Reasons Why Music is Important
My dad says that, "There is a song for everything," and I happen to agree. Music makes almost any activity better! There are many purposes for spending as much time as we do with music, but today I would like to explore just two reasons why we need music. As humans, we need music because it can both calm and motivate us if we let it.
If you've ever had trouble sleeping because you were anxious about something, good or bad, you might've tried listening to music to help you relax and fall asleep. Martina de Witte and some of her colleagues wrote a journal article titled, "Effects of music interventions on stress-related outcomes: a systematic review and two meta-analyses." In this article, they wrote, "The most widely studied effects of music are the calming and stress reducing effects." They explained that there are several musical elements that contribute to the mood of a song and whether or not it has a relaxing effect. Let's explore two elements of a song that can produce this effect.
One song I think fits in this category is the song "Sunshine On My Shoulders" which was written in the United States by John Denver along with two members of his band, Mike Taylor and Richard Kniss. It was originally released in 1971.
One musical element that helps this song feel relaxing is the tempo. This is a very easy-going song with a tempo that is not rushed at all which gives the song the same feeling of not being in a hurry. The sheet music for "Sunshine On My Shoulders" on Musicnotes: Sheet Music Anywhere lists the tempo marking as "Slow."
Just because a song is slow doesn't mean it has a relaxing effect though. Slow songs can also be sad or even creepy which is why a relaxing song usually has something else that contributes to the overall feeling of the song. One of those aspects for this song is the lyrics. The part where he sings, "Sunshine on the water looks so lovely," makes me think about sitting next to a lake or a river and just enjoying the scenery on a sunny day (and maybe fishing or reading a good book).
Personally, I like this song and I think it can be relaxing to listen to. Sometimes John Denver's music can be more upbeat, like his song "Thank God I'm a Country Boy," but a lot of the songs that I know of his are more on the slower side. Usually whatever song of his I listen to though, his voice and personality seem to fit the song perfectly. That's one reason why I like listening to his music.
Other music plays an important role in getting people excited about something and motivating them. Elizabeth Scott wrote and article for verywellmind which was titled "How to Use Music for Stress Relief." In this article she said,
You can wake yourself up with music and start your day feeling great. By selecting the right music, you can set the tone for a lower-stress day. Classical or instrumental music can help you wake up while keeping you calm and focused. If you have a big, busy day ahead that requires extra energy, try something that's upbeat and makes you want to dance and smile.
I'm not a really morning person, so I like to play a couple of upbeat songs in the morning while I wake up and get ready for a new day. One of the songs I like to listen to is a song called "Move." It was written in the United States by Kevin (Toby) McKeehan (stage name TobyMac) and released in 2015.
I love the rythym of "Move." The light rythmic syncopation combined with the beat in this song really makes the listener want to move! It also sounds like there are multiple rythyms happening at the same time in several parts of the song.
Another essential element of this song is the dynamics. It starts out at a moderate level, then steadily grows louder as more instruments are added. When he starts singing "Hold on, hold on" the song suddenly quiets back down to where it started. Then it slowly gets louder again. There are several times during the song where the dynamics are probably at least forte, if not louder. It seems to be at this level as the song nears the end when it suddenly gets quieter again. Then the sound fades out.
I really enjoy listening to TobyMac's music because he and his band are very energetic and talented. They can play with a lot of energy, but they can also restrain the energy and then bring it back again in both rythym and dynamics.
Not all relaxing songs have lyrics or are as slow as "Sunshine on My Shoulders," and not all exciting songs have lyrics or are quite as loud as "Move." On the other hand, some songs that people listen to when they need motivation are slower and quieter because they are motivated by the lyrics, and some songs that people listen to for the same reason are faster and louder. These are just two examples of songs that I would put in the "calming" and "motivating" categories.
Everyone has their own version of these categories depending on what music they like. Even if they aren't separated into their own playlists, I think almost everyone listens to music based on what mood they are in and what mood they would like to be in. The right song can brighten someone's day or help someone fall asleep when they're having trouble resting. We need music because it is a powerfully emotional tool as well as a great comfort and joy. The world would be so much duller without it!
Sources
Martina de Witte, Anouk Spruit, Susan van Hooren, Xavier Moonen & Geert-Jan Stams. "Effects of music interventions on stress-related outcomes: a systematic review and two meta-analyses." Health Psychology Review. 2020.
Scott, Elizabeth. "How to Use Music for Stress Relief." verywellmind. About, Inc. Accessed December 5, 2020. https://www.verywellmind.com/how-to-use-music-for-stress-relief-3144689
"Sunshine on My Shoulders." Musicnotes: Sheet Music Anywhere. Musicnotes, Inc. Accessed December 5, 2020. https://www.musicnotes.com/sheetmusic/mtd.asp?ppn=MN0042927
Your comments about pace and lyrics (or lack of) in songs inspired me to recall "Sleep Walk" by Johnny & Santo. It is a song written in the 50s that may be quite familiar to some people. It has been used in a lot of movies and television. It drips from the slide on the steel guitar and although it is a "sleepy" piece without lyrics the kids were wild about it back in the day, and it's pretty invigorating, I think!
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-MntE0OkHc
I very much agree! Music is very important to us in our daily lives. Without music, I could see just how hard it could get to be motivated for certain things. I personally listen to music to feel motivated for my work day or to be encouraged when life gets tough when I'm driving. I like how you mentioned that even if a song is slow and relaxing in nature, it doesn't mean it is actually relaxing. Songs can also be creepy or sad. Adding lyrics to certain tunes changes the entire perception of them which is really neat. It certainly puts into perspective why there are so many different types of music and each one is unique. The world is so full of rich artistry in musical tastes. If all slow songs were relaxing, then where would the variety be? Thank you for sharing your take on what makes music important. Wonderful post!
ReplyDeleteThere is a song for every situation in life and it is a necessary tool for every occasion. Music can be very powerful and we use it most days. It can help us get through bad times, motivate us in other times, and lift us up. I love music and I know many others do as well. It is really weird to imagine a world without music in it.
ReplyDeleteThere are a lot of studies out there that talk about how much music can do a lot to help reduce stress and anxiety levels. That songs that have tempos between 50 and 80 (which are considered slow) help us to relax and reacts with our brain to calm us down. Of course just because a song has a tempo between 50 and 80 doesn't mean that it will reduce stress but it can help and you might be surprised by some of the songs that have tempos in that range. Song such as "Mirrors" by Justin Timeberlake, "The Lazy Song" by Bruno Mars, "Man Down" by Rihanna, and many more, but I bet that when someone listens to any of these songs they don't even realize the effect the song is having on them.
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