Classical Calm

This past week I got an entirely different slant on the broader benefits of listening to classical music. And this one is for the dogs!

As I was finishing up a lesson with an exceptionally talented 18-year-old young man, I commented on his remarkable ability to connect with the music and communicate through his playing. I asked him how he gets himself into this seemingly altered state when he plays the piano, particularly Mozart. He really could not answer my question, but he told me that ever since he was a little boy, classical music has had a powerful effect on him. Giving an example, he shared his experience as a little boy. Whenever the family went on a long car trip and he got rambunctious or irritable, his mother turned on the Pachelbel Cannon. Soon thereafter, he “zoned out,” as he described the feeling, settled down and usually fell asleep.

Two sisters waiting for the next lesson heard this conversation and added their special story. The interesting difference was that their story was about their dogs! Each of them had gotten her own fluffy white puppy for Christmas. One day when the dogs were with them in the car, the teenage sister turned on the radio and tuned in some rock music. The dogs suddenly became agitated and began to bark incessantly. So the girls turned the rock off. A bit later their mother tuned in the classical music station. The dogs appeared to calm down even more. The girls and their mother talked about how the dogs reacted to the music. They tested the little Bichon Frise/Poodle pups by playing both rock and classical music. Sure enough, the dogs barked frantically during the rock music and quieted down immediately when the classical music was played. Ever since discovering that classical music has such a soothing effect on the dogs, they tune in the classical music station whenever they leave the dogs home alone. The dogs consequently stay calm and out of trouble. Perhaps this is a potential new market for music therapists.