Music and Mood free essay sample

Music affects everyone in completely different ways. I always found it fascinating that everyone had their own style of music that they enjoy and over time I have noticed that people’s taste in music tends to go along with their personality and moods. When I discovered an article on music and mood I knew I wanted that to be my topic because I was always interested in it and wanted to learn more. The article I found was titled â€Å"Music and Mood† by Carolyn J Murrock and Anita V Clark. The article explains how rhythm, melody, pitch, harmony, and interval in music play a role in creating alterations in mood in humans. Murrock and Clark state that, â€Å"Music produces psychological effects by engaging the limbic system. † The limbic system is the center of emotions, sensations, and feelings. The article also explains how your emotions affect your nervous system. This can affect your cardiovascular, respiratory, neuroendocrine, and immune systems in your body. We will write a custom essay sample on Music and Mood or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Emotions also release different hormones. Stress hormones can lead to anxiety, depression and disappointment; whereas positive emotions lead to tranquility, complacency, and relaxation. Murrock and Clark believe that the release of these hormones when listening to music produces physiological effects in the human body. The therapeutic properties of music date back to prehistoric times when it was used as a powerful instrument for health, healing, and wellness. Today music is used less in pharmacological ways and more for enjoyment and enhancement of physical activity. People also use music today to alter moods, communicate feelings, and create distraction. There are six levels of wellness: physical, social, emotional, intellectual, environmental and spiritual. Music and Mood† could really be focused on any of these levels of wellness, but I believe it mainly focuses on emotional wellness. In Murrock and Clark’s article they focused on how listening to music releases hormones that are believed to alter someone’s mood and can affect their emotional wellness. Someone in a calm, happy mood could listen to a few songs with stressful beats and begin to feel more anxiety. The opposite can also happen. A stressed out person could listen to some relaxing music and notice that they are calmer. Music can affect your emotional wellness in positive or negative ways. The article also mentions that listening to music can affect your nervous system. When your nervous system is affected it can cause many problems in your body. The problems can affect your cardiovascular, respiratory, neuroendocrine, and immune systems. These all show signs of physical wellness. Listening to music can also be very spiritual too. People can listen to calming songs and beats to relax themselves and release any anxiety or stress they have built up. Some people like the feeling of belonging in a group so they will use certain genres of music and music taste to connect themselves with people. People who listen to the same types of music can give off very similar energies and form social groups. I really learned a lot through reading Carolyn J Murrock and Anita V Clark research. I found it all to be very interesting and I didn’t realize how much of an impact music has on people emotionally, physically, spiritually and socially.