Music And Its Influence On Behavior

One need only observe a crowd of sports fans when a song associated with their favorite team is heard to get an idea of the influence music has on behavior. Whether it is uplifting or downtrodden, the tone of music can and usually does have some effect on the listener.

The rock music scene of the 1990s was at one point strongly influenced by the grunge bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, etc. As someone who regularly listened to these bands during that time I can tell you I believe these had a considerable effect on my mood. I'm not saying these bands drove me to any physical acts against myself or others, but my mood was definitely changed from this music and its often bleak melodies.

Contrast the woeful sound of grunge with the higher energy sound of music like Ska, Hip Hop, etc and the mood of a listener is affected in a different way. For me, listening to what I would refer to "happy music" really gives a lift and perhaps a little more energy.

I've heard a certain NFL player comment that before a game he likes to listen to really heavy hardcore metal music because it pumps him up for the game. That speaks volumes for what effect music has on behavior. I prefer to listen to high energy music before I will be working on a difficult task because in actively listening to the music my mind is spurred to focus on the task at hand and eliminate any distractions.

One of the interesting things I find about music is its emotional component. A simple pattern of tones can elicit good or bad feelings, high energy or low energy. This does not preclude responsibility for ones actions, however. I do not believe you can solely blame things like a suicide on listening to depressing music. If anything, the music may have simply aggravated a condition that was already present.

Music has a powerful effect on the emotions and mood - it's up to the listener to use that knowledge as they choose.

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