Monthly Archives: January 2013

New Study Reveals How Music Affects Driving Behavior

Want to lessen your chances of being involved in a vehicular accident?  If so, a new study suggests you should think carefully about the music you listen to while driving.  The study conducted by www.confused.com found that listening to certain types of music while behind the wheel may increase your chances of having an accident, and in some cases the findings might not be exactly what you might expect.

Researchers at the London Metropolitan University used the gps enabled MotorMate driving app to monitor music’s effect on the driving behaviors of four men and four women.  Participants in the study drove 250 miles without music to establish baseline results.  During and the next 250 miles of the test, they listened to a variety of musical styles, including heavy metal, hip-hop, country, classical, and jazz.

Psychologist Dr. Simon Moore said the study resulted in some interesting findings. “Fast beats can cause excitement and arousal that can lead people to concentrate more on the music than on the road,” said Moore.  Hard-rocking dance and hip-hop songs including The Black Eyed Peas’ “Hey Mama” and Fall Out Boy’s “Dead on Arrival” topped the list of most dangerous songs to listen to while driving.

Surprisingly, both male and female participants tended to drive more erratically when listening to classical music than when listening to no music.  This may have been more a matter of personal taste than the result of tempo. As Dr. Moore explained, “Listening to music you don’t like can cause stress and distraction and this also negatively affects driving.”

Regardless of the particular style or whether the music had lyrics or was instrumental music, researchers found that the safest driving tunes were those with a tempo of between 60 to 80 beats per minute, which is similar to the average human heart rate.  Moore said, “A fast tempo can cause people to subconsciously speed up to match the beat of the song.”  Listening to heavy metal music caused male participants to drive much faster and one female participant drove much more aggressively when listening to hip-hop songs.

Songs that promoted the safest driving behaviors included Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer”, Nora Jones’ “Come Away With Me”, Coldplay’s “The Scientist”, Justin Timberlake’s “Cry Me a River” and “Karma Police” by Radiohead.

Do you find that your driving is affected by the music you listen to?  Does your mood reflect the music you’re listening to, or vice versa?  Leave a comment below.

The Marine Band’s Proud Tradition of Performing at Presidential Inaugurations

What would the presidential inauguration be without the participation of “The President’s Own” — the United States’ Marine Band?  Here’s a brief, visual history by the band’s official historian, MGySgt Michael Ressler.

Did you have a favorite performance from today’s inaugural celebration?  Let us know by posting a comment below.

Today in Music History – Jazz Music Breaks the Culture Barrier

It was 69 years ago today, on January 18, 1944, that the  New York City Metropolitan Opera House opened its doors to a whole new audience by hosting its first-ever jazz concert.

Among the jazz legends performing that evening, were   Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Coleman Hawkins and Lionel Hampton.

We were able to locate this rare, original recording from the event,  featuring “Sachmo” and trumpet player Roy Eldridge playing “Mop Mop.”  We hope you enjoy it.  If so, please let us know by leaving a comment below.

Search our online catalog for jazz sheet music.

 

Rubik’s Cube Inspired Music Controller

The MusixCube handheld controller interfaces with a variety of digital music production software including Logic, Ableton Live, ProTools and other MIDI controllers.

The device was created by Muthesius Academy of Art and Design student Hauke Scholz as his B.A. thesis project.  Scholz says the inspiration behind the device was “the idea of taking the music producers away from the computer and allowing them to take back the music into their own hands.


Learn more about the MusixCube here.

 

Music Sales Hit All-Time High in 2012

According to the Nielsen Company & Billboard’s 2012 Music Industry Report, U.S. music sales surpassed 1.65 billion unit transactions last year, up 3.1 percent compared to 2011.  Digital album sales increased by 14.10 percent, and digital track sales rose by 5.1 percent. Sales of physical music (CDs, LPs and tapes) fell by 12.8 percent.

Nielsen’s Senior VP of Client Development David Bakula said, “Digital Album sales are up 14.1% and Digital Track sales are up 5.1%, but despite being down 12.8%, physical is still the dominant album format.”

Adele’s album “21” was the best selling album for the second consecutive year, and  Gotye’s “Sombody that I Used to Know” Ft. Kimbra was digitally streamed 45,062,000 times.

Read the entire report.

Many audiophiles say there’s no comparison between the sound quality produced by vinyl recordings and other recording media, including tape and digital. Which do you prefer?  Let us know by posting a comment below.

Church Choral Reading Session with Joel Raney

Join us this Saturday, January 12th from 9:00 am to 12:30 pm for our Sacred Reading workshop at the First Presbyterian Church in Edmond, OK.

Pianist, conductor, composer and clinician Joel Raney will introduce more than 40 new Easter and General Church Service titles for choir from the top sheet music publisher, including Alfred, Hal Leonard, Lorenz, and Shawnee Press.

Registration fee is $10 and includes refreshments (served at 8:30 am) and complimentary music packets including most of the titles presented.

For more information or to register, call Pender’s Music Company at (405) 842-7825 or (800) 772-8405 or email us at jstaton@penders.com