Feds (DHS) Turn to 'Brain Music' to Boost Emergency Worker Performance

[IDemo]

By Nathan Hodge
April 23, 2009 | 10:30:28 AM

As anyone who has ever cranked "Ace of Spades" knows, music can be a powerful tool. And researchers at the Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology Directorate want to find ways to harness that power.

The program is supposed to study how "brain music" -- a customized soundtrack designed to either boost alertness or reduce stress -- can improve the performance of police, firefighters and other first responders. As described by DHS, researchers will test how an "instrumental alert track" (click here for a sample) can boost focus and energy, or act to reduce stress. A group of firefighters will take part in the experiment.

“Because of the strains that come with an emergency response job, we are interested in finding ways to help these workers remain at the top of their game when working and get quality rest when they go off a shift,” said Department of Homeland Security Program Manager Robert Burns.

The DHS news item describes how it works. Each two– to-six-minute brain music track is performed on a single instrument, usually a piano. One tune would be tailored for relaxation (Burns says it might sound more like a “melodic, subdued Chopin sonata”), while the revving-up track might have “more of a Mozart sound.”

http://blog.wired.com/defense/2009/04/musical-mind-co.html

[Muttocracy]

1. I wonder about military patrols listening to various types of music. nt

[thunder rising]

4. "I feel pretty...oh so pretty ... oh so....

[IDemo]

5. Remember "The Roof is on Fire" scene from Fahrenheit 9/11?

Stimulating stuff. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrtNSZh2Tnw

[Muttocracy]

7. I was trying to remember where I'd seen that - F9/11 plus references

in Doonesbury (Toggle, the injured kid?), and is there a scene like that in Iron Man? Might be mixing that up.

[IDemo]

8. The only Iron Man I can remember is from my youth, 30 brazillion years ago

A Black Sabbath song that would probably seem pretty lame to the Marine in the above video.

[Muttocracy]

9. I'm thinking the movie with Robert Downey Jr.

there's a scene where he's traveling with military in Afghanistan and they're ambushed - maybe music wasn't playing though.

[ShortnFiery]

10. When I would train for half marathons in my youth, I'd always us Metal ...

such as Pantera, Judas Priest, early Metallica with a little Overkill on the side. :evilgrin:

It brings out the fight in you when you hit some "lulls."

[MADem]

2. Eh....I don't think much of that music. It's not awful, but it's not great either. nt

[smalll]

11. Yeah, unlike a couple of himbos who can't read music strummin' away on the gee-tar -

goin' Toniic-Subdominant-Dominant over and over again and getting by on their fly clothes and their douchbag sex-faces. That's real music. :shrug:

[MADem]

13. Well, I was hoping for something a little bit more complex and artistic, actually.

It seems rather pedestrian and repetitive.

I don't think a couple of "bimbos" (bimbo is actually the Italian word for a male baby--a "bimba" would be a girl baby) would do it for me, either. Never has.

Pavarotti singing Puccini, maybe. Cesaria Evora singing anything. That sort of thing...

[havocmom]

3. Music is always my drug of choice. Lately using brain music for sleep

Lots of pain = not a lot of sleep. The CD has really helped. So, I got more, for other states of mind. The awakening mind sound track is great. Makes me very alert, but also very calm. Nice state and great way to start the day, my mornings are more productive and less errors when I play that one.

Can't call the CDs I got music, more tonal. But since music always has done wonders to restore energy or sedate me, I figured it was worth trying. Knocks my dog right out when I play the sleep one.

Anything to relieve workplace stress has got to be worth a try.

[givemebackmycountry]

6. Tell us more mom!

I work a lot of weird hours - I could use some help.

[havocmom]

16. Disclaimer: Havocdad gets agitated by the CD that makes the rest of the house sleepy

But, he is a bit contrary ;)

I did get some wireless headphones so I can listen and he doesn't have to. I sleep better (unless the pain is REALLY bad) and noticed the REM sleep cycles changed a bit. More of them, for starters,which I assume means I am spending more time in DEEP sleep too. Dreams more vivid, like when I was younger. Always a lucid dreamer, I notice subtle changes in the tone/mood/'color' of dreams when I use the CD.

About half the time, I wear the wireless earphones to sleep. Yeah, probably giving myself brain cancer, but at my age, decent sleep and some respite from nagging pain is a fair trade off. Many nights, I take the phones off sometime during the night. If the dog (he is massive) gets restless during the night, I will hold the phones near him and he settles down in a hurry. Havocdad is a light sleeper, so if me & the 90 Pound Hound sleep better, he does too. Win/Win

The Awakening Mind CD is less weird to listen to. Lengthier musical phrases and more identifiable sounds, like birds, water, rain, thunder. It really works better than a couple cups of coffee and much gentler to the system too. I notice it revs up the cat, but that might just be the bird songs. The 90 Pound Hound, who is NOT a morning person, does seem to get moving better on the mornings I play that CD.

The sleep one has shorter, more nebulous, musical phrases under the tonal pulses, and hints of sounds, like I hear a bit of seagulls in there and a phrase that sounds like a derivative of a musical phrase from "The Beat Goes On". There are some chiming sounds here and there, like a big church pipe organ. It is really strange.

There is one for relaxation and one for meditation. Frankly, have not used either much. I really have lots of music I enjoy to relax; ditto meditation soundtracks. But I should use the meditation CD for a spell and see if it has an impact on that time like the sleep CD changed the dream content and quality.

Got the stuff at Amazon. Got the sleep CD first( http://www.amazon.com/Delta-Sleep-System-Jeffrey-Thompson/dp/B000654YF6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1240581603&sr=1-2) then got the 4 CD suite after a few weeks. Have to state, the sleep CD in the suite is different and I have not had the same results with it. Actually have more disturbing dreams with that one, so it does seem to have a real impact on what the brain works on when I listen.

With the dog and cat responding, I figure it is not all placebo effect. BUT, I do think our pets tend to have a telepathic link with us and it could be they are just picking up on the changes in MY head when I play the CD.

[nadinbrzezinski]

12. When coming off shift I used to listen to classical

or just have the drone of TV at a very low volume

This is a while ago


I used to love Chopin sonatas...


But NOT until I got home and safely in-bed, or sofa or wherever I decided to crash

[ddeclue]

14. I see a lot of wrecked fire trucks and firemen asleep at the wheel if this is the sound track!

:boring:

My soundtrack would include a lot of AC/DC, Van Halen, CCR and Rolling Stones here's personal my "Start Me Up" soundtrack:

1) Learning to Fly - Pink Floyd.
2) Bad Moon Rising - CCR.
3) Gimme Shelter - The Rolling Stones.
4) Right Now - Van Halen.
5) Dreams - Van Halen.
6) Jump - Van Halen.
7) On Top of the World - Van Halen.
8) Back In Black - AC/DC.
9) Hells Bells - AC/DC.
10) Top Gun Anthem. from the Top Gun Album.
11) Danger Zone - From the Top Gun Album.
12) Mony Mony - Tommy James
13) When I'm Gone - Three Doors Down
14) Sympathy for the Devil - The Rolling Stones.
15) Start Me Up - The Rolling Stones.
16) Satisfaction - The Rolling Stones.
17) Good Golly Miss Molly - Little Richard
18) Run Through the Jungle - CCR.
19) Tutti Frutti - Little Richard.
20) Roll Over Beethoven - Chuck Berry.
21) Sweet Little Sixteen - Chuck Berry.
22) Johnny B. Goode - Chuck Berry.
23) Rock Around the Clock - Bill Haley and the Comets.
24) Revolution - The Beatles.
25) Helter Skelter - The Beatles.
26) Not Fade Away - Buddy Holly.
27) Great Balls of Fire - Jerry Lee Lewis.
28) Whole Lot of Shakin' Goin' On - Jerry Lee Lewis.
29) Sweet Home Chicago - from the Blues Brothers Soundtrack.
30) Jail House Rock - from the Blues Brothers Soundtrack.

[ddeclue]

15. Disc 2 would include a lot of ZZ top:

31) Legs - ZZ Top
32) Gimme All Your Lovin' - ZZ Top
33) Jesus Just Left Chicago - ZZ Top
34) Got Me Under Pressure - ZZ Top
35) Sharp Dressed Man - ZZ Top
36) Copperhead Road - Steve Earle
37) Smugglers Blues - Glen Frey
38) Miami Vice Theme - Miami Vice Soundtrack
39) Turn the Beat Around - Gloria Estefan