Your Brain’s Playlist

By: Tina Davidson

This is me with “Tina” in Germany circa 2000.  Photo Credit: One of my college roommates. 

Music evokes strong emotions and can bring back memories long forgotten.

When I hear the song, “Cotton Eye Joe,” by Rednex, I am transported back to college and I picture myself surrounded by friends dancing under a black light.

I never really thought of my current playlist (Cotton Eye Joe, you didn’t make the cut) as a scientific tool, but now that’s changed.

Read All About It

My mindset has changed thanks to the book, “Your Playlist Can Change Your Life.” It boasts, “10 Proven Ways Your Favorite Music Can Revolutionize Your Health, Memory, Organization, Alertness, and More.”

Now that’s some big claims. I haven’t finished the book yet, but I’m listening to a lot of music and paying better attention to it.

Parental Advisory:  Stick to the songs that bring back good vibes.

Brain Tunes

Chapter 10, “How to Use Your Brain’s Own Music,” intrigued me the most. Music can be made from your brain’s own waves and added to your playlist.

Bonus Track:  Google “Brain Music Therapy” (BMT) and “Galina Mindlin“– once you’ve discovered BMT, there might be a cure for your insomnia after all.

Pump up the Volume

Here’s a few songs from my Summer Playlist:

I may regret my choices later (but all scientists have a work in progress, right?)

• “Shake Shake Shake (Shake Your Booty)”- KC & the Sunshine Band

• “Help”- The Beatles

• “I Wanna Be a Lifeguard”- Blotto

• “Last Night a DJ Saved my Life”- Indeep

• “Obviously 5 Believers”- Old Crow Medicine Show

• “Can’t Stop the Feeling”- The Piano Guys

 

Where’s the Show?

There’s nothing quite like hearing your playlist songs performed live. I doubt I’ll hear any of my summer playlist songs at the Cal Poly Performing Arts Center any time soon, but looks like the 2017-2018 season is going to be a good one.

Do you have a favorite local performing arts center? Here’s my top picks of the upcoming Cal Poly Arts shows (wish I could afford to attend them all):

• Bill Murray, Jan Vogler & Friends- Oct 8

• Steep Canyon Rangers- Jan 21

• Improvised Shakespeare- March 16

• Black Violin- Feb 17

• Itzhak Perlman- Jan 16

• Michael Feinstein- Jan 26

• Andrew Bird- Oct 16

• Koresh Dance Company- April 14

• Cameron Carpenter- Feb 26

• Brasil Guitar Duo- Oct 14

I Heard you on the Wireless

Special thanks to Cal Poly DJ, “Jack Funk,” for pouring out the groovy tunes on Wednesday evenings on KCPR (congrats on your graduation). My boys enjoyed listening to your show during our twenty-minute commute to gymnastics.

They’ll never forget that:

“Last night a DJ saved my life with a song.” Lyrics by Indeep

 

Happy listening! Here’s to a happy and healthy brain.

Please share your summer playlist in the comments.

 

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Fine-Tuning of Brain Function and Autism

Perhaps you have a friend or family member on the autism spectrum?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, about 1 in 88 children has been identified with an autism spectrum disorder. http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/data.html

Dr. Martha Herbert, pediatric neurologist and neuroscientist at Harvard Medical School, wrote an article about autism that was published online for the Orange County Register on October 18, 2013.  She wrote: “Some autism self-advocates don’t think autism is a “disorder” at all – they describe themselves as having a “condition” that is simply a different way of being human.”

Her article, “Autism challenges us to ‘think different,'” did indeed challenge me to think differently about the subject.

Here’s an excerpt from her article regarding the brain and autism that has implications for us all:

“The areas where people on the autism spectrum have the hardest time are the functions requiring the most exquisite fine-tuning of brain function. The brain requires loads of energy to fire its signals, and to coordinate them. When the brain and body are worn down by too much stress and exposures from the environment, its cells are going to have a hard time generating that energy. The most complex functions will be harder to perform. They may even be put on hold, to protect the rest of the system.

A brain with low energy is going to be challenged when the demand gets high – so finding the right words or tone, figuring out what facial expressions mean, integrating vision with sound and smell, being coordinated, paying attention or even being flexible – all of these will be hard – often too hard.

From this perspective you can see why there would be a spectrum in autism – it’s because there are a million ways of getting overloaded and running out of energy. Each person has their own unique combination of genetic weak spots and exposures that pile on top of this. Each person has their own total load recipe.” Check out the whole article here: http://www.ocregister.com/articles/spectrum-531927-autism-many.html

There is a lot to learn. I am intrigued to check out her book, The Autism Revolution: Whole Body Strategies for Making Life All It Can Be.

Anyone read it?

I hope that you are taking care of your brain so that it is not overloaded.

One thing you can do to keep your  brain happy and healthy is to exercise.  Try just a casual walk with a friend to reduce your stress. Your brain will be happy you did!

 

Long Live Grapes!

Have you ever eaten grapes right off the vine? Grapes contain a healthy brain compound called resveratrol.  They can be such a sweet organic treat! However, if you find them too sour, there are pills that contain resveratrol.  The effectiveness of these pills is still being researched.

Check out the book, “The Alzheimer’s Prevention Program,” by Gary Small, M.D., and Gigi Vorgan. I will blog more about their book later because it contains information on resveratrol and many ways to keep your brain happy and healthy!

Looking for a chance to up your resveratrol intake with wine? Check out the information below from an email from Cal Poly SLOCAVORE:

Stop by the Cal Poly SLOCAVORE booth at Sunset Savor the Central Coast September 28-29 to taste Cal Poly wine, cheese and sausage.  Participate in our survey on SLOCAVORE topics and you’ll also be entered in a drawing to win a gift certificate for $500 in accommodations from the City of San Luis Obispo and passes into a SLOCAVORE workshop. Drawing will take place after the event and winner notified by email.

Link here for more information about Cal Poly SLOCAVORE.  We look forward to seeing you this weekend at Savor and at a SLOCAVORE workshop beginning in 2014!

Keep me posted if you attend! Cheers to resveratrol!