This is for real. Here is the test and results:

Plants were subjected to different kinds of music with the following reactions:

-Hard rock=the plants leaned away from the speaker and withered.

-Classical music=the plants leaned toward the speakers and flourished.

-Jazz=the plants leaned toward the speakers and flourished.

-Country music=the plants did not respond. No changes noted.

For what its worth department.

Best

Scott Langholff

Though I'm not surprised at the results, Im really curious if the same volume (decibel) level was used for each type of music. I suspect that if the hard rock music was played softer than the classical & jazz, that the results might have been different. - Scott

Baldardash! There are country songs that are heavily jazz-influenced, others that are heavily Rock influenced. Some are soft ballads, some are loud, racous anthems.
The categories had to be too general, and most likely biased.
...and that's my biased opinion, so it must be right.
DonM

Scott (Langholff),

Can you give us a direction to the source of this study? I heard something similar many years ago... Here's the link to the study I believe I heard of while I was a child. http://www.dovesong.com/positive_music/plant_experiments.asp
A bit of caution with calling a study "scientific"...

-- José.

[This message has been edited by matias (edited 10-19-2003).]

ScottY: I don't know about the volume levels.

DonM: lol. I think they used "pure" rock, country etc. No crossover as far as I know. I also think music has changed a quite a bit since this study which was a number of years ago. A lot of todays music defies catagory now.

Jose: That sure sounds like the study I was refering to.

Another interesting note. In the study of kinesiology, it was found that the bass drum pattern of rock music was just the opposite of a healthy heart beat. It turns out this has the effect of weakening the body and lowering energy levels.
There was also a book called Superlearning a few years back, that had to do with the then east block countries in a race with mind experiments. They found that people (adults) that relaxed in a reclined chair listening to certain classical music at 60 beats a minute (I think)and having gone through a body and mind relaxation excercise learned things two to ten times faster. They were talking about one could learn an entire foriegn language in a few weeks.

This seems to go along with the proof that children under about 7 or 8 years old learn at an incredibily fast pace.

Look at the Japanese. They teach 2 and 3 year olds how to swim, play violin and piano etc. At this age the brain waves are slower. They are called alpha brain waves. The same thing happened to these adults using the techniques in Superlearning.

After the age of about 8 the adult mind takes over and everything is questioned. Unlike the younger ones below eight where their minds take in everything like a sponge.
At the age of about 8 beta brain waves predominate which slows down the learning process.

So, when do we start our kids in school? It is also known that a persons basic personality traits are already set at the age of 6.

So, if this is all true, our culture is doing it the hard way. I guess that means a 14 years old college graduate is not only possible but could be the norm if we started teaching the kids early on.

I have noticed, in general, that people taking up piano or organ before 7 years old are the really gifted ones, and tend to be the ones with perfect pitch.

In my career, we teach seniors to play organ which they can do with all the modern aids like one finger left hand etc. But an adult wanting to take up piano, while if there is a real burning desire and persistance may do better than the norm, in general will only tinkle at the piano. A way lot to learn about for the adult mind.

Golly, what got me started on that?
lol

[This message has been edited by Scott Langholff (edited 10-19-2003).]

Do you know the 'astrological sign' of these plants?

Jerry

" Thank God I'm not a plant!! "

Was Audrey II the test subject?

Plants and music ... hee heee....

Seeing how sensitive plants are, I have decided to forgo eating plants as well. Iw will become a breatharian. Do water molecules have any feelings?

Beakybird

You and Phoebe .... "No food with a face"

I started playing in the living room a while back. Stuff like Body And Soul, Darn That Dream, Round Midnight, I Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry, Someone To Watch Over Me and other soft ballads. I can't play fast loud music in that part of the house. And guess what? Some of the wife's plants that were dying came back to life.

Of coure nothing is as soothing as a great soft ballad on a tenor sax. A high pitched screeching alto won't work unless it's David Sanborn playing Try A Little Tenderness or Smoke Gets In Your Eyes etc.

With some of the harder edged blues and synth stuff that I play, the plants should be dead by now I think.. LOL. they aren't though. Maybe I sprinkle enough easy jazz and ballads to keep em alive

AJ

For those interested, check what "the other side" says: http://koning.ecsu.ctstateu.edu/music.html

Please note I'm not taking the so called "scientist" side, just sharing with you the views of those who claim the experiments were not *scientific*.

-- José.

I wonder how the Amazon parrot I'm taking from my mom is going to fair... He'll be living right next to the studio room. Perhaps I'll have to move him upstairs when the music gets too loud ior intense.

AJ

Hi Jose

Interesting huh?

Makes one wonder about who's really right. Have you ever noticed from time to time in the latest news the scientific world comes up with some study that took many years to do and cost a zillion dollars and it was common knowledge that everybody knew from kids on?

The opposing viewpoints here and on almost any subject reminds me of something I once heard. [Q]:What's the definition of an expert. [A]:Anybody that lives 15 or more miles away.

Well this much I do know, my three cats do have musical likes and dislikes. One of them loves to lay on top of the dust cover of my old BSR turntable when I play the old scratchy 78's.

AJ: I know one thing, I wouldn't recommend a perch above your keyboard. lol.

One last thought while thinking of birds. Many years ago my great-uncle Leo drove all the way from South America to Wisconsin with a parrot sitting on the stearing wheel. What a picture that creates huh? I wonder how many pairs of pants he took with him on the trip.

Scott