My biggest regret in life is that I never learned to play a musical instrument. Looking back, I don’t think I would have had the patience to learn one.
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve really learned to appreciate the good things in life and music is one of them. My first introduction to music was for my exercise. There’s nothing like a heart-pounding beat to keep you running or kickboxing. this type of music pumps you up, which can be a good thing, but not all the time.
As I’ve searched for ways to relax and calm my mind, I discovered classical music. As a matter of fact, this is the only type of music that I can stand to have playing when I’m working.
I had a very pleasant surprise the other day as I was struggling to write my blog post about what I learned at my conferences. I loved the conferences and loved what I learned, but I was struggling with how to condense and present all the information.
Well, I put on some Mozart and Vivaldi and sat down to write. The words and ideas just flowed! I was really in the zone. I will have to remember to listen to more classical music the next time I’m stuck.
What has worked to get you unstuck?
Musical photo is courtesy of Nina Matthews’ Photography Flicker Photostream, under Creative Commons Licensing.
Nancy Loderick's Blog 
wakeupyourluck
December 11, 2013
I have playlists for everything from studying to cleaning, and the type of music varies accordingly. Unfortunately I don’t have one for writer’s block, but maybe I should try to listen to more classical music!
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Nancy Loderick
December 11, 2013
Hi,
You should definitely give it a try! Maybe classical music isn’t your thing, but I bet some type of music would help! Even marching music might help – lol.
Nancy
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jamesrevelsthecomposer
December 11, 2013
Vivaldi’s four seasons are awesome! also there’s never a better time to learn an instrument than now
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Nancy Loderick
December 11, 2013
Hi James,
Thanks for your comment. I agree with you that there is no time like the present for action! I should really stop procrastinating. 🙂
Nancy
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Mind Margins
December 11, 2013
I used to play classical music when I taught fifth grade reading. I would play it when the students read quietly at their desks, when they took a test, or during journal writing. My tough, inner city kids grew to love Mozart and great classical music and would ask me to turn it on if I ever forgot.
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Nancy Loderick
December 11, 2013
Hi,
Thanks for sharing your experience with music. It’s nice to hear that classical music can truly “soothe the savage beast” so to speak.
Nancy
P.S. It is so nice to hear from you! I’ve been thinking about you and hoping you are okay.
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Mind Margins
December 11, 2013
Thank you! I’m doing great, officially cancer-free, and hoping to start writing again very soon.
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Nancy Loderick
December 11, 2013
That is absolutely wonderful news my friend! You have made my day. I look forward to reading more of your posts.
N
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Our Life In 3D
December 11, 2013
We read that if you play clasical music to an infant while they sleep or nap they will become more creative. So we did that and can’t argue with the results. The other day she had a bunch of her friends over in our backyard to play and she wanted to be a good host. so she pulls her little CD player out and sat it on the picnic table and blared more Mozart. I mean you had to bea ble to hear it on each side of our neighbors. They had to wonder what we were doing behiind our privacy fence. Yes, I love Classical for the relaxaion andbeing able to drift away. Nice Post Nancy!
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Nancy Loderick
December 11, 2013
Hi,
I had read that playing classical music to infants will help their brains. It’s nice to hear that it works!
Great story about your little girl! 🙂
Nancy
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Professor VJ Duke
December 11, 2013
I listen to music sometimes too. I love music.
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Nancy Loderick
December 12, 2013
So professor – what type of music do you like? I envision something dramatic and professorish, say opera?????
N
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Professor VJ Duke
December 12, 2013
Yes, I like that. But really, tis jazz.
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Nancy Loderick
December 13, 2013
Well Professor,
Jazz is also dramatic and professorish, so it fits. 🙂
N
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Ken Loderick
December 11, 2013
As you know, I love music also and enjoy listening to it on the radio during the day. Thank goodness for the commercial free music channels on cable! I don’t know what I’d do without them. If you want to learn to play an instrument, maybe you can try my trumpet. You better work on getting a strong set of lungs though!
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Nancy Loderick
December 12, 2013
HI Mr. Ken,
Well it is thanks to you that I love listening to Pandora music! As for the trumpet, I think I’ll just wait and have you serenade me!
N
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Rupesh
December 12, 2013
This is an amazing blog. Hope to learn a lot from here.
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Nancy Loderick
December 12, 2013
Hi Rupesh,
I am so glad you enjoy my blog. I hope that my posts are engaging as well as informative.
Nancy
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Rupesh
December 12, 2013
Most Definitely Nancy. In fact they are not only informative but also insightful.
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CBurns
December 12, 2013
Your post reminded me of a book I used to work with and may now bring it down off the shelf and wipe the dust off 🙂 It’s called Writing the Mind Alive, Linda Metcalf. What wonderful writings that came from that book for me involving baroque style classical. Thanks for the reminder!
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Nancy Loderick
December 12, 2013
Hi,
I am so glad that this post triggered something for you. Good luck with that book! Let me know how it works out for you.
Nancy
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VOID RPG Admin
December 12, 2013
I have nominated you for the Sunshine Award. Please check http://voidrpg.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=339&action=edit&message=6&postpost=v2 for the details! Congratulations on your award!!
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Nancy Loderick
December 12, 2013
Hi,
Thanks so much for the nomination. I am flattered. I will definitely check out the details later this week. 🙂
Thanks again.
Nancy
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VOID RPG Admin
December 12, 2013
Of course, Nancy!
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Glynis
December 12, 2013
I learned to play the flute and other wind instruments in school. I like to take my flute and try to play a new song for about an hour or two before writing it helps me to energize my mind.
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Nancy Loderick
December 13, 2013
HI Glynis,
What a great way to energize your mind! Thanks for sharing it.
Nancy
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Glynis
December 12, 2013
Oh I almost forgot, I nominated you for the Sisterhood of Bloggers award. Congratulations!
http://glynisrankin.wordpress.com/2013/12/12/sisterhood-award/
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Nancy Loderick
December 13, 2013
Hi again Glynis,
Wow, I am flattered. I will check it out later this weekend.
Thanks again. Have a great weekend!
Nancy
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jmsabbagh
December 15, 2013
Lovely musical post.I play the Middle-Eastern Mandolin.Have a wonderful holiday season.jalal
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Nancy Loderick
December 17, 2013
Hi,
Thanks for your comment. I am impressed that you play the mandolin. I bet your music is beautiful.
I hope you have a wonderful holiday season too. Best wishes for a Happy New Year too!
Nancy
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Aliosa
December 16, 2013
Thanks for the visit to the
http://aliosapopovici.wordpress.com/2013/12/12/
All good !!!
Regardas,
Aliosa.
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Nancy Loderick
December 17, 2013
Hi Aliosa,
Thanks for your comment and the Christmas wishes. The same to you!
Nancy
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Aliosa
December 18, 2013
Good morning !
Merry Christmas !!!
Regards,
Aliosa.
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Nancy Loderick
December 18, 2013
Hi,
Thank you so much! The same to you my friend. 🙂
Nancy
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Charlotte Hoather
December 19, 2013
I’m glad you found classical music, it’s enriched my life so much from my start in pop and music theatre. Opera music is so brilliant I find not every song is for me but I’ve made some fabulous discoveries.
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Nancy Loderick
December 20, 2013
Hi Charlotte,
Thanks so much for your comment. It’s always fun to hear about what type of music other people like.
Nancy
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Heartafire
December 31, 2013
Happy New Year…such lovely gifts, I am empty handed, but wishing you the best in the coming year!
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Nancy Loderick
January 1, 2014
Hi,
Your kind wishes are the best kind of gift! May 2014 be filled with lots of good things for you too!
Nancy
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sf
January 3, 2014
While I was visiting my sister at her college years ago, I was taken aback when she told me that she was heading to her piano class. I asked her why in the world she had taken piano (voluntarily!), when she should have enough classes to stress over already (she was a pre-med major). She answered me: “Because I want to learn an instrument before I die.” Although that was almost 20 years ago, it still depresses me to think about what she had said. Especially because (me being older) our parents had paid for me to get piano lessons, when I was a kid. But because I never practiced my lessons, my piano tutors would always quit teaching me. So I couldn’t understand why my sister would ever even imagine taking piano classes when she had witnessed my misery back when we were young. But I guess she might’ve been thinking somewhat as you do now, about wishing to learn an instrument to play.
That’s wonderful that you’ve come to love classical music and can even write better with it on. Besides hymns, the only classical music I had ever actually had looked for to listen to was Chopin, after I had watched a movie about him years ago. Happy classical new year to you, Nancy!
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sf
January 3, 2014
I had mentioned your post on my blog today! :oD
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Nancy Loderick
January 3, 2014
Hi sf,
Oh boy, I am flattered. I’m happy that you liked my post enough to do so.
Thanks so much!
Nancy
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Nancy Loderick
January 3, 2014
Hi sf,
A very happy classical new year to you too! 🙂
Nancy
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September Magic
January 5, 2014
I love ballet music, it conjures up such beautiful images.
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Nancy Loderick
January 5, 2014
Hi – funny you should mention ballet music. One of my goals for 2014 is to take a ballet class. I was lucky to find some good DVDs so I won’t have to embarrass myself in public.
Nancy
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Peter Wells aka Countingducks
January 8, 2014
I almost always love to write while I have music playing near me. It helps to inspire and enrich a mood or sense of life which helps me paint the word picture I wish to create. I cannot imagine life without music, which I enjoy in many forms though not all
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Nancy Loderick
January 9, 2014
Hi Peter,
Thanks for your comment. There is something special about certain types of music that really sparks my creativity. Now, of course if I was listening to Rap or Hip Hop, my brain would be in “fight or flight” mode since I don’t care for those genres.
Nancy
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Elizabeth Cardenas
January 11, 2014
Classical music has always helped me.
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Nancy Loderick
January 12, 2014
Hi Elizabeth,
Thanks so much for your comment. I’m glad to hear that you are another lover of Classical music. There is just something about it that soothes my soul.
Nancy
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