The Brunel Music Rating Inventory-3 as an Effective Measuring Rating of the Suitability of Songs for Exercise - Case Study Example

Name: Course: Date: Tutor: Introduction The impact of music on physical exercise cannot be overemphasized. Four ways in which music improves exercise performance have been put forth: reducing fatigue feeling, enhancing arousal, increasing relaxation, and improving motor coordination (Szabo, Small & Leigh, 1999). With these in mind, I embarked on compiling a playlist for running on a treadmill. I randomly selected a song from websites. I played each song while running on the treadmill as I reflected on the song’s rating on the Brunel Music Rating Inventory-3 (Karageorghis, 2008). While it was easy to rate some items of the song, scoring other aspects presented a great deal of difficulty. Repeat exercises were necessary to help me do the ratings. For control, I alternated music-accompanied exercise with no-music exercise for each song. At the end of the dual exercise, my playlist for treadmill running is finally out. Demi Lovato. (2011).Skyscraper. On Unbroken (CD/Album). USA: Hollywood Music Label. Initial ratings=42 Exercising with this song was very motivating. As I got into the rhythm of the song, I found myself carried away by its pulse and meter which quickly set the pace for my physical activity. My concentration was completely drawn from the physical demands of the activity as I moved in unison with the song. According to Potteiger, Schroeder and Goff (2000) music is useful for dissociation. It can distract one from the strain of physical activity. To achieve this effect, the volume of the song needs to be raised. This way, the song rhythm would easily become exercising rhythm. Britney Spears.(2000).Stronger. On Did it again (CD/Album). USA: Jive Music Label. Initial ratings=40 This fast-moving pop music is both mood-regulating and therapeutic. Exercising with this song gives me a feel-good effect. To get the difference, I would ask a friend to abruptly turn off the music in the process of my workout. It is quite ironical that a fast-moving song would have a soothing effect on me. The song also influenced me to make dance-like movements as I ran on the treadmill. Stevens and Lane (2001) view music as a mood-setting and regulating strategy for athletes. Fast music, in my opinion, should be played towards the end of the training sessions. This will provide some sort of climax or highest point before cooling off. Journey. (1981). Don’t Stop Believing. On Escape (CD/Album). USA: Columbia Music Label. Initial ratings=39 The most captivating aspect of this song was its tune. I found it quite inspiring and elevating. This allows easy synchronization of music with running on the treadmill. With its melody smoothly changing from the stanzas to the chorus, this song is very invigorating. This song is, therefore, a good example of synchronous music which has been found to improve the speed of sprinters by 0.5 seconds (Simpson & Karageorghis, 2006). Playing this kind of song in treble or high-pitch produces the best synchronizing results. Guy Sebastian. (2006).Taller, Better, Stronger. On Closer to the sun(CD/Album). USA: Sony BMG. Initial ratings=36 Music has been perceived as a means of regulating intensity of exercise (Eston et al., 1987). This can be said about this piece by Sebastian. The timbre of this song is varied and multi-layered making it stimulating to listen to while exercising. I found this song very forceful in maintaining high-speed activity on the treadmill. Every time I played this song, I found myself running faster than I did with any other song. The melody of the song also changes from one tune to another. The tempo of this song is mostly fast (120bpm and above) although it also changes. The lyrics of the song are, however weak and less motivating. The song should be alternated with less intensive ones during workouts. Kanye West.(2007). Stronger. On Graduation (CD/Album). USA: Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam. Initial ratings=35 If there is any music for elongating exercise session, it is this song. It is one song that made me to stay long on the treadmill. It has the same distracting effect as the first song because this song’s rhythm has an easy, scintillating and floating vitality. This is drawn from its instrumentation which is dominantly heavy metal. The drumming in the song motivates one to want more of the song. In an exercise session this enhances endurance and tolerance. Such is the music that gives one a feeling of not facing the real world. I would recommend that this kind of music comes towards the end of the session to rejuvenate the trainees and keep them on course for longer periods. Eminem (2002). Lose Yourself On 8 Mile (CD/Album). USA: Shady, Aftermath, Interscope. Initial ratings=33 This is the only song in playlist whose lyrics play the greatest motivational role. I got every line of the song inspiring and uplifting. The effect is bought about by the sentimental nature of the song. The instrumentation, tempo and the song rhythm do not appeal as much as the lyrics. Exercising with the song increases the drive for accomplishment as suggested in the lyrics. One also gets an intimate feeling with the singer and this is so assuring. I felt as if I was not alone on the treadmill. I got the feeling that the singer was right there with me. Queen.(1977). We are the Champions. On News on the world (CD/Album). UK: EMI/Elektra Music Label. Initial ratings =31 This song has a slow tempo and this had a tremendous effect on the length of my exercise duration. I tended to stay longer at the treadmill without much notice. Practising with this song appears to reduce the distance covered. It has been noted that music can influence movement by its tempo to which exercisers naturally respond (Becker et al, 1995). They also found that background music results in in higher mileage for athletes with slow music having a shortening effect on the distance walked. I feel that slow music, if used for physical training, should be short; otherwise, the trainees would be worn out without knowing. Little Mix (2012).Wings. On The X Factor (CD/Album). Columbia: Syco Columbia. Initial ratings=31 The song gives a sense of urgency. Using it as a workout piece is both motivating and exhausting. It is a creative piece that is very unpredictable. The rhythm changes so suddenly and I found this both exciting and frustrating. It is this unique character that led to its inclusion in this playlist. The transitions in the song are rather uneven. One advantage of this unpredictability is that physical exercise thrives in variety. This song sounds more like a mix rather than a single. Katy Perry (2013). Roar. On Prism (CD/Album). USA: Capitol Music Label. Initial Ratings=30 Rating of the song on the scale was a bit challenging. It was difficult to decide which levels to score the 6-item scale. This problem arose from the fact that this is a song I like and can sing along from start to finish. It was therefore difficult to make ratings subjectively. I believe, nevertheless, that my ratings are correctly reflective. This is a song that would be called self-selections and they are good for arousal. I found exercising with this song natural. It was difficult to say whether I was dancing to the tune or doing a treadmill run. Kelly Clarkson (2011). Stronger. On What doesn’t kill you (CD/Album). USA: RCA Music Label. Initial ratings=30 The scores for this song on the BRMI-3 scale lie in the in-between ratings on almost all items. This could be because the song is balanced in composition and accompaniment. I found this song sobering. It arouses minimal excitement but motivating all the same. The song can be said to have a ruminating effect. This is because the song has very limited instrumentation and the lyric load is also very low. The song’s effect on exercising is summarized by one word: relaxing. The song’s predictable pattern also contributes to the relaxation effect. This song if used at the beginning or at the end of the training sessions would be very apt. It can also be placed in between the very exciting songs in the playlist. Conclusion The Brunel Music Rating Inventory-3 (Karageorghis, 2008) provides an effective for measuring rating the suitability of songs for exercise. The six items listed on the scale address essential characteristics of music. The 7-score Likert Scale is adequate for rating the items. In using the scale to rate the songs, I found the first item (rhythm) closely intertwined to two other items: tempo and beat. It is my opinion that tempo and beat are aspects of rhythm and one cannot rate rhythm without paying attention to the two items. Song type may also present problems when dealing with fusion music like R & B, Rap hip-hop and the like. The BMRI-3 is inadequate for rating purely instrumental music or acapella (unaccompanied music). The rating tool can be improved upon to address these deficiencies. References Becker, N., Chambliss, C., Marsh, C., & Montemayor R. (1995). Effects of mellow and freneticmusic and stimulating and relaxing scents on walking by seniors. Perceptual and Motor Skills,80, 411-415. Eston, R.G., Davies, B.L. & Williams, J.G. (1987). European journal of applied physiology and occupational physiology,56(2), 222-224. Karageorghis, C.I. (2008). The scientific application of music in sport and exercise. In: Sport and Exercise Psychology. Ed: Lane, A. London: Hodder Education. 109-138 Potteiger, J.A., Schroeder, J.M., & Goff, K.L. (2000). Influence of music on ratings of perceived exertion during 20 minutes of moderate intensity exercise. Perceptual and motor Skills, 91, 848-854. Simpson, S. D., & Karageorghis, C. I. (2006). The effects of synchronous music on 400-m sprint performance. Journal of Sports Sciences, 24, 1095–1102. Stevens, M.J., & Lane, A.M. (2001). Mood regulating strategies used by athletes. Athletic Insight:The Online Journal of Sport Psychology, 3(3); retrieved on October 21, 2014 from:http://www.athleticinsight.com/Vol3Iss3/MoodRegulation.htm#. Szabo, A., Small, A., & Leigh, M. (1999). The effects of slow- and fast-rhythm classical music on progressive cycling to voluntary physical exhaustion. The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, 39, 220-225. Read More