Thursday, May 5th, 2025.

Hello friends at BlurtMedia, you know what it's like in the hospital: medical records pile up, patients need a little extra attention, and the hustle and bustle of the day resonates in your head. I always have soft music playing in the background, usually something mellow like lo-fi or jazz. It's not just to fill the silence; it's like a gentle hand on the shoulder for everyone in the room.

Patients' families relax a little, their shoulders loosen, and even the staff seems to move more fluidly. It's as if the music weaves a thread of calm into the chaos, harmonizing the space. You can tell by how people breathe more easily or smile without realizing it. The tension simply dissipates a little, and that's golden in a place where nerves can be on edge.

I remember one night, about six years ago. It was late, and I was catching up on shift change. The day had been busy, one of those where every patient seemed to have a more important story than usual. I left all the order on my shift with another nurse and went to change. I put on some jazz, a playlist with Miles Davis and Ella Fitzgerald, and let the music flow in my dressing room.

There was a moment when the dim lights blended while I was changing with "Blue in Green" playing. The trumpet just floated, sad but warm, as if telling me everything was going to be okay. For a minute, it felt like the world stopped to breathe with me. That memory stays with me, you know? It's like jazz envelops that moment and saves it for me.

So I was thinking about that day and how I felt. I thought I'd ask Suno, this music tool with artificial intelligence, to create a jazz-style song to capture it. I told it about that day: how Miles's trumpet made everything seem peaceful. I asked for something soft, with a warm trumpet or saxophone to coordinate all the instruments, perhaps a little brushwork on the other accompanying instruments to recover the magic of my past experience.

When Suno sent me the song, it was like going back to that moment, in part. The melody has a vibe with the same effects. I'll save it on my phone, but I also want to share it with you. It's funny how a song can transport you like that, right? Anyway, I thought you'd enjoy hearing how I keep things moving.

For me, jazz, of all things, has that gift for calming nerves. As a nurse, I see tense people all the time: patients anxious about a diagnosis, staff juggling a million tasks. Jazz, with its smooth rhythms and soulful flow, has a special effect on easing that tension, and has a touch of science and feeling.

For starters, jazz has a loose, improvisational vibe. Unlike the rigid rhythms of pop, it's rambling; think of a saxophone gliding through a melody or a piano tiptoeing around a chord. That unpredictability mimics how our brain wanders when we're relaxed, not cornered by stress. It's as if music gives your mind permission to relax. Studies back this up: music with slower tempos, like a lot of jazz (around 60-80 beats per minute), can sync with your heart rate, pushing it down. That's why, when I play something like Bill Evans's "Peace Piece," you can almost feel the room breathe more deeply.

https://youtu.be/pBCS2YjtIXY?si=HtLJuml_bU95t0tO

Then there's the emotional layer. Jazz doesn't just sound good; it feels like it's listening to you. Those long, expressive notes—for example, Coltrane's saxophone in "Naima"—convey a kind of empathy. It's as if the music is saying, "I understand, you've had a rough day." In the clinic, that's critical. Patients waiting for test results or staff working tirelessly through a long shift don't need words; they need something to accompany them in their moment. Jazz does that, enveloping you without demanding anything in return. Research even shows this type of music can reduce cortisol, the stress hormone, which is why I swear you see fewer clenched jaws when it's playing.

It's not just about the patients. For me, jazz is like a reset button. It's complex enough to keep my mind engaged, but gentle enough not to overwhelm me. Like that day six years ago when those calm moments return where you can just be. When I asked Suno to do that jazz track, I was looking for that same feeling: a way to bottle that quiet, reflective space even for writing. I think jazz doesn't just fill the silence; it softens the edges of a busy day, and honestly, we could all use a little of that.

This was a thursday post.

Thanks for stopping by to read for a while, BlurtMedia friends.

Have a great day and may God bless you greatly.

Regards, comrades!!