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August 24, 2011

Henry David Thoreau on the effects of music

    William Congreve’s play “The Mourning Bride” (1697) opens with,

Musick has Charms to sooth a savage Breast,
To soften Rocks, or bend a knotted Oak.
 
    William Congreve wrote this before rock music was invented to move Philistine souls; property damage, stolen cars, and murder marked the Altamont Free Concert.
    Classical music has charms to move cultivated souls. Has ever there been a murder at a symphony concert?
    Rock or classical – which would have drawn Henry David Thoreau? All we have to go on are his words:


    When I hear music, I fear no danger, I am invulnerable, I see no foe. I am related to the earliest times and to the latest.

    (We quote Henry David Thoreau from page 57 of The Power of Music, by Elena Mannes. Walker & Company, 2011.)
    For a brief biography of Henry David Thoreau, click here. For images of or relating to Henry David Thoreau, click here.
    For a brief biography of William Congreve, click here. For images of or relating to William Congreve, click here.
    For a brief biography of Elena Mannes, click here. For images of or relating to Elena Mannes, click here.
    For a bit about the Altamont Free Concert, click here.

August 24, 2011 |

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Books by H. Charles Romesburg

  • H. Charles Romesburg: The Life of the Creative Spirit

    H. Charles Romesburg: The Life of the Creative Spirit
    Practically all of the quotations in this blog's posts are collected in "The Life of the Creative Spirit."

  • H. Charles Romesburg: How About It, Writer?

    H. Charles Romesburg: How About It, Writer?
    Based on a study of more than 12,000 essays from the very best literary magazines, this book provides writers with lists of thousands of classic forms of opening sentences, titles, transition sentences, ways of saying "for example," and ways of closing nonfiction pieces. When you are writing an essay and want a hint for a better or fresh way of saying what you mean, looking through the lists acts on the imagination, stimulating your creativity. From Lulu Press (ISBN 1-4116-2862-4, 194 pp., softback), it's $16.95 when ordered from Lulu.com/Romesburg , and $22.95 from bookstores. To view its cover, click on www.cnr.usu.edu/romesburg/how_about_it_writer.htm To view its title page, contents, and first two chapters, click on: www.cnr.usu.edu/romesburg/how_about_it_writer_preview.pdf

  • H Charles Romesburg: Best Research Practices

    H Charles Romesburg: Best Research Practices
    The Saunterer’s new book (2009), Best Research Practices explains how to plan and carry out reliable experiments, how to conceive and circumstantially support research hypotheses, how to test research hypotheses with the hypothetico-deductive method, how to discover cause and effect, and more. It’s based on his examination of 5,000 top scientific articles, studying the methods used to produce reliable knowledge. Preview it on-line by going to the following link: http://print.google.com/print?isbn=9780557017836

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