Power of Music

Music affects everyone in every way. Music is all around us: in stores, restaurants, elevators, bathrooms, television shows and theaters. Whether we like it or not, music is everywhere and is used for many things. But, we ask ourselves, could there be a ploy for when music is being used and played?" For example, when music is played in restaurants, is it played for mood enhancement, or to drown out conversation and to add privacy? Music can maintain listeners' attention by engaging them in a number of ways, including keeping them alert, intrigued, anxious, happy and even sad. During an examination, I compared the role of music in news reporting versus entertainment. I found that when music is combined with media, it has the power to manipulate and cause an unconscious reaction.

For instance, after examining broadcast WTVF News Channel 5 in Nashville, TN. I found there was no music playing during the dialogue. However, during the introduction and synopsis of the telecast, there was a strong, hard hitting, musical theme. The theme was only played at the beginning, before and after commercial breaks, and at end of the telecast. I found this to be extremely interesting as I drifted off from watching the telecast; the loud introductory music would act as a cue to redirect my focus back to the news. In addition, during some dialogues, there were the sounds of sirens, rushing water, fire trucks, etc... I believe that this type of audio realism gives the audience a brief feeling of actually being there.

Entertainment uses music that covers a wide range of emotions, such as, suspense, fun and exhilarating. I found that strategically selected music contributes to our unconscious mind’s eye by making us react physically and mentally without reason. I compared the use of music in telecasts with music found in entertainment programming, specifically episodes from HBO's series "Big Love" and "The Sopranos." I found that in the scenes that had some type of drama, there was a “moment theme” as the particular scene played out.

Applying critical thinking to the uses of music created awareness of how music is actually used and for what reasons by questioning its administrations.

Take Away: Music is very powerful. Music is used to exploit our unconscious mind’s eye for the purpose of how and why music is actually used by media producers to persuade and influence by behavior. Critical thinking is applied directly in questioning reason, sound, and purpose.

Related Studies:

• (2003)Education Resource Information Center (ERIC)-Effects of background music
  www.eric.ed.gov
• (2005)The “Mozart Effect”
  http://www.parenting-baby.com/Parenting-Baby-Music-Research/Music-Research.htmlMozart Effect
• (2001) Brain and Emotion Research-University of Wisconsin, Madison
  http://www.news.wisc.edu/packages/emotion/