Music and Mental Health
Dear Dr. LeCrone:
I am a professional musician and have always been interested in the positive effect of music on a person’s mental health. Can you please discuss this topic in your column?
— A reader in California
Dear Reader:
The effect of music on human emotions and behavior is both profound and fascinating.
From the earliest history of mankind, music has been a part of every culture. In primitive cultures people used extended sessions of singing, chanting, dancing and drumming to induce altered states of consciousness, such as frenzies and trances.
Background music in motion pictures often creates emotions like happiness, sadness, anger and excitement. Music in stores is said to create a “mood” to buy things, while the store’s elevator music creates a background in which to make the shopping experience more pleasurable.
Both educational and work settings have long used background music to create the right environment for learning, safety and production.
Musical therapy can be useful in the treatment of loneliness, depression, anxiety and other emotional problems.
It has been said that language can communicate information while music communicates emotion. A famous composer once said: “Music should be felt rather than heard.”
The following scenarios give more examples of how music affects emotions and behavior.
* A special hymn used during a funeral provides comfort during a time of loss and grieving.
* A soothing lullaby sung by a parent while rocking an infant to sleep.
* A college band playing the school’s fight song to excite fans during a sporting event.
* A spirited song played by a military band that inspires patriotic feelings for one’s country.
* A classical symphony that provides musical background for creative thinking.
* A love song played while candlelight and a glass of wine are being enjoyed in a romantic atmosphere.
* A triumphant wedding march up the aisle that reflects joy and happiness on the faces of the bride and groom.
* A nostalgic melody that creates a smile on the face of an older adult as he or she reminisces over the past and that, perhaps, triggers forgotten memories.
People’s response to music is mediated by a complex mosaic of both psychological and physiological mechanisms that filter through their experiential and cultural background.
The next time that you are feeling stressed, lonely, bored or in need of entertainment, consider listening to your favorite music. It may be good for your health and just what the doctor ordered.
