Besides great company, delicious food, and exciting games, music is probably the most vital component of any night in with friends and loved ones. It’s essential to creating an atmosphere, motivating and uplifting where necessary, and setting the overall mood for the evening. And because musical genres are so vast and expansive, you can create a completely different environment in an instant.
You’ve probably heard of a phenomenon like the Mozart Effect, that will supposedly (temporarily, at least) boost your IQ level. While we can’t promise that level of outcome, there’s no denying the fact that adding the right soundtrack to your dinner party, game night, or date night will transform it into the perfect night in.
The Soundtrack to a Dinner Party
A lot of preparation goes into a dinner party: there’s the menu, seating arrangements, theme, and outfits that all need to be considered in advance. But music, too, is a vital element of planning a dinner party.
Although you don’t want the music itself to take the centre stage – especially if you’ve been slaving away in the kitchen all day, or just purchased a dazzling new outfit – the music you choose needs to be a good fit. Something too bland and you’ll switch everyone off, while if it’s too lively it won’t allow the conversation to flow.
In truth, the “perfect” dinner party soundtrack depends on many factors, including yours’ and your guests’ musical tastes, and the type of menu you’ll be serving – pairing EDM with a classic French bistro menu may not be the best match! For the most part, jazz, soul, classical and blues are the most universally popular dinner party accompaniments, as well as the often-overlooked easy listening genre.
The Soundtrack to a Games Night
Whether you and your crew are taking advantage of pokerstars codes to play online poker or kicking back with some good old-fashioned board games like Backgammon, the right musical accompaniment could see you playing until dawn. So, while you’re getting the games and the all-important beverages and snacks in order, think about the ambiance and mood you’d like to set for the evening’s gaming.
You can probably be a bit more “risky” in your musical choices for games night than a dinner party, especially since it’ll be with your closest friends, so this is one night where anything goes musically. That being said, movie soundtracks can make an excellent accompaniment to games nights, check out this list from Geek & Sundry for inspiration.
The Soundtrack to a Date Night
This is one night-in where music really can come into its own. If you’re in the early stages of a relationship, music will not only help you feel more relaxed, but it will also allow you to share your musical tastes with your new partner. Meanwhile, if you’re in a more established relationship, you can use music to take a trip down memory lane back to those all-important milestones you’ve reached on your journey together.
As with other nights-in, the genre of music you should play on a date night is completely subjective, there is no wrong or right when it comes to the music you want to experience with your partner.
For a new relationship, put together a playlist of your favorite personal songs and ask your partner to do the same, this will give you both a great opportunity to connect over shared musical passions and discover new ones. And to add a special finishing touch on a date night with your long-term partner, populate your playlist with the songs and pieces of music that resonate with you as a couple.
