Eating Music...

As soon as I put this title up, I realized that perhaps it could be read two ways: either music you listen to while you eat; or music you actually consume, which may be a physical improbability, but who really knows. I did mean the former by the way, so if you were looking for a way to ingest music instead of food, you should stop reading right now:)

I like to listen to music while I eat. In fact, well-chosen dinner music can make you eat slower, chew your food more carefully, and actually aid in the digestion of said food. If you don't believe me, check out The Mozart Effect by Don Campbell. (It's been awhile since I've read this book, and I was in my first year of university and VERY impressionable, but some of the information is mind-blowing and has stayed in brain for the last 10 years, which to me says a lot about the impact of this info! Here's the website: http://www.mozarteffect.com/)

Now back to the original subject: dinner music. There are several points to consider when choosing music to eat to.

1. Nothing angry or aggressive - Music that has an angry feel will make people feel anxious, igniting a stress response which will likely make them eat fast and then leave. Plus no one wants to shout at each other over dinner:)

2. Nothing too fast. Sometimes, people like to choose music based on the genre such as Classical or Jazz. However just because music is instrumental, doesn't make it good dinner music. Anything with a fast tempo will sub-consciously make your guest's heart beat faster, making them want to eat faster, and then leave. Music with a quick tempo is great for parties and for running to, but not for dinner...this includes dance music, as well as some jazz and classical music...so beware. If you're not sure, listen to the music and tap the beat with your hands or feet, you can quickly see if it's a fast tempo or not.

3. Be aware of your guest's sensitivities. Maybe they love Lionel Richie or maybe they hate U2. If you know what your guest likes/dislikes, make your choices carefully.

4. Nothing too loud. This definitely goes along with point #1 but it is perhaps the most important point. People have different ideas about what qualifies as too loud, but my thought is, if you can't hear what someone is saying from across the table, the music is too loud. So unless you are trying to recreate a dance club atmosphere, keep the volume low.

As for what choices to make....a good mix of slow tempo jazz, easy-listening soul or blues, some classical music (but no opera!), even reggae, especially in the summer, all make good dinner music.

Let me know if you have any suggestions:)

J.