Which sounds are Sounds That Soothe?

* finding Sounds That Soothe *

The power of music is obvious but which are the sounds that soothe?

by Martin Mayer, Sounds That Soothe ( soundsthatsoothe.co.uk )

   We have sound all around us at all times but which sounds soothe us? We live with music in our everyday life but which music inspires and relaxes. Can music make us feel better? At 'Sounds That Soothe', we spend a lot of time asking just these questions. Sounds That Soothe was established to research the benefits of music for stress relief, relaxation, inspiration and to generally inspire a calmer way of life. We create sonic atmospheres to enhance your personal environment and to relax body and mind. We compose and produce sounds that soothe.

   Through careful market research and development we found the types of sounds that soothe and relax... the sounds that inspire and evigorate... the sounds that help us sleep. To soothe, sounds must be warm and rounded, NOT brittle or sharp on the ears. Sounds and music build and grow and sudden movements are avoided. Music with the sounds of nature can help us to relax quicker. However, this is a broad spectrum and we found that certain sounds were more relaxing than others. The soothing sound of bird song was considered very relaxing, as were the sounds of the ocean ( particularly the sound of waves ).

   Sounds That Soothe research found that music was very important for relaxation. Relaxation music is available widely but many comment that the sounds need to be more natural and fluid. Many prefer the sounds of "real" instruments or synthetic sounds that do not sound synthetic. Relaxing music seems to fall into three musical styles: classical music, acoustic music and new age music (also known as ambient music).

   Classical music was preferred that was not too dynamic - no big changes in volume or instrumentation suddenly. Also that it does not sound to bombastic or overpowering although it can be grand and triumphant. Acoustic music was favoured when the arrangements were light, uplifting but where there was a memorable theme to the piece. Repetition was not a problem, but pieces had to develop and a feeling of movement was very important. Thoughts were more divided over new age music and how it should be as relaxing music. Sounds That Soothe found that some people preferred relaxation music that was constantly drifting and changing to the point of being random. This music seems to reflect the soothing powers of the nature sounds they often accompany. Other people liked a more conventional arrangement - melody and harmony complementing the nature sounds as a focus for concentration.

Martin Mayer
Sounds That Soothe

Martin Mayer is a media composer and owner of Sounds That Soothe, producing music to calm and relax

The new CD, "Silver Streams" is available now - instrumental pieces developed to relieve stress and aid the body in relaxation. Over 55 minutes of warm orchestral movements and original nature sounds, inspired by the beautiful views of the Peak District, England.

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