Want to get happy, stay happy, celebrate being happy? Classical music can help.

Imagine you’re holding a big glass mug of beer with a handle. If you have a real one nearby, even better. Now imagine you’re surrounded by friends, family, teammates. You’ve just pulled off something difficult—something you weren’t sure would work. You swing that mug back and forth in celebration. That feeling—EARNED joy FOUGHT FOR VICTORY STRUGGLE and REDEMPTION—that’s Beethoven

We can learn from the musical concerto about the art of discussion and even how to argue better. Bach Piano Concerto in D minor will give us a sense of. Bqck and forth and beauty in the dialogue.

Let’s listen to Mozart’s Piano Concerto #21 where the argument is light and playful and the agreement is gloriously beautiful.

Classical music that makes you smarter

In this episode we will highlight the upcoming concert of the Wellington City Orchestra who are performing Dmitri Shostakovich's Cello Concerto #1 and New Zealand composers Douglas Lilburn / Aoteoroa Overture and Anthony Ritchie / Symphony #1

Many listeners own a cat, like cats or just want to get into the current trend of being a cat lady. This episode is dedicated to USA Republican Candidate for vice president J.D. Vance and as well to Taylor Swift who endorsed Democratic Presidential candidate Kamala Harris with a cat friendly special sign off. Lets listen to classical music that have cat themes, either in the title, theme, or through cat-like musical ideas or motifs

In previous "Listen to this!" episodes we highlighted the performance of the Nelson Symphony and their concert called "Travel Plans". Even though its musical program is also about different places, the Christchurch Youth Orchestra’s concert is less about the cultural aspects of a different country and more about the visceral FEELING of the geography of a different land.