Does music mold the person?
Music often plays a large role in someone’s life: from the nursery songs sung as a child to the seemingly unlimited genres of music a person can explore. However, music is not only something to enjoy in one’s free time. The music one chooses has a strong mental and even religious impact on a person, often more than what they are aware of.
According to Dr. Levinia Rebecchini in her journal article “Music, mental health, and immunity,”, music affects the moods and even the opinions of individuals. Women who were exposed to music that portrayed men severely negatively later recounted memories of men who wronged them. Likewise, men who were exposed to music expressing misogynistic views later became more aggressive towards women.
This does not mean that music only affects negative emotions. Studies have shown that music therapy has become more popular in recent years as both a cost-effective and variable way of therapy. Individuals diagnosed with depression and/or anxiety greatly improved after music therapy intervention.
Another example of music greatly affecting someone’s moods is movie soundtracks. Imagine a family running through a field. If the movie plays a suspenseful piece, the image quickly turns anxious. Perhaps the parents are running away from a monster hiding in the tall fields. If the movie plays joyful music in the background, the image quickly turns happy or exciting. Perhaps the family is running towards a close friend they haven’t seen for a long time.
Whatever the soundtrack is, the image quickly absorbs the mood the music portrays, changing the person’s perception of the scene.
Even the Church Fathers showed wariness of music and its power. In the tenth book of “Confessions,” St. Augustine of Hippo said, “Yet when it befalls me to be more moved with the voice than the words sung, I confess to have sinned penally, and then had rather not hear music.”
Augustine believed that music could cause distraction in the Church as the listener’s feelings could be misdirected. Instead of praising God, he focuses his attention on the music and praises it . However, Augustine said that music proves to be a useful tool by helping people who are weak in their faith to praise God through music.
This is all to say, people should be careful about what they are listening to and consider the following questions.Does the music portray a good message? How do you use this music? How does this music affect you?
Music has a stronger impact on the person than most recognize. It is important to be aware of what you are listening to and how it could influence you.