The Power of Music

[muguly]

Is there power behind music? The lyrical content, the musical compisition, the tone, does it evoke any physical, emotional, spiritual response in you? Can music be the most powerful tool a person has to communicate a mass message?

[rwyatt365]

It’s been said (I don’t know where, or by whom) that music reaches into something primitive within the human psyche. There is some music that I can listen to that instantly takes me “somewhere else”. I can’t define the feeling or describe it to anyone else, but when I hear it I am transported. Those songs become part of my “go to” music. For me, is it almost always music without voices (90% of the time).

Physical responses? I guess if I were hooked up to appropriate transducers there would be some sort of physical response, but what that might be I don’t know. No hot flashes, or rapid heart beat. I don’t think my pupils dilate. At most I feel somehow “lighter” – I close my eyes and move with the flow of the music (not necessarily with the beat).

Yes, I think that music is powerful. Because it is primordial, I think that it can be (and often is; TV, movies, etc) used to sway behavior through emotions.

[HackerX]

Is there power behind music? The lyrical content, the musical compisition, the tone, does it evoke any physical, emotional, spiritual response in you?

As an INTP, I listen to music that reflects my mood, rather than listen to music to change my mood as a lot of types do. I could listen to a favourite song, but if it doesn't suit my mood then it just frustrates me.

Then again, there are certainly some scores that have caused an emotional response in me.

[vaguely dissatisfied]

Maybe music is like a picture. It sums up in a moment or glance what we cannot articulate with words.

[muguly]

Maybe music is like a picture. It sums up in a moment or glance what we cannot articulate with words.

As usual, I agree. Most times the music, not the lyrics, are the most powerful aspect of a song. As a musician, I know how much emotion can go into a particular piece. Jazz and blues portray that sentement perfectly.

[ElstonGunn]

"Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent." -Victor Hugo

I might be splitting hairs to reading into that quote too much, but I think it's easier to express certain things with music than with words. But if I just take it as a "Yeah, I dig music, man" kind of quote, then I enjoy it.

I just read Music and the Mind by Anthony Storr recently. I thought it was good, but he went off on a lot of tangents. Not that I have anything against tangents in general. His were pretty interesting tangents, they just didn't seem necessary in a psychological discussion of music.

[TheLastMohican]

Good instrumental music probably has a greater emotional effect on me than anything else. Strange, but true.
I mostly like good film scores. Some of my favorites:

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(Sublime from about 2:30 in to the end)

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(Makes me feel powerful)

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(Awfully underappreciated, because the big explosions drowned it out!)

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(This version, Elfman's, was so perfect; I don't understand why they had to change it in the third film.)

Also, IMO the the best parts of the Imperial March (Darth Vader theme) are not what people normally think of. Do listen to it in its entirety and hear what you've been missing:
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[Erika Redmark]

Good instrumental music probably has a greater emotional effect on me than anything else. Strange, but true.

Same here. Before about six months ago, I had never cried directly because of experiencing some artistic work, but I always came the closest listening to music. Funnily enough, it's happened to me twice now: when I read the end of A Tale of Two Cities (first time ever) and while listening to "Gute Nacht" from Winterreise, which is vocal music (although it was during a piano interlude–the key change to major). Odd, eh?

[mkay]

I think I'm music retarded. My husband teases me because I rarely recognize songs. And even with songs I recognize, I usually know like six words, and often they turn out to be the wrong words. I'll be in restaurants with people and they'll sometimes point out something about a song playing but I won't have registered anything other than a musical white noise. On the other hand, I tend to listen closely to what people are saying to me. ... When I'm alone, I usually prefer silence to music. When music is on "too long," it has a sort of sandpaper effect on me. When I do listen to music, I prefer to listen to the same songs over and over, sort of musical wallpaper.

I envy people who can really get into music.

[azelismia]

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here's richard feynman playing bongos

[Tenacious B]

Music is by far my favorite of the arts. Lyrics are of little importance to me, when I was a professional musician I didn't know the lyrics to my own band's songs (or even the titles to some).

I can't say that emotion plays much of a part in it for me since it is really just a matter of things I like or dislike about the music (tone, tempo, rhythm etc).

[Genuine]

It brings up strange emotions in me.
Sometimes loud music in classes brings up feelings of intense hate, for example. ;)

[Motor Jax]

for me to really, really enjoy it, it has to have a passion and/or sadness


Phantom of the Opera (fell in love with it when i was 12, and ever since)

the Imperial March of the Darth Vader theme mentioned above (because of the power and passion)

both these two are probably going to be continually top notch with me


but i am also a full library of everyone from Elvis, BB King, Johnny Cash to Brooks&Dunn, Garth Brooks, and Nickelback

i also use music to workout to like ICP & Eminem (i know, contradictory), Limp Biskit (?), and Accept (for that '80's style metal, i love Balls to the Wall)



but what i usually listen to on an everyday basis is Latino or Cajun French music


other than that, i like listening to opera music whenever i go out and i usually find myself listening to it at times

[searcher]

Music....Ah, music......
It's just....
Just.....
Oh, I don't know.....
Something.

[jesse]

Is there power behind music? The lyrical content, the musical compisition, the tone, does it evoke any physical, emotional, spiritual response in you? Can music be the most powerful tool a person has to communicate a mass message?

I think music does have all of those qualities and then some. Everyone perceives music differently, some might be very superficial while others might see incredible visuals and sceneries in their heads when a particular artist or even a single song is heard. This probably applies much more at the individual than collective level.

Whether music has the ability to communicate en masse, I'm not entirely sure. People listen to music for various reasons and sometimes what is popular music is not really saying much other than be happy, don't worry yada yada yada. I admit I don't really follow what's hot and popular, mostly because that type of music just plain sucks in my ears.

[colmdubh]

Yes, I think this idea is mentioned in the movie "High Fidelity", Is it the music the reason a person acts the way they do or does the way a person acts influence the music they listen to? i.e. people who listen to mostly 'emo' music or 'metal' music or 'upbeat pop' music

[Antares]

I was listening to 'To Where You Are' by Josh Groban while reading a report on the SiChuan quake. I think I teared up. The report was on how a teacher didn't bother to get himself to safety, gathered as many kids as he could into his arms and died to save their lives. Another teacher tried to hold up the collapsing roof to let the kids escape. Not many did. These stories are so touching and tragic; and with the melancholic tune of the song, it amplified the power of the story. I was busy imagining the events happening like a movie, and strangely that got me to be more emotional about it. Oh well. Music encourages my imagination.