Have you ever considered the impact music has on your workout? In my group exercise classes, I noticed with certain music my students appeared disengaged while other times they were relaxed and smiling even when they were working really hard. Curious to know more about the impact of music on exercise, I started to do some research.
I could never have anticipated how a casual conversation with two musicians would turn into a new sound for water exercise. I knew water exercise is was great, but I didn’t know it could be even better with the right sound. After many months of hard work, they did it – Jamie and Erika Mahn created a new sound for water exercise called, “Blue Rhythm.”
Meet the Musician: Jamie Mahn
Jamie made his musical debut at the age of 4 singing at an Oktoberfest celebration. At 12, he delivered his first impromptu piano show to snowbound guests in New York. Performing piano, guitar, sax and more on stages worldwide, music literally runs through his body!
Currently, Jamie delivers a live all-request piano show with partner Brian Burn. Burn ‘N’ Mahn, covers every style of music from the 1920s to current top 40 hits. Jamie says,
“To stay on top of the latest, we listen to satellite radio while driving from gig to gig and basically learn songs on the road so that if people ask we can play them.”
440 Hz vs. 432 Hz
Most music is tuned to a frequency of 440 Hz, which has been the industry standard since the 1950s, yet Jamie and Brian have been playing their all-request piano show with instruments tuned in at 432 Hz. Jamie says,
“Since we started using 432 frequency the response has been more energy in the crowd, greater personal involvement and people staying longer than they did before.”
FUN FACT: Famous works recorded to the 432 Hz scale include early masterpieces by Bach and Mozart as well as “Imagine“by John Lennon and “Three Little Birds” by Bob Marley.
Messages from Water
Research has shown that 432 Hz resonates harmoniously with nature while 440 Hz creates chaos. This finding is demonstrated in the work of Dr. Masaru Emoto. Repeated experiments show that offering good words, music and prayer to water results in beautiful crystal formations in the water itself. The results of his studies were published in four volumes of “Messages from Water.”
Healing at the Speed of Sound®
Here are a few relevant excerpts taken from the well-researched, fact-driven book, “Healing at the Speed of Sound,” by Don Campbell and Alex Doman.
- After being involved in a serious car accident, Amy Prince was told that the brain damage was permanent, and that she was unlikely to recover her full hearing. Through an intensive musical therapy program using vibration paired with modified music of Mozart and other composers developed new neural pathways literally reorganizing her brain.
- Patients with orthopedic and neuromuscular disorders can rely on the guiding beat of music to support their efforts to control movement, regulate gait and recover their sense of movement.
- Older people with arthritis are likely to find that daily sessions spent listening to classical or other relaxing music can significantly reduce their perception of arthritis or other pain.
- Patients undergoing knee or hip replacement surgery can decrease the likelihood of postoperative confusion by listening to music following surgery and can speed their recovery by continuing their listening for an hour or so four times per day.
A New Sound for Water Exercise
When we first started on our mission to create a better sound for water exercise, Jamie played me a few bars of music at 440 Hz and the same notes tuned at 432 Hz. At first, I had a difficult time hearing the difference. But as I used the music more, I could feel the difference! When exercising to the sound of “Blue Rhythm,” my whole body relaxes, and I can literally feel energy rushing through my body, the kind that gives you goosebumps.
We were excited to share “Blue Rhythm” as we knew this was something that was completely new in the water exercise industry, and if the harmonious capabilities of sound as demonstrated in Dr. Emoto’s research were true, the right music could help support the WECOACH Workouts mission – to help people feel and move better!
BLUE RHYTHM (30 minutes – 128 BPM)
Could exposure to music tuned in at a harmonious pitch have a positive rippling effect on our body?
“The effects of sound reach the mind at an unconscious level. They’re subtle, but if you pay attention you’ll become more aware. It’s like tuning your mental radio into the healing frequency. The longer you’re plugged in, the more you gain. When you combine that with the exercise, the results multiply exponentially.”
– Jamie Mahn, composer of Blue Rhythm
When it comes to music, don’t just settle for background noise. Use exercises and sound that are natural to the body. “Blue Rhythm” helps the body tune-in and build stronger mind-body connections. The tropical island feel and seamless transitions between songs results in a continuous feeling of relaxed calm while providing a desire to move!
