Critical study of how music uniquely expands our understanding of experience Essay Example for Free

Critical study of how medicine uniquely expands our understanding of make EssayMusic has large existed in our society as a form of culture, entertainment and the like. In fact every civilization brook inter line of productsn to exist had had a great deal of benefits from harmony. on that point atomic number 18 lots of people who checker medication as nothing much than plain entertainment however thither be those who holds in the claim that harmony gives us nearlything more than entertainment per se. There argon claims that medicinal drug could affect us in a number of slip stylus. Music has considerable stamps on cardinals mind, embody and emotions. Music that are abundant in beats in a way could fuel whizs body, music carried bring out with feelings could affect ones emotional status and could either top one cry with misery or laugh with joy, classical music could stimulate the mind, and so on and so forth. There are people who are greatly aware of the effe cts music could work on a person and this could greatly be seen on our everyday sensations. Movies, films, news, see the importance and know the effects music could subscribe to on every individual and indeed music is key part in every movie make nowadays.Have you ever seen a movie that doesnt have an original sound track or a movie that did not make wont of primer coat music? Ever seen a documentary and the like who did not use music in the stage setting while portraying the videos or documents they have? Having seen some of the uses music could have it may now make to say that music is so an all important(p) aspect in our lives and it plays fundamental role in at ushers society (as well as on societies which existed thousand of years ago).As was utter music is an essential part of every culture, of every society and therefrom it is of no surprise that music is seen as a part of our everyday routines. Music could have fundamental effects on ones emotion. Think of an instance wherein veritable music touch you emotionally. Say you heard a true vocal music and it evoke within you some sort of emotions like pain, happiness and the like. I remember for an instance a conversation I have had with a friend of mine. He always loves to listen to the lyrics of Ever afterward of Bonnie Bailey and Come Around by Rhett Miller.He told me that he love listening to Ever after because that used to be their theme song (of his ex girlfriend) and he loves singing Come around because he can relate to that limited song. Thus, seemingly music hence has authoritative effects on our emotions. I steady remember claiming that my friend is such(prenominal) a masochist because he loves listening to sad songs such as Come Around when he has a choice to do otherwise. Similarly music has definite ways of affecting ones mood. However it is not really known how do music affects a person physiologically and psychologically as well.Thus, a question may arise as to how do authorized music affects a persons mood. In order to de destinationine how music affects a persons mood one must first know the root as to how music inspires a persons emotion. There are two contrasting spatepoints who tried to answer this bad-tempered puzzle. These views are called emotivist and cognitivist. For an emotivist they swear in the notion that we feel certain emotions as a form of solution everytime we hear certain music. The cognitivist on the other hand believes otherwise.The cognitivists believes that there is more to humans than emotions and thus they believe that we nominate to decode certain melodious emotions on a rational level, thus it delegates that the cognitivists do not really believe that we really get to experience musical theater emotions. In order to see whether the beliefs of the emotivists are correct or not an experiment needs to be conducted in order to see if there are certain music models which could drag out out coherent physiological reactions from different kinds of people.This experiment is call for in order for us to see if we really do experience emotions when heart-to-heart to a contingent music. It is in this regard that a study had been conducted by Krumhansl wherein two groups of student were used. These particular groups of students each divvy up different activities. The activity went as follow One group of 40 students dynamically rated the levels of sadness, fear, happiness, and tension in six-spot sample pieces intended to evoke sadness, fear, or happiness. They did so by adjusting a slider on a computer while the music was playing.A separate group, consisting of 38 college students, was hooked up to physiological sensors monitoring a variety of cardiovascular, electrodermal, and respiratory responses which recorded their change over time. Both groups heard the six musical samples with a 90-second pause in between each. The physiological measures dumbfoundn from the second group were compared w ith the point in time of sadness, fear, happiness, and tension reported by the first group. Both the physiological measures and emotional ratings were recorded as they changed during the course of the piece.Therefore, correlations could be decoyn between the intensity of certain emotions and physiological symptoms. (Boswell) The results immortalizen by the experiment was in conformance to the side of the emotivists. Each of the musical selections was rated as having the intended emotion, and undifferentiated physiological responses were found for each measurable emotion sad music was correlated with a decreased heart rate, lowered finger temperature, increase fall pressure, and decreased skin conductance level happy music with faster and shallower breathing, and fear-invoking music with a slow-moving pulse, faster breathing, and decreased finger temperature.These effects were consistent during the duration of the pieces. (Boswell) This is further proof that the emotivists po sition was indeed supported by the verbalise experiment. The fact that there was a coherent physiological modification that was produced by the different music used in the said experiment were behavioral evidence enough that those college students indeed experience certain emotions all throughout the time they were exposed to the music used. This result contradicted the claim that emotions could altogether be transmitted once a person gets to recognize a certain passage present within a particular music.Another study was make by Sloboda. Sloboda attempted to identify the fill musical composition which brings about definite physical emotional responses. Examples of the said responses are tears, trembling, and the like. The study made use of questionnaire which was dispersed to five hundred British citizens. However, only eighty-three persons send back the inspect. It is an important thing to know that those eighty-three persons who answered the watch were experts in terms of mu sic, particularly classical music. The said survey had went on as followParticipants were instructed to indicate the frequency with which they go through certain physical responses as an effect of music within the last five years, as well as the piece of music and, if possible, the particularised part of the piece or musical event that provoked it. In addition, they were asked to say whether the response was consistently evoked. (Boswell) A huge number of the partakers claimed that they were able to experience certain physical emotional responses such as mirth, trembling, tears, lump in their throats and the like for the last five years of their lives.However the survey showed that women are more prone to experiencing tears as compared to men. Men on the other hand, especially those already on their thirties, claimed that they experienced more laughter than compared to other age. Just as was the case on the experiment conducted by Krumhansl, the survey conducted by Sloboda also sh owed a great deal of consistency to each piece of music they were exposed to. This particular survey also showed the extent of the consistency in that the reactions remained consistent even though they have heard the certain musical piece for more than fifty times.A further point of please is that there are particular melodic constructions which showed to have consistent effects upon the partakers of the said survey. Appogiaturas for one were consistent in bringing tears into surface. The experiment also showed that a series of changes in terms of harmony incite trembling, whereas quickening brought about faster heart beats. However, if there is a certain drawback in the said study is the fact that it was conducted with the use of questionnaires.We could have no way of knowing if the person who answered it had answered truthfully or if s/he is merely bluffing. Thus, in a way we have no way of making sure that the partakers of the said survey indeed experienced the particular emotio ns and physical responses they reported they have experienced for the past five years. Another factor is the fact that those who participated in the survey were all expert on the field of music and thus we could not really deduct from this survey alone that the rest of the humanity would also act or feel the same way.However there are certain studies which had been conducted which show that very little difference exists between those who have musical expertise and those who have none. In addition, the records stated by the partakers of the said survey regarding their experiences of physical signs of emotions are not really unusual. Thus, in a way we could say that the study conducted by Sloboda also supported the position held by the emotivists. We should also take into flier the fact that the physical responses reported by the survey partakers are in fact common in all human creations since we all share the same autonomic response system.However, we should also take take note o f the fact that our capability to utilize the said system in order for us to feel or experience certain emotions brought about by music is in a way, a learned process. This particular claim is supported by the fact that very young children do not really get to experience the said responses. Even those adults who have different kinds of music as compared to ours are not in all probability capable to experience the said responses brought about by the music we listen into.Thus, Sloboda claimed that the link between musical compositions and emotions is a learned process which is also dependent on ones culture. However, this does not engage that we do not really get to experience or fell certain emotions from listening to certain music. It only tells us that we may not be able to relate nor are we likely to experience certain emotions from listening to other music that are completely different from ours. Fact is, Sloboda even claimed that if we are to be exposed to music completely dif ferent from ours we could still get to relate to that music although it would take time.Therefore even though the link between musical compositions and emotions is a learned process, evidences and studies still show the stand held by the emotivists that we are indeed capable of feeling or experiencing certain emotions simply by listening to a particular music. Thus those who participated in the studies conducted have steadily testified that they have indeed experienced true emotions when they listened to certain music. The researches conducted also accounted for the fact that very little difference in terms of recognizing emotions could be seen between those who have musical expertise and those who have none.Thus this accounted for the emotivists view that we could indeed experience certain emotions simply by listening to certain music, although it is still not clear what inclines us to be affected in certain ways. Research conducted claims that there is really no ground in saying t hat somewhere in our brains there could be located a region dedicated mainly to process musical data. In contrary, the errand of musical processing is extended to the whole region of our brains.Thus whereas the right brain is liable for the emotions evoked while listening to music, the left field brain is quite amenable for looking at music in a more rational ground thus it tends to critically examine music. There are even proofs which show that the primeval region within our mid brain is the one responsible for our emotions we experience while listening to music. Thus a primeval region within our midbrain engages itself with the task of realizing and appreciating music in an emotional way. However, the specific region wherein music is being developed (if ever there is one) is besides to be known.A study which involves this particular interest was conducted by Schmidt and Trainor. Schmidt and Trainor studied whether or not window dressing brain electrical activity correlated wit h intensity and positivity or negativity, or valence, of emotion. The study showed that the left frontal brain is the one responsible for experiencing positive emotions whereas the right frontal brain is the one responsible for experiencing negative emotions. Thus, emotions such as happiness, interests and the like are product of the left frontal brain whereas emotions such as horror, revulsion, pain and the like were made by the right frontal brain.Therefore it would suffice for us to say that when listening to happy tunes our left frontal brain is likely to be triggered whereas listening to mere(a) songs would trigger our right frontal brain. It also follows that the intensity of music could affect the intensity of the frontal activity. The guess stated above had already been confirmed. A careful selection of music which would likely draw out positive emotions triggered the left frontal brain whereas a careful selection of music which would likely draw negative emotions triggere d the right frontal brain.Thus, the frontal activity of the brain increases every time the intensity of certain music also increases. Thus in a way this is also another proof which supports the emotivist view that listening to certain music could make a person experience certain emotions. Thus a similarity between music and language could be seen. Both language and music alike is inclined(p) to be interpreted subconsciously. Thus, this seems to show that humans have a biological structure which enables music to draw emotions from each of us.And though this particular structure is yet to be known, researchers concluded that the said structure is not composed of a single area on the brain. On the contrary, researchers believe that such structure is made up of an interaction of the different systems which could be found within our brain. It is due to musics some uses that music is also deemed to have considerable effects on the field of medicine. There are certain accounts taken from the Bible, artifacts, as well as studies that show that music could have considerable effects on a persons health and well-being.In fact, there are historical inscriptions taken from Egypt, Greek, mainland China and other known civilizations which praise musics ability in medical matters. Music is wide considered to have medical importance and it is in this regard that music even such a term such as music therapy. After World War II the United States of America even see to it that music therapy would be used on wounded soldiers who were tormented by physical as well as emotional traumas taken from the war. Physicians and nurses alike saw how music helped alleviate some of the soldiers or veterans pain by merely engaging themselves on musical activities.It is on this regard that hospitals started employing musicians to help break off their patients status. Music had been very helpful in bettering the patients emotional as well as psychological status and as many people learned of t hese certain benefits derived from music, National Association for musical comedy Therapy came to existence. The need for musical therapy became wide range to the point that the National Association for Musical Therapy or NAMT assort themselves to other musical organizations which in turn resulted into the foundation of the American Music Therapy Association or AMTA.The ranges of music therapy vary widely in that it not only caters to emotional sickness since it also proved to be beneficial in sickness suffered under physical injuries. Music therapy helped people in terms of their perceiving pains. There are a number of reasons why they consider music as an effectual means in limiting perceived pains. First, music could divert a persons mind from the pain at hand or from the pain a person perceives. Second, music could help in terms of braggy a person some kind of control.Thirdly, music could help counter pain since it could help a person in releasing endorphins which are necessa ry in giving a person some sense of well-being. Fourth, slow music could help a person in terms of relaxation in that it slows a persons breathing. Take a person with leukemia for an example. Lets say individual A needs to undergo a certain surgery necessary to cure his leukemia. One should call for that surgical procedures are indeed frightening and thus Person A could not help provided be afraid of whats on store for him and thus Person As blood pressure continues to rise and this in turn has a crucial effect on Person As healing process.This particular thing could also heighten Person As sensation or perception of pain. Ones pain could not be measure by anyone and thus there is no standard in terms of the amount of pain a person could have. It is in this manner that music therapy comes into the picture. We have already enumerated the reasons why music therapy is considered beneficial in medicine and thus in this manner one could be lead to speculate that music therapy could i ndeed diminish ones pain perception because it could work in certain ways in order to lessen a persons perceived pain.Disturbance or diversion could help in certain ways in lessen ones sense perception and thus it could help check the pain a person undergoes. This pain moderation could be redirected to the cognitive section which could be seen in the Gate-Control Theory of Pain. Pleasant music naturally applies or concentrates on a persons grateful stimulus which in turn concerns the capability of the information processing system. Since the music would be busy attend to the pleasant stimulus of a person it naturally follows that the persons occupation would be diverted from the pain-causing stimulus.It is ion this regard that music is considered important in distracting a person because distraction presents a person with an flight of steps by means of imagination which in turn is a crucial means in lessening stress, nervousness and fear which are important factors which cons titutes pain. Thus enjoyable imagination could promote some sense of control to a person which could decrease a persons nervousness and feeling of being powerless. Thus since music helps transfer our attention away from painful experiences it provides us with a strategy we could use when we undergo painful experiences, may it be physically or emotionally.