquo;initial investment&rdquo; required to get the joy out of the activity (explained in detail in the </span><a href="http://www.spreadinghappiness.org/2009/10/introduction-of-series-">introduction to this series</a><span lang="EN-GB">), does not only apply to classical music as a whole, but to every single piece. The difference is that advanced listeners are more aware of this, and are a little more patient than the ones who are just starting out.</span></span></p>
<p>
	<span style="font-size:11px;"><span lang="EN-GB">4) Are therefore &ldquo;creative&rdquo; people, who can link musical movements to the real world, more capable of enjoying classical music?</span></span></p>
<p>
	<span style="font-size:11px;"><span lang="EN-GB">On a side note, this may be similar to literature: very often books that allow many interpretations, so that every reader can &ldquo;read the book his or her way&rdquo; are successful (as many readers find their individual way to identify with it); it does not actually matter what the author&rsquo;s original ideas were.</span></span></p>
<p>
	<span style="font-size:11px;"><span lang="EN-GB">5) Getting to know new pieces is not only useful when we experience &ldquo;diminishing returns&rdquo; with the old ones; as different pieces stir different emotions in us, we may find a new piece that provides new dimensions of joy that the ones we already know did not.</span></span></p>
<p>
	<span style="font-size:11px;"><span lang="EN-GB">6) Incidentally, if people truly like you they are supportive in maximizing your joy, so we should not be too concerned that they don&rsquo;t want us to move freely to the music. &nbsp;</span></span></p>
<p>
	<span style="font-size:11px;"><span lang="EN-GB">7) Originally, this post was intended to be more than a brainstorming of factors that may facilitate the road to classical music, but a step-by-step guide that works for everybody. However, I found this hard to develop; this seems to be because <i>a.) it&rsquo;s not well understood why we actually like (classical) music</i>, (on a fundamental level) and <i>2. People like different forms of classical music, </i>making it difficult to propose pieces that enable entry for everyone. Therefore the above list is still a hit-or-miss approach only.</span></span></p>
<p>
	<span style="font-size:11px;"><span lang="EN-GB">However, as our understanding of music enhances in the future (e.g. what it does in our brains, what moods it requires, for which types of people, which type of music) come new ways of leading others to the joy of classical music, and enhancing it for the ones who already enjoy it&#8230; which I very much look forward too! <img src='http://www.spreadinghappiness.org/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':-)' class='wp-smiley' /> &nbsp;<font class="Apple-style-span" face="Wingdings">&nbsp;</font></span></span></p>
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		<title>A guide to enjoy classical music (2/3): Enabling an easy entry</title>
		<link>http://www.spreadinghappiness.org/2009/10/a-guide-to-enjoy-classical-music-23-enabling-an-easy-entry/</link>
		<comments>http://www.spreadinghappiness.org/2009/10/a-guide-to-enjoy-classical-music-23-enabling-an-easy-entry/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 25 Oct 2009 19:16:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Nick</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Classical Music]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Happiness]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.spreadinghappiness.org/?p=277</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
	This is the second post in the series &#8220;A Guide to Enjoy Classical Music&#8221;; the first post was dealing with how to get motivated to give classical music a try. The third and final post will be about techniques for the advanced listener on how to get even more from classical music.

	Even if rational reasons [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>
	<span style="font-style: italic;">This is the second post in the series &ldquo;A Guide to Enjoy Classical Music&rdquo;; the first post was dealing with <a href="http://www.spreadinghappiness.org/2009/10/a-guide-to-enjoy-classical-music-13-why-giving-it-a-try/">how to get motivated to give classical music a try</a>. The third and final post will be about techniques for the advanced listener on how to get even more from classical music.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">
	Even if <a href="http://www.spreadinghappiness.org/2009/10/a-guide-to-enjoy-classical-music-13-why-giving-it-a-try/">rational reasons</a> are in favour of classical music, it only counts whether we actually take the required steps and give classical music a fair chance, i.e. if we are also emotionally motivated to do so.<a href="#1"><sup>1</sup></a><a name="b1"></a> A possible way to ensure &ldquo;emotional motivation&rdquo; may be to keep in mind the &ldquo;Reward/Cost&rdquo;-relationship of our approaches to classical music, i.e. the question which approaches maximize the joy we get while limiting the &ldquo;costs&rdquo; of the approach. For the visual people among us:</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">
	<a href="http://www.spreadinghappiness.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Equation-to-enjoy-classical-music2.jpg"><img alt="Equation to enjoy classical music" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-283" height="249" src="http://www.spreadinghappiness.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Equation-to-enjoy-classical-music2.jpg" title="Equation to enjoy classical music" width="548" /></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">
	The question is: what approaches make this equation as positive as possible for people who are starting out? Importantly, beginners need to experience quickly that the equation can, in some cases, under some circumstances, be positive for them at all, setting emotional &ldquo;hooks&rdquo; and getting the more-than-questionable mindset &ldquo;classical music is nothing for me&rdquo; out of the way.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">
	Here are some approaches which may have a high joy/investment-ratio for beginners: <span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 40px;">
	<span><span style="font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold;">1.) &ldquo;Sneaky&rdquo; introduction: combine classical music with other (joyful) activities</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt;">
	Diving straight into pure classical music (i.e. where classical music is the only focus) may not be the best approach. Most likely people find easier access when it enters their lives in a more unobtrusive way, giving them the chance to find out for themselves that listening to classical music can be enjoyable. This is no different to many other situations: our motivation is considerably higher for something we feel we have discovered ourselves, and not some &ldquo;finished product&rdquo; put on our plate that we are then supposed to use or enjoy.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt;">
	One (joyful) activity that may be combined with classical music is <strong>watching movies</strong>. I would not be surprised if some people got their first emotional hook to classical music through movies. This may have been movies with single classical pieces in it (e.g. Carl Orff&rsquo;s &ldquo;<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGbFBpP2sL0">O Fortuna</a>&rdquo; in the &ndash; rather brutal &ndash; movie Excalibur), re-occuring classical themes (e.g. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQgZRcD0QIk&amp;feature=related">Robin Hood</a>) or movies which have classical music as a core element (e.g. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Amadeus-F-Murray-Abraham/dp/6304712936/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;s=dvd&amp;qid=1254765329&amp;sr=8-1">Amadeus</a>). You can find a very good directory of which classical pieces are used in which movies on <a href="http://classicalmusic.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ/Ya&amp;sdn=classicalmusic&amp;zu=http://www.naxos.com/musicinmovies.asp%3Fletter%3DA">About.com</a>. <span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt;">
	Beyond watching movies, basically every other activity we enjoy doing (as long as it&rsquo;s not listening to other forms of music) can be accompanied by classical music as <strong>background music</strong>. For me, for example, this played a key role; I am convinced that if my parents had not played it in our home (while I was doing other things) I would not have found access to it that easily. Importantly, my parents did not try to push it on me (&ldquo;fully focus on it!&ldquo;, &rdquo;enjoy it right now!&rdquo; etc.), so it was still background music for me, allowing me to find my own access to it. <span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt;">
	It would be good to know what kind of background music is suitable for different situations and moods. Classical music spans a wide field, and people need guidance on what sort of music to play when. I&rsquo;ve not come across a good guide for that yet (have you?). As a quick fix, it may be recommended to play more &ldquo;bright&rdquo; baroque music in the morning (&ldquo;a little Vivaldi in the background won&rsquo;t do any harm&rdquo; &ndash; see Benjamin Zander&rsquo;s presentation below) or Bach / Mozart, and more &ldquo;deep&rdquo; symphonic pieces in the evening (e.g. Beethoven or Tchaikovsky, although of course it depends on the piece).<span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt;">
	Combining listening to classical music with other joyful activities is more than a screening of pieces to identify the ones we like. It&rsquo;s getting used to listen to classical music, and more importantly, it&rsquo;s enhancing the joy we get from it, as repetition and the question how much we know a piece seems to play a key role in the extent we are capable of enjoying it (more about that later).<span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt;">
	If you want to introduce your kids to classical music this way, also have a look at articles such as&nbsp;About.com&#39;s&nbsp;<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: 9px;"> </span></span><a href="http://classicalmusic.about.com/od/classicalmusictips/a/childrenclassic.htm">Classical music for children</a> or&nbsp;Examiner&#39;s <a href="http://How to introduce your child to classical music: Making friends with a symphony orchestra">How to introduce your child to classical music</a>.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt;">
	<span style="text-decoration: underline;">Evaluation</span>: In conclusion, combining listening to classical music with other joyful activities seems to come at a low cost/investment, while leveraging the benefits from other activities we already enjoy doing, making it a possible good entry point for beginners.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 40px;">
	<span style="font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold;">2.) Go for the easy accessible &quot;highlights&quot; </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt;">
	Many &ldquo;emotional hooks&rdquo; seem to happen as a result of us enjoying specific movements/passages of classical pieces (rarely the whole piece).&nbsp;Below please find some pieces I can think of off the top of my head which contain easy-accessible movements:</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt;">
	<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong>A)&nbsp;Energetic </strong>(turn up the volume!)</span></p>
<p style="margin-left: 80px;">
	- Beethoven&#39;s <strong><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXuhvzbQ5EI&amp;feature=related">Freude Schoener Goetterfunken</a> </strong>(also the Anthem of Europe):<span> </span></p>
<p style="margin-left: 80px;">
	<span><p><a href="http://www.spreadinghappiness.org/2009/10/a-guide-to-enjoy-classical-music-23-enabling-an-easy-entry/"><em>Click here to view the embedded video.</em></a></p></span></p>
<p style="margin-left: 80px;">
	<span>(or watch&nbsp;<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZJ1Tgf4JL8&amp;feature=related">this one</a> with a wonderful introduction by Leonhard Bernstein) </span></p>
<p style="margin-left: 80px;">
	- Bach&#39;s <strong><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pY08e_tdtA">Toccata und Fuge</a>:</strong></p>
<p style="margin-left: 80px;">
	<p><a href="http://www.spreadinghappiness.org/2009/10/a-guide-to-enjoy-classical-music-23-enabling-an-easy-entry/"><em>Click here to view the embedded video.</em></a></p></p>
<p style="margin-left: 80px;">
	<strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">(or this <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipzR9bhei_o&amp;feature=fvw">interesting version</a>)</span></strong></p>
<p style="margin-left: 80px;">
	- Beethoven&#39;s <strong><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhcR1ZS2hVo">Fifth Symphony, first movement</a>:</strong></p>
<p style="margin-left: 80px;">
	<p><a href="http://www.spreadinghappiness.org/2009/10/a-guide-to-enjoy-classical-music-23-enabling-an-easy-entry/"><em>Click here to view the embedded video.</em></a></p></p>
<p style="margin-left: 80px;">
	- Rossini&#39;s <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkymTHSbWe0"><strong>Ouverture to Wilhelm Tell</strong></a></p>
<p style="margin-left: 80px;">
	<p><a href="http://www.spreadinghappiness.org/2009/10/a-guide-to-enjoy-classical-music-23-enabling-an-easy-entry/"><em>Click here to view the embedded video.</em></a></p></p>
<p style="margin-left: 80px;">
	- Dvorak&#39;s <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtE3P8Z15Pk&amp;feature=related"><strong>New World Symphony, 4th movement</strong></a></p>
<p style="margin-left: 80px;">
	<p><a href="http://www.spreadinghappiness.org/2009/10/a-guide-to-enjoy-classical-music-23-enabling-an-easy-entry/"><em>Click here to view the embedded video.</em></a></p></p>
<p style="margin-left: 80px;">
	- Bizet&#39;s&nbsp;<strong><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SP4k55L9GgA">Carmen</a></strong></p>
<p style="margin-left: 80px;">
	- Brahm&#39;s<strong> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3X9LvC9WkkQ&amp;feature=related">Hungarian Dance No. 5</a></strong></p>
<p style="margin-left: 80px;">
	- Richard Strauss&#39; <strong><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvDZSfhvMtU">Thus spoke Zarathustra </a></strong></p>
<p style="margin-left: 80px;">
	- Giuseppe Verdi&#39;s&nbsp;<strong><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcKdnkGBSgA">drinking song from La Traviata</a> or <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvMM2CJZ5VY">this one</a></strong></p>
<p style="margin-left: 80px;">
	- &#8230; or his <strong><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8A3zetSuYRg&amp;feature=related">La Dona e mobile from Rigoletto</a></strong></p>
<p style="margin-left: 80px;">
	- Johann Strauss&#39; <strong><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHFf7NIwOHQ&amp;feature=related">Radetzky March</a></strong></p>
<p style="margin-left: 80px;">
	- Mozart&#39;s ouverture to<strong> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hr7c6Sbuor4">Le Nozze di Figaro</a></strong></p>
<p style="margin-left: 80px;">
	&#8230;among many others</p>
<p style="margin-left: 80px;">
	&nbsp;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 40px;">
	<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong>B) Melodic / &ldquo;romantic&rdquo;</strong></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 80px;">
	- Mendelssohn&#39;s <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGVNpkM7YPE&amp;feature=related"><strong>violin concert, first movement</strong></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 80px;">
	<strong><p><a href="http://www.spreadinghappiness.org/2009/10/a-guide-to-enjoy-classical-music-23-enabling-an-easy-entry/"><em>Click here to view the embedded video.</em></a></p></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 80px;">
	- Dvorak&#39;s <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYl4Xb4cDQ8&amp;feature=related"><strong>New World Symphony, second movement</strong></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 80px;">
	<strong><p><a href="http://www.spreadinghappiness.org/2009/10/a-guide-to-enjoy-classical-music-23-enabling-an-easy-entry/"><em>Click here to view the embedded video.</em></a></p></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 80px;">
	- Smetana&#39;s <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsP-RhaAeDg"><strong>&quot;Moldau&quot;</strong></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 80px;">
	<strong><p><a href="http://www.spreadinghappiness.org/2009/10/a-guide-to-enjoy-classical-music-23-enabling-an-easy-entry/"><em>Click here to view the embedded video.</em></a></p></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 80px;">
	- Bruch&#39;s <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5ynk7aIgtQ&amp;feature=related"><strong>violin conert, first movement</strong></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 80px;">
	<strong><p><a href="http://www.spreadinghappiness.org/2009/10/a-guide-to-enjoy-classical-music-23-enabling-an-easy-entry/"><em>Click here to view the embedded video.</em></a></p></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 80px;">
	- Dvorak&#39;s <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vf18rltOdgU"><strong>violin concert, first movement</strong></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 80px;">
	<strong><p><a href="http://www.spreadinghappiness.org/2009/10/a-guide-to-enjoy-classical-music-23-enabling-an-easy-entry/"><em>Click here to view the embedded video.</em></a></p></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 80px;">
	- Dvorak&#39;s <strong><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxYbF-Yzdf0">cello concert, first movement</a></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 80px;">
	- Sarasate&#39;s <strong><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6ufBxGC_mI">Zigeunerweisen</a></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 80px;">
	- Schubert&#39;s <strong><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6mgm00RYeM&amp;feature=related">Unfinished Symphony</a> </strong>(<strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">If you want to give whole pieces a chance, Schubert is not a bad place to start with, as his composing is very song-like, melodic and easily accessible (he&rsquo;s also called the &ldquo;king of songs&rdquo; sometimes). If you like his Unfinished Symphony, you may also try out his &ldquo;<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghMrlJqHRdg">Great Symphony</a>&rdquo;)</span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 80px;">
	&#8230;and many more</p>
<p style="margin-left: 40px;">
	&nbsp;</p>
<p style="margin-left: 40px;">
	<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">C) Peaceful / &ldquo;beautiful&rdquo;</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 54pt;">
	<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">- Handel&#39;s <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_m6mnMIofc"><strong>Ombra mai fu </strong></a>from his &quot;Xerxes&quot;</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 54pt;">
	<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><p><a href="http://www.spreadinghappiness.org/2009/10/a-guide-to-enjoy-classical-music-23-enabling-an-easy-entry/"><em>Click here to view the embedded video.</em></a></p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 72pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
	- Mozart&#39;s <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PPKovoY5ys&amp;feature=fvw"><strong>concert for flute and harpe, first movement</strong></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 72pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
	<strong><p><a href="http://www.spreadinghappiness.org/2009/10/a-guide-to-enjoy-classical-music-23-enabling-an-easy-entry/"><em>Click here to view the embedded video.</em></a></p></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 72pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
	- Pachelbel&#39;s <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Af372EQLck&amp;feature=related"><strong>Canon in D</strong></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 72pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
	<strong><p><a href="http://www.spreadinghappiness.org/2009/10/a-guide-to-enjoy-classical-music-23-enabling-an-easy-entry/"><em>Click here to view the embedded video.</em></a></p></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 72pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
	- Delibes&#39;&nbsp;<strong><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Qx2lMaMsl8">Flower Duett</a></strong> from Lakme</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 72pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
	<p><a href="http://www.spreadinghappiness.org/2009/10/a-guide-to-enjoy-classical-music-23-enabling-an-easy-entry/"><em>Click here to view the embedded video.</em></a></p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 72pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
	- Schubert&#39;s <strong><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bosouX_d8Y">Ave Maria</a> </strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 72pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
	<p><a href="http://www.spreadinghappiness.org/2009/10/a-guide-to-enjoy-classical-music-23-enabling-an-easy-entry/"><em>Click here to view the embedded video.</em></a></p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 72pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
	&#8230;or played by the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLperaX6Q3A">violin</a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 72pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
	<strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">- Mozart&#39;s &quot;<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hOYs0pz578"><strong>Bildnisarie</strong></a></span></strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">&quot; in his Tamino</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 72pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
	- Bach&#39;s<strong> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bVRTtcWmXI">Chaconne</a></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 72pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
	- Massenet&#39;s <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Izk1Gi01lfI"><strong>O Souverain, o juge, o pere </strong></a>(<strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">sung&nbsp;by the very likeable Rollando Villazon)</span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 72pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
	- Donizetti&#39;s <strong><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Funp7JTWp2A&amp;feature=related">Una furtiva lagrima</a></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 72pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
	- Puccini&#39;s <a href="http:// http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VATmgtmR5o4&amp;feature=related"><strong>Nessun Dorma </strong></a>in Turandot</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 72pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
	- Schubert&#39;s<strong> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Yy9szBIKCw">Death and the Maiden, first movement</a></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 72pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
	- Rossini&#39;s <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AThDejzVRvo"><strong>Una Voce Poco Fa</strong></a> in Barber of Seville</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 72pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
	&#8230;and so many other, I am getting carried away!</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 72pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
	&nbsp;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: -18pt; margin-left: 80px;">
	<span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">D) Amusing / &ldquo;joyful&rdquo; / &ldquo;happy&rdquo; / entertaining</span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 54pt;">
	<span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">- &nbsp;Mozart&#39;s </span></strong><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCSevzJQ2-Y&amp;feature=fvw">Turkish Marsh</a></span></strong><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"> <span>or <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9AK9lIOzIo">this one</a></span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 54pt;">
	<span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span><p><a href="http://www.spreadinghappiness.org/2009/10/a-guide-to-enjoy-classical-music-23-enabling-an-easy-entry/"><em>Click here to view the embedded video.</em></a></p></span></span></strong></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 72pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
	<span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">- Mozart&#39;s <strong><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qb_jQBgzU-I">Eine kleine Nachtmusik, Allegro</a> </strong></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 72pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
	<p><a href="http://www.spreadinghappiness.org/2009/10/a-guide-to-enjoy-classical-music-23-enabling-an-easy-entry/"><em>Click here to view the embedded video.</em></a></p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 72pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
	<span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><strong><span style="font-weight: normal; ">(also listen to the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_NE7pMy1Mo">other movements</a>)</span></strong></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 72pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
	<span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">- Vivaldi&#39;s&nbsp;<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=St9wYu_WeAM  "><strong>Spring</strong></a></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 72pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
	<span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><strong><p><a href="http://www.spreadinghappiness.org/2009/10/a-guide-to-enjoy-classical-music-23-enabling-an-easy-entry/"><em>Click here to view the embedded video.</em></a></p></strong></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 72pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
	<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: 9px;">- </span></span>Ravel&#39;s <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-4J5j74VPw"><strong>Bolero</strong></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 72pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
	<strong><p><a href="http://www.spreadinghappiness.org/2009/10/a-guide-to-enjoy-classical-music-23-enabling-an-easy-entry/"><em>Click here to view the embedded video.</em></a></p></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 72pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
	- Schubert&#39;s <strong><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZG2chV_cNxI">Trout Quintett</a></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 72pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
	- Handel&#39;s <strong><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OT1oTBSqR4E">Water Music</a></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 72pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
	- Bach&#39;s <strong><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjFGsKkgsHo&amp;feature=related">Brandenburgisches Konzert</a> </strong>(or <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbsc35FzL1g&amp;feature=related">this</a> one&#8230;)</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 72pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
	&#8230; and many more, waiting for you to get discovered!</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 72pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
	&nbsp;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 40px;">
	<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong>E) Contemplative / sad</strong></span><strong> </strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 72pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
	<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: 9px;">- </span></span>Beethoven&rsquo;s <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQVeaIHWWck&amp;feature=related  or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6txOvK-mAk"><strong>Moonlight Sonata</strong></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 72pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
	<strong><p><a href="http://www.spreadinghappiness.org/2009/10/a-guide-to-enjoy-classical-music-23-enabling-an-easy-entry/"><em>Click here to view the embedded video.</em></a></p></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 72pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
	or <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6txOvK-mAk">this one</a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 72pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
	- Bruch&#39;s<strong> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ue4yosu4P8o">violin concert, 2nd movement</a></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 72pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
	<strong><p><a href="http://www.spreadinghappiness.org/2009/10/a-guide-to-enjoy-classical-music-23-enabling-an-easy-entry/"><em>Click here to view the embedded video.</em></a></p></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 72pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
	- Barber&#39;s <strong><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcKqifpQEW8">violin concert, 2nd movement</a></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 72pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
	<strong><p><a href="http://www.spreadinghappiness.org/2009/10/a-guide-to-enjoy-classical-music-23-enabling-an-easy-entry/"><em>Click here to view the embedded video.</em></a></p></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 72pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
	- <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yYikshdLcw&amp;feature=fvw"><strong>Theme from Schindler&#39;s List</strong></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 72pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
	<strong><p><a href="http://www.spreadinghappiness.org/2009/10/a-guide-to-enjoy-classical-music-23-enabling-an-easy-entry/"><em>Click here to view the embedded video.</em></a></p></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 72pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
	- Schubert&#39;s <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQwVVH9YbcI&amp;feature=related"><strong>Death and the Maiden</strong></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 72pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
	<strong><p><a href="http://www.spreadinghappiness.org/2009/10/a-guide-to-enjoy-classical-music-23-enabling-an-easy-entry/"><em>Click here to view the embedded video.</em></a></p></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 72pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
	- Chopin&#39;s<strong> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TbIBqTBM4Q">Funeral March </a></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 72pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
	- Barber&#39;s <strong><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkObnNQCMtM&amp;feature=fvw">Adagio for Strings</a></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 72pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
	- Chopin&#39;s <strong><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lt-NZMiCQLg&amp;feature=related">Prelude No.4</a></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 72pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
	- Tchaikovsky&#39;s <strong><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rwgbczsgt3I&amp;feature=fvw">Andante Cantabile</a></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 72pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
	- Vitali&#39;s<strong> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AK5lJFhrQ4&amp;feature=related">Chaconne</a></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 72pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
	&#8230;and many more, waiting for you to get discovered.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 72pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
	&nbsp;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: -18pt; margin-left: 80px;">
	<span style="font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold;">F) Virtuous / Performer is the &ldquo;attraction&rdquo;</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 54pt;">
	<strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">Finally, some pieces where the performer is in the attraction (in all the ones above, no matter how well the performers&nbsp;played, they were still the composer&#39;s messengers; the following pieces, on the other hand, have been primarily composed to give the performers the chance to show their skill). I&nbsp;especially like Evgeny Kissin&#39;s playing of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXq7Slxxr1s">Liszt&#39;s version of Paganini&#39;s La Campanella</a>&#8230;</span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 54pt;">
	<p><a href="http://www.spreadinghappiness.org/2009/10/a-guide-to-enjoy-classical-music-23-enabling-an-easy-entry/"><em>Click here to view the embedded video.</em></a></p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 54pt;">
	<strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">Look at his hands starting from 3:30 &#8211; it&#39;s crazy!&nbsp;</span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 54pt;">
	<strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">Or <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwUGpMT47z0">this one</a> is intersting too. </span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt;">
	For well-known movements in classical music, also see <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amXBUlgDwz0">this video</a>.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt;">
	One more note on this section&#39;s proposal to listen to &quot;highlights&quot;; The term &ldquo;highlights&rdquo; should be used carefully as it may convey the impression this is the best that classical music can offer (which is not the case). It only refers to pieces/movements that may be rewarding very quickly to the listener who is starting out. All other aspects in which classical music can be rewarding are not covered. These pieces/movements may however be useful to motivate the listener to further explore classical music&rsquo;s capabilities.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt;">
	<span style="text-decoration: underline;">Evaluation</span>: This approach requires a minimum of motivation (willingness to click through and listen) but comes at relatively low costs as it&rsquo;s free and does not require much time (and may also be rewarding for people who are starting out).</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: -18pt; margin-left: 40px;">
	<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong>3)<span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></strong><strong>Use classical music for relaxation</strong></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt;">
	After listening through the pieces mentioned above, stirring up emotions, it feels like a step back suggesting to listen to classical music as relaxation technique. However, classical music can certainly also be that, and also for people usually unfamiliar with it, so it should not be left out here.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt;">
	<a name="b2"></a>Important in this context however would be to avoid the listener getting used to classical music to relax (and getting tired) which runs the risk of nurturing a pawlow-type &ldquo;classical music =&gt; sleep&rdquo;-reflex<a href="#2"><sup><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 10px;">2</span></span></sup></a>, which may prove prohibitive when exploring classical music&rsquo;s wealth of capabilities.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt;">
	Keeping this in mind, it may be suggested to use relaxation music which is not too slow, e.g. the ones listed under &quot;amusing / joyful&quot;-section above. Also, it may be smart to use a compilation of famous classical music pieces, such as <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_5_16?url=search-alias%3Daps&amp;field-keywords=classical+music+collection&amp;x=0&amp;y=0&amp;sprefix=classical+music+">this one</a>. While they may not only contain pieces intended for relaxation, they may benefit from the listeners low expectations (after all, we&rsquo;ve put it on without expecting much), potentially causing a positive surprise, which frequently has a <a href="http://www.spreadinghappiness.org/2009/09/the-role-and-importance-of-“expectations”-in-being-happy/">very beneficial impact on somebody&rsquo;s happiness</a>.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: -18pt; margin-left: 40px;">
	<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong>4)<span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></strong><strong>Listen/watch easily accessible introductions to classical music</strong></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt;">
	If you find 20 minutes please watch Benjamin Zander&rsquo;s talk at the TED conference in 2007, in which Ben makes his case for classical music in a very entertaining way:</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt;">
	<p><a href="http://www.spreadinghappiness.org/2009/10/a-guide-to-enjoy-classical-music-23-enabling-an-easy-entry/"><em>Click here to view the embedded video.</em></a></p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt;">
	I also very much enjoyed listening to CDs like <a href="http://www.amazon.de/Weg-zur-Oper-Traviata-Lange/dp/B00004W17L/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&amp;s=music&amp;qid=1256053464&amp;sr=8-7">this one</a>, giving listeners an easy accessible introduction to Verdi&rsquo;s La Traviata. This one is in German, however there are also ones in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Opera-Explained-Introduction-Verdis-Traviata/dp/B0000682W2/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&amp;s=music&amp;qid=1256053641&amp;sr=8-3">English</a> (I have not tried them out, but they cannot be too bad).</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt;">
	Introducing somebody to classical music via opera can be a smart approach, as it&rsquo;s not only about the music (but a story &ndash; everybody likes stories) and its main instrument is arguably one of the most beautiful, because most natural: the human voice. Wrapped in a funny commentary, it can be made accessible to everyone.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt;">
	In case you enjoy watching biographies and documentaries, you may also find value in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Yehudi-Menuhin-Violin-Century/dp/B000DZ95QM/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&amp;s=music&amp;qid=1256053742&amp;sr=1-3">Yehudi Menuhin&rsquo;s biography</a> (also exists on <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9KZa8ZJUU8">youtube</a>), of documentaries such as&nbsp;the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Art-Violin-Georges-Enesco/dp/B00005ABSQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;s=music&amp;qid=1256053814&amp;sr=1-1">Art of Violin</a> (guess what&rsquo;s my favourite instrument <img src='http://www.spreadinghappiness.org/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif' alt=';-)' class='wp-smiley' /> ). Do you know of any other good documentaries / biographies like those? Please add below!</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt;">
	It&rsquo;s also worth checking out <a href="http://www.Classicalconvert.com">Classicalconvert.com</a>, an interesting blog devoted to bringing classical music to non-classical people.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: -18pt; margin-left: 40px;">
	<span style="font-size: 14px;"><strong>5)<span style="font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></strong><strong>Give it a try when you are feeling good</strong></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt;">
	In combination to the approaches above, it&rsquo;s a good idea to give classical music a try in situations in which you feel well, so that you are fully capable of receiving classical music&rsquo;s pleasures, and also start associating classical music with good feelings (now that&rsquo;s really sneaky! <img src='http://www.spreadinghappiness.org/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif' alt=';-)' class='wp-smiley' /> ).</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt;">
	<a name="b3"></a>For me, this especially includes listening to classical music after I&rsquo;ve worked out, fully relaxed, balanced, and satisfied (e.g. not hungry)<a href="#3"><sup><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 10px;">3</span></span></sup></a>. If possible, I try to get into that emotional state before going to a concert.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">
	Some approaches frequently used to introduce people to classical music sometimes &ldquo;miss the target&rdquo;, which may lead the person in question not giving classical music a fair try again for some time (if it went really wrong). Therefore it may be recommended to&hellip;</p>
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal">
		<strong>Be careful taking somebody to a classical concert</strong></li>
</ul>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt;">
	<a name="b4"></a>Don&rsquo;t get me wrong, I love (many) concerts. However, for somebody who has not found access to classical music yet it may be &ldquo;risky&rdquo;, as a lot may go wrong, i.e. the &ldquo;costs&rdquo; of this approach may prove to be very high. For example, the piece(s) played may simply not be his or her taste, or inaccessible because they are too new to his or her ears; having to sit tightly in a chair and listen through a 40-min symphony which is not &ldquo;hitting the right tone&rdquo; can become really uncomfortable (or even more extreme, taking the uninitialized to Wagner&rsquo;s 14 hour &ldquo;<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Der_Ring_des_Nibelungen">Ring</a>&rdquo;&hellip;).<a href="#4"><sup><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 10px;">4</span></span></sup></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt;">
	On the other hand, it should also be said that a classical concert can offer several advantages, which are also true for beginners:</p>
<p style="margin-left: 80px;">
	<strong>- It&rsquo;s the &ldquo;real&rdquo; sound</strong>, which is often perceived as still to be something different, going more directly &ldquo;into the heart&rdquo; (today&rsquo;s audio technology is very good, but for some reason there still seems to be a difference)</p>
<p style="margin-left: 80px;">
	<strong>- The sound is created &ldquo;right now&rdquo;,</strong> which may have an impact on how we perceive it, because it is more &ldquo;original&rdquo;</p>
<p style="margin-left: 80px;">
	<strong>- We give the piece a real chance </strong>by devotedly listening to it (does not allow us to switch channels after one minute) and not being disturbed by other things</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt;">
	In summary, I would not rule out taking a newbie to a classical concert if certain circumstances are in favour of it, e.g. if:</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 80px;">
	- He/she has <strong>already shown interest in the piece</strong> played or similar pieces</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 80px;">
	- And/or if he/she is in a <strong>good, relaxed and balanced mood</strong> and also willing to listen through more moderate&nbsp;passages</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 80px;">
	- And/or if the piece played is <strong>easily accessible </strong>and does not demand too much from ears not used to it (for example, two movements of Schubert&rsquo;s melodic &ldquo;<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6mgm00RYeM&amp;feature=related">Unfinished symphony</a>&rdquo; should be well digestible, the same should be true for Ravel&rsquo;s <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-4J5j74VPw">Bolero</a> with its endless repetition of the same theme; both pieces also do not last too long, in case of the first one because it is, well, unfinished <img src='http://www.spreadinghappiness.org/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif' alt=';-)' class='wp-smiley' /> )</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt;">
	<a name="b5"></a>If this is not the case I&rsquo;d suggest to stick to the other approaches mentioned above.<a href="#5"><sup><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 10px;">5</span></span></sup></a></p>
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal">
		<strong>Don&rsquo;t push too hard</strong></li>
</ul>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt;">
	As mentioned above, chances are much higher if we give people the chance to find access to it themselves (although it can be guided with measures like the ones stated above). Sincere motivation is a &ldquo;tender flower&rdquo; which should be nurtured carefully&hellip;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt;">
	That said, I&rsquo;m sure there are also cases in which kids were forced by their parents to learn to play an instrument, thereby getting to know classical music very well and also finding their access to it. However, I believe this is not the approach which includes a lot of joy, and that these people also could have found access through more enjoyable approaches later in their life.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">
	In summary, these are some first ideas potentially facilitating the beginner&rsquo;s path to classical music. Of course, they will not turn people into the biggest fans of classical music overnight. Most likely the seed planted today will take a bit of time to grow; however, it needs to be planted at some point.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">
	<span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><em>Thanks for reading so far! The next post will deal with some techniques for advanced listeners to get even more joy from classical music. </em></span><em><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #000000; line-height: 24px; ">If you don&rsquo;t want to miss it, please subscribe to my&nbsp;<a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/Spreadinghappinessorg" style="color: #b85b5a; text-decoration: none; ">RSS Feed</a> or&nbsp;<a href="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=Spreadinghappinessorg" style="color: #b85b5a; text-decoration: none; ">Email newsletter</a>!</span></span></em></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">
	&#8211;</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">
	<span style="font-size: 11px;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">1<a name="1"></a>)&nbsp;Rational reasons may have an impact on emotional motivation (I hope the ones in the previous post had), but we shouldn&rsquo;t only count on those as a.) we may simply forget them and b.) they do not work for people less susceptible to rational arguments, e.g. it may be hard to motivate kids that way&hellip; (<a href="#b1">go back up</a>)</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">
	<span style="font-size: 11px;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">2<a name="2"></a>) Similar to the &ldquo;Harald&rdquo; =&gt; sleep-reflex in the movie &ldquo;Otto &ndash; der Film&rdquo;. This is an insider for the German speaking community, sorry to you others <img src='http://www.spreadinghappiness.org/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif' alt=';-)' class='wp-smiley' />  (<a href="#b2">go back up</a>) </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">
	<span style="font-size: 11px;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">3<a name="3"></a>) Or, before listening to energetic pieces, drinking coffee may enhance the enjoyment too.&nbsp;(<a href="#b3">go back up</a>) </span></span></p>
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	<span style="font-size: 11px;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">4<a name="4"></a>) In order not to leave anything out: a concert is usually more expensive than borrowing a CD from the local library or listening to it online, i.e. also increasing the cost-side of the equation.&nbsp;(<a href="#b4">go back up</a>) </span></span></p>
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	<span style="font-size: 11px;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">5<a name="5"></a>) An acquaintance of mine recently told me of a notable exception to what I&rsquo;ve said above: His parents took him to a Wagner piece (not considered to be the easiest possible entry to classical music) when he was very young (7 or 8 years old) which left a lasting impression on him. When we are really young, maybe we are more easily and directly impressed by the phenomenal sound (not necessarily the melody) of a piece, setting an &ldquo;emotional hook&rdquo; as well, especially as those &ldquo;hooks&rdquo; have a very strong and lasting impact when experienced as a child (I believe it would not have had the same effect if he had been taken to the concert as an adult for this first time). That said, it should also be mentioned that it may be more difficult to impress kids that way today (my acquaintance experienced this in the 1940&rsquo;s) as today&rsquo;s kids are more used to massive and dramatic sounds (they hear them every time they get nuked by a zombie on their Playstation). </span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">(<a href="#b5">go back up</a>) </span></span></p>
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