Do rainy days and Mondays always get you down? Welcome to November, which, on average, dumps about 4.5 inches of rain on New York City. When you are wet and cold, you are probably not seeing much beauty in the rain . All you want to do is go indoors, get warm, and stay dry.

And you can always cheer yourself up with the thought that it could be worse – you could be living in Seattle! But if you have an artistic streak, you might appreciate these words by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: “How beautiful is the rain! After the dust and heat, In the broad and fiery street, In the narrow lane, How beautiful is the rain!” You don’t agree? Well then, continue reading.

The sounds of nature

You might find all that H2O irritating while you are getting wet outside, but once you are warm and cozy indoors, you are in a better position to appreciate the unique kind of music that the rain creates. The steady drumbeat pattern of falling raindrops has a calming and soothing effect that can help you think, contemplate, and reflect. You can just as well relax and fall asleep as concentrate on a task like reading or studying. The same effect, by the way, can be achieved by other nature water sounds as well – for instance, the ocean , river , and waterfall .

Rainy day songs

In pop music, there are a number of songs about the rain as well. Interestingly, none of them are somber; rather, they are upbeat and have a good vibe to them. Perhaps the best known one is from the movie “Singing in the Rain.” Then there’s the Beatles’ rendition of “Rain” Eric Clapton’s “Let it Rain” , “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head” by BJ Thomas, Bob Dylan’s “A Hard Rain Gonna Fall” , and perhaps the most fittingly named of all, “November Rain” by Guns’n’Roses. Of course, one song you may not want to hear right now is Albert Hammond’s 1972 hit “It Never Rains in Southern California.” Oh well, you can’t be everywhere!

We’ll “drop” in on you!

Our Hey Joe Guitar music teachers don’t mind a bit of precipitation, so even if it rains, they will still make it to your Manhattan, Brooklyn, or Riverdale home or office for a music lesson. Whatever instrument you play – the guitar, piano, voice, drums, trumpet, trombone, brass, reeds, saxophone, clarinet flute, violin, viola, cello, strings, accordion, ukulele, banjo, recorder, or mandolin – we’ll never, um, rain on your parade!

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Here is some, um, food for thought: what does jazz music taste like? And what about the classical, blues, country, and rock sounds?

You may not have thought about pairing food with music, but know this: careful matchmaking will help you create a harmonious and melodious experience. Yes, you can blend meals and soundtracks totally haphazardly (and nobody but a purist would notice the mish-mash). But, really, there is a far better way to achieve a smooth and coherent meld of two of life’s most pleasurable pursuits.

Now, in case you are thinking we are making this up, rest assured that we are not. True, pairing food with music is not exactly a widespread trend (yet), but it is growing. For example, a San Francisco-based project, Turntable Kitchen actually invents soundtracks for various recipes.

What is involved in this process? As Turntable’s Mathew Hickey explains it, “When I select a pairing, I like to start by thinking about the flavors in the meal. I’ll write down a few descriptive terms to help get the process going with words like floral, sweet, rustic, intense, subtle, upbeat, textured, contemporary, etc. I’ll also take into account geographic factors, which can help narrow down my selections. So, for example, if we have a sweet, upbeat and rustic recipe that includes ingredients that are commonly associated with the Pacific Northwest, I’ll go through my record collection and rack my brain for a band whose music is also sweet, upbeat, rustic and, ideally, from the Pacific Northwest.”

Taste for music

Now, here’s a question you probably never thought of asking: how does Bob Dylan taste? The answer is not blowin’ in the wind but, rather, comes from Blair Warsham, chef and co-founder of the “Covers” dinner and song series, who told the New York Times that the singer tastes “like aged beef, soy and seaweed. The beef represents Dylan’s leathery exterior and the seaweed and soy provide heavy notes that pair well with his raspy voice.”

And according to an NPR blog, classical music is the best match for a turkey dinner, as well as a variety of other dishes. As the article states: “Would you like some schlag with your Strauss? Are roast beef and Copland what’s for dinner? Would prosecco and a Rossini overture be a perfect kickoff to your Thanksgiving meal?”

Cook up your own batch!

What would YOU serve as an accompaniment to your favorite piece of music? If you are partial to rock, you might like to prepare a sizzling and fiery meal like a red curry; country sounds may call for tangy barbecued ribs and a sweet corn on the cob, while classical tunes probably go well with something smooth and sweet (chocolate mousse, anyone?)

On a personal note, we love pasta and think that its texture goes benissimo with a powerful tenor voice – like Andrea Bocelli’s

Obviously, the food–music pairing is not an exact science and, therefore, is totally subjective. That is just as well because you can use your own imagination to create a personalized menu that will please both your palate and your ear.

No pairings required

At Hey Joe Guitar, we like all kinds of arts – including the culinary ones. We have to admit, however, that we sometimes eat meals that are not at all compatible with the music playing on the iPod.

What about our teachers? If truth be told, they may be clueless as to what foods go well with Beethoven or which tunes match broccoli. Teaching music, however, is a piece of cake.

No matter which instrument you or your child would like to play – guitar, piano, drums, violin, or any other – one of our “cream of the crop” teachers will come to your Manhattan, Brooklyn, or Riverdale home or office and give you personalized, “a la carte” lessons.

Photo by Krystin Norman

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