The Relationship Between Music and Emotions - Coursework Example

The Relationship between Music and Emotion Introduction Emotions are the specific reactions to a particular situation or experience. Most people experience a range of emotional reactions stimulated or provoked by various things. Human beings’ emotions operate on many levels and have various aspects such as physical and psychological that is visible to different instances. Emotional reactions manifest in every human being since they can show signs expressed through feelings of sadness and happiness. In addition, some people exhibit visible signs of stress and anxiety. Consequently, these reactions control thinking, behaviors, and actions of people. Though emotional reactions occur within human beings, most of the times, various factors or people provoke these reactions. Music is the perfect example of a factor that affects and influence heavily on human emotions. Music impacts profoundly on the emotions and elicit reactions such as happiness, sadness, and anxiety. Furthermore, it leads to stress or the relaxation of people. How Music Affects Emotions The massive ability and power that music has is unmatchable and undeniably strong. Music easily manipulates human beings’ emotions and the brain in a simple yet a sweet and exciting way. Music physically influences the brain that triggers a range of emotional response from human beings. Though the emotional content of most music is subjective, it has little or no influence on the ability to trigger feelings and reactions in humans. Consequently, various people enjoy and experience music in different ways that massively affects their memories both positively and negatively. The difference in experiencing varied emotions hugely depends on the environment and mood of the person listening to the music. Additionally, culture, personality, and preference also play an enormous role in determining a person’s emotional experience when listening to music. Furthermore, various types and genres of music elicit different and contrasting emotions among the listeners Music easily makes people happy and psyched up at different times. Although pursuing personal happiness is important and relevant to most people, some view it as a selfish and self-centered act. Major keys and rapid tempos cause happiness among listeners. This type of music elevates the mood creating and ecstasy feeling among the listeners. Furthermore, happy and excited people tend to maintain and improve their mood by listening to lively music. The idea of listening to such type of music at such moments is natural and people have no explanation for this. In addition, music serves a significant purpose for boosting and elevating the moods at the most appropriate moment and times. Happy and jovial songs are essential to human beings since they send brain waves that elicit and lift the spirits of various individuals. On the contrary, listening to low-key music that are slow and calm creates a somber mood and impact heavily on people’s feelings as they lower the spirits and calm the environment. Furthermore, soft and soothing music are hugely beneficial to sleepless people. This type of music creates a feeling of relaxation and peaceful mind allowing this group of people to sleep. Specific beats and music patterns are successful in eliminating sleeping problems among the current generation. These types of beats and music patterns enable deep sleep. Consequently, people with sleeping problems should listen to such type of music during night hours. Such music creates a conducive environment for sleeping by altering the individual’s moods and helps them find rest. In contrast, sleepless people should not listen to lively and loud music in an attempt to get sleep. This type of music distracts concentration and does not create a conducive environment for sleeping. The fast tempo music makes them excited and creates a dancing mood. Thus, catching sleep is a difficult task in such a state and environment. Although the music is efficient in creating a sleeping environment, relevant music is required for this to happen effectively. In addition, the tone of the singers should be soothing. Besides, music is also significant to angry people in the society. Since the majority of people often listen to music that hugely reflect and influence their mental and emotional state, such people can benefit from this experience. Songs that reflect peace and love have a special way of taking away anger and make one feel relaxed, better, and motivated. Music helps in achieving change in emotion and mental state because it lowers the rate of heartbeat and provokes slower breathing in angered people. Through this, the anger slowly wears off leaving such people a relaxed and motivated lot. The lyrics also play an important role in cooling people down and making them feel calm and elegant. Additionally, some people prefer rough and aggressive music to repress their anger and reduce their frustrations towards various things in life. Through such music, they reduce or release their anger by singing along and repeating the lyrics of the songs. Furthermore, music allows people express love (Vink 83). The idea of repressing and holding back emotions is not only dangerous to people’s thoughts, but also unhealthy medically. Rational beings seize the opportunity to express love fully and make known of their emotions through writing, listening, or playing various music. Both singers and music listeners have an excellent opportunity of expressing their love and affection to the others through music. It gives shy individuals a chance to express their emotions easily and freely without feeling ashamed or afraid of other people’s views. Consequently, they relieve the pressure of bottling up emotions within them that is a dangerous act. In addition, through the expression of their feelings this group of people experience improved self-esteem and self-confidence (Jancke 5). Moreover, music is essential in comforting and calming anxious people in the society. According to Stuckey and Nobel, the best and readily available medication for anxious people is soothing and gentle music that create a relaxed environment (258). This type of music helps concerned people with their worries about different things in life. In addition, the lyrics of the music play a significant and essential role in reducing anxiety among these people. As a result, anxious people should carefully and keenly listen and internalize the music lyrics in order to feel the effect and purpose of this type of therapy. Through this, their worries and anxiety easily and quickly fade away. Any relaxing and calming music with relevant and purposeful lyrics are essential to reducing anxiety compared to various conventional therapies adopted in hospital and clinics. Though highly efficient in reducing anxiety, victims should concentrate on the words in order to get the best experience and benefits. On the other hand, high-pitched music with booming sound can induce anxiety and make individuals excessively worried. The booming sound is the source of worry. The loud sound does not afford the victims a conducive and calm environment for settling and getting the best out of the music played. As a result, such music will only induce anxiety and make the victims worse than they were before listening to the music. Music is appropriate and crucial in eliminating sadness and depression in various people. Currently, many people are struggling with depression and sadness throughout their lives. Listening to music that focuses on sad scenarios and reflect depression and emotional pain only serve to worsen the situation. Such music creates disturbing images in people’s lives making then to remain in the same state. In order to improve and become jovial, people in this state should adopt and have a passion for upbeat and energetic music. This genre of music frees the depressed and sad people from emotional pain and struggle. The music puts these people in a dancing mood and makes them psyched up. Furthermore, the music makes the depressed and sad people reconnect and emerge strongly from the bitter experience they underwent. Moreover, music plays an important role in determining human perception and attitude towards the various thing in life. People with an aim of having positive views and attitude towards the different things in life should consistently listen to their favorite tunes giving a positive view and image towards the subject. In addition, this type of music should be of high tempo and lively to evoke excitement and jovial mood within the person. Most people enjoy a positive attitude towards various things in life due to their consistent listening to tunes that positively portray such things. On the other hand, music that evokes a somber mood and negative attitude towards various things has impact on listeners. Although some of this type of music has an upbeat and high tempo, the majority of this music is always of low key and possess negative and touching lyrics. Such music portrays different things and situations negatively hence create a negative attitude towards various things in life. Stressed people should listen to high tempo music that creates a psyched up environment. This type of music provokes a hormonal reaction that release dopamine chemical. Dopamine is a feel good chemical that is massively essential and necessary to the human beings since it causes relaxation and hugely motivates stressed people. Thus, music is successfully in reducing stress and uneasiness among human beings (Jancke 4). In addition, certain kinds of music are not relevant for stressed and worried people. Music with high volumes and booming beats that do not provide a serene and calm environment for the stressed people is irrelevant. Instead of reducing stress, this kind of music massively induces stress and worsens the situation. Additionally, unrelated lyrics can also worsen the situation. Consequently, in order to relieve and alleviate stress, people should be mindful and wise in their selection to achieve the purpose and aim of the music to them. Many people ignore and forget the benefits of music since they view and think about it as a recreational and enjoyment activity. The soothing and calming effect of music is relevant in decreasing agitation and makes people less aggressive. Some people with various diseases such as Alzheimer experience physical and emotional pain coupled with aggressive behavior. Smooth and calm music serve to help these people deal with their emotions. Most people with this conditions use music to lessen the severity of the pain they feel and to reduce their level of aggression (Stuckey and Nobel 260). Thus, music enriches their lives and helps them deal with their condition appropriately. Due to this, many people have realized beneficial aspect of music in reducing agitation and improving lifestyle and health of a large number of people struggling with the adverse effects of Alzheimer disease. Equally important, people can listen to music as an effective coping strategy for various situations in life. The majority of people listen to music with an aim of deriving particular emotions at that given moment or time. For this reason, music is essential in motivating and encouraging people (Lane, Davis, and Devonport 405). Through the music of up-tempo with precious motivational words and quotes, such people can easily achieve their aim and become sufficiently motivated. Similarly, energetic booming music is also significant in raising spirits and making people feel hugely motivated at difficult times. As a result, it is important for persons to create and save music playlist based on emotions and situations. It helps and is relevant is to various people both health-wise and emotionally. Emotions are significant reactions that take place in human beings both in physical and psychological aspect. Music majorly plays an important role in determining and provoking emotional reactions in humans. Though the music is significant, it impacts emotions both negatively and positively that server to both benefit and also hurt human beings. For this reason, people should reasonably and wisely select and listen to the music depending on their state and the purpose they seek to achieve. The tempo and lyrics of the music must considered when doing selection since they heavily determine the use of the music. As a result, people can achieve and realize the meaning of the music. In addition, the music affects emotions and elicits relevant reactions depending on the condition and state of the listener. Music is food for the soul, and everyone aiming to enjoy and realize his/her purpose on earth should dedicate a portion of his/her time to writing or listening to music. Works Cited Jäncke, Lutz. ‘Music, Memory and Emotion. Journal of Biology. 8 Aug. 2008. Apr. 2015. Lane, Andrew, Davis Paul, and Tracey Devonport. ‘Effects of Music Interventions on Emotional States and Running Performance. Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, pp. 400-407. 2011. Stuckey, Heather L., and Jeremy Nobel. ‘The Connection between Art, Healing, and Public Health: A Review of Current Literature. American Public Health Association, pp. 254-263. 2010. Vink, Annemick. ‘Music and Emotion. Nordic Journal of Music Therapy, 81-87. 2014. Read More