Music and sounds are part and parcel of our everyday life. We listen to music on our way to the office or university. We carefully create playlists for workout. We thoroughly pick up songs for a romantic dinner. Still, even its biggest lovers, musicians don’t know how much there is behind the scenes. In this text, we will share facts related to music that you probably didn’t know!
Water is a source of inspiration
It is interesting that such a famous composer as Beethoven started making music only after he put his head into a large basin filled with ice water. This unusual feature has accompanied him throughout his career.
The truth about Happy birthday to you
Do you know that the well-known song Happy birthday to you has an unusual fate? It was officially written in 1893 by primary school teachers from Kentucky. However, it was called Good morning to you. The pupils liked the song so much that they began to sing it at birthdays, changing it a little. More and more people memorized the simple melody and words. So, gradually Happy birthday to you became one of, if not the most, famous song in the USA, and is now translated and performed in at least 18 languages around the world. One of the most famous versions of this song was the one of Marilyn Monroe, which she sang to John F. Kennedy.
Music and health
Interesting facts about music are also associated with the not fully understood phenomenon of the effect of music on the human body and health. Everyone knows and it is scientifically proven that classical music develops intelligence and it can calm. Even some diseases can be cured after listening to music. Music also prevents hearing loss. The experiment showed that musicians hear better than people who have never been fond of music. In addition, music heals the heart, helping patients recovering from a heart attack or heart surgery. It has been proven that pleasant music contributes to the health of the vascular system.
In contrast to the healing effect of classical music, it is the destructive ability of country music. Statisticians estimate that in the USA, the highest percentage of mental problems, suicides and divorces are among those who are fans of country music.
Without notes
Do you know that you can become a classical music performer without knowing musical notation? Of course, in modern musical life, this is rather an exception to the rule. The most famous example was Luciano Pavarotti, who made no secret of the fact that he almost did not know musical notation. Hearing and his own system of learning opera parts helped him, despite everything, to become one of the greatest tenors of the 20th century. Still, today’s performers take loyalty to the original musical notation, as a rule.
It is also interesting that in the Baroque era, every musician was even obliged to give their own style to the songs they performed. Musicians who did not add a single improvisation in their performance would be considered boring in those days.
Do spiders listen to music?
Do you know spiders listen to music? This is a proven fact that if you turn on music in a room, spiders will immediately begin to move. But don’t think that they are big fans of music. Everything is much simpler – music contributes to the vibration of the cobweb, and this is a direct call to hunt for these insects.
Music and plants
Music can revive wilted plants. If you put speakers next to a fading flower and turn on light music, it will come to life before your very eyes, fill with colors, and may even lean towards the source of the music.
Animals have a sense of rhythm
Previously, it was believed that the sense of rhythm is inherent only in humans. In 2011, video footage of a parrot dancing to music attracted the attention of scientists. If the tempo of the composition slowed down or vice versa, the movements of the parrot were clearly changed accordingly. Careful analysis of 1,000 other dancing animal videos revealed 14 more parrots that have a sense of rhythm, as well as one elephant. At the same time, such abilities were not seen in chimpanzees, cats and dogs.