Lesson on TATAKalikasan, Ateneo de Manila University
87.9 FM Radyo Katipunan, every Thursday 11 to 12 a.m.
Culture is the Soul of Civilization
Dr Abe V Rotor
Co-Host TATAKalikasan
Part 1: Folk Wisdom
Part 2: Significant Influences of Foreign Countries on the Philippines
Part 3: Myths and beliefs add quaintness to living.
Part 4: Relevance of Museums Today
Part 5: Listen to the Music of Nature!
Living with Folk Wisdom is an interesting material which can be used across disciplines like Biology, Social Sciences, History, Culture and Indigenous Studies.
Foreword by Dr. Ronel P. dela Cruz, Ph.D.
Professor, St. Paul University Quezon City
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Cultural anthropologists affirm culture as the soul of civilization where people attain their identity, value orientation and aesthetic sense. Culture gives the people their perceptual apparatus and orientation of understanding. It is the reservoir of life-wisdom of the people. Today, the concept of integral sustainable development includes cultural progress which starts from a positive social self-definition and identity. Hence, local history and cultures provide a glimpse of the indigenous wisdom of the people which speaks of their religious worldview and deep connection with the Earth.
However, globalization, along with information and communication in hi-tech form, very much affects the cultures of peoples and nations in the world today. The global market regime continues to erode the cultural rights of local communities in the world. It has furthermore accelerated the commodification of human cultures towards the eradication of the culture of life. Under the influence of hi-tech media and the global cybernetic information process, our cultural identity, cultural sensibility, cultural awareness, cultural competence and cultural values are being dismantled. This is a process of one-dimensional homogenization of local and national cultures of life. Elitist globalization that excludes and marginalizes the traditional and local indigenous practices, beliefs and worldview (cosmology) continue to separate humanity from nature.
What is very alarming is that the global market will exchange cultural commodities, which may occupy the main process of the market. Globalization is commercializing the popular, mass and indigenous cultures into commodities in the market. This is causing several problems, such as homogenization, cultural desertification and identity crisis, as well as drastic injustices in terms of the cultural powers of communication and information.
Living with Folk Wisdom is a compilation of traditional wisdom, beliefs, values, practices and worldview among local communities in the Philippines. While some of these practices demonstrate Filipino worldview attempting to influence natural processes, the dearth of these beliefs and practices manifest egalitarian and interrelated connection with nature. This book gives importance and relevance of the cultural diversity of local communities which is an essential component of envisioning a sustainable future.
Researchers and educators gathered in Benguet State University for a seminar on Filipino cultural identity showcased best practices in integrating indigenous culture in the curriculum. This “cultural creative” group lauded the initiative of colleges and universities in using the local wisdom, practices and traditions in their curriculum as an effective tool for cultural development, identity and national progress.
Living with Folk Wisdom is an interesting material which can be used across disciplines like Biology, Social Sciences, History, Culture and Indigenous Studies. Today, there is a demand for a new cultural movement and initiatives that are truly life-enhancing in local communities. Documenting the wellspring of wisdom and resources for a sustainable life, Dr. Rotor counters the current cultural process under the dictates of globalization. This opus is his cultural creativity which is very much demanded for life, not for profit in the market. ~ ~
Living with Folk Wisdom is a publication of the University of Santo Tomas, 2008 by Dr Abercio V. Rotor.
Part 2: Significant Influences of Foreign Countries on the Philippines
Dr Abe V Rotor
Don’t you know that …
• about 30 percent of the Tagalog words are derived from Sanskrit, India’s ancient language?
• the early Filipinos learned to use porcelain ware, umbrellas, manufacture of gunpowder, and certain mining methods from the Chinese?
• the wearing of white dresses and the use of a white background in mourning and burial ceremonies is another Chinese influence?
Binibining Carla Henry - a typical mestiza (a mélange of races and cultures)
• Philippine cuisine found in noodle dishes such as bihon, miki, mami, lomi, sotanghon, miswa, and pansit - is of Chinese origin?
• the use of brass, bronze, copper and tin in the decorative arts and metal work of the early Filipinos is an Indian influence?
• the sarong (skirt) and the putong (turban) worn by the early Filipinos (Pinoy) and the embroidered shawls still worn by today’s Muslim Filipino women are a Indian influence?
• the sarimanok design in Maranaw decorative art has an Arabic origin, that many stories in Maranaw and Tausug literature are derived from Arabian tales?
• Balituk, the tale of the Ifugao legendary hero, is similar to Arjuna’s exploits in the Mahabharata, the great Hindu epic? So with the Agusan legend of a man named Agnio, resembles the story of Ahalya in the Ramayana, another great Hindu epic?
• the marks one sees on the face of the newly risen moon are said to have been made by the teeth of the dragon that bites it every time it can, and the Hindu god that causes eclipses by biting the moon or the sun is Rahu?
• the Bicolanos which use a variety of spices are like the folks in Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia, the people in the Bicol region who use chili and coconut milk for a lot of their delicacies?
• women had minor roles in the society but were respected by men, is a influence of Spain on Filipina women?
• the Spanish culture was more enjoyed and welcomed by the Filipino-Spanish families and the wealthy Filipino families – the principalia and Ilustrado, rather than the masses?
• despite the oppressive control of the Spaniards, native Filipino Culture progressed and developed in legends, epics, folktales, riddles, country songs, among them "Darangan" of the Maranaos, “Hudhud at Alim" of the Ifugaos, "Biag-ni-Lam-ang" of the Ilocanos, and "Ibalon" of the Bicolanos?
• the Japanese caused tremendous fear, hardships and suffering among the Filipinos, which only embolden them to fight for their lost their freedom?
• American influences can still be seen in the country's system of education, literature, art, architecture, science, industry, home, food, clothes, religion, pastimes, music and dances?
• new technologies were introduced by the Americans to the country that helped the Philippines' industries and agriculture?
• the Americans influenced the Filipinos in terms of the way they eat, to love the American culture and most of all, to prioritize American products. The Americans also introduced fast food to the Philippines?
References:
Philippine Almanac (Internet)
A Short History of the Filipino People – By Teodoro Agoncillo
Part 3: Myths and beliefs add quaintness
to living.*
Dr. Abe V. Rotor
Do toads (Bufo marinus) cause wart? Toads are popular in make-believe stories for children, and in horror stories, too. What could be the root of such fantasy and fear? Toads are poisonous to compensate for their docile nature. (Note pair of poison glands behind their ears). For this, predators have learned to avoid them. A good advice is: Don't play with toads. This specimen was found at the Center for Ecological Learning and Livelihood (CELL) Silang Cavite
Imagine Lola Basiang relating folklores. Folklores are rich in legends and myths. Or simply tidbits of imagination and beliefs.Around a campfire, imagine our ancestors exchanging personal knowledge, embellished experiences, and boundless imaginations and superstitious beliefs. They founded the open university - a prototype, sort of.
Gathering indigenous knowledge and folk wisdom enlarges and enhances our history and tradition. Even beliefs and practices, which cannot be explained scientifically, are valuable because they are part of our culture and contribute to quaintness of living.
Here is an open ended list of common myths and beliefs. I would like to invite the reader to add on to the list.
• A conceiving mother should never pick fruits from a tree, otherwise the tree will die.
. Maternal impressions (pinaglihi-an) are the causes of birth defects (and good ones, too).
• A papaya plant in front of the house brings bad luck.
• A pregnant mother who eats twin bananas might give birth to twins.
• A tree surrounded by fireflies at night brings good luck.
• Plant coconuts during moonlight so that it will produce big nuts.
• Hang several bottles on the trellises of upo so that it will bear more fruit.
• Eating from stocks intended for seeds will bring poor harvest.
• Burying a little sugar with the seeds of ampalaya when planting will prevent the fruits from becoming bitter.
. Place the first fruits harvested from a plant in a large container and pretend to carry them as if they were very heavy so that the plant will be heavy with fruits.
• Avoid laughing while planting sweet potato or kamote otherwise the roots will become lip-like.
• One who has an incomplete set of teeth should keep his mouth closed when planting corn, otherwise the plant will bear empty or poorly filled cobs.
. Bathe the cat and it will rain.
' Don't hurt the señora (mother rate), else it will do more harm.
. Cat grooming at the doorway tells of the coming of visitors.
. A person who eats ripe fruits partly eaten by birds becomes talkative.
. Tell your dreams so that they will not happen. What you dream about is the opposite of what will happen.
Here are more superstitious beliefs.
. Dogs howl in the night at spirits and ghosts.
. A black butterfly that enters the house tells that a close relative is going to die.
. A conceiving mother who gets near a fruiting tree causes its fruits to fall prematurely.
. Someone dies if the fire tree is in full bloom.
. Planting stock (stem) of cassava when inverted will produce poisonous tubers.
. Flying kites while rice plants are in bloom causes poor harvest.
. Don't proceed to your destination if a black cat crosses your path.
. Spiny cactus inside the house drives the witch away.
. Talking while preparing gabi (taro)makes it itchy when eaten.
. A conceiving mother will cause fruits to fall prematurely from the tree (like mango).
. Before you sip your wine, spill a little to offer to unseen spirits.
There is a popular belief that garlic cloves hung above the door will protect the house from the manananggal (half-bodied female vampire) who is said to hover around dwellings looking for unwary victims.
Do you believe in usog (naan-annungan Ilk.), that is, when a spirit "touches" a person. The nausog suddenly becomes indisposed, experiences cold sweating and general weakness, often accompanied by stomach cramp. Old folks believe that a spirit might have chanced on the person. This may be the spirit of a dead person, or a spirit of nature guarding the place. But it could also be the work of a living person who has this supernatural power.
The patient finds relief when brushed or rubbed with leaves of malunggay (Moringa), atis (sweetsop), guayabano (soursop), or dayap (sour orange) – or have him or her touched by the mangan-annong. Dried leaves of kamias or kahel are burned. The smoke works like aromatherapy. Or wipe the patient with any clothing belonging to the dead person, often accompanied by incantations to appease the spirit.
There are stories of dwarfs who bring either good luck or misfortune, depending on the world they belong to. Beware of the black ones, welcome those golden in color. Next time you answer the call of nature under a tree, say, tabi-tabi (bari-bari Ilk). And don't forget to spit on the spot before you leave.
At harvest time, “atang” is offered which consists of rice, viand, wine and “palaspas” (palm) so that next year’s harvest will also be bountiful.
Once I brought my class in college biology to a field trip in Los Baños, Laguna. When I told them it's lucky to find a four-leaf clover their enthusiasm perked up. And when I said, "Anyone who can steal a leaf of the makahiya without it drooping will find the person of his or her dream. And my young students swarmed over the field trying their luck. It was fun, really fun. ~
Beliefs and myths worldwide have not been fully and truly explored. In your respective areas, and countries, they still flourish, mainly with the old folks. Why don't you save them before they get lost? Write them into a book, use photograph, case studies, interviews with the resource persons. In short, document them with today's multi-media. Be like the Grimm brothers, Hans Anderson, and Lola Basiang. Add more beliefs and myths to this list and share with our members and viewers.
* Adapted from the Ph.D. dissertation of Sister Mamerta Rocero, SPC, Ethnobotany of the Itawes, University of Santo Tomas Graduate School, Manila.
Part 4: Relevance of Museums Today
“A visit to a museum is a search for beauty, truth, and meaning in our lives. Go to museums as often as you can.”
– Maira Kalman
Dr Abe V Rotor
Monet in Paris Museum, Brisbane Australia
Isn’t a museum something concerned with antiques and the things of the past?” A colleague once asked me.
“No, no.” I sounded defensive. Then I began scanning his thoughts. There I saw the image of past civilization and institutions. No wonder he was telling of the Egyptian museum, the Aztecs in the Mexican Museum, the American Indians in the Smithsonian, the Renaissance Gallery, and the dinosaurs in the Chinese Museum in Beijing. All these have long lost their glory and now they are remembered in glass cases and fossils. Then my thoughts turned to SPCQ. Why a museum on its 50th anniversary? My friend flashed a devilish smile.
He played the devil’s advocate; I played the student’s role. He raised the mercury, so with my enthusiasm. I did my assignment. There are museums like the giant Smithsonian Complex and the provincial Manitoba museum in Winnipeg that do not only focus on the past. The space museum projects man’s lofty dreams to conquer space. Hirshorn is a gallery that is both subjective and prospective, veering from the traditional and classic. The Tel-Aviv museum features a documentary of the Iran-Iraq war. The trend of museums today is to link the past and the present, and beat the path for the future. In no other time in history have museums tried to project the fullest breadth of human accomplishments and potentials. They exude a touch of reverence to the Creator, reflecting his faith in the institutions which he built in spite of their imperfections, and man’s glory and admittance of failure – all these point out to one thing: that he is the most special creature that ever lived.
I remember Dr. Dillon Ripley’s words. “ if it is truly active and reflective of its own time, a museum will, like any living thing, change and grow.”
Dynamism lies in keeping abreast with the times - our fast changing modern times, when man in the last two centuries alone, has discovered more things than what all his ancestors probably did.
Humble Beginning of a Museum
In the mind of Dr. Ripley, of course, is one of the magnitude and prestige of the Smithsonian in which he had long been the curator and director. Or those of the internationally known institutions like the Chicago Museum of Natural History, or the Vatican Museum. Then there is Rikj Museum of Holland and the great Louvers of France. Name a country and you will see the finest of her culture in the native land’s museums. But the entire thing has had its early beginning - most probably like how the SPCQ museum got started.
The question is that, “How can a newly born show its worth?” But who does not love a baby? The baby itself is love. He holds the key of idealism in this world of ours. The great promise of God in man is mirrored in his smile and innocence. And he has all the potential that this world would be better to live in with him, as he grows, as he lightens the flame of idealism which in many of us adults had long been extinguished. The SPCQ museum is a baby that rekindles our heart, that tells us that this world will go on despite its imperfection – because we know how to start life again, though the rebirth of faith and hope. Note: Excerpt from an interview with the author during the inauguration of the SPCQ Museum in 1994
Queensland Museum of Natural History, Brisbane 2023
Famous Quotations about Museums
“I paint flowers so they will not die.”
– Frida Kahlo
“It’s not a museum. It’s not a place of artifacts; it’s a place of ideas.”
– Jeanie Kahnke
“The modern world thinks of art as very important:
something close to the meaning of life.”
– Alain de Botton
“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once you we grow up.”
– Pablo Picasso
“The best introduction to art is to stroll through a museum.
The more art you see, the more you’ll learn to define your own taste.”
– Jeanne Frank
“I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.”
– Michelangelo
“I want to make of Impressionism an art as solid as that of the museums.”
– Paul Cézanne
“If you don’t know history, then you don’t know anything.
You are a leaf that doesn’t know it is part of a tree.”
– Michael Crichton
“What you are doing does not matter so much as what you are learning from doing it.
It is better not to know and to know that one does not know than presumptuously to attribute some random meaning to symbols.”
– Ancient Egyptian Proverb
Seven Sisters, sculpture by Julie Lluch, detail; Life size icons
at Museum's entrance greet visitor. Former SPUQC Museum
Part 5: Listen to the Music of Nature!
"Classical music is patterned after nature's music." avr
Dr Abe V Rotor
Identify the sounds of nature in this painting, translate them into notes. Arrange the notes into a melody, and expand it into a composition. Try with an instrument - guitar, piano, violin, flute. This is your composition. Mural detail, Nature: Rivulets and Streams, AVR 2011 Ethnic music makes a wholesome life; it is therapy.
Have you ever noticed village folks singing or humming as they attend to their chores? They have songs when rowing the boat, songs when planting or harvesting, songs of praise at sunrise, songs while walking up and down the trail, etc. Seldom is there an activity without music. To them the sounds of nature make a wholesome music.
According to researcher Leonora Nacorda Collantes, of the UST graduate school, music influences the limbic system, called the “seat of emotions” and causes emotional response and mood change. Musical rhythms synchronize body rhythms, mediate within the sphere of the autonomous nervous and endocrine systems, and change the heart and respiratory rate. Music reduces anxiety and pain, induces relaxation, thus promoting the overall sense of well being of the individual.
Music is closely associated with everyday life among village folks more than it is to us living in the city. The natives find content and relaxation beside a waterfall, on the riverbank, under the trees, in fact there is to them music in silence under the stars, on the meadow, at sunset, at dawn. Breeze, crickets, running water, make a repetitious melody that induces sleep. Humming indicates that one likes his or her work, and can go on for hours without getting tired at it. Boat songs make rowing synchronized. Planting songs make the deities of the field happy, so they believe; and songs at harvest are thanksgiving. Indeed the natives are a happy lot.
Farm animals respond favorably to music, so with plants.
In a holding pen in Lipa, Batangas, where newly arrived heifers from Australia were kept, the head rancher related to his guests the role of music in calming the animals. “We have to acclimatize them first before dispersing them to the pasture and feedlot.” He pointed at the sound system playing melodious music. In the duration of touring the place I was able to pick up the music of Mozart, Schubert, Beethoven and Bach. It is like being in a high rise office in Makati where pipe in music is played to add to pleasant ambiance of working. Scientists believe that the effect of music on humans has some similarity with that of animals, and most probably to plants.
Which brings us to the observation of a winemaker in Vienna. A certain Carlo Cagnozzi has been piping Mozart music to his grapevines for the last five years. He claims that playing round the clock to his grapes has a dramatic effect. “The grapes ripen faster,” he said, adding that it also keeps away parasites, fruit bats and birds. Scientists are now studying this claim to enlarge the limited knowledge on the physiological and psychological effects of music on plants and animals.
Once I asked a poultry raiser in Teresa, Rizal, who also believes in music therapy. “The birds grow faster and produce more eggs,” he said. “In fact music has stopped cannibalism.” I got the same positive response from cattle raisers where the animals are tied to their quarters until they are ready for market. “They just doze off, even when they are munching,” he said, adding that tension and unnecessary movement drain the animals wasting feeds that would increase the rate of daily weight gain. In a report from one of the educational TV programs, loud metallic noise stimulates termites to eat faster, and therefore create more havoc.
There is one warning posed by the proponents of music therapy. Rough and blaring music agitates the adrenalin in the same way rock music could bring down the house.
The enchantment of ethnic music is different from that of contemporary music.
Each kind of music has its own quality, but music being a universal language, definitely has commonalities. For example, the indigenous lullaby, quite often an impromptu, has a basic pattern with that of Brahms’s Lullaby and Lucio San Pedro’s Ugoy ng Duyan (Sweet Sound of the Cradle). The range of notes, beat, tone, expression - the naturalness of a mother half-singing, half-talking to her baby, all these create a wholesome effect that binds maternal relationship, brings peace and comfort, care and love.
Serenades from different parts the world have a common touch. Compare Enrico Toselli’s Serenade with that of our Antonio Molina’s Hating Gabi (Midnight) and you will find similarities in pattern and structure, exuding the effect that enhances the mood of lovers. This quality is more appreciated in listening to the Kundiman (Kung Hindi Man, which means, If It Can’t Be). Kundiman is a trademark of classical Filipino composers, the greatest of them, Nicanor Abelardo. His famous compositions are
Have you ever noticed village folks singing or humming as they attend to their chores? They have songs when rowing the boat, songs when planting or harvesting, songs of praise at sunrise, songs while walking up and down the trail, etc. Seldom is there an activity without music. To them the sounds of nature make a wholesome music.
According to researcher Leonora Nacorda Collantes, of the UST graduate school, music influences the limbic system, called the “seat of emotions” and causes emotional response and mood change. Musical rhythms synchronize body rhythms, mediate within the sphere of the autonomous nervous and endocrine systems, and change the heart and respiratory rate. Music reduces anxiety and pain, induces relaxation, thus promoting the overall sense of well being of the individual.
Music is closely associated with everyday life among village folks more than it is to us living in the city. The natives find content and relaxation beside a waterfall, on the riverbank, under the trees, in fact there is to them music in silence under the stars, on the meadow, at sunset, at dawn. Breeze, crickets, running water, make a repetitious melody that induces sleep. Humming indicates that one likes his or her work, and can go on for hours without getting tired at it. Boat songs make rowing synchronized. Planting songs make the deities of the field happy, so they believe; and songs at harvest are thanksgiving. Indeed the natives are a happy lot.
Farm animals respond favorably to music, so with plants.
In a holding pen in Lipa, Batangas, where newly arrived heifers from Australia were kept, the head rancher related to his guests the role of music in calming the animals. “We have to acclimatize them first before dispersing them to the pasture and feedlot.” He pointed at the sound system playing melodious music. In the duration of touring the place I was able to pick up the music of Mozart, Schubert, Beethoven and Bach. It is like being in a high rise office in Makati where pipe in music is played to add to pleasant ambiance of working. Scientists believe that the effect of music on humans has some similarity with that of animals, and most probably to plants.
Which brings us to the observation of a winemaker in Vienna. A certain Carlo Cagnozzi has been piping Mozart music to his grapevines for the last five years. He claims that playing round the clock to his grapes has a dramatic effect. “The grapes ripen faster,” he said, adding that it also keeps away parasites, fruit bats and birds. Scientists are now studying this claim to enlarge the limited knowledge on the physiological and psychological effects of music on plants and animals.
Once I asked a poultry raiser in Teresa, Rizal, who also believes in music therapy. “The birds grow faster and produce more eggs,” he said. “In fact music has stopped cannibalism.” I got the same positive response from cattle raisers where the animals are tied to their quarters until they are ready for market. “They just doze off, even when they are munching,” he said, adding that tension and unnecessary movement drain the animals wasting feeds that would increase the rate of daily weight gain. In a report from one of the educational TV programs, loud metallic noise stimulates termites to eat faster, and therefore create more havoc.
There is one warning posed by the proponents of music therapy. Rough and blaring music agitates the adrenalin in the same way rock music could bring down the house.
The enchantment of ethnic music is different from that of contemporary music.
Each kind of music has its own quality, but music being a universal language, definitely has commonalities. For example, the indigenous lullaby, quite often an impromptu, has a basic pattern with that of Brahms’s Lullaby and Lucio San Pedro’s Ugoy ng Duyan (Sweet Sound of the Cradle). The range of notes, beat, tone, expression - the naturalness of a mother half-singing, half-talking to her baby, all these create a wholesome effect that binds maternal relationship, brings peace and comfort, care and love.
Serenades from different parts the world have a common touch. Compare Enrico Toselli’s Serenade with that of our Antonio Molina’s Hating Gabi (Midnight) and you will find similarities in pattern and structure, exuding the effect that enhances the mood of lovers. This quality is more appreciated in listening to the Kundiman (Kung Hindi Man, which means, If It Can’t Be). Kundiman is a trademark of classical Filipino composers, the greatest of them, Nicanor Abelardo. His famous compositions are
· Bituin Marikit (Beautiful Star)· Nasaan Ka Irog (Where are You My Love)· Mutya ng Pasig (Muse of the River Pasig)· Pakiusap (I beg to Say)
Play the violin - or on the piano - Brahms' Lullaby alternately with Lucio San Pedro's Ugoy ng Duyan (Cradle Song), and discover yourself a very good babysitter, just like the boy Johannes Brahms serendipitously composed the world's most popular lullaby.
War drums on the other hand, build passion, heighten courage, and prepare the mind and body to face the challenge. It is said that Napoleon Bonaparte taught only the drumbeat of forward march, and never that of retreat, to the legendary Drummer Boy. As a consequence, we know what happened to the drummer boy. Pathetic though it may be, it's one of the favorite songs of Christmas.
Classical music is patterned after natural music.
The greatest composers are nature lovers – Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Chopin, Rachmaninoff, and our own Abelardo, Molina, Santiago, and San Pedro. Beethoven, the greatest naturalist among the world’s composers was always passionately fond of nature, spending many long holidays in the country. Always with a notebook in his pocket, he scribbled down ideas, melodies or anything he observed. It was this love of the countryside that inspired him to write his famous Pastoral Symphony. If you listen to it carefully, you can hear the singing of birds, a tumbling waterfall and gamboling lambs. Even if you are casually listening you cannot miss the magnificent thunderstorm when it comes in the fourth movement.
Lately the medical world took notice of Mozart music and found out that the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart music can enhance brain power. In a test conducted, a student who listened to the Sonata in D major for Two Pianos performed better in spatial reason. Mozart music was also found to reduce the frequency of seizure among coma patients, improved the interaction of autistic children, and is a great help to people who are suffering of Alzheimer’s disease. The proponents of Mozart’s music call this therapeutic powerMozart Effect.
What really is this special effect? A closer look at it shows similar therapeutic effect with many sounds like the noise of the surf breaking on the shore, rustling of leaves in the breeze, syncopated movement of a pendulum, cantabile of hammock, and even in the silence of a cumulus cloud building in the sky. It is the same way Mozart repeated his melodies, turning upside down and inside out which the brain loves such a pattern, often repeated regularly. about the same length of time as brain-wave patterns and those that govern regular bodily functions such as breathing and walking. It is this frequency of patterns in Mozart music that moderates irregular patterns of epilepsy patients, tension-building hormones, and unpleasant thoughts.
No one tires with the rhythm of nature – the tides, waves, flowing rivulets, gusts of wind, bird songs, the fiddling of crickets, and the shrill of cicada. In the recesses of a happy mind, one could hear the earth waking up in spring, laughing in summer, yawning in autumn and snoring in winter – and waking up again the next year, and so on, ad infinitum. ~
Classical music is patterned after natural music.
The greatest composers are nature lovers – Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Chopin, Rachmaninoff, and our own Abelardo, Molina, Santiago, and San Pedro. Beethoven, the greatest naturalist among the world’s composers was always passionately fond of nature, spending many long holidays in the country. Always with a notebook in his pocket, he scribbled down ideas, melodies or anything he observed. It was this love of the countryside that inspired him to write his famous Pastoral Symphony. If you listen to it carefully, you can hear the singing of birds, a tumbling waterfall and gamboling lambs. Even if you are casually listening you cannot miss the magnificent thunderstorm when it comes in the fourth movement.
Lately the medical world took notice of Mozart music and found out that the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart music can enhance brain power. In a test conducted, a student who listened to the Sonata in D major for Two Pianos performed better in spatial reason. Mozart music was also found to reduce the frequency of seizure among coma patients, improved the interaction of autistic children, and is a great help to people who are suffering of Alzheimer’s disease. The proponents of Mozart’s music call this therapeutic powerMozart Effect.
What really is this special effect? A closer look at it shows similar therapeutic effect with many sounds like the noise of the surf breaking on the shore, rustling of leaves in the breeze, syncopated movement of a pendulum, cantabile of hammock, and even in the silence of a cumulus cloud building in the sky. It is the same way Mozart repeated his melodies, turning upside down and inside out which the brain loves such a pattern, often repeated regularly. about the same length of time as brain-wave patterns and those that govern regular bodily functions such as breathing and walking. It is this frequency of patterns in Mozart music that moderates irregular patterns of epilepsy patients, tension-building hormones, and unpleasant thoughts.
No one tires with the rhythm of nature – the tides, waves, flowing rivulets, gusts of wind, bird songs, the fiddling of crickets, and the shrill of cicada. In the recesses of a happy mind, one could hear the earth waking up in spring, laughing in summer, yawning in autumn and snoring in winter – and waking up again the next year, and so on, ad infinitum. ~
Katydid, (upper photo) a long horned grasshopper (Phaneroptera furcifera), and the field cricket (Acheta bimaculata) are the world's most popular fiddlers in the insect world.
And, of course the Caruso in the animal kingdom - the frog. Here a pair of green pond frogs (Rana vittigera), attracted by their songs which are actually mating calls, will soon settle down in silent mating that last for hours. ~
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