When I get stressed out or am asked to prepare a navigation chart for a voyage — usually they go in tandem, and luckily my chart preparation skills are not being utilized any more — I enjoy putting on some music from film soundtracks. I could put on John Williams' stuff, but those are so omninpresent that I get tired of them. (And my wife doesn't care for the depressing "Schindler's List" score.)
One of the soundtracks I turn to often is the music from Michael Mann's "The Last of the Mohicans." It has strings and horns swelling up at all the right moments:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2k6pn-XT7JA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygNuRpwZqRU
Best movie ever made about the French and Indian War. It's the only one I can think of, actually. It's worth watching, regardless, especially for the scene where the Englishman gets burned at the stake. Good stuff.
