quote:

Originally posted by konata88:
But I was wondering: while probably unproven and just wife's tales, I can see how one might think listening to classical (ie - Mozart) as a baby onward may lead to increased mental abilities; especially if one takes up learning an instrument.

I think the bottom line line is learning an instrument increases some areas of mental capability, and maybe more importantly, maintains mental capability as age advances. I have very catholic tastes in music, including jazz and classical, but ultimately, I don’t think WHAT you listen to is as important as actively listening to music and learning to play something—-even if never attaining real competence. For what it’s worth

Dad bought a Zenith record player before he got married, thinking 1958 or 59
I came along in 1963 and one of my earliest memories is hearing Take Five played on that Zenith,


I still have that album, and that Zenith, and still use it,


in the car it was always a top 40 station playing, and we did have a few Rock albums ,
and a lot of jazz,


so I grew up listening to it all, and then went full tilt into Punk and New Wave, with side ventures into Yes, King Crimson, and a few others, including Bluegrass,

I have a wide and varied tastes,

having said that , and as someone who can only play a radio, I listen to the music, and sometimes the voice singing, not always the lyrics,


if that makes since

keeping with the Jazz , Blue Note era, 60's stuff like Davis, Hancock, and a pile of bands that I could not tell you a name, but I recognize a song, just never took the brain cells to remember a name,
ditto some of the more modern fusion stuff, (yellow jackets, etc)
like it a lot, got a fist full of CD's


very rarely will I hear something that sounds like random noise to me, but there is some stuff I just do not like (like dixieland)


NPR does a good Jazz show in the evenings here, so I will listen to that on the way home