The influence of music - Essay Example

The Influence of Music Topic and Thesis ment The influence of music on the society in general is well documented. From the use of music for political courses, music has been an extremely useful tool in the society. However, attention is quickly shifting to the individual. With the progress of science, studies are being carried out to discern the influence of music on the listener. Frequently asked questions include; what is the influence of music on a character? What is the influence of behavior on morals?

What is the influence of music on interpersonal relations? All these and more are the topics that shall be the core of this paper. Specific attention shall be paid to some of the common genres as well.Bibliography 1) Diserens, C. A Psychology of Music: The Influence of Music on Behaviour. Whitefish: Kessinger Publishers. 2009. Print2) Chomet, H. The influence of Music on Health and life. Philadelphia. General Books Publication. 2009. Print3) Kopasz, M. Personality and Music Differences: The influences of personality traits on preferences regarding musical elements.

Poland: Opole University.. 20054) Parker, T. “Under the Influence of . Music?”. In The New York Times. 5 Feb 2008. Web. 25 April from http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/05/under-the-influence-ofmusic/5) Othello, J. The Soul of Rock n Roll: A history of African Americans in Rock Music. Oakland: Regent Press. 2004. PrintOutlineI. Introduction and Thesis statementThis paper shall seek to look at the different ways in which music influences the listener’s behavior. Different genres shall be mentioned and the behaviour associated with each shall be studied.

On the flipside, the extent to which the choice of music complements listener behavior shall also be explored.II. Brief mention of the origin of all the major genresA) Rock and Roll – Originated in the United States in the 1940s and 1950s. The original reference ‘rock’ is a veiled reference to sex. Popular with upper classes.B) Hip Hop - Originated from the United States in the late 1970s. Common with low classes especially black Americans.C) Soul – Originated from the United States in the late 50s and early 60s.

It’s a fusion of black gospel music and rhythm and blues (R n B)D) Rhythm and Blues (R n B) – Originated in the United States in the late 40s. Common with urban blacks.III. Common Personality traits associated with the listeners of the above genresA) Heavy DrinkingB) Anti-social behavior i.e gang affiliationC) Manner of dressIV. ConclusionsA) Message contained in the lyrics influences a listeners behavior. Rock and hip hop contain messages of a violent kind. The use of drugs in general and alcohol to be specific is a common theme.

This is in turn carried on by the listeners especially the young impressionable type. Soul and blues are more sedate and advocate love not conflict.B) The artists model the behavior for their listeners to follow. Premier artists set6 the standard for listeners as regards dressing, social integration e.t.c C) Generally, the mental disposition of listener influences behavior. Despite the dangerous level of sway that the factors in A and B above hold, the amount of control the listener has over their faculties is the principal determiner of general conduct.

Responsible listeners are able to see through the messages and carry themselves out in ways that are good to the general public.