How Music has Shaped Who We’ve Become Today
Group 5
Group Members:
Harrison Blackburn
Marie Fisher
Aggie Howland
Madison MacDonald
Spencer Perry
Nathan Sutherland
Meredith Willse
Class:EDP 101B
Daniel J. Levitin’s book, This Is Your Brain On Music: The Science of A Human Obsession, has introduced our group to the psychology of music, a topic both exciting and relevant to our generation, which is undeniably obsessed with technology, especially in regard to music and its creation. We are --like Levitin-- interested in the effects of music on our mind and body. How can something as simple as music influence an individual’s personality? What is the role of music in regard to the development of one’s personal interests? Do specific genres of music predispose an individual to predictable patterns of behavior? Does music preference foreshadow other characteristics of the individual? Our group investigation paperwill attempt to shed light on some of these questions. We have each contributed a short essay that will rely on individual experiences and expert resources to offer the individual’s perspective on the intricacies of the issue at hand. The compositions will be used collectively to assess the significance of music in the development of our self. Our individual observations and hypotheses offer strong evidence supporting thesignificance of the association between music and identity.
Harrison Blackburn
The Christian philosopher Boethius once said, “Music is so naturally united with us that we cannot be free from it even if we so desired” (Storr). Music has been a major part of the world’s culture for thousands of years. Each country has music unique to its history and culture, and every person can recognize music when he hears it. In other words, music is truly ‘the international language’. It has the unique ability to change a person’s mood and as some say, “music soothes the savage beast.”Music can have endless effects on the brain, such as aiding in learning and evoking memories. Music has undoubtedly influenced all of our lives, including my own from a young age.
My musical influence as a child can be attributed to my parents. During the early 1990s, music was not nearly as accessible as it is today and, like most young children, the only time I listened to music was when my parents would play music of their choice. My earliest memories of listening to music are driving to hockey games early in the morning with my dad when I was about five years old. I can remember all of the musicians that we listened to including Bruce Springsteen, John Cougar Mellencamp, James Taylor, Billy Joel, and others. After years of listening to the same music in the car with my dad, I knew the lyrics to dozens of songs. Every time I listen to any of those artists today, it reminds me of driving to hockey with my dad.
As I became older, my parents became a lesser influence on the music I listen to and my friends and older brother became a greater influence. Peer influence has become significant source of new music and it has caused my taste in music to change regularly over the past couple of years. I think most people go through phases of the types of music they listen to. I still do not have one specific band or genre that I listen to more than another, but it depends on the mood I’m in. Before sports games in high school, the team would listen to rap to get ready because it puts you in an energetic mood. However, when I just want to relax I may listen to classic rock or alternative music. With programs such as Pandora and ITunes, music has become much more accessible and there are thousands of songs to listen to at any given moment. Music has become a bigger part of everyone’s life and it is noticeable, especially on college campuses. It is difficult to walk somewhere without seeing several people listening to iPods. I believe that music will continue to become a bigger part of all our lives.
Technology is constantly changing the world, making everything more accessible. Only twenty years ago, I think the type of music someone listened to was determined by where he or she was from. For example, people from the south listened to country and people from the inner city listened to rap and hip-hop. However, as music becomes more accessible to everyone, that trend has changed. Not so long ago, the radio was our main source of music, but now we can download music from Asia if we wanted to. At the current rate of changing technology, it is difficult to tell what type of music I will be listening to in twenty years.
Marie Fisher
Growing up in Georgia I was raised on country music. Both my mom and dad are country music fans, so it was constantly playing in our house. My mom was a stay-at-home-mom and had her music playing while she cleaned the house, and every morning when she did her work outs. Country was also the only type of music that our parents would play in the car. I can remember the same Shania Twain and Tim McGraw cassette tapes playing over and over, I was memorizing every word even as a young girl. Living in the south had a big influence on the amount of country music that I was exposed to as a child. It is definitely the most popular genre of music in Georgia, so it was everywhere I went.
When I was in first grade my family moved to Fairfield Ohio where the rest of my family lived. Only after thiswas I exposed to other types of music. I started to spend a lot of time at my friend EmilyOrtmans’ house with the same group of girls. Emily’s mom would always be driving us to the pool, park, and on other play dates. Riding in the Ortmans’ car always felt different because of the type of music that was playing. Mrs. Ortman liked to listen to soft rock, such as Celion Dion, and everyone in the car seemed to be familiar with this type of music and know the words, except for me. The change in music genres was something very new for me, and I can remember starting to ask my mom to play that kind of music in the car. I wanted to become familiar with this style of music so that I felt included in these car rides and feel included.
During my middle school years and even throughout high school, my music selection was always influenced by what others around me would listen to. My choice in music became more of a social outlet and bonding experience, rather than what I enjoyed listening to for myself. For example, in middle school I was obsessed with the boy band N’ SYNC. All of my friends loved this group, so I did too. My sister on the other hand liked The Backstreet Boys. Both of these groups are similar teenage boy bands, but because my friends preferred N’SYNC I did too. The trend of choosing music based on the people around me continued through most of my high school years as well.
It was not until I came to college this past fall that I notice myself choosing music styles for my own personal enjoyment, rather than what others were listening to. I bought my first iPod at the beginning of this year, and set up my own playlist. I think that living on my own and having a new sense of freedom brought upon this change. My iTunes has a broad selection of music that sets me apart from most people. Because of the variety of music I was exposed to as a child, I was able to pick and choose what I like and create my I tunes.
Along with the freedom influencing my music selection, I started using music as a sort of therapy as well. First semester of college I was very stressed out and would turn on my iPod whenever I needed to relax. According to the PBS’Music and the Mind, “Music can influence heart rate, respiration, blood pressure, pain perception and physical health and well-being.” (4) I found myself adding more and more soft rock to my playlist that could help me relax. I also began working out a lot more when I came to college which influenced the music I put on my playlist. According to Dr. CI, “Music is an often untapped source of both motivation and inspiration for sport and exercise participants.” (10) I found this to be very true in my workouts.
Overall, music in my life has gone through a major transition in the past year. While I once let the people around me influence what music I listen to I now find myself choosing music as a result of my own preference. Music keeps me balanced, relaxed, and can change my mood from one extreme to the next if I have the right thing playing.
Aggie Howland
Growing up I used to listen to whatever music was on the radio. I have two older sisters and one older brother, and being surrounded by them and their high school atmosphere began my experience with music. My sister still tells me today how funny it was to see her eight year old sister mimicking the lyrics of music that was,back then, the ‘cool’ thing to listen to. Due to my environment with my older siblings, I would find myself watching MTV. Despite it being a show I probably shouldn’t have watched, I enjoyed it either way and have been in love with different types of music ever since. My interest in different varieties of music may stem fromthe variety of musicMTV displays in their countdown of the most popular songs from different genres. My environment and the music television I watched refer back to Davis and Palladino’s chapter nine when they talk about television and how it influences children. Although I didn’t necessarily watch violent television like they talk about in the chapter, I did watch certain television programs that shaped my interests today (Davis and Palladino 2007).
Seeing as though I never was directed to like one specific genre of music at a young age, I can assume that this is why I like so many different varieties of music. Personally, I love every type of music; what I listen to just depends on the mood I’m in at the time. For example, when I’m in my room wanting to relax and take a break from doing schoolwork, I like to listen to Dave Matthews Band, John Mayer, and Michael Buble; these are three artists that make what I like to call ‘feel good’ music. All three of the artists produce relaxing, chill, music but also have some songs that are more upbeat that provide variety and make you just ‘feel good’. As stated before, I used to watch MTV countdowns of the most popular songs, which provided a lot of different types of music. When looking at information on music, I came across a list of Top 25 songs, in which both John Mayer and Dave Matthews Band were listed (2010). This only further illustrates the fact that my introduction to music as a child still influences me today, seeing as though I still am interested in music that is on the top charts.
Another example of the music I listen to according to my mood and environment is when I’m uptown at night or getting ready to go out. When I go uptown I like to go dance, and when I’m in my room getting ready for the night, I like to listen to more upbeat music I can dance to. This could include anything from hip-hop to techno. Simply, anything that has a strong beat is what I want to hear when I’m in this particular environment and mood.
Another example, which is rather different from the other two, is the music I associate with being home. My dad and my mom like to listen to NPR radio, which often plays classical music. I myself am not a fan, but I will listen to it with my parents because I like to spend time with them. This goes to show thatmy environment and surroundings determine what I listen to and what I’m in the mood for.
I think the music I listen to definitely helps to shape the kind of person I am as well as the things I do with my personal time. However, I’m not sure if it necessarily determines the clubs and activities I take part in. I am in a sorority, but I don’t think what I listen to and enjoy in my music classifies me as a ‘sorority girl’. However, I do think that one of the reasons I’m in the sorority that I am, Kappa Kappa Gamma, is because I share similar interests with a lot of the girls; including music. So maybe, one might not be able to classify certain music as “sorority music” but you may be able to determine the types of girls in each particular sorority by the music they listen to. In more simple terms, music cannot classify one as a certain type of person; instead, music helps to reveal more about your character.
In conclusion, I believe that the variety of music I personally listen to forms my character and can reveal, by looking at what I’m listening to, what kind of mood I’m in at the time. Adrian C. North and David J. Hargreaves concluded in their article that “people’s everyday use of music is goal directed – we use it to achieve a particular mood or state, to pass the time, to enhance interpersonal interactions, or any of many other possible tasks” –all of these are things I find myself doing often with music(North 1012). Furthermore, music can show a good amount about my personality, but I don’t necessarily think that my music can stereotype me in a certain way. Nonetheless, music is a big part of my life and can show a lot about my character.
Madison MacDonald
My favorite type of music is constantly changing. It seems like almost every day I have a new favorite band or a new favorite song. Most of the bands that I listen to would be considered alternative rock. I started listening to these bands in junior high. At first I listened to bands like Hawthorne Heights and My Chemical Romance just because my friends did. I liked the way the music sounded, but I didn’t really connect with a lot of the songs. That summer a group of my friends convinced me to go to a concert and I discovered bands that I felt expressed my thoughts on life as well as sounded good. I think the bands that I would consider my “favorites” are my favorites because I can connect with them and because they are positive and uplifting. I believe there is a song for every emotion. In an article online Joe Norton says “Music has the ability to change the emotional and physical status of people.”(Norton 2) I think that the reason I like alternative rock so much is because it hits these emotions really well. I highly doubt that my favorite genre will change much. I tend to stay in the main genre of alternative rock. The only thing that changes is the subgenre. Sometimes I like Celtic punk more and sometimes I like Christian rock more.
I think the music I listen to affects who I am in many different ways. First, the type of music I listen to determines the type of people I associate with. I usually try to find friends who like the same type of music as I do. Second, it determines what I do. My friends and I usually spend our weekends either going to shows or going to the hookah bar. Local shows are great ways for us not only listen to the bands that we love, but to find new bands that we like. We also are surrounded by people who like the same music we do and we occasionally meet new people. Going to the hookah bar gives us a chance to relax while listening to good music. One of the hookah bars in Cincinnati plays really good, lesser known bands. I think music also affects us in how we act. If we are constantly listening to music about going out, drinking, smoking, and doing drugs, it is likely that we will glamorize these things. I personally tend to listen to music that is inspirational and when I listen to it, I feel like I should go out and do something important. Some music makes me want to just get up and dance, and other music makes me just smile and enjoy each bit of life a little more. In a recent article Matt Sherman said “Adventure themes provoke powerful responses where we, too, feel like heroes ready to tackle anything.”(Sherman 5). This shows how much music affects what we do.
Music is a huge part of my life and I hope to one day make it my career. I want to work for a record label in the marketing department. This is because I try to incorporate music into my daily routine whether it is listening to music while I put my makeup on, while I’m doing my homework, or while I drive. When I think of Miami University, I think of top 40 hits and country music. I feel that the majority of students at Miami listen to what’s on the radio and mainstream music. I think I associate Miami and this kind of music so much because it what we all listen to when we go uptown or when we’re hanging out together because the radio usually plays a wide variety of popular music.
Spencer Perry
Like most of my colleagues, my experiences with music began at a young age. My parent’s musical preferences were my earliest encounters with the art form. But my first musical memories consist of my mother’s lullabies. I formed these memories as a young child, but my introduction to such lullabies may have preceded my own birth! The fetus’ auditory sense is capable of receiving stimuli at embryonic week eight, and reactive listening initiates as early as sixteen weeks gestation. In the womb, babies are subjected to loads of sensory stimuli --such as sound, vibration, and motion-- and they begin to process this information as soon as the physiological components are developed. Studies show that voices and sounds from beyond the womb are not buffered by the barriers that enclose it, nor are they overwhelmed by the physiological processes of the mother. A mother’s voice can be heard without distortion because it travels to the developing fetus via external and internal (through her own body) routes (Busnel, Granier-Deferre, and Lecanuet, 1992). Recognition of language, voices, and intonation patterns are important components of auditory development that begin in utero. Consequently, preliminary musical experiences probably occur in the womb. For example, the rhythmic beating of a mother’s heart may serve as an embryonic metronome, establishing a foundation for the realization and acclimation of other musical components. During the fetal period, well before auditory development is complete, the complexity of the auditory sense can be appreciated by observing the physiological changes associated with musical stimuli. Studies have shown that a musical stimulus as brief as five seconds can produce heart rate and fetal motility changes lasting up to one hour, and that reactive listening (behavioral responses associated with sound stimuli) begins eight weeks before the ear is structurally complete (Shahidullah and Hepper, 1992). Research has also shown important differences between musical sound and other auditory stimuli, such as voice sounds. For example, in metabolismstudies of premature babies various sounds were played six times a day forfive minute intervalsin premature baby nurseries. “Brahm’s Lullabye” was found to produce faster weight gain than voice sounds played on the same schedule (Chapman, 1975). Physiological changes associated with music continue to proliferate throughout development and adult life. Although this is an area of active research, the complexities of physiological and psychological processes associated with musical stimuli continue to elude us.