| The power of music
Posted: 1/3/2006 5:41:12 AM | Books such as "The Mozart Effect" make a case that music is not only "ear candy" but actually has a much greater effect on our emotional wellbeing and health than many realize. I feel that music is tremendously powerful in many ways. For instance, a well written song has the power to influence attitudes about various things. A preacher may preach and a speaker may speak and each may hold your attention momentarily -- but consider the power of the message in a song with an infectious melody that you can't get out of your head. Like most powerful things, this is a double edged sword. That power may be used creatively and positively or negatively and destructively.
I believe that songwriters and musicians have far greater power than they realize -- or perhaps than some would care to acknowledge -- and should therefore take some thought as to how they use that power. Songs that glorify rape and murder, for instance, are a blatant example of musicians misusing their gifts for the sake of the almighty dollar or the fame that such a misuse of their talents may bring them in this world that these days seemingly can't get enough of the worst excesses of human behaviour.
Your thoughts on the power of music? | |
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| The power of music
Posted: 1/3/2006 6:00:40 AM | | This is a great post... Musicians DO have a very strange sort of power; I've played songs for people and sometimes, when those songs really reach people, you can see their expression change. Its an amazing feeling when you can reach out and 'touch' someone like that. | |
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| The power of music
Posted: 1/3/2006 7:31:21 AM | You're right,Art.
Songs can have an influence on people.
Make us laugh or cry,or reminecse..."I remember the first time I heard this song..."
And you're right about the influence of music.
Songs that advocate infidelity,abuse,violence...
But,the musicians draw from experience,and it's up to the listener to draw the good ,or bad from a song. | |
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| The power of music
Posted: 1/3/2006 7:51:13 AM | | I used to think I was weird because I "feel" music, and always have, compared to many people who just listen to it. It's always been like that for me. All kinds of music have a profound effect on me~~ | |
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| The power of music
Posted: 1/3/2006 8:03:22 AM | Exactly ,Livewire!
I have certain songs that can make me weep.
And others that I call my 'summer songs' (Roll down the car windows and crank them up)
And, other that..well....make me feel ...ya know.. | |
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| The power of music
Posted: 1/3/2006 8:06:02 AM | Exactly leafslady... It all makes me feel "something", and depending on my mood or what mood I want to be in determines what I listen to. I usually start out early in the day with more mellow stuff, but it eventually gets "cranked up"~~~ But not always... Get in those "weepy" moods and listen to stuff that actually makes it worse~~~Silly, huh>? | |
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late™
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Joined: 1/9/2005
Msg: 7 | |
| The power of music
Posted: 1/3/2006 11:33:02 AM | The "Mozart Effect" is a very well played hoax. It's originators make a lot of money selling "Mozart Effect" books and CDs. Like many hoaxes, once they are examined more closely and found to be not exactly what they say they are, ...some still "believe".
http://skepdic.com/mozart.html
That music has "effects" on people is undeniable, unfortunately many positive therapudic "effects" are diminished when music is digitized and put on 16bit media like CD's. As far as music's ability to cause physiological and psychological changes, ...nothin' beats live. | |
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| The power of music
Posted: 1/3/2006 5:52:04 PM | If I couldn't listen to music every single day I think I'd just wilt and die... Honestly~~ I have to have it~~  | |
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| The power of music
Posted: 1/3/2006 5:59:46 PM | | Music is almost like an "elemental force", I believe, that acts on us in ways that are hard to measure and that we understand very dimly at this stage of the game. | |
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| The power of music
Posted: 1/3/2006 6:07:06 PM | I know that very few people around me "get" it... The fact that I always want to listen to music, or use it to "refer" to various lifetime events, etc.... It seems to be how I express myself many times, I guess. It works for me, that much I know~~~ | |
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| The power of music
Posted: 1/3/2006 7:16:30 PM | | I agree, Livewire, it's amazing how sometimes a certain song can almost transport you back in time. At the place where I had my first full time job, the radio was always cranked up as we worked. Then the coffee truck would honk and the long awaited coffee break arrived. Years later, whenever one of the hit songs from those days came on the radio, I could literally smell the donuts that I loved to munch on those breaks. | |
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| The power of music
Posted: 1/3/2006 7:21:40 PM | Oh, that it can... I just had a memory of something from over 20 years ago by listening to The Cars~~Let the Good Times Roll....
It's like the sense of smell for me, and smell seems to do the same thing.. But music is the all time best... No matter where you want to go, it'll take you there~~ | |
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| The power of music
Posted: 1/4/2006 4:08:23 PM | | I agree with what you are all saying on this thread. Music has a way of invoking feelings and emotions in an incredible way. And not everyone "get's it". Some people feel it to a greater extent, some people, unfortunately for them, don't feel it at all. | |
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| The power of music
Posted: 1/4/2006 4:17:14 PM | I know musicman, and no matter how much they think they "love" music, they'll never quite get it.... I've dated a few people like that and I sometimes feel like they think I'm a "bit off" because of my interest in music.... They're obviously not for me~~ | |
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| The power of music
Posted: 1/4/2006 4:22:36 PM | | I saw a program once about the religious sect called the Hutterites who -- at that time at least -- would not allow any music to be played in their communities on the grounds, if I recall correctly, that it tended to be "sensual" and led one astray from God. No offence to any Hutterites who may be reading this, but can you imagine how dreary life would be without music of any kind? | |
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| The power of music
Posted: 1/4/2006 4:23:28 PM | @livewire - true - it's something extra that's just built in. Have you ever heard a chord change that stopped you in your tracks and made you say 'whoa - that was cool" - or a lyric that brought tears to your eyes and a clutch to your throat - or a melody (no words, just music) that sent shivers up and down your spine... That's the kind of stuff I'm talking about - I've always felt it, as far back as I can remember. I really feel sorry for people that don't feel it.
I use music to change my mood - if I'm feeling blue, or down, or bad about something - I can always find some music that will pick me right up... | |
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| The power of music
Posted: 1/4/2006 4:31:21 PM | | Musicman -- re "the shiver" that certain lyrics, melodies and chord changes can give you, ah, ain't it grand? Having been a professional musician for much of my life, I can certainly relate. The first several times I heard the song "You Needed Me", the combination of the lyrics and the progression of the music, to use your phrase, just "stopped me in my tracks". Ya gotta love it! | |
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| The power of music
Posted: 1/4/2006 4:42:54 PM | ^^ absolutely true ^^ I have always felt it - as far back as I can remember.
And funny enough, I can recall a morning when my son was not quite 2 years old, we put on a Disney video "The Rescuers", and during the opening tracks, he started crying. I asked him what was wrong, and he said "the TV is playing crying music" - sure enough the opening music (no words) was in a minor key - very sad sounding, and he felt it... | |
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| The power of music
Posted: 1/4/2006 4:53:01 PM | I grew up in an area where there were many Hutterites... In fact, my aunt and uncle became Hutterites. Let me tell you, their oldest daughter rebelled like almost no one I had seen. She got involved with an ex-con when she went off to college, got pregnant by him, and he eventually ended up back in prison.
I hate "repression" of almost any kind. I think it messes us up more than life itself does~ | |
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| The power of music
Posted: 1/4/2006 4:55:04 PM | | There are certain songs that stop me in my tracks.... Just the "intensity" of that particular song for me. It's an incredible feeling. There really are no words to describe it, I don't think....>? | |
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| The power of music
Posted: 1/4/2006 5:34:54 PM | With all due respect to the Hutterites because basically I suspect that most of them are very decent and sincere people, Livewire, it's easy to understand why some rebel and depart from their communities. For one thing, who would want to live in a world without music?
I've often wondered whether or not deaf people hear music in their minds as most of us can. If they were not born deaf, it's easy to assume that they would be able to. I know that all of them can feel the bass vibrations of music and some do attempt to dance to this. But if one was born deaf and has never actually "heard" music, can he nevertheless hear a melody in his mind? | |
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| The power of music
Posted: 1/4/2006 5:39:49 PM | Good question musicman... I wonder if there is anybody on this web site who is deaf>? Now I'm pondering that one... Hmmmmm.... If they've been deaf from birth, I wonder if they have any sense of rhythm, beat, you know....>? Maybe someone will see this and respond. I'd really like to know.....
I know, the Hutterites aren't bad people, I just think it's "extremism", which in turn can cause more "extremism"... | |
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| The power of music
Posted: 1/4/2006 6:41:21 PM |
The "Mozart Effect" is a very well played hoax. It's originators make a lot of money selling "Mozart Effect" books and CDs. Like many hoaxes, once they are examined more closely and found to be not exactly what they say they are, ...some still "believe".
http://skepdic.com/mozart.html
That music has "effects" on people is undeniable, unfortunately many positive therapudic "effects" are diminished when music is digitized and put on 16bit media like CD's. As far as music's ability to cause physiological and psychological changes, ...nothin' beats live.
Late, I can't say that I have studied the "Mozart Effect" in any depth. I have skimmed through it at bookstores but was reluctant to give the originators the money that they were asking for the privilege of reading it in more depth. If you're correct that it is a hoax, I guess I made a wise decision! Nevertheless, the basic premise that music has profound effects on us -- that may go far beyond just giving us mere "aural pleasure" or pain in some cases LOL -- deeply intrigues me.
Granted that live music can be much more enjoyable than recorded music, I'm interested to know why you feel that the therapeutic effects of digitized music would be so different from that of music in other formats? Are we talking about the joy of seeing live musicians perform, the difference between analog and digital sound, all of the above or ...? | |
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late™
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Joined: 1/9/2005
Msg: 24 | |
| The power of music
Posted: 1/4/2006 9:04:55 PM | I'm interested to know why you feel that the therapeutic effects of digitized music would be so different from that of music in other formats?
Mostly the difference in the way that analog, digital, and live are generated and perceived.
Live music will include harmonic resonance beyond the scope of hearing, however, these waveforms still interact with the bandwidth inclusive of hearing. Analog recorded music constitutes a loss of the lower and higher harmonics, as soon as analog is converted to ones and zeros, regardless of bit-rate and resolution, ...the loss of interactive harmonic resonance is much greater, and permanent.
As much of even live music is generated by digital source, synths, digi-sound enhancement, "modeling" amps, etc...... even live music is affected.
Few know the difference anymore, as few get to hear it anymore.
Back when CD's came out, I was slow to adopt the media, prior to buying my first CD's I had already participated in recording sessions using the then, "cutting edge" ADAT format, .....hated it. I could "hear" at playback that, "that wasn't what I played".
Gave me the creeps
I later started buying CD's, like everybody else, as it became the default for product delivery. This was back in the '80s. Crystal clear!!! No noise !!!
Early on, I noticed the "missing bits" (no pun intended), for example; when I purchased Weather Report's "Heavy Weather". On that album is a cut, "Byrdland", ....stunning piece of music by some of the best to ever play music, .... When ever I heard that tune, without fail, ....I got goosebumps.
The CD?
........nada.
Wow though!!! Crystal clear!!! No noise !!!
My ears were fooled for a bit (again, no pun), my body and mind could tell the difference though.
go far beyond just giving us mere "aural pleasure" or pain in some cases
Nearly all music occurs within a system of octaves sub-divided by 12 semi-tones (or further into other divisions of the 12). This is no arbitrary number. Music is subdivided this way, not because it's a convenient number (it isn't), but because those demarcation points are naturally occuring, and not necessarily based on "perfect math", in fact these harmonic subdivisions don't divide at a even rate across bandwidth.
It's natural, just as different frequencies of light give us different colours, and different colours combine to make new colours.
Resonance
Gravity does it too.
Of course it affects us.
What digital formats "forget" is:
Like any bandwidths of light beyond our ability to see, really low and high harmonic resonance affects us.
The digital recording format is getting better though (done right), the method of product delivery still sucks, and is getting worse as people "get used" to higher and higher compression rates. And the practice of digitizing signal before it gets to the higher-bit/resolution final A-D convertors, degrades signal two or three times (x1 for every single "VST" plug-in or other software based "sound enhancement" too) before it hits the hard drive.
Take for example a work in progress, the size of the file for a 4 minute tune with say, ......5 instruments and a coupla' vox tracks....?
40+ gigs of data - un-mixed, un-mastered, .....if it's been recorded with good analog "front end", playback can be stunning, again, few people hear what this actually sounds like, few ever see the kind of equipment involved as it's not the kind of gear you can buy from a store.
Yup, done well? ...goosebumps, but converting it to a CD, or even worse, an mp3?
Nada.
Oh, I wouldn't place as much blame on lyrics as "subliminal" messages in "music" changing peoples moral compass. It's not the "music", the "music" is just a manifestation of pop culture, ......that's the worm in the apple, "music" is part of the apple.
If the apple is rotten, blame the worm. | |
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| The power of music
Posted: 1/4/2006 11:07:52 PM | | I think if someone is going to blame music it must be that person who is the "rotten apple" in the bunch... Truly... How could anybody be "that" influenced by music....>? I am admittedly "extremely" influenced by it, but not to the extent where it affects my whole personality or how I behave ((okay, maybe occasionally at a concert))... | |
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