You come off the bus, walk a couple of meters to your door, open it and leisurely walk up the stairs into your room. You take all burdens off of your skin and heave yourself onto the bed. In you weariness you hear that song by your favorite artist. As the song plays you sway your foot and even sing along. It seems that in the three minutes of play time you have forgotten about your tiredness. It is possible that after the song is done you will feel like you did prior to the three minutes of exhilaration. It is the satisfaction brought by that song which makes you forget that a couple minutes ago, on the bus you were contemplating how to lay on your bed to fall asleep faster. Music causes people to have certain feelings during its play time.
It almost seems that when that particular song is playing the things that were on your mind wane away. As humans, we are constantly looking for anything to relieve the stress of this world. From pain relievers to therapy, we find reasons to make the bad situations better. It is funny that the real reliever is all around us. Music is used in therapy to relieve people after surgery. In an AORN Journal article by McRee et al.:
The psychological and physiological effects of music have been studied in a variety of clinical settings including ICUs, surgical suites, and postanesthesia care units (PACUs). One group of researchers investigated the physiological effects of music therapy on 22 critically ill patients in an ICU. Reduction in heart rate, systolic blood pressure, pain, and anxiety were reported.
It is the rhythm, the words, the voice of the singer, or the intensity of the bass guitarist. Whatever it is, it causes us to feel different from how we were. We are not aware of the influence of music. When one wants to set a certain mood, they find a song that fits their intentions and play it. Music has a lot of power of which is taken for granted. People would not have certain things without music. For instance, those songs in the 1980s, like that of Marvin Gaye, Al Greene contributed to our conception. As funny as that may be, it is true. To set that mood our parents played those songs. It is no science on the feelings that come as a result a particular song. We get those feelings because those songs relate to us; they relieve us from the anxiety of the world.
It is hard to live without music. The songs are our retreat when things get hard, cold, and indecisive. Music causes our moods to change to suit the genre. The music industry would not be so demanding if the songs are not giving people what the want. Those who produce and make the music, are people with the same feelings, the only difference is that they are more artistically inclined and can put their thoughts into songs that will touch every person. Be it love, hate, regret, pride, death, life it reaches every feeling. One can honestly say that it is music that relieves the feelings that they have.
We have had music since the beginning, as long as there is something to be relieved (as will always be the case with humans) there will be music. William Shakespeare in “Twelfth Night", Act 1 scene 1 said;If music be the food of love, play on; Give me excess of it, that, surfeiting, The appetite may sicken, and so die. That strain again! it had a dying fall: O, it came o'er my ear like the sweet sound That breathes upon a bank of violets, Stealing and giving odour!
Shakespeare shows that it doesn’t matter the effect music may have, it must play on, people like Shakespeare will not want music to escape from their lives. As long as people have feelings there will be music. Whatever the case may be as long as music has that connection to feelings we will forever, put on that Avant CD to relax, and that System of A Down CD to take out anger.
Works Cited
McRee, Laura D., et al. “Using Massage and Music Therapy to Improve Postoperative Outcomes.” AORN Journal. September 2003 Shakespeare, William. Twelfth Night. Act1 Scene1
