How does music change the way we see the world?
Music is made by almost every single human being in some form or another, and music is often created to spread their thoughts to others to create a positive change in the world. From ancient times all the way to current times, music has been a universal language that can be expressed by anyone who has trouble expressing themselves and their ideas. It can also be a remedy for those in pain, and act as a friend for those who are going through a hard time. Music can make us feel mad at the people around us, feel insecure about ourselves, make us desire for more than what we have, and many more situations. According to a 2011 study at the University of Groningen, happy or sad music can also “change what people notice” around them in their environment along with putting them in a “different mood.” 43 students were tested and happy music made them notice more happy faces, and vice-versa with sad music. Through this study, music makes us identify how the world around us is to see how we can also blend in like a normal person.
Many artists today write song lyrics, add some tunes to it, and present it to people, hoping that their message about the world reaches others who may seem relatable to it. For example, Taylor Swift’s song, “Cardigan” has a line where it says “when you are young, they assume you know nothing,” and there must be at least someone who can relate to this. As shown in this example, music can make us try to fight against certain stereotypes that are being held by the world. Music contains one’s feelings about the world; feelings that are normally not showcased to the entire world, and they are showcased to show that you’re not the only one who is feeling this about how the world views you. According to musicologist Lily E. Hirsch, “music has power over our feelings.” This can be interpreted in two ways: it can either motivate us and make us feel happy, and make us feel like we belong, or it can bring us down and downgrade our decisions that we make/our judgement. For instance, listening to sad, slow music during a tough situation makes us make decisions where there is a lack of hope of living in the moment. To sum up, the decisions we make are often fueled by the certain stereotypes the world holds of us, where our depiction of the world can be interpreted by music.
Resources:
https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/08/health/music-brain-behavior-intl/index.html
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