EPTThe Effects of Music: An Argument for the Research and Utilization of Music in Environments Other than Entertainment
Music today is a multi-billion dollar industry with hundreds of production companies and record labels, all focused on one purpose for that music: entertainment. It is, perhaps, fitting that there should be such a strong emphasis on entertainment, as music has been deeply rooted in entertainment. However, like so many other things in this world, music can serve more than one purpose. Scientists have begun turning some attention to the psychological and physiological benefits that music can have. Music produced for entertainment has been shown to be very beneficial in ways other than entertaining: from enhancing intelligence (Scheufele 217) and boosting the immune system (Pouliot 148), to improved reading comprehension (Carlson et al. 248). This asks the question of what would happen if music were developed specifically to affect our stress levels, or enhance our intelligence. The few that have tried have been met with sizable increases in efficiency and effect. Although music has begun to receive recognition from the scientific community, the evidence for the many ways that music can improve day to day life is largely overlooked; music should be recognized for the many benefits it offers so that it may be more fully researched and utilized in fields other than entertainment.
Music’s ability to positively affect the brain is one of the most documented aspects of music’s benefits. This could be because the effects are easily observed, or perhaps because it has many practical applications. Despite this and gaining popularity, it is still a small field that has a long way to go, and hasn’t yielded very much commercially applicable research to date. However, if the research that has been done is recognized, more research will follow, whether it is in the commercial sector, or the scientific community. This is because it has a large potential for commercialization and because it is multifaceted in its effects.
One such effect is music’s ability to enhance higher brain functions. A study by Rauscher showed that subjects listening to a segment of Mozart for ten minutes before taking a spatial IQ test scored an average of 8 to 9 IQ points higher than when they listened to relaxation tape or to silence, respectively (611). While the effects were not long lasting, they are still very useful. There have been numerous studies documenting the correlation between music and enhanced intelligence, yet there has been little research into how these effects might be better utilized, and replicated to greater, longer lasting effect. Enhanced intelligence is just the tip of the iceberg of beneficial effects that music can have on the brain however.
Classical music in particular has been shown to have many positive effects including aiding in the relaxation process. In a study conducted by Scheufele, test subjects were put in a stressful situation, and then submitted to one of four experimental conditions: a relaxation routine, classical music, an attention control, and silence. The relaxation routine was a set of physical and mental activities that were designed to relax the subject; the classical music was segment of a sonata by Mozart; the attention control was a series of recordings that required the listener to focus on the narrative so that they could recall facts afterwards; the silent condition gave the subject nothing to do, listen to or focus on. Tests were conducted before the stressor period, after both the stressor period, and the experimental condition. The results showed differing effects for each condition, and while music was not as helpful as material designed to relax, it was written with no intention of relaxation and was easily the second most helpful condition (207). This provokes the question of whether or not the results would be different if the genre changed.
A study by Labbe compares the relative stress reduction of various genres of music. Her findings show that there is indeed a difference in effect between genres, with some, like classical and self-selected “relaxing” genres, having a much greater effect when compared to heavy metal and silence (166).
The fact that something developed for entertainment has this effect highlights the possibilities that music has: If music can affect the relative stress and intelligence levels of someone without the artist even trying for such an effect, what more could music do if relaxation or intelligence boosting was the goal from the start? Further, we know that some genres of music can affect us in more positive ways than others; it is extremely likely that music can be developed to have a greater and more beneficial effect on listeners. Many ailments are treated with relaxation techniques, so there is no question that research into the subject would be useful if properly recognized.
These are just some of the ways that music can benefit the brain, and more are slowly being uncovered and recognized by the scientific community. However, two things are not happening: One, the research is not being followed up in most cases, and only passively in others; two, there has been little effort put into applying these findings to real world applications. Perhaps people believe that there is no need to change anything because music is already out there, but this research could lead to a more effective utilization of these effects, resulting in a better life. The brain is not the only thing that can benefit from music however.
Music’s ability to positively affect health is likely the most useful, and easily applied in environments from commercial to private household. From its ability to act as an anesthetic, to improving healing environments, to boosting one’s immune system, there are many ways that music could be benefited from, even without being specifically engineered music can be beneficial to many desirable outcomes.
In a recent study, a research team lead by Reza Shabanloei looked at the effect of music on the pain and anxiety levels in patients undergoing painful bone marrow operations. Patients undergoing these operations are subject to a great deal of pain as localized anesthesia often cannot sufficiently numb the area. The participants in the study were randomly split into two groups: one had music played during the operation, the other group did not. Participants were given tests to determine their anxiety and pain levels both before and after the procedure. All participants were asked to rate their pain on a scale of 0 to 10, with 0 being no pain and 10 being the worst pain possible. Participants who listened to music rated their pain a full 20% lower than those who did not, on average rating the pain as a 4, compared to those who did not listen to music who rated it as a 6 (Rasa et al. 749). Subjects who listened to music also consistently tested lower for anxiety levels than those who did not. This highlights an example of ways that music could be used in hospitals to supplement traditional anesthesia, especially in cases where traditional techniques don’t work. If music that was not engineered to produce such an effect can lower the pain levels by 20%, how much more effective could it be if it were designed from the ground up to do just that? Unfortunately we will not know for sure until someone tries it, and for that to happen two things must be done: the field must be researched further to determine what factors into making music a more effective anesthetic, and that research must be recognized and well publicized. More than just hospitals would benefit from this aspect, and music has more than one helpful effect on health.
In addition to pain relief, music has been shown to boost the immune system. Many people, including the scientific community, have found that inducing positive emotion can boost the immune system by raising the levels of Immunoglobulin A (IgA), an important antibody present in saliva among other places (Pouliot 148). Researchers with HeartMath, a not-for-profit organization, have built on this research, testing to see if different types of music have a larger effect than others. Their findings are of particular interest because they include tests on “designer music” that was specifically engineered to help improve the body’s immune system. They found that the traditional music in their study, rock and new-age, didn’t help the subjects at all, while Self-induced positive emotional states raised the production of IgA by 40%. Specifically engineered “Designer music”, however, produced results that were a dramatic improvement over both: it raised the levels of IgA by 140%. This is a perfect example of why we should be looking into ways of making music more effective at producing these desirable results, yet most people wouldn’t have any idea what you were talking about if you mentioned “designer music”. This could spark an entirely new industry of music, just based off the health benefits!
These benefits and others are highlighted in the article “Music Listening: Its Effects in Creating a Healing Environment”. The author, McCaffrey, highlights how music can facilitate a healing environment in nursing homes. The article shows just how practical and easily accomplished using music can be. Nursing homes must take responsibility for much more than just meeting the day to day needs of elderly, they must also help them stay healthy physically, and mentally. Because of this, having a positive healing environment is very important to nursing homes, and music can help with that on both fronts. Music could help in more than just nursing homes however, everything from hospitals to schools, down to households could benefit from designer music, creating a better, healthier tomorrow. The benefits don’t stop there; there are many others that could be extremely useful.
Music can improve several aspects of life that would be helpful to schools as well, such as improved reading comprehension, decrease in undesirable behavior, and better absorption and recall. Coming at a time when public education is in question, this sort of boost could be very helpful to schools, but again, nothing will come of this if people do not research and develop the music to make it work. This could very easily be a cheap way to get improved educational environments, something that can only help schools.
A study by a team of researchers headed by Carlson looked into music’s ability to affect the reading comprehension of third-grade students, and uncovered more than they had bargained for. Students that were given access to the music over a 6 month period found that their reading skills had advanced by two to three years (Carlson et al. 248). In addition, there was a sharp increase in comprehension and retention of the material. As most can attest to, reading is a crucial skill for everyone in today’s society, and anything that improves this basic skill should be looked into further. Beyond this, the study also found that the students did better on their tests, and many of them used the music to relax or deal with emotional stress (250). Indeed, many teachers began using the music for themselves, and to help calm those who were emotionally or physically distressed. In the short 6 months that the school participated in this test, the music became a useful tool, being used as a reward often. If this sort of thing was better recognized and implemented in schools, what improvements might we see? More research has been done on music and possible uses that could help even the behavior of those attending the school.
Another group of researchers lead by De Mers published their findings on music’s effect on the behavior of young children. They looked at two undesirable behaviors: kicking and screaming, and one desirable behavior: asking. The children were treated with music therapy for ten minutes prior to a play time, after which they were visually monitored. They found that the children displayed considerably less kicking and screaming, and an increase in asking (De Mers et al. 92). Follow up checks showed that these effects remained for fully three weeks after the music therapy was used. While this part of the study only included three children, it still brings some light to yet another possible area of education that could benefit from music. De Mers study further tests music’s ability to encourage positive social interaction among and with children with disabilities. They found that the music therapy prompted an increase in interaction between those students with disabilities, and those without. The study also showed that music therapy was helpful in dealing with mentally or socially deficient children, such as those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Beyond the younger years of life some of these effects diminish, but other new effects present themselves, equally helpful in higher education learning environments.
Music therapy in education has been researched, to some extent, and there are actually songs that have been engineered to take advantage of these effects. However, music therapy is not widely known, and little implemented. The results of the research done in this field needs to be more widely published and recognized by the parts of society that would benefit from them. Many people shy away from untraditional medicine in the same manner because they think it is unproven and unusual, whether or not that is true. This new use for music has started to gain the attention of the scientific community, but if it is not sufficiently publicized there is the risk of continuing to overlook the possible benefits. Any opportunity to improve education, especially for younger children, should be looked into further.
Given all the evidence that minimal research has uncovered, it’s hard to believe that music would be used almost exclusively for entertainment purposes. Yet the industry for non-entertainment music is nearly non-existent, and much of the research into it, while broad in scope, is not nearly as thorough as even the authors would like. The potential return from this sort of investment makes it well worth the risk, but it will only happen if the scientific community that can invest in it recognizes the worth and acts on it.
Music’s benefits are plentiful: increasing brain functions, improving health, and enhancing education are just a few of the categories that they fall in. It has the ability to improve spatial reasoning, as shown by an 8-9 point increase on IQ tests. This effect didn’t last for very long, but more research could uncover new types of music that could extend this. Perhaps music’s best known effect is its ability to relax, and lower the stress and anxiety levels of the listener. Not all music showed this effect however, so understanding what it is that causes this, and how to better take advantage of it is important. Music also has been shown to improve one’s health. It can help diminish pain, and been shown to be an effective supplement to anesthesia. It has also been revealed that music can help boost the immune system. This aspect is different than most because it has already been researched and developed to some extent. The results of this research and application have been phenomenal, with specifically engineered music boosting the body’s production of the antibody IgA by 140%. These, and other effects, make music an ideal supplement to much of the work that hospitals do, and could be very effective in nursing homes (McCaffrey 41). Further research has brought to light various uses for music in education as well. Students undergoing music therapy jumped forward several years in reading comprehension, and retention. Music therapy was also used to great effect in decreasing the frequency of undesirable behaviors in children, while increasing desirable behavior traits. It also showed the ability to positively influence the social interactions of children, especially those interactions with children that have mental or social disabilities, as well as help children with ADHD and OCD. And all of that is just a portion of the positive effects that music has been shown to have. If music could be researched more thoroughly so that these effects were better understood, these benefits could only get better, and more efficient.
This new use for music and the many ways that it can benefit our lives has begun to gain recognition from the scientific community, but is still largely overlooked by those who would benefit most by it. In light of this evidence for the potential use for music in a non-entertainment setting, music should be recognized and more thoroughly researched so that it can be more effectively utilized throughout the world. I hope to one day see the full potential of music and all it has to offer brought to bear on more problems than just boredom. Don’t you?
+ Show Spoiler [Works Cited] +
Carlson, Judith K., Janalea Hoffman, Dorothy Gray, and Alex Thompson. "A Musical Interlude: Using Music and Relaxation to Improve Reading Performance. " Intervention in School and Clinic 39.4 (2004): 246-250. Research Library, ProQuest. Web. 21 Feb. 2011.
De Mers, C., M. Tincani, R. Van Norman, and K. Higgins. "Effects of Music Therapy on Young Children's Challenging Behaviors: A Case Study. " Music Therapy Perspectives 27.2 (2009): 88-96. Research Library, ProQuest. Web. 21 Feb. 2011.
Labbé, E., N. Schmidt, J. Babin, and M. Pharr. "Coping with Stress: The Effectiveness of Different Types of Music. " Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback 32.3-4 (2007): 163-168. Research Library, ProQuest. Web. 21 Feb. 2011.
McCaffrey, R. "Music Listening: Its Effects in Creating a Healing Environment. " Journal of Psychosocial Nursing & Mental Health Services 46.10 (2008): 39-44. Research Library, ProQuest. Web. 21 Feb. 2011.
Morin, Sylvie, Laurette Dubé, and Jean-Charles Chebat. "The role of pleasant music in servicescapes: A test of the dual model of environmental perception. " Journal of Retailing : Service Excellence 83.1 (2007): 115. Research Library, ProQuest. Web. 17 Feb. 2011.
Pouliot, Janine S.. "The Power of Music. " The World & I 13.5 (1998): 146-153. Platinum Periodicals, ProQuest. Web. 21 Feb. 2011.
Rana, S., S. Tanveer, and A. North. "Peak Experiences of Music & Subjective Well Being (A Qualitative Approach). " Journal of Behavioural Sciences 19.1/2 (2009): 41-57. Research Library, ProQuest. Web. 21 Feb. 2011.
Rauscher, Frances H. "Music and spatial task performance. " Nature 365.6447 (1993): 611-611. Platinum Periodicals, ProQuest. Web. 17 Feb. 2011. 14.6 (2005): 317. Research Library, ProQuest. Web. 17 Feb. 2011.
Scheufele, Peter M. "Effects of Progressive Relaxation and Classical Music on Measurements of Attention, Relaxation, and Stress Responses. " Journal of Behavioral Medicine 23.2 (2000): 207. Research Library, ProQuest. Web. 21 Feb. 2011.
Shabanloei, R., M. Golchin, A. Esfahani, R. Dolatkhah, and M. Rasoulian. "Effects of Music Therapy on Pain and Anxiety in Patients Undergoing Bone Marrow Biopsy and Aspiration. " Association of Operating Room Nurses. AORN Journal 91.6 (2010): 746. Research Library, ProQuest. Web. 21 Feb. 2011.
tl;dr
Although Music has begun to receive recognition from the scientific community, the evidence for the many ways that music can improve day to day life is largely overlooked; Music should be recognised for the many benefits it offers so that it may be more fully researched and utilized in fields other than entertainment.
Music helps your brain
--Listening to certain pieces of music can increase the subject’s aptitude on intelligence tests.
Music has been shown to reduce stress in many circumstances.
Music benefits your health
--Research has shown that music can be very effective in relieving pain.
--Research has shown that specifically designed music can boost the immune system significantly. (140%!)
--Music can improve the healing environment, both physiologically and psychologically.
Music improves education
--There is evidence that listening to music can improve students reading skills and comprehension.
--Having children listen to certain pieces of music has been shown to reduce undesirable and negative behavioral traits.
Conclusion
--There are many benefits that music can have on various aspects of life.
--Music is more than a frivolous commodity, and should be recognized as such.
tl;dr for the tl;dr
Music is good for more than just entertainment.
