Music and Society

Music is a huge aspect of culture. Music is important in mainstream society as well as all the other subcultures and counter cultures. Almost everyone listens to music. There are various types of music; so many different types of people enjoy this music.  In every country there is various types of music listened to by the different types of people. Even in small countries isolated from the rest of the world music is a major aspect that brings the people together. Music has a way of bringing people together. It is played at almost every social event, from small parties to concerts to even sports events. Not everyone likes the same type of music, but almost everyone likes some type of music. Mainstream music of course is dominant and most people like it. Many people come together to listen to the mainstream music. There are many subculture type music as well. Heavy metal is an example of a subculture. There is a large group of people who can relate to this music, and they are devoted fans. There is a specific way to dress in this subculture and act at a concert. Even though heavy metal is not mainstream, this type of music is still able to attract a crowd and bring people together. Hip hop is mainstream, and this type of music uses a specific slang, and attire that devoted fans follow. It all depends on how one identifies his or her and how this person chooses their music, which was discussed in a previous blog. What is most intriguing to me is how people can bond through this music. When people are interested in certain types of music they tend to choose friends with similar interests in music. Music helps shape the groups in society, and the way we interact with each other, which is something that I find very interesting.

Music and the Body

When listening to music we feel the need to move our body. Dancing is the most obvious occasion when we move while listening to music, but there are other instances when music helps our movement.  When exercising music is helpful to have in the background, also music can also be used in physical therapy, when people are having trouble walking, music can help them walk better. According to Levitin, music is involved in motor control. In class we worked on palates, and the music was very soothing.  The music allowed me to relax, and it helped me focus on the exercise. Music is also used in spas, when people are getting facials and misuages. When I got a facial the music allowed me to relax while there was a random stranger working on my face.  My favorite activity involving music and the body is dancing. When music has a more predictable beat it is easier to dance to. Also music that has a faster beat in my opinion is more fun to dance to. When music is slow or the beat is not consistent it is harder for people to dance. Dancing at a social event brings a lot of people together to have fun. Everyone dances with people who are similar to them, and usually people like to dance to music that allows them to express their identity. Some people like techno, some like hip hop, and some people like to dance to Latin music.  Usually the people who like hip hop will dress a certain way, and go to certain clubs that play mainly hip-hop. The people who like techno might go to raves and they have their own way to dress as well. Even there are many differences amongst people music is a great way to bring people together.

Music Performance

                Concerts are a great music experience. A concert is a great way to for the audience to feel connected to the music. The visual aspect of the show makes the show more enjoyable. Listening to music can be a great experience, but being able to watch it also, can make it better. Going to the John Wayne and the Pain concert was very fun. The music was good, but if I were to just listen to it on a radio, I probably wouldn’t be able to enjoy it as much. Music videos can also make certain songs more appealing. I noticed I like some songs better with a music video than just listening to a song on its own. Good performers are able to display the emotions of their music. When visiting the school of rock, one of the teachers said that it is important to teach the students to put on a good show. The kids could do this by manipulating the audience’s emotions. I am not exactly sure how a performer is able to manipulate their audience’s emotions, but I think being able to do this makes the music better. Putting on a good show is a great way to sell the music. There are many great musicians, but if they cannot put on a good show, then their music career might not be as successful, as others who are not as great, but put on a fantastic show.  

Music and Therapy

When we listen to music it is apparent that it can have a hold on our emotions. Some people listen to certain music when they feel sad, or listen to a different type of music to make themselves feel happy. I like to listen to slower songs, usually played in a minor key, when I am feeling a little down, like R&B. I listen to more upbeat music when I am in a really good mood, such as the oldies that I like to listen to. Even when music makes me feel sad, it still helps my state of being, just because the music is sad I feel like I have something to relate to. Sometimes when I am stressed rock music helps relieve the stress, because it feeds into my frustration, and I feel like I can relieve that frustration when listening to music. Music is a great stress reliever. Music also contributes to other human factors as well, through music therapy. Music therapy can promote wellness, alleviate pain, enhance memory, improve communication, and promote physical rehabilitation. In my psychology of music class we learned that some people, who have had strokes and communication problems, are not able to speak, but they can sing. Also people who have motor impairments, such as having trouble walking, they will be able to walk better with music as opposed to with no music. Music therapy can be quite effective. It promotes motivation, arousal and emotions. Listening to music is great way to get some more enjoyment in our daily lives. One speaker in my psychology class stated that music is a way to feel a part of something bigger then ourselves. I agree with that statement. Music is very cultural and people come together through music. If someone is depressed, music can be helpful in making that person feel more secure and less alone. Music therapy works, and is very useful for those who need therapy.

Music All Around Us

Music is present in most settings. Weather it is playing in the background, or the main attraction, music seems to put people in the right mood for that particular event. At different types of social settings different types of music will be present. At a baby shower there would be easygoing music, not really for dancing. This might make the people at the party relaxed and laid back because baby showers be something that can be danced to. A teenage house party is defiantly intended to be more intense are not meant to be intense parties. At a teenage house party the music will be very loud, and upbeat. It might than a baby shower. People are very good at picking the right type of music to provoke certain moods or emotions. In stores certain types of music is played to create a more inviting atmosphere for people to shop. Whether this technique is successful is under debate and varies from person to person. I think to attend any social settings or any store without music would make the experience much different. Every time I go to a party the first thing I notice is the music. Sometimes the type of music that is played can factor in of how I enjoy myself or even if I do enjoy myself.  At stores I do notice the music, but usually I do not enjoy that music. If the music is familiar to me, I always notice, and depending on the music might put me in a better mood. Even though I might not always like the music that is playing in stores, I still like the fact that there is music. I think it makes the store less bland. It does have a major contribution. I am more likely to stay in a store with music, as opposed to one without music. Music has a way of making an environment seem more welcome which is probably why it is a major aspect of our lives.

Stress

When danger is sensed, our body has a “fight or flight” mechanism to allow us to protect ourselves from danger. When there is an external stimulus that can be physically harmful this mechanism is quite helpful. Over time though, humans have evolved to create an environment that reduces almost eliminates situations where we would face danger that would require our body to use the” fight or flight” mechanism. Surely there are situations where this processes is needed, but the human race could survive without this mechanism.  When our brain senses danger our body goes under many processes to help defend it. Our digestive system and reproductive system are repressed. Our heart rate, breathing and immune system temporarily increase. Then our body secretes cortisol, in order to, regain the normal body functions. Our body does not only go through this process when physical threats are near.  When people are stressed their body goes through the same processes that occur when there is physical danger. When stress quite often, there body is continually undergoing this processes. This can have a harmful effect on the body. Studies show people who have chronic stress often have poor health and shorter life spans compared to people who live with less stress. Mainly people who live in poverty are constantly stressed, and suffer from poor health because of this. There are coping stress mechanisms that can help relieve stress. Listening to music or doing something active can help relieve stress. I noticed when I am stressed out or frustrated listening to music always calms me down. Also when listening to music, the music can sways your body to move. So dancing to the music can also help relieve the stress. Coping stress doesn’t solve the problems that are causing the stress, but it is better for health. Also if someone is good at coping with stress, maybe that person will have a better mindset to help that person along to working on solving his or her stressful problems. Most of this information was received from Professor Wadsworth’s presentation.

Music and the Brain

When we hear music, the sound vibrates at certain frequencies in our eardrum, and then this noise is interpreted by the brain. Our brain is able to analyze dozens of different frequencies, and arrange them together in just the right way.  When listening to music almost every region in the brain is involved. Usually music is more active in the right brain as opposed to the left brain for non-musicians. For musicians more regions in the left brain are activated possibly because of their ability to analyze music. The left brain is usually responsible for more analytical processes, and the right brain is for more creativity. All this information is according to Daniel J. Levitin from his book, Your Brain on Music. The brain is an important factor to understanding music.

 Our ability to understand and interpret music depends on experience and neural structures that can modify themselves with each new song that we hear.  How our brain reacts to music is really important to how we perceive music. How one grows up in a certain culture can determine how that person my interpret music. A lot of the emotion we feel when listening to music comes from learned experiences. In the American culture, usually the songs that are played in minor are interpreted as sad, and songs that are played in major are perceived as happy.  This could be different amongst other cultures, of how they perceive major and minor chords. There is little to no proof of what the aspects of music interpretation are universal.

                Usually people are comfortable with what is familiar to them. If someone hears the same type of music over and over, they will acquire a liking to the music. This makes the music easier to listen to. When becoming familiar with a song, habituation occurs, and then there is not much of a response to the song. I noticed when I hear a song all the time, I begin to like it, but when I hear that song too much, I lose interest. The song becomes too predictable and boring. When new music comes out it is more interesting because there are some elements in the song that will be unexpected. This can be different for every person in the way that they will perceive different types of music.

Aesthetic Reflexivity

How do we identify ourselves? There are many ways we choose to create our own identity. The way we dress, the way we talk, the movies, television shows that we watch, and the music we listen to all help the way we identify ourselves. This is known as aesthetic reflexivity, which is really emphasized in the book Music in Everyday Life by Tia DeNora. Self-identity is really important amongst everyone which is why we spend so much time trying to discover ourselves.

                Music is one of the most important ways we identify ourselves. The type of music we listen creates certain cliques, and trends that we follow. People who usually listen to hip-hop dress a certain way, as well as the kids who listen to punk rock, have an entirely different style. The type of music we listen to is how we identify ourselves. Most of us don’t just listen to one type of music. We have a variety of preferences for music. This can make it a little more challenging for finding oneself.

                There are many reasons to have a preference for a certain type or a variety of types of music. Sometimes one might like a song based on memories affiliated with that song. Sometimes people just like the style of the artist. The voice of the artists or the uses of the instruments are all important attributes to making good music. The lyrics can also make a song more appealing for someone. The lyrics are able to convey a certain message to the listener, which allows the listener to relate to the song. Some messages are inspirational, and some are just expressions of emotions that we all have experienced. Many different types of music acquire these qualities, which is one of the reasons I don’t have a very narrow preference for only certain types of music.

                The first thing that usually grabs my attention when listening to a song is the voice of the artist. Alicia Keys, Tom Jones, and Freddie Mercury are very talented singers. In many of their songs they sing with such passion, which is why I enjoy listening to their music. I like passion in music, I am not exactly sure what that says about my self-identity, but when an artist has a passionate voice, I am drawn to them.  I also like music based on the way it sways my mood. I love to listen to music that makes me feel happy, or music that makes me feel relaxed. Sometimes though, I do like to listen to music that helps me vent when I am feeling angry. Songs that bring back memories also have huge impact on the way I listen to music. I do listen to certain types of music that bring back certain memories, which can also alter my mood. A variety of types of music acquire these attributes, which is why I have a wide range of preferences for music. After 18 years I am still not able to identify myself through music, I am not sure that the self is something that can be defined.  What I am sure is that even though music isn’t required for survival it is an important aspect in our daily lives, making life a little more colorful and interesting.

Enjoyable Aspects of Music

              There are many qualities to music that make it enjoyable. The lyrics to the song, maybe the tempo or beat could be pleasant. According to Daniel J. Levitin and his studies, music being familiar with a little unpredictability can make music quite desirable for many. If a song is too predictable it gets boring, and most people lose their interest in the song. If a song is very much out of the ordinary and completely unfamiliar, a person will not have much liking towards the song. There must be a combination of these two aspects in order to make music enjoyable. I agree with Levitin.  I usually don’t listen to music that I am not too familiar with or music that seems unorganized with its beet and rhythm. Also some types of music just seem too predictable and I don’t really care to listen to something that sounds like another that I have heard many times before. I noticed as well that when I do find a song that I like, I tend to listen to it over and over several times. After a while I am very familiar with the song, and I know what to expect. Once I am completely familiar with the entire song, I am bored with it, and I stop listening to it. I always look forward to discovering new types of music, so I can listen to something a little unexpected. When a song acquires that unpredictability, it brings excitement to the music. Today there are so many styles of music all around the world, and different genres from different eras. Today it is accessible to all these types of music, making endless options of different varieties to get acquainted with. In the Western culture there are many opportunities for people to learn an enjoy music from other cultures an eras. People can become better-rounded about music, and experience the unfamiliar aspects of something new. This makes all types of music somewhat universal. We can learn what qualities people from other conteries find enjoyable in their own music.

False Consciousness

                Music is involved in everyday life. There are countless genres of music and people from different countries and even different eras listen to music daily. It has such a great impact on all those who enjoy music, and it is not very common for someone to have distaste in music. The genre of music that is popular varies from different cultures, ages even eras.  Music is easily accessible to many, and the music industry is making large sums of money off the music they sell us. Popular music in America does very   well in sales. The radio plays various types of music urging people to go and buy the popular artists music. Usher, Lady Gaga, Lil Wayne and many others are very popular today. The music they play has a many features that make it easy to listen to. The rhythm and beat of the music is entertaining to many. Music is highly advertised all around the world. There are many music videos, song played on the radio, and plenty of commercials. When listening to music, there is no depth required, or even thinking required. A man by the name of Theodor W. Adorno believed in order for music to be truly art, there should be depth and insight to the music; when listening to music, a person should be required to use his or her mind. Aldorno thought music was too predictable. He believes that all products that are advertised are misleading and manipulating to all consumers. Music especially, considering how popular it is in many cultures. According to Adorno all this mainstream products people consume create a “False Consciousness”, meaning people are not fully aware of the world around them. I do not fully agree with Aldorno’s accusation. Even though most common music is quite predictable, the reason for listening can involve depth and insight. Most of the music I enjoy bring back good memories or change my mood. Whether music is in the norm or different, that piece of music can be personal to the listener. I believe most people are mostly aware of their surroundings, are not completely blinded by capitalism. The products we consume are not really necessities to our daily lives, but they are useful. Life with music would surely go on, but it puts more enjoyment to life. In most social gatherings music is present, when cleaning a stereo can be on, even when just hanging out at home music can be playing. The music today does not lead to “False Consciousness”; it just contributes to enjoyments in life.