There doesn't seem to be anywhere to post about Music Matters here - strange as this was one of Radio 3's "flagship" programmes with its own message board (since deleted) last February.

Today's programme I found very interesting, especially in the use of classical music to treat depression. The one time I've suffered from severe depression, I found myself listening to no music whatsoever. One person on the programme did say that they'd lost all interest in music, which was a large part of their life, as a result of their depression but had found the type of sessions discussed in the programme reawakened their interest. I'm going to download the podcast and have another listen.

There's also been discussion recently about whether anti-depressants help people or whether it's just a placebo effect. I was prescribed fluoxetine (Prozac) and it certainly seemed to help - but who knows? However I can remember feeling at times as if I were being buoyed up by something which stopped me from descending into the slough of despond - I put this down to the fluoxetine at the time.

I've just started reading Oliver Sacks's Musicophilia - don't know if there will be anything on this subject at some point or not but so far there's already plenty of food for thought on the way music both comes from and goes to bits of the brain we don't remotely understand... certainly worth a read.

How did Tom get on with this one. I think it's been Tom-lite of late, RW over his shoulder no doubt,but when I briefly knew him as a composer and singer he had a lot more depth going on in his schtick-its in there somewhere.