Jazz and soul music have a unique ability to help calm and regulate mood in a way that surpasses many other genres. After a chaotic week of world news, national tensions, and personal stress, a dose of jazz might be just what the doctor ordered.
It's been a rough year this week.
The chaos of the world is almost palpable. At least one hot war is underway, with varying levels of conflict and fragile peace in process in other parts of the globe.
Closer to home, news of shark attacks, deadly telecom outages, and murder trials have flooded the Australian airwaves and the Internet. And let's not even get into the week you had at work.
You could sit on your couch all weekend to recover from the sensory overload. Or you could take a night off and go listen to some jazz. Psychologists praise the genre for the proven physical and emotional benefits it has for both listeners and performers. And the melodic experts know just where to find it.
It's common knowledge that music calms the soul, but let's be honest. Screamo is not typically helping anyone unwind after a tough day, unless it's the background track at a smash room. And let’s be honest—some people just can’t get into the lilting flutes and airy synths of so-called “calming” mood music playlists. Thankfully, jazz has entered the chat.
Simply put, research indicates that jazz lessens depression and anxiety. Eclectic studies done at Colorado Women’s College in the 1970s revealed that plants exposed to jazz for three hours a day grew lush and green, even extending branches toward the speaker. The ones exposed to rock and roll music? They withered.
More recently, studies performed by Johns Hopkins University researchers discovered that the syncopated rhythms used in jazz enhance theta human brain waves - the ones responsible for creativity. Additionally, songs with a meter of 75 beats per minute, like John Coltrane's "Blue Train," boosted alpha waves that increase relaxation, according to the New York Jazz workshop.
You probably don't have the time - or the money - to make a trip to the jazz club every night. But you can incorporate music into your routine to recharge at night. Psychologists suggest several options:
When the weekend comes, reward yourself for making it through the week with a live show. Fall is a prime time for concerts in New South Wales, with many options available through October and beyond.
While the renowned Manly Jazz Festival just passed, Newcastle and Hunter Jazz Club hold a jazz concert on the last Sunday of every month at rotating locations. If you can't wait until then, Major Zulu will perform at The Concourse Lounge on October 17, backed by an ensemble of Sydney-based jazz and soul musicians who contribute to her signature sound.
