I have always loved listening to music. I enjoy discovering new artists, expanding my genre, and going to different concerts. Depending on the kind of mood I am in greatly affects the music that I will listen to. I also believe that this can be explained in reverse. What music I decide to listen to determines the mood that I’ll be in.
The Journal of Consumer Research found that people going through personal problems such as a break-up listened to sad music because it reflected their mood. Sad music increasingly becomes more popular as people are dealing with these problems. In a similar study, people were asked to rate their music preferences. Those who were angry or frustrated chose the genre that corresponded with their mood. In other words, the kind of mood that a person is in determines his or her music preference. However, studies are beginning to show that choosing the right genre can have a positive impact.
The University of Missouri conducted a study to show whether or not upbeat music can result in a better overall mood. Scientists had their participants listen to select artists of varying genres: Copland and Stravinsky. Those who listened to Copland claimed to succeed in improving their mood while those who listened to Stravinsky did not. Scientists also had a group not listen to any music and they did not show an increase or decrease in happiness.
Music therapy is becoming more known because it is supposed to restore energy, improve mood, and even help the body heal more naturally. A doctor at the Eleven-Eleven Wellness Center recommends taking time out of the day to enjoy music. It calms the body and brain by slowing down a person’s heart rate allowing him or her to breathe more easily. I’ve heard that many people who are depressed take to making music because they find it to be even more therapeutic than simply listening. Studies in the International Journal of Yoga show that reciting words such as “om” is just as effective as implanting a vagus nerve stimulator in to the body which is beneficial in treating epilepsy and depression. It has been proven by several studies that music is effective in improving the moods of depressed patients and also those with serious illnesses such as cancer.
To conclude, it is very common for people to listen to music based on what they experience throughout the day and how they feel as a result. If we got in the habit of listening to happier and more upbeat songs all the time, our mentality and overall well-being would be positively impacted.
Music plays such a great role in every person’s life nowadays that it is easy to believe that it can influence our mood. I guess each of us noticed the difference music creates. Music therapy is a great way of dealing with personal problems and stimulating yourself. It is very easy to understand person just by looking on his playlist nowadays.
What you’ve written I have heard many times before and feel that there is much validity to this. Whenever I am feeling some type of way the song(s) I’ll listen to reflect the emotions I am experiencing even the genre of music as well. Recently, I have tried to change it up and listen to songs that emphasize positive messages even if I’m angry or sad because it seems to make my mind flip a switch and become more motivated to solving whatever problem I may be having. Since it works for me, I recommend others to try and do the same to boost their happiness!
I found this to be extremely interesting to read! I have also believed that music definitely has an impact on my mood. I always will listen to certain bands when I am feeling a certain way. However I did not realize that music can even affect your body with healing. I also find that there is another connection between music and the seasons. For example I will rarely listen to certain summer bands during the middle of winter and vice versa. I believe this too could be a third piece to the music and mood connection because I of course will have a different mood when I’m laying on the beach than I do when I’m in State College in the middle of winter.
I’ve always considered this one of the coolest aspects of listening to music. When I go to the gym I always listen to upbeat music in order to get my energy up and ready to kill the work out. To me, it’s crazy how that works. There are days where I just want to put both headphones in and listen to slow music or whatever I’m in the mood for based on what occurs throughout my day. Now a days, music apps make it convenient for you to pick what type of music you want to listen to based off of your mood. I really thought this post was interesting!
This is really interesting! I have heard alot of people talk about this theory before and find it really interesting how music can help someone cope with their problems. I found this article about how music also helps deals with stress! http://psychcentral.com/lib/the-power-of-music-to-reduce-stress/