5 Tips to Improve Musical Intelligence

Musical Intelligence is used in numerous aspects of your life–and it has more to do with just singing songs at parties and functions. Did you know that people will pay closer attention to you if you speak with a more melodious intonation. The element of “rhythm” is critical in good writing, as it provides a flow that keeps the reader engaged. Rhythm and timing, elements that stem from the musical domain, even have their value when you have to make presentations–and especially when using tools like PowerPoint. You can create more appealing environments that can enhance people’s mood, productivity, and even learning levels by choosing and playing the right kind of background music.

Here are 5 Tips to improve your Musical Intelligence.

• Write and recite poetry or lyrics. The rhythmic flow in poetry will help you sharpen your own flow of speech. Whether it’s Shakespeare, Javed Aktar, or Bally Sagoo, it doesn’t really matter. And if you have an inclination, try penning some lyrical language down yourself.
• Learn to play a musical instrument. Guitar, keyboards, tabla, or santoor. There are hundreds of instruments for you to choose from. Playing an instrument can help you bust stress and enable and add timbre (musical color) to your life.
• Spend time listening to styles of music that are unfamiliar to you. Have you tried listening to African music or Bebop? Check out the plethora of genres that exist and find out which ones strike a chord in you.
• Create your own “life” soundtracks. Imagine your life as a film and sing or hum music to go along with whatever mood or situation you’re in. Trying to do something difficult or daring? Drop in the theme to Mission Impossible and watch your self-confidence go through the roof.
• Listen for melodies or rhythms that are created by every day things. Keep an ear out for the music created by air conditioners, motors, footsteps, car horns, construction workers and so on. You’ll quickly come to realize that music is all around you.

Sharpening your ear can go a long way in helping you find success in a variety of areas of your life. So let the music play!

Music for Your Memory

I’ve developed some music that is based on scientific principles related to memory. If you listen to it, it has the ability to improve concentration. Here are two songs:

• Raga Mind (MP3 format, 7.6MB, 6.4min)
• Feeling Good (MP3 format, 8.4MB, 7.2min)

Give them a shot while you’re studying. Or if you are too old to learn, but have kids who are learning , have them try it out. After, please come back to this post and let me know:

1. Did you find any positive effect?
2. In what way?
3. Which song worked better? Or did they do different things?

The basic principle behind the songs is that they are slow, set at 60 beats per minute. This rhythm puts the brain into a relaxed state that is ideal for learning.

The “Feeling Good” song is based on Western classical style that utilizes counterpoint, a kind of musical grammar, which supposedly gets the brain operating in a more structured way. The other song, Raga Mind, uses an Indian raga as the basis.

You’ll notice that each piece is simple in composition–few instruments, playing simple, repetitive phrases. This ensures that the brain doesn’t become distracted by the music. The challenge is to get the brain into a state of “flow.”

I have been listening them while I study Hindi and have found them to be extremely helpful. I am also working with students at the Jiva Public School doing research with them to find out how music can positively affect concentration and memory–a major issue these days, especially with exams going on.