Music and Mood.
This is an exploration into music and mood. What influence does music have on our lives and how does it affect our mood. Today we are bombarded with music. It is present at home, on the TV the radio, in our as cars we drive to work, in the lift, the shops, and doctor’s surgery. It has become almost as prevalent as the air we breathe. A great deal of the time we may be unaware of its presence but that doesn’t mean it’s not having an effect. The subliminal affect of music and mood. You enter the hotel foyer and check in. The porter directs you to the shiny glass lift. Struggling in with your cases you barely notice the incessant background music. (Or rather musak.) You leave the lift humming to yourself as you go. It was discovered that when music was played to factory workers it increased productivity and kept them happier. Muzak was born. It was designed to perform a specific function. In offices or factories, several pieces of music are linked together in 15 minute segments. These gradually increase in tempo and stimulation, in order to give a mental ’lift’. This is then followed by 15 minutes of silence, which mimics attention spans and gives a period of quiet to keep it interesting.Slow music played in shops or restaurants can prolong the amount of time we stay, resulting in increased spending. Slow classical music played in restaurants has been shown to delay meals and increase time at the bar! Certain kinds of music can also influence our buying choices. A recent study by psychologist, Adrian North at Leister University tested the effect music had on wine selection. French music being played on one day, German music on another. The findings showed that more people bought French wine, on the days when French music was played and German wine, on the German music days. However, few were aware of the reasons for their choice! Muzak now, is a widespread and sophisticated tool used to manipulate our spending habits and influence our decisions. Jingles. Music closely associated with a particular product or brand also increases the chances of us picking up the item. Jingles, those simple memorable melodies, repeated over and over again become synonymous with the product. In fact they embed themselves so deeply in our minds that they can easily be recalled decades later! I’m going to show my age now, but the other day I found myself humming…. ‘They fly like a bird in the sky…. ‘ for absolutely no reason, except I was making myself a sandwich at the time! It was part of the hit song ‘I can’t let Maggie Go,’ by Honeybus (1968) and accompanied the TV ad showing a young girl in a hot air balloon. The advertisement was for Nimble bread! Music as Propaganda. Similarly music has been used to influence large numbers of the population as a form of propaganda. Inspiring the masses to heightened nationalism. Hitler used music extensively to prime his audience before major speeches. Music and Mood. On a much more personal level how does music affect our mood? ‘Music is what feelings sound like!’ Anon Music expresses our feelings and emotions. When we are sad it can help define and articulate difficult emotions and when we are happy it combines and adds a dance to our step. It’s possible to change a sad frame of mind to a happy one by playing a sequence of music in order rather like the Musak sequences. Begin with a sad song and then gradually work up through the song selection to increase in both tempo and brightness of music and mood. You’ll be feeling better in next to no time! How about Lurve! Music is a great scene-setter for romance. Soft romantic music creates, ambience, warmth, relaxation and trust. It can set the mood and pulse for the evening ahead. When you’re off for a session in the gym, what kind of music do you listen to on your I-pod? Loud, fast energising music, to get your body moving and keep you energised, as well as fending off the boredom! Music and mood are intricately entwined. It can lift you up or bring you down, get you going or help you relax at the end of a long hard day! Music has a profound affect on the mind body and the soul!
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