View
219
Download
0
Category
Preview:
Citation preview
The Emotions and Behaviors Associated with Different Genres of Music
Group 1Group Members:
Robert HarrisBrian Hone
Daniel MarlingStacy Moss
Matt MumfordPerry O’MalleyAlexis RoarkPaul Weber
Class: EDP101A
Music has been a part of human nature throughout history. Early man, like us today,
used music to celebrate, mourn, for religion, and for ceremonies. There is something innate in
humans and music that allows us to like or dislike a type of music. Music has the capability to
bring a flood of emotions to a person. So what exactly causes people to feel these emotions?
Are there physiological changes that occur to create associations between music and emotions?
Daniel Levitin states that, “…the emotions we experience in response to music involve structures
deep in the…cerebellar vermis, and the amygdala – the heart of emotional processing in the
cortex” (Levitin, 2006, p.87). According to Davis and Palladino, the amygdale is “a small
almond shaped structure [which] receives sensory inputs and is essential in evaluating the
emotional meaning of stimuli” (Davis and Palladino, 270, p.260). Since music is an auditory
stimulus it enters our brain and the emotional meaning surrounding that stimulus is processed.
Our question is what emotions and behaviors are associated with different genres of music? The
emotions that are felt may vary from person to person but overall there are some types of music
that cause certain emotions. However, it is not as simple as stating that Rock music causes anger
or Pop music causes happiness. There are nuances to each style of music and they can each
cause a plethora of emotions in both the artist and the listener. In the following paper we have
dissected various genres of music to see what emotions and behaviors they cause.
Robert Harris: Reggae
Daniel Levitin describes in “This Is Your Brain on Music” how music can affect and
change a person’s life: “We allow musicians to control our emotions and even our politics; to lift
us up, to bring us down, to comfort us, to inspire us. We let them into our living rooms and
bedrooms when no one else is around. We let them into our ears, directly, through ear buds and
headphones, when we're not communicating with anybody else in the world.” This quote fits
2
with the genre of reggae and how this music can change a person’s emotions, passions, and even
spirituality.
When you think of reggae music it is common for a warm island image to pop into your
mind. This may seem like a stereotype but a matter of fact most reggae started and continues to
thrive in the warm island of Jamaica. Along with the warm island imagery there is a feeling of
happiness and ecstasy that is aroused in the listener. Many reggae songs create joyful emotions
by creating an image of the beauty in the world, or by describing love. Even the basic sound of
reggae music creates positive because it is associated with beautiful warm islands. Jimmy Cliff
sings: “Talkin' 'bout the wonderful world / beautiful people” in his song Wonderful World. This
is an example of how lyrics describe the positive things in the world which creates a positive
emotion for the listener.
Although most reggae music may sound happy and joyful there is a lot of deep meaning
behind the songs. Reggae roots go back to the 1960’s during a poverty stricken Jamaica. The
poor standard of living during this time has currently influenced the reggae genre. Out side of
standard happy and relaxing songs much of reggae is about poverty, racisms, slavery, war,
history, violence, and civil rights. These ideas are introduced into music for the purpose of
educating the listener, and it works. These specific reggae songs create passive aggressive
emotions. One may feel angry and sympathetic at the same time. Bob Marley states: “That until
the basic human rights / Are equally guaranteed to all, / Without regard to race / Dis a war” in his
song War. It expresses his fight for equal rights for everyone. Lyrics like this make people
understand the problems in the world and at the same time the song creates an angry emotion. It
makes people want equality in the world.
3
Reggae can bring out a feeling of spirituality in the listener. A large influence of the
reggae genre was religion. The religion that thieved in Jamaica during the reggae wave was the
Rastafarian belief. As a result there are many reggae songs that contain lyrics of spirituality.
While listing to reggae music one could very well have a feeling of his own spirituality. Bob
Marley states “One love, one heart / Let's get together and feel all right / Give thanks and praise
to the Lord and I will feel all right” in his famous song One Love. This shows how religion
affects reggae artists and ultimately the listener. In Bob Marley’s opinion if the listener gives
thanks and praise to the Lord everything will be alright. Curtin lyrics like this can arouse a lot of
spirituality in a person and ultimately a lot of emotion.
In conclusion, the Reggae genre arouses a lot of emotion in the listener. Reggae roots
have influenced artists such as Jimmy Cliff and Bob Marley to write songs of love, happiness,
civil rights, freedom, and spirituality. So while listening to these songs there is expected to be
some emotions that transfer of from artist to listener.
Brian Hone: Classical
When discussing music and its effects on emotion and behavior, one must certainly
mention classical music. Emotion itself is very powerful, as is it is known to affect heart rate,
facial expression, and behavior in general (Davis and Palladino, 2007, p. 255). Not only does
much classical music have the power to be very expressive itself, thus evoking many different
types of emotion, but it often has distinct physical and emotional effects on the listener. But
perhaps the expressive nature of classical music is most interesting. To sit through an orchestral
performance is often not just a passive activity. The music dictates the emotion. As tempo,
dynamics, and tension increase, emotions of excitement, fear, and anticipation can often result.
But physical changes in the body are also noticeable. As this increase in tempo, dynamics, and
4
tension occurs, ventilation, heart rate, and blood pressure can increase as well (Bailey-Lloyd,
2007). Contrastingly, as tempo, dynamics, and tension resolve, sometimes feelings of
tranquility, peace, and harmony result. Decreases in ventilation, heart rate, and blood pressure
are often noticed (Bailey-Lloyd, 2007).
Numerous studies have been conducted on this topic. “The Mozart Effect,” a study
examining classical music’s affect on factors such as intelligence, spatial-reasoning tasks, and
behavior, has gained worldwide attention in recent years. The study found that listening to
Mozart for a set amount of time each day could actually improve intelligence (Levitin, 2006, p.
225). Some improvements in cognitive skills were also noticed. Children who listened to this
classical music for a certain amount of time each day were also noticed to behave in a calmer and
more relaxed manner. Furthermore, classical music therapy has become increasingly popular.
This type of music therapy “uses music to address physical, emotional, cognitive, and social
needs of individuals of all ages (American, 2004).” Often used as an alternative to medicine,
patients who undergo music therapy treatment often show increases in social and cognitive
development (American, 2004). Many patients also claim classical music therapy has a calming
effect and affects emotion and behavior, serving to reduce stress and promote tranquility.
However, one must not forget the effects classical music has on the musician himself or
herself; without the musician, there would be no music. Just like the listener or the audience,
musicians often experience emotional and physical changes while performing. As noted before,
ventilation, heart rate, and blood pressure can also affect the musician as he or she performs.
These musicians can go through periods of intense emotional experience as the intensity of the
music increases and vice-versa. One cannot doubt that many musicians are emotionally affected
when performing different pieces of classical music, as the musician’s emotions often mimic the
5
emotions being portrayed within the music. To say that classical music does not often affect
emotion and behavior would simply be false.
Daniel Marling: METAL
Heavy Metal, more commonly known as just “metal”, was developed in the 1970s. Most
of what we know now as metal has long roots into rock music. This report is on the emotions
caused by the genre of metal. Now ordinarily this would be such a broad spectrum, obviously as
with every genre there are going to be enough different metal songs that nearly every emotion on
the human spectrum is covered. I’m not going to talk about every emotion, but rather, the most
common ones. The following examples I present will evoke the most common emotions and
stress the more dominant themes of metal.
Most people think of metal as a dark and sometimes violent form of music. If there was a
psychopath on the loose, he must have listened to heavy metal to become that violent. These
metal stereotypes have been going on for a while. A main problem is that “Its' controversial
lyrics and harsh sound have made it the target of much blame for psychological and behavioral
problems in teenagers. Heavy metal music has also been a source of perpetual worry for parents
whose children listen to the music. At the same time, the listeners and fans of heavy metal say
that the music helps them deal with their problems” (Coss). “Another similar finding is that
“Brown and Hendee (1989) have indicated that physicians should use music preference,
particularly heavy metal, as a clue to possible psychosocial problems in adolescent patients.”
(Scheel)
One thing you’ll notice about metal music is the tempo. There really isn’t a common slow
tempo. As an aggregate, metal has the fastest tempo created by stringed instruments. It will also
6
stress certain notes emphatically. Also, the common use of distortion in metal means that songs
are usually played louder than rock in order for the listeners to discern the notes. Now that the
listener is listening to fast and loud music, their heart rate has quickly risen. This leads to my
next point of metal; aggressiveness.
Metal is an aggressive genre of music. It’s loud, forceful, vigorously energetic, and
boldly assertive. Many times the listener feels empowered by its forceful nature. On the theme of
aggressiveness, metal seems to be a much more popular genre among men than women, most
likely relating to the aggressiveness of males. Many male species are more aggressive than their
female counterparts, which also reinforces the dominance of males throughout history, and
explains the lopsided appreciation for metal.
The emotions of metal music are portrayed in the themes of each song, and the themes of
metal are usually dark. They include themes about drugs, sex, and violence. Popularized themes
are often about teenage angst, romantic tragedy, or relentless distrust and anger. A person who
listens to wide variety of music might listen to metal in moments of anger, frustration, or
depression. The genre is not without happier songs, they are just less common.
At this point I’d like to introduce a few bands and a song by each. First I’d like to talk
about the band Black Sabbath and use one of their songs as an example to further illustrate my
point. First of all, Black Sabbath is one of the pioneers in the development of the metal genre.
Their lead singer, Ozzy Osbourne, is also known as “The Godfather of Heavy Metal” by many.
The song “War Pigs” reinforces some common themes from metal. Two of the verses are below.
“Politicians hide themselves away They only started the war
7
Why should they go out to fight? They leave that role to the poor
Time will tell on their power minds
Making war just for fun Treating people just like pawns in chess
Wait `till their judgment day comes, yeah!”
The song expresses the “common” man’s opinion in this instance, and expresses distrust
and some anger at the politicians. The message is cliché, but the music is brooding and
thoughtful. It feels like an empowering rally cry to the listener.
A song that has more angered and violent themes is “Vicarious” by the band Tool.
“Don't look at me like I am a monster
Frown out your one face But with the other Stare like a junkie
Into the TV Stare like a zombie While the mother Holds her child
Watches him die Hands to the sky crying
Why, oh why? 'cause I need to watch things die
From a distance
Vicariously I, live while the whole world dies You all need it too, don't lie”
The lyrics express disgust at the human species for being naturally cold. The music
evokes a sarcastic and bitter sensation. It consists of heavy guitar playing, with a low bass line,
yet the singing is rather low, almost a whisper, sometimes. It has a very fast pace and the song is
emphatic on its brief pauses, which more than likely are startling to the listener upon their first
8
listen. While it doesn’t generate unnecessary hate or violence, it leaves the listener feeling
anxious and a little on edge.
Stacey Moss: Rock
Rock music has consistently evolved since its beginnings in the 1950s. For these reasons,
it is difficult to determine a precise definition of “rock” music. However, for research purposes,
a study conducted at Murray State University narrowed down rock music into “hard rock” and
“soft rock.” The definitions of these two types are as follows:
“Hard rock music is classified as a style of rock ‘n roll that contains a harsh, amplified
sound and loud electric guitars. Soft rock music is a form of rock ‘n roll that tends to
produce a softer, more pleasing sound. Pianos and synthesizers often accompany the
electric guitars, which are typically absent from hard rock.” (Hill, 2007).
Hard rock and soft rock are therefore the basis of further exploration. Which emotions are
associated with rock music? Are they positive or negative emotions? Through personal
experience, we see that our culture typically associates negative or aggressive emotions with
rock music. Even so, it is necessary to evaluate scientific research for direction on which
emotions are associated with rock music.
The Murray State University study was conducted using sixty participants and an
Emotional Assessment Scale. The participants simply ranked their mood while listening to soft
or hard rock music. Results of the study proved that negative emotions were associated with the
hard rock music, and positive emotions were associated with the soft rock music (Hill, 2007).
From this research, we can conclude that all rock music does not necessarily evoke negative
emotions such as sadness, anger, or depression.
9
However, differences in hard and soft rock do no simply depend on a fast or slow beat.
Lyrics can play a large role in eliciting emotions as well. Listeners often look to lyrics to relate
to music and sometimes for advice. For example, people experiencing emotions of anger or
loneliness may like hearing lyrics that parallel their current situation.
Van Halen has been a long-time band in the hard rock genre. Looking at their lyrics, we
can see why some hard rock songs elicit negative emotions. In their song titled “Runnin’ with
the Devil,” the lyrics state, “…Found the simple life ain’t so simple; when I jumped out, on that
road; I got no love, no love you’d call real; ain’t got nobody, waitin’ at home” (Van Halen,
1978). These lyrics, representative of hard rock, would most likely be associated with feelings of
emotional pain, loneliness or distress. In an article written by Kelly Schwartz for the Journal of
Youth Ministry, she mentions that adolescents with a preference for hard/heavy rock can
associate with its themes of antisocial behavior and risk-taking (Schwartz, 2004). The same
article goes on to remark that hard music regulates emotions because it allows adolescents to
ensure they are not emotionally alone (Schwartz, 2004). Furthermore, the loud electric guitar
solos, strong beats, and fast tempo give rise to the same negative emotions.
The soft rock genre consists of artists such as the Eagles. Many of these songs have a
slower, light beat and they incorporate more soothing, soft sounds such as those produced by a
piano. These sounds create feelings of ease and comfort rather than loneliness. Looking at the
lyrics of “Peaceful Easy Feeling,” it is evident that the song evokes positive emotions. The lyrics
state, “…’cause I get a peaceful, easy feeling; and I know you won’t let me down; ‘cause I’m
already standing on the ground” (Eagles, 1972). This shows strong emotions of happiness,
content, and love. The lyrics produce a feeling of ease and connect with people feeling stability
and satisfaction in their lives.
10
As evidenced by the research and lyrics above, rock music can have different affects on
people. Emotions associated with rock music can depend on both the lyrics and background
music. However, it is important to keep in mind that the two can mix. Lyrics of soft rock can
still contain “sad” lyrics, while hard rock lyrics can contain themes of love. It is further possible
that some people will feel happy listening to hard rock music, simply because that is their
favorite type of music. In general, though, research shows that the strong beat and loud music
typical of hard rock elicit negative emotions, while the opposite occurs for soft rock.
Matt Mumford: Jazz
Jazz music is a unique style of music that varies greatly across the board and uses
improvisation throughout. “Jazz is an original American musical are form that originated around
the start of the 20th century in New Orleans, rooted in African American musical styles blended
with Western music technique and theory. [It] uses blue notes, syncopation, swing, call and
response, polyrhythm, and improvisation” (Trinh, 1). It is an interesting style of music in that it
is always changing. There are certainly sheets of jazz music written but for this paper I am going
to focus on the improvisation aspect of jazz.
There are usually certain informal guidelines for interpretation when it comes to music
but “in jazz, these informal guidelines are especially broad. Not only may the jazz musician
interpret dynamics, tempo, and articulation, but he may alter even the precisely notated pitches
and rhythm. They may play a melody differently every time” (Sabatella, 2). Traditionally jazz
musicians, such as Miles Davis or John Coltrane, were described as producing two types of
emotions. Historically these emotions were described as “sweet” or “hot.” Since then the term
“sweet” has switched to “cool.” “Cool” music is supposed to be soothing and pretty whereas
“hot” music is intended to be exciting. Just as I have decided to focus on the improvisation
11
aspect of jazz for this paper, I am also going to focus in on the “cool” side of jazz as well. The
genre of jazz with all of its nuances would be too hard to focus on the entire thing. That is why I
have decided to focus on the “cool”, improvisation side of jazz music.
As stated in the previous paragraph, “cool” music is soothing and pretty. It got this name
based on the emotions that it caused in its listeners. The question is how does this style of music
cause emotions that can be described as soothing and pretty? That is a tough question to answer
and music psychologist and researchers in the field of the neuroscience of music don’t even
know the real answer. There are bits and pieces that are known but the exact reason is yet to be
discovered. What is known is that “there are certain elements within the music, such as change
of melodic line or rhythm that create expectations about the future development of the music.
The expectation the listener has about the further course of musical events is a determinant for
the experience of musical emotions. The greater the build-up of suspense of tension, the greater
the emotional releases upon resolution” (Vink, 2). In a sense the rhythm or melody of the music
will cause emotions of arousal and tension. These emotions are in turn “caused by interruptions
of expectations about future events” Vink, 3). By the way a piece of music is set up with rhythm
and melody, when you listen to it, you have certain expectations of the music. The longer you
wait for that expectation, the more tension builds up. The greater the build-up of that tension the
more intense of an emotion will be experienced. This falls directly in line with the familiarity of
the music. When the music is new to the listener the emotional value is low, it “progresses with
increasing familiarity and will decrease again when the music is totally known” (Vink, 3).
The familiarity aspect is where this style of music is important. If a novel song produces
few emotions and you have few expectations which lead to little arousal or tension then you have
a style of music that is soothing and pretty. Improvisation produces a song where the listeners do
12
not know where it is going. More often then not, the musician probably does not know where
the music is going to go. They just let it flow out of them. This usually corresponds to when
they are relaxed but that is a whole other topic for a different time. It is hard to experiences any
sort of music emotion when the expectations and familiarity are not there.
A soothing emotion can almost be thought of a lack of other emotions. If you are not
happy, sad, angry, etc. then someone usually describes a mellow feeling, a soothing emotion. I
think this is the phenomenon that can be found in the “cool”, improvisational form of jazz music.
Granted there are a plethora of other emotions associated with jazz music. However, for this
paper I felt that focusing in on one style and delving deeper into that style would be more
beneficially than briefly touching on all the emotions that can be felt.
Perry O’Malley: CountryMusic has the power to affect and manipulate our emotions. It wasn’t until recently that
scientists explored the rational behind the way music affects us on an emotional level.
Researchers have found that several characteristics merge to influence our emotions sparked by
music. For example, in the article “Music, Emotion and the Brain,” Geetanjali Vaidya describes
a study in which “major keys and rapid tempos cause happiness, whereas minor keys and slow
tempos cause sadness, and rapid tempos together with dissonance cause fear.” The correlation
between melody and the mind indicates that listening to and playing music actually can alter how
our brains, and therefore our emotions and behaviors.
Within the large category of music, there are many genres. Of all of the genres, however I
would instinctively tie Country Music with the highest amount of emotional expression. The
tempos are often slow, and in minor keys, and the majority of the lyrics in country music
incorporate deep emotional appeals. The following songs are examples of country music songs
with emotional ties: “Whiskey Lullaby” written by Alison Krauss, “Remember When” by Alan
13
Jackson, and “You’ll think of me” by Keith Urban. All three songs are merely a taste of the
sentimental music produced by country musicians.
“Than the strength he had to get up off his knees; we found him with his face down in the
pillow; with a note that said I'll love her till I die; and when we buried him beneath the willow;
the angels sang a whiskey lullaby,” sung by Alison Krauss in a soft pitch and slow melody has
the power to induce feelings of sadness or remembrance. Country music lyrics follow themes
like love, death, aging, etc. Alison Krauss has shown the ability to inflict emotional ties with her
music, and her audience may use this tune to relate, and reflect on their own situation. Alan
Jackson’s hit “Remember When” is another example of this word use, “Remember when we
vowed the vows and walked the walk; gave our hearts, made the start, it was hard; we lived and
learned, life threw curves; there was joy, there was hurt; remember when.” With these symbolic
lyrics, we are able to understand that he is speaking of a wedding, and sharing the rest of his life
with the one he loves. This song in particular will affect the emotions of anyone who has
experienced a wedding and seen love first hand. Again, this song is another instance of slow
tempo, melody, and he accentuates “flowery” words such as love, and hearts to cause emotion.
“Take your records, take your freedom; Take your memories I don't need'em; Take your space
and take your reasons; but you'll think of me,” illustrates feelings of remorse and sadness.
Country songs are notorious for nostalgic lyrics; Keith Urban embraces this stereotype.
In the textbook Psychology, Stephen F. Davis elaborates on the James-Lange theory and
the sequence of evens that trigger emotional responses. He recognizes that emotional stimulus
influences a physiological change which then triggers emotion. The emotion created by a piece
of music almost indefinitely is affected by memories previously associated by that piece.
Therefore, when the song is played, even long after the event took place, the individual is
14
reminded of the emotions that he or she felt when they first heard the song played.
Neurobiologists will continue to research the factors behind the tie between emotion and music,
however it undeniable the lyrics of country music have an effect on our behaviors, and mental
processes; psychology at hand.
Alexis Roark: Pop
Don’t you ever feel sad and sticking in your favorite CD makes you feel so much better.
Music can be very influential in a person’s life. Different types of music bring on different
emotions and behaviors. These emotions and behaviors can be good or bad, it varies greatly
which each type. People listen to music for many different reasons. If someone is sad they would
listen to a different type of music than if you were happy for example. Music has always been a
huge part of my life. This is because it helps me express myself and what I am feeling at that
time. If it is hard for you to express yourself in words then music is there for you to help you out.
Music affects my emotional state of being more than anything, and it distracts me from my
problems at the time. The music I listen to now is very different from what I used to listen to
when I was younger.
My childhood was shaped around listening to mainly pop music. This involved mostly
boy bands, such as the Backstreet Boys. Pop music is usually described as upbeat and enjoyable
to listen to. Pop music is defined as, “not a particular genre or style of music, simply that which
is the most popular for the tracked period of time,” (Wikipedia). I always thought of pop music
as a genre, and it always seemed to be someone like Britney Spears or N*sync that sang the
music. The emotions and behaviors associated with pop music that I get are that it puts me in a
good mood almost instantly. I listen to pop music usually when I am already happy. I associate it
with having a good time with friends and hanging out. It is the type of music you listen to ensure
15
a good time always. Pop music today is somewhat associated with dance music, and that is why I
think of a good time when I think of pop music especially. Most pop songs are about love and
relationships. These songs are easy for the listeners to relate to so that they will want to listen to
these songs.
The reason we are so influenced by music is because of our brain. There are certain parts of
the brain that are responsible for our emotional reaction to certain kinds of music. "Deep in our
long-term memory is this rehearsed music,” Hasner says. “It is processed in the emotional part of
the brain, the amygdala. Here’s where you remember the music played at your wedding, the
music of your first love, that first dance. Such things can still be remembered even in people with
progressive diseases. It can be a window, a way to reach them.” Music & Emotions: Can Music
Really Make You a Happier Person, 2008 EzineArticles.com. When you hear a song something
is triggered in your brain somewhere that will produce an emotion. “The left hemisphere is more
active during positive emotions such as happiness,” (Psychology 5th edition, Davis and
Palladino).
I think people are drawn to pop music and they want to play it because it is a way to
lighten the mood. Also like I said before it is relatable and fun to listen to. Certain songs that I
listened to as a child I still listen to today. Those songs bring back so many memories from my
childhood, and I still know all the lyrics. I remember these memories because they were good
times that I never want to forget.
Paul Weber: Hip-Hop/rap
The genre of Rap evokes many different emotions because fundamentally speaking hip-
hop is built on the pillars of various other influences. Also, Rap music can change wildly from
16
song to song. First I am going to focus on the specific song “Give It Up” by Twista featuring
Pharrell Williams, and then I am going to focus on hip-hop as a genre.
The song “Give it Up” puts me in the emotional state to dance. And while some might
argue that I was in a mood to dance and that is why I played such a song, I would argue that Hip
Hop is a conditioned stimulus that elicits the conditioned response of dancing. Stephen F. Davis
and Joseph J. Palladino define a conditioned response as “a response elicited by a conditioned
stimulus that has been paired with an unconditioned stimulus” in their book Psychology. They
further state that, “the conditioned stimulus is a neutral stimulus that acquires the ability to elicit
a conditioned response after being paired with an unconditioned response.” While one might
argue that it is obvious that music would elicit a response of dancing, I would argue that my
experience as a DJ would prove otherwise. Not all music makes people want to dance. While
most genres of music elicit some sort of an emotional response I would be the first to point out
that the vast majority of people do not get down to Yanni, Radiohead, or John Williams. I would
say that a subject’s familiarity with a particular song one of the most important factors that
determine whether or not it will make a person want to dance.
The producers of “Give it Up” are well known hit makers that often make the biggest
dance club hits. All of their songs are very similar to one another and because of this, their beats
are often recycled. The drumbeat from Justin Timberlake’s “Rock Your Body” is the same as
Snoop Dogg’s “Beautiful,” and because of this the listener already has a built in familiarity
between two songs. In a similar way “Give it Up’s” lyrical repetition and rapid repetitive drum
beats are similar to popular dance songs such as Calvin Harris’s “The Girls,” Girl Talk’s “LC
and Lo”, and Common featuring John Mayer and Kanye West’s “Go.” Personally as a DJ I
know that whenever I hear a new “danceable” song that reminds me of poplar dance song I get
17
excited at an almost subconscious level because I always like playing new music that makes
people get excited.
Hip-Hop creates a dynamic emotional array because it borrows beats, lyrics, and sounds
from other songs in different genres in order to compose a new song. This “sampling” method
in hip-hop works because it also makes the genre relatable to a wider audience. One song in
particular that crosses many genres is Kanye West’s “Stronger.” “Stronger” remind me of the
nineties because it samples Daft Punk’s “Bigger, Harder, Faster, Stronger”, which was a huge
techno dance hit in the 90s. The techno era in and of itself brings back emotions and memories
of the 70s disco era. Coincidentally, the group Daft Punk also uses samples in its music. The
beat of “Bigger, Harder, Faster, Stronger” is a sample of Edwin Birdsong’s funk hit of the late
70s “Cola Bottle Baby.” By association, Kanye West’s “Stronger” takes its listeners back to a
period that has become nostalgic and continues its emotional impact into the present.
Overall, as a whole, Hip-hop has become one of the most dynamic emotional mediums in
current music. With that said, hip-hop still tends to be “dance” music, and because of that the
response of dancing, and the emotions that come with such an act, are the ones that mostly
commonly occur.
From the research we were able to conclude that music definitely causes emotions and
behaviors in both the artist and the listener. We have found that some genres of music tend to
cause a certain type of emotion and other genres tend to cause a different emotion. However, it
is not entirely black and white. There are similar emotions that can be found throughout the
different types of music. For example, reggae, rock, and jazz music can both cause a soothing,
happy feeling but they can also cause different emotions. Soft rock usually causes a soothing,
happy feeling while hard rock usually causes negative emotions. Our music preference also
18
plays a role in the emotion felt. Surprisingly, “our early exposure is often our most profound,
and becomes the foundation for further musical understanding.” Our “musical preferences also
have a large social component based on our knowledge of the singer or musician, on our
knowledge of what our family and friends like, and knowledge of what the music stands for.
Historically, and particularly evolutionarily, music has been involved with social activities”
(Levitin, 240). A person’s early exposure and current knowledge/feelings about a song can
influence the emotions and behaviors that come about from listening to that song. So what
emotions are felt by listening to a certain genre of music? That is a hard question to answer.
“There are at least six emotions recognized everywhere: anger, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness,
and surprise” (Davis and Palladino, 268). The not so simple answer is that music is capable of
causing all types of emotions and any genre can cause any emotion. However, there does seem
to be some trends that are associated with each genre of music.
References
American Music Therapy Association, Inc. (2004) What is Music Therapy? [File posted on theWorld Wide Web]. Retrieved April 21, 2008 from the World Wide Web: http://www.musictherapy.org/Cliff, Jimmy. “Wonderful World.” Lyrics. Wonderful World, Beautiful People. A&M, 1970.
Bailey-Lloyd, CarolAnn. (2007). Classical Music Therapy [File posted on the World WideWeb]. Retrieved April 21, 2008 from the World Wide Web: http://ezinearticles.com/?Classical-Music-Therapy&id=43698.
Birdsong, Edwin. "Cola Bottle Baby." By Edwin Birdsong. Rec. 1970. 1970s.
Common. "Go." By Common, Kanye West, and John Mayer. Rec. 24 May 2005. Be. G.O.O.D. Music/Geffen Records, 2005.
Coss, Shaleen L., comp. THE EFFECTS OF HEAVY METAL MUSIC ON AGGRESSION IN COLLEGE STUDENTS. LOYOLA UNIVERSITY NEW ORLEANS. 23 Apr. 2008 http://clearinghouse.missouriwestern.edu/manuscripts/209.asp
Daniel J., Levitin. This is Your Brian on Music. New York: Dutton Adult, 2006
19
Davis, S. F. & Palladino, J. J. (2007). Psychology (5th Edition). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Dogg, Snoop. "Beautiful." By Snoop Dogg and Pharrell. Rec. 2002. Paid Tha Cost to Be Da Bo$$. Priority/Capitol, 2002.
Ezine Articles, Music & Emotions: Can Music Really Make You a Happier Person? “"Deep in our long-term memory is this rehearsed music,” Hasner says. “It is processed in the emotional part of the brain, the amygdala. Here’s where you remember the music played at your wedding, the music of your first love, that first dance. Such things can still be remembered even in people with progressive diseases. It can be a window, a way to reach them…" 2008
Eagles, (1972). The Eagles - Peaceful Easy Feeling Lyrics. Retrieved April 19, 2008, from Lyrics on Demand Web site: http://www.lyricsondemand.com/e/eagleslyrics/peacefuleasyfeelinglyrics.html
Girl Talk. "LC and Lo." By Greg Gillis. Rec. 2006. Bone Hard Zaggin' 333 Recordings, 2006.
Harris, Calvin. "The Girls." By Calvin Harris. Rec. 18 June 2007. I Created Disco. Fly Eye/Columbia, 2007.
Hill, Jonathan (2007). Assessing the Influence of Rock Music on Emotions. Chrysalis: The Murray State University Journal of Undergraduate Research. 3, 27-33.
Jackson, Alan. “Remember When”
Krauss, Alison. “Whiskey Lullaby”
Marley, Bob. “One Love.” Lyrics. The Wailing Wailers. Studio One. 1965.
Marley, Bob. “War.” Lyrics. Rastaman Vibration. Tuff Gong/Island, 1976
Punk, Daft. "Bigger, Harder, Faster, Stronger." By Thomas Bangalter, Guy-Manuel De, Homem-Christo, Edwin Birdsong. Rec. 13 Oct. 2001. Discovery. Virgin, 2001.
Sabatella, Marc. Elements of Jazz: Fundamentals: Expression. Retrieved April 15, 2008, from http://www.outsideshore.com/school/music/almanac/html/Elements_Of_Jazz/Fundamentals/Expression.htm
Scheel, Karen R., and John S. Westefeld. "Heavy Metal Music and Adolescent Suicidality: an Empirical Investigation - Statistical Data Included." Bnet. 23 Apr. 2008 http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2248/is_134_34/ai_55884913/pg_1
Schwartz, Kelly (2004). Music Preferences, Personality Style, and Developmental Issues of Adolescents. Journal of Youth Ministry. 3, 47-64.
20
Timberlake, Justin. "Rock Your Body." By Pharrell Williams, Chad Hugo, the Neptunes, Justin Timberlake. Rec. Nov. 2002. Justified. Jive/Zomba, 2002.
Trinh, Hoc. Helium, Summary of 20-century Music: Impressionism, Expressionism, Neoclassicism and Jazz. Retrieved April 15, 2008, from http://www.helium.com/items/213424-impressionist-movement-between-nineteenthTwista. "Give It Up." By Pharrell Williams and Twista. Rec. 2007. Adrenaline Rush 2007. Atlantic, 2007.
Urban, Keith. “You’ll think of me”
Vaidya, Geetanjali. (2004, April). Music, Emotion and the Brain. Serendip. Retrieved April 20, 2008, from http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro04/web2/gvaidya.html
Van Halen, (1978). Van Halen Lyrics - Runnin' with the Devil Lyrics. Retrieved April 19, 2008, from Lyrics on Demand Web site: http://www.lyricsondemand.com/v/vanhalenlyrics/runninwiththedevillyrics.html
Vink, Annemiek. Living Apart Together: A Relationship between Music Psychology and Music Therapy. Norid Journal of Music Therapy, 10(2), 144-158. This article was republished at the following website.http://www.mir.uncc.edu/docs/papers/others/Vink_Annemiek_music_and_emotion.htm
West, Kanye. "Stronger." By Kanye West. Rec. 11 Sept. 2007. Graduation. Roc-a-Fella, Island Def Jam, 2007.
Wikipedia, Pop Music. “Not a particular genre or style of music, simply that which is the most popular for the tracked period of time.” 2008
21
Recommended