The Power of Music

[Da Blob]

It has been a while since I checked for new information regarding the power of music as a psychological force. My first search did not turn up much, just this old article from Time.

http://www.brams.umontreal.ca/plab/...sicbrain/time_musicbrain.html?Story_ID=329414

I was wondering whether any other forum members were interested in the topic and had some interesting links to share or had thoughts on the subject? I guess the issue of the Mozart effect might even be relevant...(?)

 

[Anthile]

http://www.cracked.com/article_18405_7-insane-ways-music-affects-body-according-to-science.html

 

[NoID10ts]

Here are a couple of links. The first article directly addresses the subject of music and the second one indirectly addresses it. I highly recommend the second one in general because it touches on several subjects I have seen raised on the forum in recent months.

I tend to think that our appreciation of all the arts (and beauty in general) is a combination of many biological factors rooted in our evolutionary history. I've said before that perhaps it is like a symphony of biological attributes that appears as if it is one grand thing. I realize this rubs some people the wrong way because they think it robs it of it's metaphysical intrigue, but that's life.

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/16/science/16MUSI.html?pagewanted=1

http://www.edge.org/3rd_culture/pinker_blank/pinker_blank_print.html

 

[Da Blob]

http://www.cracked.com/article_18405_7-insane-ways-music-affects-body-according-to-science.html

BTW did you happen to check out this?
http://www.cracked.com/article/203_the-9-most-underrated-funny-songs-according-to-weird-al/

 

[Trebuchet]

You know who has studied this extensively? Oliver Sacks, the English psychologist. He wrote a book called Musicophilia (http://www.oliversacks.com/books/musicophilia) which, like all of Sacks's books, is a great pleasure to read.

It is a clear confirmation that music has great power, and explores possible reasons, but really no one knows why. Music appreciation doesn't appear to be an evolutionary advantage (though who knows, maybe it is).

Anyway, I recommend checking this book out if the topic is of interest to you.

 

[NoID10ts]

Music appreciation doesn't appear to be an evolutionary advantage (though who knows, maybe it is).

Music appreciation itself may not have an evolutionary advantage, but it may be the by-product of various attributes that do have evolutionary advantages. Here's a quote about Stephen Pinker's theory regarding music appreciation from the article I cited above:

If music depends on neural circuits developed for other reasons, then it is just a happy accident, regardless of evolution, that people enjoy it. This is the position taken by Dr. Steven Pinker, a psychologist at Harvard University. Music, he writes in his 1997 book "How the Mind Works," is "auditory cheesecake" — it just happens to tickle several important parts of the brain in a highly pleasurable way, as cheesecake tickles the palate. These include the language ability (with which music overlaps in several ways); the auditory cortex; the system that responds to the emotional signals in a human voice crying or cooing; and the motor control system that injects rhythm into the muscles when walking or dancing.

 

[Trebuchet]

Music appreciation itself may not have an evolutionary advantage, but it may be the by-product of various attributes that do have evolutionary advantages. Here's a quote about Stephen Pinker's theory regarding music appreciation from the article I cited above:

That is certainly plausible. I've also seen a lot of stuff on how music affects children's mental development. I'm not talking about the so-called Mozart effect, for which I have yet to see any convincing evidence, but rather the statistically significant beneficial effect early music lessons have on cognition.

If music improves logic, language, math, and spatial skills, by stimulating the same neural paths, or reinforcing memory, or whatever it does, then music is certainly an evolutionary advantage.

I didn't mean to say music definitely wasn't an advantage. Just that it is so far unclear exactly what advantage it has, if any. The study you read may be exactly right.

 

[echoplex]

Speaking of Oliver Sacks, here are some videos I've seen. It's interesting to see exactly how music effects the brain physically.

Musicophilia (this is really long though)

Inside Oliver Sack's Brain (if you search for this on Google Video, you can find the whole 50 min. program, but it's on some site that seems like it may give you a virus. I've seen it on TV though and it's pretty interesting)

Amusia (this is about people who cannot appreciate music. Interesting.)

 

[NoID10ts]

^---- Those were really interesting (I didn't have time to watch the long one, though). They've done similar brain scans on people praying and doing other activities and the results are pretty fascinating. I think we are seeing a tremendous leap forward in our understanding of how the mind functions and what effect various stimuli have on us.

 

[Da Blob]

I have always seen music as a type of language. The variables of Tempo, Pitch, Harmony, Melody and Volume and Rhythm can be the foundation for a rather complex internal structure. Wittgenstein postulated the concept of "Private Language" and I can see how information could be encoded in 'musical' terms that would have only subjective meanings. It is interesting that in Western cultures visual input is regarded as the primary input (Re: image is everything, if it looks good, then it is good etc), However, the auditory 'universe' does not lack structure and is a relatively ignored facet of the human experience in our culture.

It is interesting to note, the relationship that music has with memory has not really been exploited by the educational industry. Advertisers have long used musical "Jingles" in conjunction with company slogans to make their products 'unforgettable', but the only educational jingle i can recall is the notorious "Alphabet' Song. Hmmm, I wonder if the relative success of Sesame Street can be attributed to their use of music....?

 

[Renk Fasze]

You can tell a lot about someone by the music they listen to.

Ive always held the belief that music has much more power than people realize.

Always has fascinated me, it makes sense but it doesn't.

I believe people gravitate towards what they consciously or unconsciously deem true to themselves.

In other words, people, associate with the familiar. We all crave something to relate to - relation creates bond and bond is support and no one TRULY wishes to be alone.

This makes it hard because music is in my eyes is the true expression of self through logic or pattern.

Music, if it is created 'truthfully', is a perfect personal expression in a 'logical' sense.

Logic and emotion don't mix very well. So it doesn't make sense but it does.

Some people associate with some types of music because the message/feel is what they openly/secretly desire.

I can only speak solidly from my point of view. I view my life as too fast or chaotic, i usually stick to slower, melodic, chill music. Deep beats, simple and complex. MARK FARINA : ) And no i dont smoke on a regular basis, his music is very much 'my speed'.

Anyhow, i do believe music has an incredible power. It meets and relates to us in very complex ways.

 

[Hawkeye]

Babies actually cry in a minor scale.

Also, many of the songs sung by children are in minor keys. Such as "Naah na-nah naaah nah - you can't catch me ".

Music is incredibly important to us and we have only recently realised just how important. I suggest you watch the documentary called "The Music Instinct".

 

[ashitaria]

Can music define your personality?

Does your music preference reveal information about your personality? Psychology researchers Samuel Gosling and Jason Rentfrow believe so. A study the two conducted revealed that an individual’s musical preference can be reliably sorted into one of four categories and that these preferences are related to personality, intelligence, and values.
According to Gosling, most musical choices fall into one of four categories: Reflective and Complex, Intense and Rebellious, Upbeat and Conventional, or Energetic and Rhythmic.
The study reported that those who enjoyed music in the Reflective and Complex category, which includes classical, jazz, folk and blues, tended to be inventive, had active imaginations, valued aesthetic experiences, were tolerant of others, and politically liberal.
Individuals who preferred alternative, heavy metal, and rock music in the Intense and Rebellious category were inclined to be curious, risk-takers, physically active, and intelligent. Listeners of Upbeat and Conventional music, which includes country, religious and pop music, were outgoing and cheerful, enjoyed helping others, saw themselves as physically attractive, and held conservative views.
Energetic and Rhythmic music consisting of funk, hip-hop, soul, and electronica attracted people who were talkative, energetic, forgiving, and opposed to conservative ideals. They also perceived themselves as physically attractive.
Gosling and Rentfrow collected data by analyzing the music preferences of university students as well as 500 people across the country who used online music file-sharing services. They also developed a new scale to collect the data called the Short Test of Music Preferences (STOMP).
“Most people consider music to be a very important part of their lives and believe that their preferences reveal information about who they are,” Rentfrow says. “Until recently, there was very little empirical evidence to support this idea.”
Adapted from “University researchers find clues to personality traits in musical preferences” Office of Public Affairs
Related Links:
Short Test Of Music Preferences
Dr. Samuel Gosling
University researchers find clues to personality traits in musical preferences

 

[Hawkeye]

This may be of interest The Music Instinct
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/musicinstinct/

 

[hope]

I accidentally clicked back and my whole entire reply got deleted.
This is it paraphrased

Studies have shown that listening to classical music improves focus, because it calms people down. I believe that when people listen to music they like it relaxes them, which also improves focus. Another explanation for the results found in studies is the placebo effect.

Different kinds of musical listeners - Interesting, but I couldn't get the original study.

I'm intense and rebellious with a touch of reflective and complex. I listen to metal / rock with and some classical. My favorite classical composition by far is Adagio in G minor

I think that producers of great music are generally good at spatial tasks. For example, my math teacher is extremely good at guitar(he brought it in on the first day).

Music brings back past memories. For example, my sister used to scratch me whenever my parents turned on music during car rides. Until I was around 11 I hardly ever listened to music. I have a terrible voice and have no control over my pitch. I listen to music all the time and recognize which song I'm listening to. I even play guitar reasonably well. Do you think I have amusia?

Conclusion on Music: Music has been a soothing art for human and other animals to listen and create for milleniums and it will continue to be that way. Music sounds nice and creatures like it.