I walk on fire

Abe V Rotor

UP Chapel grounds, Diliman QC

I stepped on flowers as the summer ends,
And heard them talk like departing friends;
They were once the fire of a proud tall tree,
And now cinders to a poet like me.

Home, Sweet Home with Nature, AVR

What make Coffee taste best?

Abe V Rotor

Coffee maker appears like scientific laboratory equipment: clean, precise, transparent.

Author served at the UST Graduate School lobby, while reviewing a thesis paper.

Blend (Kapeng Barako is the best local coffee, and Coffea arabica the best in the world.)
Process (High tech brewing, visible)
Service (server with pleasing personality, courteous)
Ambiance (Preferably chilly, peaceful, relaxing, real coffee shop - no Internet)

More (reactions from radio listeners, and blog viewers) Keywords

1. At sunrise
2. With morning Newspaper
3. On an easy chair
4. With company
5. Brewed, over instant or decaf
6. Personally mixed
7. Pick berries yourself
8. Just black
9. Bitter black, tangy
10. Strong, with punch
11. Keep you awake
12. Aroma fills the room,
13. Aroma meets you at the gate
14. Coffee in bed
15. Specially made and served by loved one
16. First cup is best
17. No artificial sugar and cream
18. Best served in China, not paper cup
19. Not too often to appreciate
20. Serving coffee means welcome. You are in.
    

NOTE: Coffee beans recovered from the droppings of civet cat, they say, make the best tasting coffee, and is the most expensive. I would rather have my coffee with the knowledge and experience in the simple ways to have the best tasting coffee through the right blend, process, service and ambiance - plus a good combination of the suggestions of our good radio listeners and pageviewers. ~
x x x

Gardening and Landscaping - 10 Benefits

Abe V Rotor and Melly C Tenorio
Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid (School-on-Air)
DZRB 738 KHZ AM, 8 to 9 evening Monday to Friday

Natural Landscape, La Mesa Eco Park, QC

Landscaping a natural waterway (Fernbrook, Parañaque)

Our lessons - home gardening and landscaping your home take us into the realms of happy living. They take us closer to nature in our waking hours and in our sleep, in our private and solemn moments, as well as moments with our family, and when celebrating an event. This is the place we call home.

1. Aesthetic beauty – Beauty and function must go hand on hand. There is a saying, “useless each without the other.” In science, morphology (form) enhances physiology (function), and vice versa. Maganda na, napapakinabangan pa. You need the sensitivity of an artist, and the green thumb of a gardener.

2. Food Security – It is having food grown in our garden, and processed in our kitchen. The concept of food security is in our hands, and in anticipation to our needs. All year round you can plan out what to plant and process, as how many times you can raise these products. Consult the planting calendar, practice effective techniques such as crop rotation, intercropping, and storey cropping. Plant those known to be best adapted in the area.

3. Livelihood – What you produce more than yourself and your family, you sell to the community and to the market, if the volume warrantees. These are produced directly from the garden – vegetables, fruits, fish, meat and eggs. Or these are products of cottage processing like salted eggs, patis and bagoong, wine and vinegar, toge, pickles, jam, jelly and the like.

4. Ecological Sanctuary – Offer a home for the homeless - the orphans and the endangered organisms which humans have driven or displaced. Make your home their sanctuary, maybe their last bastion. Your home is an extension of the wildlife, of a ecosystem, or a natural park, so that if the whole community adopts the same concept, we would in effect create a contiguous areas large enough to be considered a prototype ecosystem.

5. Buffer Zone – Keep your home free of dusts and unburnt carbon, and obnoxious gases mainly CO2, CO and S02. Trees and other plants serve as buffer to direct light and ultraviolet rays. They also buffer sound waves, reducing the extreme decibels generated by traffic and electronics.

6. Mini climate – A garden surrounding a home does not only reduce temperature, buy moderates its extremes and sudden changes. They generate of O2 , while absorb CO2 which they need for photosynthesis. Relative humidity is regulated, and deadly rays such as those emitted by communication transmission towers are reduced to a safe level.

7. Sense of Permanence – The home offer a permanent abode, opposite to transience, rootlessness, and impermanence. People tend to move from place to place – a neo-nomadic trend today. We establish our genetic and cultural “roots” not only of one generation but of the next and future – if we have a home we really call home. It reminds me of the beautiful poem and song, Home Sweet Home. I remember my dad who planted seedlings of trees when he was already very old. These trees, he said, will be for you and my grandchildren, his eyes twinkling with a sense of pride. Can you imagine an old, old mango or mabolo tree in your backyard? How many passersby have found comfort under its shade? How many tenants did it serve – in its roots to its leaves?

8. Recreating a Lost Garden – A recreation of Paradise Lost, the foundation of many faiths, is a key to attain spirituality. It is in the loss of a once beautiful world that challenges us – whatever our religion is – to be able not only to survive without it, but to be inspired and guided to rebuild it. It is yet the greatest prayer we can offer to that Higher Principle.

9. Family Unity – A family that lives together in unity and harmony with Nature stays together. This has a basis found in biology and ecology. Only when the members of a system know their roles and respect each other can we really find peace and unity.

10. Community Involvement – No man is an island. In the city we can live without even knowing our neighbors. Condominiums are but multiple compartments. There is no sense of neighborhood or community. Each to his own. And we do not know if the occupant of one compartment will be the same next week.

An aerial view of a home garden is necessary to plan on paper, and if there is one that already exists, study it and analyze which aspects are applicable in your particular situation. Definitely the house and the garden should contiguous in the sense that, like the concept of the American bungalow, “one step is in the garden while the other is in the house.”

How aptly stated; the imagery needs little explanation. The level of the floor is the level of the garden. Not necessarily. It means, you have but one lifestyle whether you are in the house or in its surroundings. Better said, you are at home whichever part of your home you are in. Of course some people would like their house to be treated apart of the surroundings, but if you adopt the Bahay Kubo concept and adjust it to fit into the basic amenities of living today, then our model is like the American bungalow but Filipino style.

At this point Melly and I would invite our radio listeners to call up and describe the aerial view of a plan they made. From these we can decipher to what extent the concept of the two lessons we discussed is understood. Likewise, we are inviting our viewers of this Blog to do the same. Thank you.

Environment: 12 Principles in Water Conservation and Utilization

Abe V Rotor and Melly C TenorioPaaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid
DZRB 738 KHz AM Band
8 to 9 o'clock evening class,
Monday to Friday
www.pbs.gov.ph

(Outline of briefing by Dr AV Rotor before the Committee on Agriculture and Food, Senate of the Philippines)

A herd of carabao enjoys the coolness of a receding stream heavily silted from cutbank erosion and forest denudation.

Flash flood is often the result of the destruction of the watershed, pirating of waterways, and improper garbage disposal.


Mine tailing breaks retaining dike, flows down from the Benguet mines to the South China Sea, destroying crops and wildlife along its path. Since the seventies to the present, the affected areas have not recovered, not to mention the affected livelihood of the local residents.
Pathetic view of the Ambuklao Dam, the biggest hydroelectric dam in the country. Note heavily damaged watershed, low water level, and thick siltation.

1. Monsoon rains generally come in June to October.
Conserve water during this period for use in the dry season.

Rainfall pattern
J F M A M J J A S O N D
Dry Season Wet Season

2. A region or a particular geographic area may possess a micro-climate of its own, and therefore a distinct rainfall pattern. Be guided by this sub-type of climate in the conservation and utilization of water.

Factors Creating a Sub-Type Climate

A. Elevation – The higher the elevation, the cooler is the environment. There is more rainfall and thick vegetation. Examples: Benguet, Mt. Apo, Kanlaon, Bulusan

B. Presence of natural barriers – The Cordillera mountain range separates the Ilocos provinces and the Cagayan Valley into two sub-types of climate. The Sierra Madre mountain range has a similar effect.

C. Position and closeness to large bodies of water – Samar and Leyte Islands have three micro-climates owing to the varied conditions brought by the surrounding sea as well as the presence of mountains and a large swamp – the Sab- A Basin.

D. Forest cover – The thicker and more extensive the primary forest cover, the higher is the precipitation or rainfall falling in and around the area. Examples: Mt. Makiling, parts of Mindanao, Isabela and Palawan still covered by original forests.

3. In the Philippines our main supply of freshwater comes from
- lakes, swamps and ponds;
- rivers and streams; and
- springs and ground water.

Take care of these sources and use them wisely following these guidelines.

A. Lakes (e.g. Laguna de Bay, Paoay Lake, Taal Lake), and swamps (e.g. Liguasan Marsh, Sab-A Basin) are made up of a complex system network of watershed, tributaries and distributaries.

Watershed (supplies water and maintains stability of the lake/swamp)
Management should be holistic, treating the system on the basis of inter-relationships among its parts.

(NOTE: A pond has similar basic structures although it is generally shallow and intermittent, its system very much simpler and reduced. A swamp, compared to a lake, is a water-logged area, usually a basin, thickly vegetated, rich in organic matter deposits such as muck and peat. Natural reservoirs maintain a desirable amount of ground water for agriculture and domestic use.)

B. Rivers and streams conduct runoff/surface water. Their load can be tapped for future use through impounding, especially those which directly run to the sea and dry up after the rainy season. Great potentials for large supply of freshwater await in our major rivers like the Agno River, Tagum River, Aparri River, Mindanao River, Pampanga River, and Agusan River.

4. An efficient watershed maintains the stability of a water reservoir whether it is natural or man made by

 Providing protection against erosion and siltation,
 Increasing the rate of water absorption and impounding,
 Inducing rainfall, and
 Keeping the surroundings cool and reducing evaporation.

A. Erosion and siltation work in tandem. Silt is carried down by water from eroded areas. Deposition causes clogging of waterways, and the silting of farms. It exacerbates flooding, reducing the life of dams, decreases crop yield.

B. Water absorption and conservation of ground water are enhanced by well-maintained watersheds.

C. A micro-climate is created within efficient watershed areas which is conducive to cloud formation and consequent precipitation. This is mainly the result of increased relative humidity and reduced evaporation.

5. Water supply is enhanced by forests and woodlands (man-made forests) through

 Higher rate of rainfall (tropical rain forest is so-called because rain occurs frequently, if not daily, in and around tropical forests, such as Mt. Makiling.
 Fuller rivers, streams and natural springs,
 Abundant amount of ground water and fuller aquifers.

A. A forest has a multi-storey structure which is very efficient in water conservation, and solar and space utilization. Organic matter built on the forest floor helps conserve water like sponge.

• Emergent tree
• Canopy layers
• Lianas & epiphytes
• Bushes & shrubs
• Ground plants

B. The forest cover conserves water and keeps it underground for future use. It slows down water flow thereby increasing the rate of water absorption. The roots of trees help maintain s desirable water level in the ground and fuller aquifers (underground rivers). All these enhance the life of rivers, streams and natural springs.

6. Water impounding in the tropics is a common practice in agriculture, fisheries, power generation, recreation, industry (e.g water coolant), and for domestic use. Commonly adopted designs are based on these models:

 Dam (e.g. Ambuklao, Binga, Angat, Lamesa, Pantabangan, Chico)
 Pond (e.g. farm pond, communal water impounding projects)
 Terrace (e.g. Banaue rice terraces gravity irrigation) and
 Series of catchments (China’s model)

A. A large reservoirs are very expensive and require extensive areas. They are characterized by high technology and maintenance requirements. Our major dams are suffering from heavy siltation which have drastically reduced their capacity and life.

B. Ponds are mainly for individual use in small and medium farms. Small communal reservoirs projects are popular in Iloilo and in many parts of the country but many of them are not properly managed. Such projects are designed for cooperative farming. One project in Iloilo has 5-ha reservoir, 100-ha watershed, and a service area of 50 hectares, cultivated by some 30 farmers.

C. Water Impounding on the Banaue rice terraces is a classical example of a very efficient water management system. Rainwater is trapped in each of the hundreds of terraced ricefields which then act as a reservoir until the crop is harvested. Through gravity irrigation system paddy water is regulated. Excess water is conducted to the lower paddies and ultimately to the gorge which serves as the main drain.

D. A series of small catchments built along the length of a river conserves virtually all the water that would otherwise go to waste. This system of water impounding is built on intermittent rivers and streams of certain parts of the People’s Republic of China where the rainy season is short leaving the place dry the rest of the year.

7. Where is irrigation water is limited, the principle of comparative advantage should be applied. Considering other things equal, choose the crop which gives the highest level of water utilization and returns on investment.
Economics of water utilization during the dry season.
20,000 Cubic Meters Water Requirements
= 1 Hectare, 3 Hectares, 5 to 6 Hectares (Rice, Corn, Legumes/Bean, respectively)

8. In recycling water for farm, industry and domestic use follow the principles governing Nature’s Water Cycle, namely

 Water is transformed into three states of matter – solid, liquid and gas. In the process of transformation, water is separated from other substances and impurities.

Examples: to distilling water, the impurities are left behind. Much of the rain which falls on land comes from clouds formed at sea. The process of destination follows the principle.

 While water cleans, it has also the inherent power of “cleansing itself”.

Examples: Organic matter settles at the bottom of lakes, leaving the water clear and clean. Similarly after heavy downpour, silt and clay settle down leaving the water clear. Natural springs rarely need the attention of man.

 There are certain biological and physical, including geologic and chemical processes which enhance water recycling.

Examples: Aquatic plants maintain a desirable supply of oxygen in water. In sewage treatment, water passes through a series of tanks/pools until it goes out safe and functional again. Aquifers are natural underground reservoirs and filters.

9. Water pollution exacerbates water shortage. Minimize, if not prevent, the pollution of our water supply by

 Using biodegradable materials,
There are now biodegradable plastics. Coconut oil-based detergents are preferred. So with organic fertilizer over chemical fertilizer. Botanical pesticides leave little or no toxic residue.

 Reducing pollutants,
Reduced emission of gases which combine with atmospheric water to form “acid rain”. Clear watershed and waterways from all forms of garbage. Prevent clogging and water-logging as these favor accumulation of wastes and increase the effects of pollution. More strict laws on oil spill.

 Practicing cleanliness and sanitation,
Proper garbage disposal. Keep industrial wastes away from water sources. Implement a shanty-free estero program. Impose strict sanitation in public markets, and “talipapa”/ flea markets. Strictly implement anti-pollution laws in factories, homes and motor vehicles.

 Banning dangerous pollutants
Uphold the anti-nuclear constitutional provision to prevent radioactive fallout incident. Radioactive wastes must be disposed following international safety standards. Permanently ban the “Dirty Dozen” pesticides. Use only unleaded gasoline. Regulate use and disposal of lead, mercury, and cadmium compounds.

 Planning our community, and
Residential and industrial zoning. Strictly implement building and housing policies of the National Housing Authority, DPWH, local governments, etc, Ecology village concept, Decongest urban centers and promote rural living.

 Educating the public.
National Geographic and Nature-Life TV series, DENR media programs on environment, Kalikasan publications, DA and DOST programs on agro-ecology. Include ecology in the school curriculum on all levels. Ban ads of products which contribute to environmental degradation.

10. As the flow of our rivers gets less, our lakes subside, and ground water sinks deeper, saltwater intrusion increase spoiling our farms, springs and wells, rivers, streams and ponds. Ward off saltwater intrusion by

 Preserving the mangrove forests
Mangroves are frontliners against tides and sea currents. They are natural riprap builders and they moderate the rate of flow and mixing of seawater and freshwater at the estuaries.

 Reforestation of mountains and watersheds
Flash floods are frequent where trees have been cut. Runoff water cuts river banks, makes waterways shallow and at the mouth of rivers mudflats are formed. With reduced flown of rivers, seawater intrudes island and underground. In many parts of the country, intrusion is noted in farms as far as 10 km inland.

Fertile Valley in acrylic, by AVRotor

 Preventing siltation and pirating of rivers
River banks must be protected with trees. Residential areas must kept away from river banks. Farming along rivers and around bodies of water must be controlled, specially if it contributes to erosion and siltation. Farm chemicals drain into rivers and lakes specially if it rains. Reclaiming and pirating beaches, estuaries, rivers and streams should be strictly prohibited. Major obstructions are illegally constructed fishponds, resthouses and shanties.

 Dredging waterways
Many of the rivers are heavily silted and dredging is necessary. This is specially true in and around big urban centers. Illegal dikes and structures must be removed and strict garbage disposal enforced.

 Regulating the drawing of underground water and the damming of rivers
Water rights regulate the rate of drawing water from the ground and rivers. However, this is not being implemented strictly. Too much withdrawal predisposes saltwater intrusion. Many wells and rivers in summer turn saline.

11. Modern technology has developed new ways of tapping and recycling freshwater by several means, such as

 Towing icebergs,
Icebergs are towed hundreds of miles to countries in need of freshwater.

 Desalination of seawater,
Freshwater is produced from seawater through the principle of distillation. To reduce cost, solar energy has replaced conventional fuel. Israel adopts desalination for its agriculture.

 Cloud seeding and inducing rainfall
Rain-inducing compounds are used by airplanes to seed rain clouds. Technology has increased the efficiency of cloud seeding.

 Bottling spring and mineral water, and
Due to dwindling natural supply of safe freshwater, bottling spring and mineral water has become in the last twenty years a booming industry in large urban centers. A chilled 250-ml spring water sells at 15.oo php on university campuses in Manila.

 Re-processing used water.
Unlike the conventional filtration-aeration-chlorination process, used water is recycled for domestic use through a complex purification process in big cities.

12. Everybody should share in the common responsibility to use and conserve water wisely by all means possible.

 Avoiding wasteful use of water
List down ways to save water. These include such simple means as repairing leaky faucets and pipes, to adopting a systematic program in household management.

 Impounding rain and surface water
Residents in small islands depend largely on rain. Their houses are equipped with special gutters and storage jars to trap and store rainwater.

 Maintaining ecological balance
List down all the ways to help preserve the environment to enhance the adequacy of freshwater supply from wells, rivers, springs, etc. ~

Numbers, Numbers, Numbers

Abe V Rotor

Bamboo groove

A bundle of garlic; cloves to form a bulb

Caulerpa runner

Gabi tillers

Carpet of moss

Poultry of Sasso chicken

School of fish

Termite colony

Clan

A bunch of urchins

We are fond of numbers and we use different terms to denote animals, plants and our own species. These terms given to groups of animals give us distinct and more vivid imagery about their natural gregarious character.

• Lions – pride
• Goat – trip
• Cows – flink
• Sheep – flock
• Birds – flock
• Fishes – school
• Ants - colony
• Flies – swarm
• Cattle – herd
• Bacteria – colony
• Geese – gaggle (on the ground); skein (in the air)

Grouping of plants is unique. Botanists and agriculturists use terms like tillers, as in rice; a hill of ginger, suckers in banana, runners and stolons in gabi and Bermuda grass, slips in pineapple. All these refer to the asexual progeny of a mother plant, duplicating itself many times in its lifetime. These are agronomic terms: a paddy of rice, an orchard, a grove of coconut, a plot or patch of vegetables.

Among us humans we use many terms such as a battery of lawyers, a battalion or platoon of soldiers, class in schools, team in games, a choir, a batch of graduates, or simply throng for a huge crowd. In an organization we group people into departments, divisions, sections, etc, specifying work and responsibility. Then we have such terms as congregation, fraternity, gang, and the like. But first let’s start with the human species branching out into races.

Assignment: Add to the list terms to denote plurality, aggregation, and the like.

Reference: Living with Folk Wisdom, AVR, UST Publishing House, Manila; acknowledgment,photo of queen termite from Internet

Environment and Health: The Violin - Therapeutic Effects of Violin and Nature

                                        Environment and Health: 

         The Violin - Therapeutic Effects of Violin and Nature

                                              Dr Abe V Rotor

A weekend of music at home - author and daughter, Anna.

Music must be elevated from the level of entertainment and expression of skills to one that brings the listener to a state of catharsis, relieving him of the stresses and tensions of daily living. Music therapy is now recognized as part of alternative medicine. There are musical compositions that bring about the so-called Mozart Effect, named after Amadeus Mozart whose compositions are acclaimed by scientists to be the most therapeutic of all musical compositions, even among his contemporaries in the classical and romantic schools.

This article is the result of a research conducted by the author with his class at the UST Graduate School as respondents to the hypothesis that the combination of Violin and Nature sounds has therapeutic effects to the listener. And if so, how? What aspects of our body physiology, mind, psyche, and spirit are affected? In what ways, and how do we measure such effects?

Cover of tape, later copied into CD :
Violin and Birds, Violin and Waves

Violin and Nature is an experimental approach to music

Can auditory art be developed by converting word to music, and re-create the sound of nature to accompany it? The idea is to find a compatible blend of science - the prosaic and formal, with humanities - the entertaining, cultural, and the sounds of nature, definitely a rare experience that takes place in the inner vision of the mind. Violin and Nature is a CD recording or 32 extemporaneous popular and semi-classical compositions played on the violin by the author with accompaniment of birds, insects, wind, waterfall and running stream.

People say, “ Relaks lang” or “just do it” as part of daily conversation. Either it is taken as advice or compliment, the message is clear: life today is growing tenser. “ Take it easy” has a reassuring note that everybody must learn to live in a stressful world.

Both the poor and rich are subject to different forms of stress, so with the city and village dweller. Ironically, stress does not spare growing affluence. In fact, it persists invariably throughout life, virtually from womb to tomb.

The idea of dealing with tension or stress is how one is able to reduce it effectively so as to enjoy life and get rid of its complications from headaches to various psychosomatic symptoms- and eventual health problems, if it is not checked on time.

One proposal is the use of therapeutic effects of music and nature, thus the rationale of this experiment that employs the combined soothing sound of the violin, and the harmony of nature.

Music is well known to reduce tension. Pipe-in music increases work efficiency in corporate offices, takes out boredom in otherwise monotonous assignments, and fosters proper attitude and disposition, when correctly applied. In fact, scientists have established the biological basis of music by being able to increase the production efficiency in poultry and livestock with the use of background music. The key is the reduction of stress in the animal. The same result has yet to be established in plants.

A stressful life builds tension in the body. Headache, wakefulness, palpitation, indigestion, trembling and many other symptoms, which wear away the life force, accompany tension. Tired nerves need rest and quiet, as nature needs time to recuperate her exhausted energies.

What is tension? It is the effort that is manifested in the shortening of muscle fibers. Physiologists compare muscle tension with “neuro-muscular relaxation” to differentiate popular interpretation of relaxation as amusement, recreation, or hobbies. To be relaxed is the direct physiology opposite of being excited or disturbed.

Neurosis and psychoneurosis are at the same time physiological disturbance, for they are forms of tension disorders. Therefore, the key to treatment lies in relaxation.

Who are victims of tension? Everybody is a candidate. These are models of tensed individuals: the “burnt out” housewife, the tagasalo in the family, the gifted child, the dominant lola, the authoritative patriarch. These persons themselves are not only victims of tension; they spread tension among people around them.

Multitudes long for a better life, but they lack courage and resolution to break away from the power of habit. On the other hand, many escape from the harsh realities of life by taking alcohol and drugs.

Hypothesis

The whole idea of relaxation is in disciplining the body to budget life’s energies, and to immerse oneself to relaxing moods. Music and nature are a great inexhaustible source. Plato and Confucius looked at music as a department of ethics. They saw the correspondence between character of man and music. Great music, they believed, is in harmony with the universe, restoring order to the physical world. Aristotle on the other hand, the greatest naturalist of the ancient world supported the platonic view, which through the Renaissance to the present dominate the concept of great composition. Great music has always been associated with God’s creation.

Nature on the other hand, produces calming effects to the nerve. Sightseeing, picnic and camping are a good break to prosaic city life. Different from ordinary amusements in the park or theater, the countryside is one arena of peace and quiet. Features on TV and print media provide but an alternative scenario. Today “canned” Nature is being introduced in many forms such as traveling planetarium, CD-ROM Nature Series, Ecology Village, and the like, to illustrate the growing concern of people to experience the positive effects of Nature in an urban setting characterized by a stressful modern life.

This experiment is based on the premise that the combined effects of music and Nature help reduce tension in daily living, particularly among working students in the city.

Conceptual Framework

A- Tension tends to dominate the body to relax, resulting in tension build-up in the muscles;
B- Music (violin solos) and Nature’s sounds( birds, running stream etc.) make a composition which provides a rare listening experience in varying intensity; and
C- The experience enhances relaxation, reduces tension and its physiologic effects in the individual.



Methodology

The Violin and Nature recorded in compact disc (CD) was then presented for evaluation to students in Research Methodology at the UST Graduate School on two aspects, namely, the content of the tape and the perception of the respondents. Physiologic response was determined by measuring the pulse rate before and after listening to eight sample compositions from the tape for thirty minutes.

These are as follows:

1. Serenade by Toselli (semi- classical)
2. Meditation, from the Thais by Massenet (classical)
3. Lara’s Theme (sound track of the movie, Dr. Zhivago)
4. Beyond the Sunset (ballad)
5. Paper Roses (popular)
6. A Certain Smile (popular)
7. Fascination (popular dance music)
8. Home on the Range (country song)

Respondents Profile

This is the profile of the 42 respondents, which made up one class in research methodology. They are predominantly female students (81%), employed (86%), with ages from 21 to 29 years old (76%).

Content Analysis

The respondents counted eight tunes or pieces, of which 5 are familiar to them. They identified three non-living sounds (running stream, wind, and waterfall, aside from the violin), and two living sounds (mainly birds).

Physiologic Response

The average pulse rates before and after listening to the tape are 79.47 and 73.29 per minute, respectively, or a difference of 6.18. Statistically, the difference is significant, thus confirming the relaxing effects to the respondents after listening to the CD.

Perception

The ten criteria used in rating the perception of the respondents are ranked as follows, adopting the Likert Scale. Note: A scale of 1 to 5 was used, where 1 is very poor, 2 poor, 3 fair, 4 good, and 5 very good.

Criteria Rating Rank

1. One has the feeling of being
transported to a Nature/Wildlife scene. 4.48 1

2. Listening to the tape creates an aura
of peace and serenity. 4.39 2

3. The composition is soothing to hear,
Has calming effect on the nerves. 4.24 3

4. The composition creates a meditative
mood. 3.95 4

5. It brings reminiscence to the
listener of a past experience. 3.64 5

6. It helps one in trying to
forget his problems. 3.59 6

7. One has the felling of being
transported heavenward, to Cloud 9. 3.55 7

8. There is tendency to sleep while
listening to the composition. 3.52 8

9. It brings about a nostalgic feeling. 3.19 9

10. The composition makes one
sad and melancholic. 2.55 10



Analysis and Interpretation

The means the first three criteria fall between good and very good, while the others, except the 10th, are between fair and good. This finding supports the positive relaxing effects of Violin and Nature.

Conclusion and Recommendation

Listening to Violin and Nature slows down pulse rate significantly, thus reducing tension, and brings the listener closer to a state of relaxation. The effects are measured as based on ten criteria. Topping the scores which are classified Very Good are:

1. One has the feeling of being transported to a Nature /Wildlife Scene;
2. Listening to the tape creates an aura of peace and serenity; and
3. The composition is soothing to hear, and has calming effect on the nerves.

There are six other parameters that support the hypothesis that the CD is relaxing. This is different from its effect of bringing nostalgia, sadness and melancholy that received the lowest scores and rankings.

However, there is need to improve the quality of the compositions, and their recording. It is also recommended that similar evaluation be conducted on other age groups and people of different walks of life who are similarly subject to stressful life and environment.

Spirit of Music

The violin lifts the spirit high,

as the keys strike, in cadence, fly

like birds above and passing by,

while we humans laugh and cry.