MUSIC AFFECTS OUR EMOTIONS; OUR EMOTIONS AFFECT US

Trevor Bulger Vancouver School of Arts and Academics AP Language 4 9 April 2011

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Sitting in the crowded auditorium, surrounded by people who smell like alcohol and look like they never left the 80s, one starts to wonder Is this worth it? Looking to the stage, there is the drummer; he starts his bass drum kicking. Finally, just what everyoneis here for. As the lead guitarist comes onstage playing the opening chords, everyone around is going wild, ready to be lost in the rhythm and screaming guitar solos. There is a field of science behind finding out why people react to music in such strange and distinct ways, and what musicians have been doing for millennia that causes those reactions. When it comes to music, individual experiences and preferences affect what people hear in music, as well as what music they respond to. Much music in Western culture today is composed in only a few time signatures. Often songs are composed in 4/4 (four beats to the measure), although several other time signatures show up in various songs. Waltzes are often composed in 3/4; many jazz ballads make use of 3/4 as well. Most pop and rock music is composed in 4/4, although some artists stray from this often: Radioheads song Go to Sleep is performed in 10/4, while Hey Ya! by Outkast is very distinct in that it switches between 4/4 and 2/4,to make itself sound somewhat like a song written in 11/4. Don Ellis is a very interesting composer in his love of incredibly strange key signatures: The Great Divide is written in 13/8, while Bulgarian Bulge is written in 33/8. Hows This For Openers? is composed in 25/8; this variation in time signature is quite possibly why some people enjoy his songs, and why others get headaches when listening to them. There are many styles of music, and though when people listen they may seem very different, they have fairly similar technical components. For instance, jazz borrows much technique from classical music, utilizing inversions and voice-leading (the use of one line as the melody) to great extent in some songs using soloist instruments. However, they still branch out from classical music with their use of rhythm, chord progression, and timbre, as well as often sacrificing a single melody for several, adding complexity to their music. Rock music came

Bulger later, and borrows from jazz, utilizing the chord progressions used in jazz music and bringing voice-leading back into most songs, now present in vocals, but making room for solos on other

instruments as well, to keep with the tradition in jazz of letting each artists voice come out. The similarities between these styles show how each developed from the next. As rock and roll began to fade and glam and grunge began to surface, timbre became important in determining the worth of music; it allowed a musical audience to hear who they were listening to, without having to see them. Timbre is a very different property of music than most. Timbre is the particular sound of an instrument: a guitar and a piano can play the exact same chord, but they will not sound the same. Dr. Daniel Levitin, the director of the Laboratory for Music Perception, Cognition, and Expertise has a very technical definition of timbre: It is a property of objects in the world that they generally vibrate at several different frequencies at once (42). These different frequencies each produce different notes, and some of these notes are louder or softer than others, giving each instrument a unique sound. An example of this is in vocals: Dawn Landes played a cover of I Wont Back Down by Tom Petty; they both have individual voices, and though they are singing and playing the same song, the song sounds different, because their voices are so unique; some people would enjoy the original version of the song better, while some would enjoy Landes version, because their voices strongly affect the feeling of the song.An article published in the New York Times about Dr. Levitin had to do with timbre as well. Clive Thompson, the writer for the article, was given a single chord struck once on piano. Again I could instantly figure out what it was: the first note in Elton Johns live version of Benny and the Jets. Levitinexplained why this happened: Nobody elses piano sounds quite like that, he said, referring to Mr. John. Pop musicians compose with timbre. Pitch and harmony are becoming less important. Because of this use of timbre, artists today are less known for their individual styles of music, and more for the unique overall tone of music they

Bulger produce; people like musicians today for the uniqueness and variety in their music, thanks to their use of timbre. One concept that travels almost universally among Western music is how emotion is based on the mode, or key, of music.Major modes are almost always found in happy or hopeful songs, the kind of songs that people can just enjoy, such as All Star by Smash Mouth. Minor modes, on the other hand, often seem depressing, or even frightening. They are often used to make people feel unhappy or to build tension and terrify people, such as many of the songs used in horror movies: the repetition of two chords in Jaws, for instance. However, there has been

research that supports the thought that this association is not something people are born with, but which is learned at a young age. In a study by Andrew Gregory, Lisa Worrall, and Ann Sarge, professors of psychology at the University of Manchester, evidence was found that supported a hypothesis that the connection between mode and mood is something learned. A study of children aged 3 to 4 and 7 to 8 years listened to eight tunes which were either in the major or minor mode children selected one of two schematic faces chosen to depict happy or sad facial expressions (341). The younger group of children showed little to no association between major mode and happy expressions or between minor and sad expressions, while the older group showed much more association.When it comes to making music that does portray these emotions, though, instrumentation is important to developing the mood. Generally, screaming guitar solos and death metal vocals do not make people sad, although it certainly could scare them a little. When determining instrumentation for a piece of music, the composer needs to think about the audience as well, because different people associate instruments with various emotions. Mark Blasco, an independent composer and musician, explained his use of instruments: When I write for cello and piano, I usually write something sad or emotional. I think of violin as

Bulger romantic.Meanwhile David Feldstein, a published musician, considered piano to be a very depressing instrument,letting his own feelings guide [him] to the right place. A small survey

asked people what instruments they found to be sad, and cello clearly stood out in the lead; violin and piano each got a large number of votes as well (Bulger) (See Fig. A). With this knowledge, a composer would know that they could use cellos if they wanted to make a sad song, because it is likely that many people find cello to be a sad instrument.Orchestras are very distinct in the way that they can produce a plethora of emotions based on instrumentation and mode, as well as by using harmony, dissonance, and various other tools of music.Songs such as Howard Shores The Return of the King might seem hopeful, with its use of harmony and major mode.Meanwhile, another song of his from The Lord of the Rings, entitled The End of All Things, uses a full orchestra as well as a large choir;it uses dissonance and minor mode, and switches between quiet and incredibly loud sections. The song also uses the choir, singing darker vowels to create a feeling of terror, and ends it with a single voice, singing a very dark, low melody, still in minor, to slowly fade and leave a very depressing afterthought hanging in the air.Ultimately, in Western culturechildrenadopt these ideas of how music should be, and grow used to thinking somewhat similarly about some aspects of music; however, the individuality of each person still lends itself to their tastes. A good example of how this individuality affects the view of music is in the very well known song Amazing Grace. This song is certainly deeply rooted in the history of America, and is seen by many almost as an anthem. This concept of an anthem may come from the deep spiritual roots of the song. For many years it was sung primarily as a gospel tune, and in the 60s, during the civil rights movement, it gained popularity as one of the songs of the AfricanAmerican protests. However, it is also thought of in different ways. Some people view it as a particularly funereal song; indeed, it is played at many funerals. This idea in peoples minds

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may come from the lyrics in the song: I once was lost but now am found / Was blind, but now I see are interpreted by some as the words of a lost soul, found by God and given sight to see things as they truly are. Regardless of the original meaning of the song when John Newton first wrote it, Amazing Grace has evolved in our society to form several different meanings, all depending on the mind of the person who hears it. This uniqueness of taste can make it hard for researchers to determine what music can do therapeutically. The point of musical relaxation and other techniques are the use of music that people find soothing and calming. A study by Linda A. Gerdner, Ph.D., supported the theory that individually chosen music that patients considered relaxing caused reduction in agitation during and following individualized music compared to classical music. The patients in the study all had Alzheimers disease or a related disorder. This study shows that music can be used therapeutically, as well as showing the effects of individual preferences.Another study, by Suzanne B Hanser, the founding chair of the Music Therapy Department at Berklee College, and Larry W Thompson a Professor Emeritus from the Stanford University School of Medicine, showed that music therapy could help treat depression: three groups existed for the test; in one, participants learned music listening stress reduction techniques at weekly home visits by a music therapist, while another gave a self-administered but similar program; the last was a control, with no therapy given. Participants in both music conditions performed significantly better than the controls on standardized tests of depression, distress, self-esteem, and mood, supporting the theory that music is capable of helping treat depression and improve temperament. The ability of music to improve our mood is clearly quite strong, and it is not limited to curing sadness, either. An experiment by NidhyaLogeswaran and Joydeep Bhattacharya, from the Department of Psychology at Goldsmiths College, University of London, supported the

Bulger theory that listening to music affects the way we see other people. The subjects in their test

listened to music, either upbeat or gloomy, and were then shown a picture of a persons face, and asked to rate it from 1-7, 1 being very sad, and 7 being very happy. Overall, people who listened to happier music thought the faces looked happier than the people who listened to the sad music first, while those who listened to sad music thought the faces generally looked gloomier (See Fig. B). This experiment shows just how important music is to us as a race. Music is not only something that many people enjoy, it is also a tool that can change peoples perspective of others. Music has been a large part of human life for a very long time. The oldest found instrument dates back 50,000 years (Miller). There is a good reason. Darwin believed that music developed as part of charming the other sex (Levitin 251), as a means of survival of the fittest.Ernst Bloch, the late renowned philosopher, said music as a whole stands at the farther limits of humanity, but at those limits where humanity, with new language and haloed by the call to achieved intensity, to the attained world of we, is first taking shape (Marrouchi 194). Comparing music to belief, to the first spark of light before the dawn, he saw music as a hint of the future. Music is clearly important to humans, and ithas a profound effect on our mood, our relationships, and our lives.

Annotated Works Cited:

Bulger Blasco, Mark. E-mail interview. 23 Feb. 2011. Mark Blasco is a musician and composer whose work has been used by several companies and groups, most notably Apple, Inc. and the television series Attack of the Show. It is unknown what bias he may have towards certain music, as questions involving his favorite music were not included. I used his

interview as the opinion of a musician about what emotions are created by different styles of music and different instruments. Bulger, Trevor G. Survey of Musical Instruments in Relation to Emotion. 5 Apr. 2011. Raw data. Vancouver, WA. I surveyed approximately 75 people, asking what instrument or instruments they found sad. The results are shown in the Appendix, Figure A. I kept my own bias out of the data: I gave no examples of instruments to them beforehand, letting those surveyed think on their own. Feldstein, David. E-mail interview. 6 Apr. 2011. David Feldstein is an independent composer and musician whose music has been used on various television shows, such as Sunset Daze, Three Moons Over Milford, and Who Wants To Marry My Dad?. I conducted an email interview with him with the express intention of using his musical bias as an example of the variety of opinions on music. Gerdner, Linda A. "Effects of Individualized Versus Classical Relaxation Music on the Frequency of Agitation in Elderly Persons With Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders." International Psychogeriatrics 12.01 (2000): 49-65. Cambridge Journals Online. Web. 5 Apr. 2011. Linda Gerdner is a member of the Center for Mental Healthcare at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. The article was largely for a scientific audience, as it was mainly the findings of the research; it was likely that an article would be published for a more general audience. I used the research to show the ability of music preference to affect the way in which people respond to music.

Bulger Gregory, Andrew H., Lisa Worrall, and Ann Sarge. "The Development of Emotional Responses to Music in Young Children." Motivation and Emotion. Vol. 20. Springer, 1996. 341-48.

Print. Andrew Gregory, Lisa Worrall, and Ann Sarge are scientists who were published in the journal Motivation and Emotion for a research experiment about emotional response. The audience was others in the same field of cognitive research, and the purpose was to further research into the development of emotional responses to musical mode. As it was a report on an experiment, the researchers avoiding including any bias in the article. I used their results to show that some of our emotional responses to music are developed, and we are not always born with certain ideas about music. Hanser, Suzanne B., and Larry W. Thompson. "Effects of a Music Therapy Strategy on Depressed Older Adults." Journal of Gerontology (1994): 265-69. Web. 7 Apr. 2011. Suzanna Hanser is a renowned music therapy doctor. She is the founding chair of the Music Therapy department at the Berklee College of Music. Larry Thompson is a Professor Emeritus from Stanford Universitys School of Medicine. The research in their article was used as an example of the use of music therapeutically. Any bias in the work was not evident, as the conclusions were entirely based on the results of a scientific experiment. Landes, Dawn. "I Won't Back Down." By Tom Petty. Cover. YouTube. Web. 3 Apr. 2011. Tom Petty is a well-known composer and musician who performed at the Super Bowl in 2008. Dawn Landes performed a cover of his song I Wont Back Down, which I used as an example of the difference in timbre between the two performers, despite the fact that they played the same song. Levitin, Daniel J. This Is Your Brain on Music: the Science of a Human Obsession. New York, NY: Dutton, 2006. Print. Dr. Daniel Levitin worked as a record producer for many bands

Bulger for fifteen years before he went to college and earned a Ph.D in cognitive science. He

has earned nine gold and platinum awards, and written multiple books about the effect of music on the brain. This book was written for the average person who is interested in musics connection to our minds. The bias of his book is that he is knowledgeable in the terms of musicians; however, he does his best to explain these terms somewhat simply. I used his definitions of timbre and how music listeners view it today, as well as a Darwin quote that I found in his book. Logeswaran, Nidhya, and Joydeep Bhattacharya. "Crossmodal Transfer of Emotion by Music." Neuroscience Letters 455.2 (2009): 129-33. Print.The authors are both part of the Department of Psychology at the University of London. This article was published largely for scientists, as well as scientific students, and was meant to further understanding of the relevance of the emotions produced by listening to music. As a peerreviewed scientific experiment, any bias initially present should have been removed. I used the results of this experiment to show the relevance of music to our society. Marrouchi, Mustapha. Edward Said at the Limits. Albany: State University of New York, 2004. Google Books. Web. 3 Apr. 2011. The only cited source in this book was that of a quote from Ernst Bloch. Ernst Bloch was a Jewish philosopher who, after fleeing the Holocaust, eventually found work as a chair of philosophy in various universities. The quote referenced was used to show the importance of music to humans through a very philosophical and self-aware lens. Miller, Mary K. "Music of the Neanderthals." 21 Feb. 2000. Web. 28 Feb. 2011. <http://web.me.com/kbolman/EarlyChina/08_Music_of_the_Neaderthals.html>.Mary Miller is a science writer, producer and director for the Exploratoriums partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. She has a background in marine

Bulger 10 biology and science communication. Her article was written for those interested in ancient art, and may continue bias towards believing it is real, but is mostly written from the point of view of someone else. I used this article as a reference to the oldest instrument we know of. Newton, John. "Amazing Grace." 1779. John Newton wrote the song Amazing Grace after his own conversion to Christianity. It is one of the most famous gospel songs ever. I used it as an example of the different ways it could be thought of, depending on the person. Thompson, Clive. "Music of the Hemispheres." The New York Times 31 Dec. 2006, Arts sec. Nytimes.com. The New York Times Company. Web. Clive Thompson is a writer for several newspapers, including the New York Times. The article he wrote about was used to display the way in which timbre affects recognition of certain musicians for the average person. He may contain bias towards or against Dr. Levitin; however, there is no evidence of this. He does not write mainly in the Arts section for the New York Times, so he does not have any clear bias towards or against the arts and music.

Works Consulted:

Bulger 11 Vaidya, Geetanjali. "Music, Emotion, and the Brain." serendip.brynmawr.edu. 2004. Web. 9 Dec. 2010. Sloboda, John A. "Music Structure and Emotional Response: Some Empirical Findings." Psychology of Music.2nd ed. Vol. 19. 1991. 110-120. Print. Rickard, Nikki S. "Intense Emotional Responses to Music." Psychology of Music. Oct. 2004. Web. 07 Jan. 2011. <http://pom.sagepub.com/content/32/4/371.short>.

Appendix:

Bulger 12 Figure A: Trevor Bulger

Survey Results of the question: What instrument(s) do you find to be very sad sounding?

Cello Violin Piano Muted Trumpet Mandolin Bass Trumpet Ukelele Oboe Voice Didgeridoo Flute

Votes:
Cello: 51 Violin: 27 Piano: 21 Muted Trumpet: 4 Mandolin: 2 Bass: 1 Trumpet: 1 Ukelele: 2 Oboe: 2 Voice: 2 Didgeridoo: 1 Flute: 1

Figure B: p. 130 N. Logeswaran, J. Bhattacharya / Neuroscience Letters 455 (2009) 129133

Fig. 1. (a) Emotion ratings of happy, sad and neutral faces, regardless of musical primes. (b) Ratings for six individual conditions: happy, sad and neutral faces primed by happy or sad musical excerpts. (c) Difference (happy sad) in ratings for three facial emotions. Note that the largest effect was found for neutral facial emotion.