60 Beat Per Minute Calming Music Videos

Last week while at the Autism Summer Institute, Dr. Laura Riffel was one of our guest speakers. Dr. Riffel is a behaviorist who specializes in assisting adults to make proactive changes so that targeted behaviors of children disappear like magic.  She has trained thousands of teachers, parents, counselors, psychologists, administrators, and bus drivers how to make data based decisions as a way to change behavior. If you ever get a chance to see her speak, make sure you go! Dr. Riffel gave a wonderful presentation on Autism behaviors and interventions. I could probably write posts all week giving you all the great information she talked about, but one topic especially stood out. 

Many of you may have heard about the calming effects  music with a tempo of 60 beats per minute has on people. Brain research has shown that music has the power to reduce stress, enhance cognitive functioning, and improve productivity and creativity. Who wouldn't want that? And who wouldn't want their for their children or students? Gary Lamb who created Music for the Mind, has created CD's with music with a tempo of approximately 60 beats per minute. The logic behind music with 60bpm is that it is the same tempo as a resting heart rate. This tempo centers and calms us, promoting focused thinking, relaxed alertness, the flow state, and learning. Gary sells his CD's for $15 dollars each.... but here comes the best part! Dr. Riffel contacted Gary Lamb and bought the rights to his music. She created nature videos to go along with the music and posted them on her website to download for FREE. Dr. Riffel told us that these videos have worked to calm the most hyperactive kids she has worked with. Check out her videos and download them on her website: BehaviorDoctor.org

There are also apps that will tell you what the tempo is for songs. You may already have 60bpm music in your library. I found a free app called Cadence BPM Tapper and is free in iTunes!