Música Y Emociones

Music and Emotions 1



EDP 101 A



What Emotions are Elicited from Different Genres of Music?



Group 1



Laura Bezbatchenko

Sohinee Dutt

M.J. Juergens

Mary Lowery

Cassidy Pierce

Blythe Ramsay

David Ream

Dan Talpas



EDP 101A


Music and Emotions 2



What is music? Is it a simple strum on the banjo or a raging squealfrom an electric guitar? Why not both? In many cultures today, music is not limited to only one genre. Music can range from heavy metal, to classical, to country. The question isn’t what music is, but rather what does music do. Different types of music elicit different emotions, but “in order to be moved by music (physically and emotionally),” Daniel Levitin argues, “it helps a great deal to havea readily predictable beat” (Levitin, 2006, pp 166). Levitin refers to this beat at groove—“that quality that moves the song forward” (Levitin, 2006, 166). The emotions people feel from listening to music are interpreted by the entire brain. Negative emotions are interpreted in the right hemisphere of the brain and positive emotions are interpreted in the left hemisphere (Davis and Palladino,2006, pp 262). Music has the power to change people’s feelings; in fact, music therapy has recently become a popular method of helping people deal with problems such as stress, anxiety, and pain (Music Therapy Makes a Difference, 2004). Therapists also recommend music as a means of “positive change in mood and emotional states” (Shinn, 2005). So what genres of music are best for enhancing one’s mood?Which genres create negative emotions in the listeners? In our paper we will explore the many faces of music, and determine what effect different genres of music have on emotions.
Jazz music originated at the turn of the 20th century in New Orleans. Often associated with Louis Armstrong and improvisation, jazz has not only played a major role in American history, it also can play a role inthe emotions felt by one listening to it. Just as there are many genres of music, there are many types of jazz. Levitin lists a few: “Dixieland, boogie-woogie, big band, swing, bebop, ‘straight-ahead,’ acid-jazz, fusion, and metaphysical” (Levitin, 2006, pp 232) and these can stir up many different emotions, such as sadness, happiness, and excitement.
Music and Emotions 3
Oneemotion often associated with jazz is chaos. Improvisation sets jazz apart from other genres of music. The act of making up music on the spot, improvisation does not always evoke positive emotions, especially for people who are unfamiliar with jazz music. For these people, jazz can seem like “an unstructured, crazy, and formless improvisation” (Levitin, 2006, pp 232). It elicits feelings of chaos andconfusion. Improvisation can, however, be pleasant to listen to if the listener knows what to expect. While improvising, jazz players follow the chord progression and tune of the original song, but embellish it, sometimes a little, sometimes a lot. Levitin argues that just “knowing that the improvisation takes place over the original chords and form of the song” makes all the difference inwhether the listener hears noise or a wonderful tune.
People often choose different types of music for different activities. If one wants to relax, classical might be the choice. A party? Rock will probably be playing. A study done at Pennsylvania State University of 47 college students found that jazz is the music of choice for certain activities. The study showed that jazz was preferable duringexercise (Research Links Music and Listeners' Emotions, 2003). This might be due to the fact that jazz has been shown to increase autonomic functions. In a study by Ellis and Brighouse, when people listened to jazz music, their respiration-rate and heart-rate increased (Kravitz, 1994). This isn’t only helpful during exercise, but the faster heartbeats and faster breathing might also be signs...