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.