October 28, 2023
I have finally fulfilled my “bucket list” dream of recording an album in Nashville!
See, I grew up in a very musical family, played the violin for many years, sang in a rock band in high school, sang in the church choir in college, and have even interviewed amazing music icons like Rick Rubin.
Despite not being anything like a “professional musician,” I still love music – whether that be writing and singing my own original songs, singing praise songs and hymns at church, or busting out some Coldplay or Jelly Roll or Elevation Worship or Chris Stapleton (yeah I dig a weird mix of contemporary, pop, Christian, and country) while driving down the highway.
It’s no secret that music is, and always has been, a huge passion of mine. I use music for relaxation, for medicine, for energy, for sleep, for worship, and as a creative outlet for the words and tunes that seem to swirl around my mind at least once a week.
Now, one of my “side projects” of late has been creating my own music via original singing-songwriting, and, as a result, I have finally put the finishing touches on a brand new rock album I recorded in Nashville, entitled “Made For.” You can find the entire album here.
In this podcast, you'll get to hear all my new songs but also how music affects your fitness and exercise capability, how music affects your brain, the surprising impact of sound therapy and music, how music can help you learn, the benefits of music for reducing stress, anxiety, and pain, how to use music to build intelligence, and much more!
-Ben’s first music album…05:57
- Recorded a contemporary rock album in Nashville
- “Made For” – a 6-song album
- Grew up in a musical family
- Played violin for 13 years
- Sang in a rock band in high school
- Sang in a church choir in college
- Podcast interview with Rick Rubin
- Music has always been Ben’s passion
- Available for free online
- Blurry Creatures
- EP: 196 War of Frequencies with Dr. Laura Sanger – about frequencies of music coming from the spirit world
-Song 1:
-The benefits of music for exercise: Can music really influence your workout?
-“Running With You”…09:37
- Great gym track
- Wrote it for his sons
- Shout out to Ben’s collaborator on this project Chad Carouthers
-How music can influence your workout…14:09
- A wealth of research on the impact of music on exercise
- Ben’s use of music when he was training for a triathlon
- A “spin Nazi” in college
- Professor Costas Karageorghis at the Brunel University in London, an expert in Sport and Exercise psychology
- A study published in The Psychology of Sport and Exercise
- Listening to music led to a 28% increase in enjoyment of a workout
- Enjoyment was 13% higher for people who listened to music compared to listening to a podcast
- Ben mostly listens to podcasts or audiobooks
- Learning and exercising at the same time
- More than 100 studies showing music can make a hard workout feel less hard
- Music can reduce what's called PRE – rating of perceived exertion
- The results are better when you make a playlist yourself
- Music is not as effective for high-intensity training
- More effective for like a long run or an easier workout
- Music helps to improve your actual sporting performance
- It can allow you to engage in better skill acquisition and better sporting performance
- Synchronizing with a beat
-Song 2:
-Benefits of music for stress/anxiety/pain:
- The Power of Music to Reduce Stress
- Three Decades Later: The Life Experiences and Mid-Life Functioning of 1980s Heavy Metal Groupies, Musicians, and Fans
-“Made For”…21:13
- Wrote the song as an inspiration to be fully present in what the world is telling you right now
- Eyes wide open
- Fearless and hopeful spirit
- The knowledge that deep down inside God has a great purpose for your life
-Music for stress…25:51
- King Saul and David
- Therapeutic effects of music
- Ben did an interview with the composer Michael Tyrell
- Expert on frequencies for sound healing and for decreased stress
- Michael reset the frequency hertz of the A note to be closer to 444 Hertz
- A whole controversial story behind it
- A 2020 overview of research in the music and stress
- Listening to music can
- Lower the amount of cortisol produced by the adrenal glands
- Release painkilling endorphins
- Reduce physical and emotional stress levels
- A 2021 study – People who listen to personal selections of music have significantly reduced cortisol levels
- Another overview of 349 different studies that occurred on music usefulness as a mental health treatment for schizophrenia, for bipolar and for major depression
- Music therapy has also shown a significant benefit in preventing burnout in workers
- NuCalm
- BrainTap – light/sound stimulation machine (use code GREENFIELD to save $50 off a headset)
- A 2018 survey revealed that 62% of people were responsive to music for relaxation, sleep, and for insomnia
- Music significantly reduces anxiety in children
- Music therapy reduces depression levels and increases confidence
- Improves quality of life for people with Alzheimer's disease
- Music can relieve pain
- The impact of different types of music
- The song “Weightless” – a group of musicians, researchers, and music therapists that have claimed to create the most relaxing, stress-relieving song ever
-Song 3:
-Benefits of music for the immune system:
- Sound Therapy 201: The Advanced Course On Vibrational Medicine.
- The Immune System Can Hear Noise
- 6 Ways to Improve Immunity Through Music
-“Eternal Spark”…34:10
- A love song Ben wrote for his wife
- When you look into someone's eyes, you can see deep into their soul
- There is an invisible spark inside each of us
-Music and the immune system…42:43
- Greek physicians back in the day would use music as medicine
- Ancient Egyptians used musical incantations for healing
- The positive effects of music on blood pressure, heart rate, and respiratory rate
- Lowers blood pressure
- Increases cardiac output
- Decreases heart rate
- Assists with the activation of the parasympathetic, rest and relax nervous system
- Listening to music, even playing music, can increase the body's production of the antibody immunoglobulin A
- Studies have shown that music can regulate immune function in humans
- Noise pollution can negatively affect the immune system – The Immune System Can Hear Noise
- Music can decrease the levels of cortisol in the blood
- There's some evidence that music might reduce the meta status of tumor cells and postpone cancer progression
- The impact of music on anti-inflammatory cytokines
- Different organs can interact with different frequencies
-Song 4:
-Sound therapy and sound medicine:
- Sound Therapy 101: Foundations Of The Ancient Origins & Healing Power Of Sound Therapy & Music Medicine.
- Sound Therapy 201: The Advanced Course On Vibrational Medicine.
- Sound Healing: Definition, History, Types and Benefits
-“Cover It All”…47:20
- Ben’s story about being on the brink of a horrible divorce
- They got through it thanks to their mutual love and commitment
- 1 Corinthians 13
- Love can cover it all
- Ben’s wife Jessa in a cameo at the end part of the song
-Sound healing…52:56
- A growing field of alternative medicine
- Ben first experienced it when he was in Sedona, with Porangui
- Sound healing is the use of specific instruments, music, tones, and sonic vibrations to balance and heal the body, mind, and spirit
- BioMat sound healing mat
- Sound healing uses specific sound frequencies to promote deep rest and nervous system rebalancing
- Pythagoras, the ancient Greek philosopher discovered music intervals
- The first person to prescribe music as medicine
- Heinrich Wilhelm Dove discovered the neurological effect of binaural beats in 1839
- Osteopathic physician named Sir Peter Guy Manners developed a machine to produce therapeutic sound vibration for the cells in the body
- Examples of sound medicine:
- Sound bath
- Guided sound meditations
- Sound Medicine: How to Use the Ancient Science of Sound to Heal the Body and Mind by Dr. Kulreet Chaudhury
- Podcast with Dr. Kulreet Chaudhury:
- BrainTap – light/sound stimulation machine (use code GREENFIELD to save $50 off a headset)
- Can be plugged into the BioMat sound healing mat
- Self-inflicted sound therapy with humming/umming
- Othership app
- Sound healing breathwork sessions
- Vibro-acoustic therapy with the BioMat
- Uses low-frequency sound waves to stimulate the body
- Acutonics therapy
- Placing tuning forks on different parts of the body to stimulate acupuncture points
- Sound healing instruments:
- Tibetan singing bowls
- Tanpura
- Crystal singing bowls
- Native American flute
- Bells
- Handpan or steel tongue drum
- Drum
- Rattlers
- Shakers
- Chimes
- Rain sticks
-Song 5:
-Impact of music on intelligence: Music and Learning: Does Music Make You Smarter?
-“Pull Me Closer”…59:43
- Ben wrote this on his morning walk, while praying
- Looking at the beauty of nature
- Nature can draw you closer to God
-Learning and music…1:05:02
- brain.fm app
- Specific tracks that are designed to help to learn better
- Music seems to be able to affect IQ and learning
- People's scores on IQ tests improve when they listen to classical music by Mozart
- Music doesn't actually make you smarter
- Decreases feelings of stress, which can result in better focus and improved test score
- The brain gets stronger the more you exercise it through a process called neuroplasticity
- We can measure neuroplasticity with brain imaging techniques
- The impact of music on neuroplasticity
- The auditory system processes sound more effectively after musical training
- Brain areas that control the instrument-related muscles grow in size
- Better music ability is related to higher reading scores
- An increase in what's called social-emotional awareness
- Songs with repetitive melodies and rhythms can help you memorize lists or stories or even processes
-Song 6:
-“You're Great”…1:10:25
- Driving rock song
- Describes how God's strength and power is revealed in so many encounters of our daily existence
- When your strength starts failing, and you feel like you can't keep fighting
-Wrapping up…1:14:17
- Ben asks for feedback
- Ben would love to write praise and worship songs
Resources mentioned:
– Podcasts And Articles:
- How Sound Healing Works, Why Most Music Is At The Wrong Frequency, The Best Music For Sleep & Much More With Wholetones Composer Michael Tyrrell.
- The Little-Known Healing Method Of Myorhythmic Release That Combines Sound, Movement, Breath & More!
- Sound Medicine: How To Use The Ancient Science Of Sound To Heal The Body And Mind.
- How To Lose 131 Pounds By Eating Meat: The Rick Rubin Podcast
- Sound Therapy 201: The Advanced Course On Vibrational Medicine.
- Sound Therapy 101: Foundations Of The Ancient Origins & Healing Power Of Sound Therapy & Music Medicine.
– Books:
– Other Resources:
- Chad Carouthers
- NuCalm
- BrainTap (use code GREENFIELD to save $50 off a headset)
- BioMat Bioacoustic Mat
- Othership
- Tuning Forks
- Tibetan singing bowls
- Crystal singing bowls
- Native American flute
- Handpan
- Drum
- Chimes
- Rain sticks
- brain.fm
- Blurry Creatures EP: 196 War of Frequencies with Dr. Laura Sanger
Upcoming Events:
- Elements of Vitality: December 8th, 2023
Return to the Elements of Vitality—this will be the second time my good friend Dr. John Lieurance and I collaborate to bring you the most effective and cutting-edge health and wellness advice, protocols, and some of our favorite tools. If you’re into health and wellness, and you want to stay on top of all of the cutting-edge, latest, and greatest innovations and protocols, you don’t want to miss this event. Learn more here.
- Keep up on Ben's LIVE appearances by following bengreenfieldfitness.com/calendar!
Special Announcements…
Click here for the full written transcript of this podcast episode.
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I really loved this podcast episode and the power of music, particular on the mental and spiritual aspects of it! I’m a leisure musician and song writer myself and deeply resonated with what Ben shared. I like your rock music, especially ‘Cover It All’, ‘Made For’ and ‘Canvas Cries’, because of their story, the emotions and way you express the message of the songs with the lyrics and moving and almost “timeless” music. I’d be excited hearing your musical adventure going further, like writing music for worship and prayers to be sung in churches. It’s fantastic! Never stop learning and developing yourself, Ben!
This episode was so much fun. Your gravely throaty speaking voice is almost completely unrecognizable to an almost sentimentally romantic-esque rocknrolly voice!
Well-done Ben. Really nice medley of foot-tapping, heart warming and, pedal to the metal pushing songs. But mostly, while I’ve written a song for my dad now I want to write one for my beautiful son next thanks to this episode. That song about your sons….was rad!
(Between Kathmandu is the capital of stunning Nepal. Land of Mount Everest:)