I recently read a book entitled simply: The Eight. It was a very intense book about how a certain chess service in the middle ages brought tremendous power to the owner of the chess service, but it also brought great despair and ruin to whomever possessed it for too long of a time period.

But the plot aside, this book conveyed a deep respect for music, numbers, and knowledge. Most musicly inclined people know that every eighth note on a piano equals an octave. Also, less people know that a chess board is 8 squares across and 8 squares deep, making 64 squares with which to move one's pieces on the board.

With that in mind, do you think it a coincidence that most of the great chess masters of our time grew up with very strict musical lessons? Bach, Mozart, and other classical musicians were not great chess masters, but they trained their minds using chess, and there are certain chess moves which correspond perfectly to some of the arrangements created by at least these 2 masters. Overall, the general impression that one should consider is that music is a very powerful medium that not only affects moods and tempers, it also trains the mind in certain subconscious ways in which regular listeners cannot discern unless trained in a musical instrument. What is your favorite past time? Hobby enthusiasts know that spare time is not to be "spent" but savored. If you have a past time you enjoy, you will never look at your spare time in the same way again. If you're not sure what past time hobby you would enjoy, here are some suggestions.

Many people listen to music as a favorite past time. There is much you can learn about any style of music. You can learn composers, famous melodies, and all about performers past and present. You can develop sophisticated tastes in jazz or classical music or collect a large assortment of CD's. Music makes a great past time hobby.