Guest post by Kati-Anne Gustafsson

Getting baby to sleep is often one of the toughest areas of having a newborn. Mom’s exhausted, everyone else is tired, but baby doesn’t want to sleep and starts to fuss if ignored. One way of getting over this is to have some special music that you have playing all the time when baby is being calmed down ready for a nap. Get the baby used to the music first of all so that it is something familiar, just playing the music several times a day every day will do that (pick something that wont drive you crazy) and then gradually, leave the baby for a couple of minutes at a time – first of all just stand where baby cant see you, and then aim to move across the room, and eventually out of the room all together.  

The idea is that baby stops focusing so much on you, but on the music.  Babies are born with a love of music and sound which is why this works – although I’m not going to claim it works on all babies because I’ve read far too many books that made predictions about all babies and my two babies did fit any of them!  

I found two types of music that worked with my children. With the eldest, I found that he settled down very quickly when I put the Natural Sounds For Baby Sleep: Wind In A Forest CD in the stereo. I must confess that parrot screeching did nothing for me, but he loved it and would lie quite happily in his crib, even when he wasn’t asleep. The baby loves The Mozart Effect: Music for Babies, Vol 1– I can’t say enough about this music album, we also bought the second volume The Mozart Effect: Music for Babies, Vol 2 because the sound of Mozart lulls him to sleep. It’s magic!  

You need to experiment with what works for your particular baby. Start with things you listened to whilst you were pregnant because chances are baby will already recognise them. On the other hand, I certainly didn’t listen to screeching parrots when pregnant with my firstborn, and he adored them from the first moment I played the CD!

Find the musical key and you’ll increase your baby’s security cushion. You can even take this music to grandparents or other babysitters home if you need to leave baby for a couple of hours – the music is something familiar and should calm them when you first leave and they need to adjust to you not being there.

Before long, the entire family could be feeling a lot more relaxed because the baby is more settled and sleeping regularly.

The 101 Relaxing Tracks album from Spa Maestro offers over 7 hours of sounds created to positively reinforce your mood and attitude. The music gently hugs you and relaxes you immediately. It is a perfect companion for tranquil moments. You can light some candles, close your eyes and imagine any place in the world where you would like to be right now.

You can follow the sounds of nature – the chirping of birds in the morning or rolling thunder and falling water – which will make you feel safe and wholesome.

The music on this album can be also used as a background for Yoga exercises, for improving concentration while studying or during meditation practices.

                                            Click here to find more about this album on Amazon

A bad case of insomnia has resulted in a not-for-profit radio station designed to put listeners to sleep.

John Watson founded Sleep Radio in Te Aroha a year ago after being diagnosed with clinical depression and anxiety, which led to sleeplessness.

"I'd lay in bed for hours and hours at night staring at the ceiling," he said.

"I had to do something about it."

With 18 years' experience as a cinema projectionist and working in theatre, Watson had the skills to set up the radio station, so decided to give it a go.

Sleep Radio has no advertisements or DJ, playing non-stop ambient music to help those with insomnia find relaxation and sleep.

Watson runs the radio station from his home in Te Aroha in the Waikato. He and his wife, Deborah, moved to Te Aroha from the North Shore in Auckland a few months ago.

He spends several hours a day running Sleep Radio and also posts monthly podcasts of interviews with sleep specialists on his website, www.sleepradio.co.nz.

"It's basically a passion and a hobby really more than anything else."

It cost about $500 to set up the radio station, with running costs of about $500 per year, he said.
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He received some donations towards running costs - a broken computer was recently replaced with donations from a Givealittle fundraising page set up online, he said.

Listeners could also make donations through the website.

About 400 people from around the world tuned in to Sleep Radio, depending on the time of day or night, he said.

There were also 18,200 followers on www.tunein.com, where the station was also broadcast.

Feedback had been very positive through social media as well, he said.

"That's the satisfaction I get out of it."

Finding the right kind of soothing music had not been a problem, he said.

Watson was regularly approached by ambient music artists from all over the world who wanted to promote their music.

"It's not a popular genre, it's not the sort of thing you'll hear on the radio. Every day I'm besieged with more music than I can handle."

Watson said he still had trouble sleeping at night, but found listening to his own radio station gets him off to sleep pretty quickly.

"It's pure soothing ambient music 24 hours a day."

His vast knowledge of studio techniques as well as MIDI technology has allowed him to create unique sonic sculptures using digital samplers, synthesizers, and a huge collection of world instruments such as gongs, the Australian didgeridoo, Mayan flutes, African kalimbas, Native American flutes, and instruments of his own design.

Brian's ongoing research and musical projects are focused on the advancement of music as a powerful tool for the enrichment of one's mental, physical and spiritual well-being. In particular, music that affects coherency of the human energy field, which plays a very important part in the well-being of each and every one of us.

Although we are all unique and vibrating individuals with our own special needs, there are certain key frequencies which strike a resonance deep within to facilitate the alignment, healing and attunement of our minds, bodies and spirits.

How many instruments do you have now? I do an inventory about every couple of years just to see, and it's in excess of 230. We've dedicated part of our house to what I call 'the museum'.

Are most of those instruments ones you made? Not necessarily, but quite a few. I am always looking for a new sound, because then I have the ability to use it in a composition. For example, I was washing the dishes one day and I happened to tap some measuring cups on the bottom of the sink. It created a really interesting sound, so I created a measuring cup wind tree.

'You can put anything in my hands and I will try to find a way to make it squwak, burble, chortle, cackle, flap, squeak, boing, zizzle, pang, bonk, holler, yelp, coo, bang, buzz, honk, wheeze, splat, cry, croak, sigh, sing, zip, yodel, snap, crackle and pop!'

Your music is based on harmonic resonance. What does that mean? Harmonics are simply overtones. If we were to play a string on a guitar tuned to G, we hear ... a continuation of energy, a series of overtones which give that string its particular sound. If we had enough acoustic energy, then theoretically you could continue producing higher and higher octaves until it is no longer in the electromagnetic spectrum of sound, which encompasses eight octaves. Then [the sound] can be equated to such phenomena as electromagnetic energy as we call color, or light. Even higher vibrations can be considered fragrance.

What's the benefit? There have been studies that show that if you play sitar or Bach to plants, they would grow deeper root systems and flourish, but if played certain kinds of rock or metal the plants would actually lean away from the sound sources, develop short roots and die. I believe that we are now rediscovering what the ancients knew. We have so many distractions in our society that we very seldom get in touch with our true self, and I think sound and specific kinds of music can produce such lucent dream states to make that possible. We also know about the Mozart effect -- how music can improve intelligence and things like that. So we know that by creating specific intervals and specific music you can change mood.

To celebrate the mp3 release of the classic Return to Giza, you can get all 9 of Brian's albums at 33% of their usual price...

Or purchase all 9 albums together and save 63%.

Click here for more info and to listen to some samples of Brian's music

Email: elisabark35@gmail.com
Website: http://www.amybarbera.com/
Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hao1TbPDAug
The online release follows a hugely successful and well received CD Release Party which took place Saturday October 10, 2015 in Coral Springs, Fl.

The beautiful event was lavishly decorated with colorful Moroccan decor. Amy opened the event performing 5 of her healing songs from the new album followed by a special time of meditation/breath work with the guests. Before she began her powerful concert, Ms. Barbera stated that she is "an artist whose sole purpose is to reach people and touch the world with God's love through her music and songs." From the opening song till the end of the concert, the atmosphere among the audience (while Amy performed), was electric. As Amy concluded her last song, she received a full room standing ovation.

When asked her inspiration for her "Breath of Angels" album, Amy said that God gave her the songs for the album while attending many healing Yin Yoga classes. Recognizing this culture's need for healing, rest and peace, this album's God inspired songs are designed to put the listener in a peaceful, relaxing, and often otherworldly place. From the ethnic drumbeat sound of the title track "Breath of Angels,” to the stunning stringed arrangement of the song "Flying" Amy's album will keep the listener mesmerized to the very end. Amy Barbera fans will be delighted by her signature angelic vocals on this album, as well as the uniqueness of the ethnic percussion and her creative departure from her 2008 album "Beautiful Flower of Life".

Amy's heavenly "Breath of Angels" album will be available for purchase on CD Baby, iTunes, Amazon and many more sites. Amy's fans will be able to purchase both the physical copy and digital download copy of "Breath of Angels." To find out more about Amy Barbera and her music, visit her official website www.amybarbera.com or her social media sites below:

http://www.facebook.com/amybarberafanpage
www.twitter.com/AmyBarbera
http://youtube.com/amybarbera
http://plus.google.com/+AmyBarbera

Amy Barbera-Healing Meditation CD "Breath Of Angels" 10 Song Teaser...

In a world gone digital, disruptive, with so much to say and could feel what the little that is being said has little meaning. In a world that’s lullabies, sleeping, slumbering, or even on pause … there’s a glimmer of something more.

A pause. That moment between breathing in and breathing up, that’s plugged into consciousness, and expansive as it is digital.

This one happens to sound Celtic. Thanks! Every dream, memory, whim, plausible, yearning of the landscapes that hold this music come flooding to me. A round the world trip without jetlag. Hmmm, I’m really walking into so many delicious metaphors as I listen to Serene Spaces: Celtic Harmony, a meditative, magical, mystical lullaby of times gone by – that oh so present and entirely yours for the making.

Something for your inner Goddess to swirl into, your inner child to slip into as dragons, castles, and princesses come into view, or your inner Romeo and Juliet to fall in love with all over again. Or even Japan, rising with the blood red moon (Don’t ask me why, I just went there!).

Whatever landscape, reality, dream you choose to tuck yourself into you’re projected to a dimension of effortless ease.

And if you are not drawn to the Celtic landscapes, you can just get hypnotized by the infinite darkness as you drop into nothingness. That cosy teddy-bear-hug-me-lots snuggle moment, to smell of fresh linen, and the comforting space of utter presence as you feel into your heart, your body (but out of mind!), to the grass below your feet, or the sensation of being blessed with the sensational gifts (touch, smell, etc)

10 minutes …. down this rabbit hole … and your stresses melt away like marshmallows on a roaring fire and butter on hot toast.

Serenaded by the sounds of a  Celtic folk harp and Swedish nyckelharpa, supported by a rich assortment of acoustic instruments performed by Lisa Lynne and Aryeh Frankfurter, this

Soothing Celtic music mixed with BWE designed for relaxation and stress relief.

And it sounds a little like this: Serene Spaces: Celtic Harmony