Running head: MUSIC

Music
Holly Konja
Madonna University

Abstract
This essay is about how music can affect your mood. Music can do many things to a person but it
can change their mood from happy to sad in a matter of minutes. Different genres of music can
alter your mood in different ways. Another factor is the environment the person is in or around.

Music
Music can mean something different to anyone you ask. Whether it be the lyrics, the beat,
or the rhythm. But studies have proven that music can affect someones mood whether it is for
the better or for the worse. Music can put someone in a happy mood, in a sad mood, in a mad
mood, or even an aggressive mood. This all depends on the genre someone is listening to. Some
examples include heavy metal which can make someone angry or aggressive, upbeat music can
make someone cheerful and happy, worship music can put someone in an uplifting mood, and
slow music can make someone sad. Music is known to tap into various parts of the brain, that is
why it is utilized by many experts in testing depressed or anxious patients. (Marvelous, 2013).
A lot of research, such as journals and articles, has been conducted on if music can change your
mood, thus proving that the type of music someone listens to may positively or negatively affect
their mood.
Music that can put you in a great mood is very energetic. Being in an energetic mood
always lifts anyones spirit and attitude. An example of this is the song Happy by Pharrell
Williams. For several years, music has made a lot of individuals happy. Thats because soothing
tunes foster the release of serotonin, a hormone that fosters happiness and a general sense of
well-being. It also flushes the body with dopamine, a neurotransmitter that makes you feel good.
Music also paves the way for the release of norepinephrine, a hormone that brings about
euphoria and elation. (Marvelous, 2013). Dopamine is known to make someone feel good.
Some doctors even recommend this to their patients who have become depressed. Before they
prescribe them ant anti-depressants, they will advise them to listen to any uplifting and happy
music. Then, if all else fails, the patient is prescribed the anti-depressants. This method also
helps because even after you are done listening to the song, it is stuck in your head and you keep

repeating it and listening to it. We all know that annoying feeling when a song gets stuck in our
head and is impossible to get out, one of the most annoying feelings ever! This method can end
up altering your brain waves and make someone happy for a longer period than just the short two
or three minutes of their song of choice. One group listened to upbeat happy music while the
other group listened to somber sad music. The people who listened to the happy music felt
happy afterwards. The people who listened to sad music conversely felt sad. But what was
actually surprising was the change in thoughts after listening to music. Those who listened to the
sad music remembered more of the bad things that had happened during the course of their lives
and had little confidence in their ability to complete simple tasks successfully. (Marvelous,
2013).
Music can also make someone sad. We see this all the time in the movies. Some
examples include after a death, and when a relationship has ended. We always hear that sad,
sappy song that plays. This usually occurs at the funeral or when the girl of the relationship is
eating away her sorrows in pints of ice cream. Another recent study published in the Journal of
Consumer Research found that people who were going through difficult times, particularly
relationship problems, prefer music and experiences that reflect their negative. (Music can have
a powerful effect on your mood, 2015). This is because when someone is listening to slower and
more sympathetic music, the brain waves become slow and steady. This puts the mind into a
one track mind type of situation and all that mainly comes to mind is the sad or unfortunate
event that just happened. In the study, participants improved their mood after being told to try to
do so, but they only succeeded when they listened to the upbeat music of Copland, as opposed to
the sadder tunes of Stravinsky. (Does music influence your mood?, 2013). This study conducted

at the University of Missouri proved that when listening to upbeat music it lifts your mood, and
when listening to sadder songs it makes them more upset.
Music is also a great factor to uplift your mood at the gym. Two of the most important
qualities of workout music are tempoor speedand what psychologists call rhythm response,
which is more or less how much a song makes you want to boogie. Most people have an instinct
to synchronize their movements and expressions with musicto nod their heads, tap their toes or
break out in danceeven if they repress that instinct in many situations. What type of music
excites this instinct varies from culture to culture and from person to person. To make some
broad generalizations, fast songs with strong beats are particularly stimulating, so they fill most
people's workout playlists. In a recent survey of 184 college students, for example, the most
popular types of exercise music were hip-hop (27.7 percent), rock (24 percent) and pop (20.3
percent). (Jabr, 2013). When dancing along and going along with fast pace music it is key to get
the most out of your workout. This is because the faster the music, the more energy you will
have during the course of the workout. Recent research clarifies not only what type of music is
best suited to a workout, but also how music encourages people to keep exercising. Distraction is
one explanation. The human body is constantly monitoring itself. After a certain period of
exercisethe exact duration varies from person to personphysical fatigue begins to set in. The
body recognizes signs of extreme exertionrising levels of lactate in the muscles, a thrumming
heart, increased sweat productionand decides it needs a break. (Jabr, 2013). When being
distracted from your workout by the music, it helps you to not get tired as fast. This is because
your brain is not thinking things like, when is the workout going to be over? Or Im tired. It lets
you have a great workout that you can get the most out of. You can even set goals to your song,
you can do a bench press for every other beat, you can run to the beat or rhythm, and you can

even do a sit up per beat. The options are endless, and this ensures that you can get the most out
of your workout. Even just dancing along to the music itself is a workout all on its own. This can
lead to being healthy and having a healthier mindset about life and your emotions.
In the end, music can affect your moods in many ways. This is through exercise, what
you are doing, and what you may be thinking about. The brain is a very complex organ that we
will never know the full story of. But what we know if it is fantastic and truly fascinating.

References
Cohen, H. (2013, May 25). Mood, Music, and Genre. Retrieved from
http://jonbarron.org/article/mood-music-andgenre#.Vs9VWfA8KK0
This article was done on a scientific study done by the University of Missouri. Earlies
studies have shown that music can improve mood, but whats unique here is the finding
that magic happens more effectively when theres an intention to improve mood,
combined with the right type of music.
Grannell, R. (2013, November 1). 7 Reasons You Should Listen To Music When You Work
Out. Retrieved from
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/01/why-exercise-workout-musicplaylist_n_4173931.html
This website goes to show how music can affect you in many ways specifically at the
gym. A couple things listed are it ups your effort, it puts you in the zone, a good beat can
help you keep paceetc. Study participants said that listening to music allowed them to
think about themselves, who they wanted to be and give them an escape from the present.
No matter what happened an hour ago, you can use your tunes to help you escape
negativity and power you through your workout -- and you know youll feel great when
its over.
Jabr, F. (2013, March 20). Let's Get Physical: The Psychology of Effective Workout Music.
Retrieved from

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/psychology-workout-music/
This website states how having music playing while you work out can be very effective
and can also even improve your results. Music distracts people from the pain and fatigue
elevates mood, increases endurance, reduces perceived effort and may even promote
metabolic efficiency.
M. (2013, September 28). How Music Changes Your Mood. Retrieved from
http://examinedexistence.com/how-music-changes-your-mood/
This website clearly states how certain types of music can affect your mood. Music is
known to tap into various parts of the brain, that is why it is utilized by many experts in
treating depressed or anxious patients. It also details how music can change your
perception and modify your brain waves.
Nawaz, A. (2015). Impact of Music on Mood: Empirical Investigation. Research on
Humanities and Social Sciences. ISSN (Paper), 2224-5766.
This journal is done based on research from a study done by collecting data through a
questionnaire filled out by volunteers. This questionnaire was done to investigate what kind
of impact music has on people. Music is a source that can get them into the other mood.
People think that music has a strong impact on their mood and behavior.
Rea, C., MacDonald, P., & Carnes, G (2010). Listening to classical, pop, and metal music:
An investigation of mood. Emporia State Research Studies, 46(1), 1-3
We hypothesized that participants who listened to classical and pop music would report
more positive moods, and those who listened to heavy metal would report more negative
moods. This journal goes on to show the study that was conducted based on this

hypothesis and it lists the methods, and materials used. It also goes through the whole
procedure used to conduct this experiment.
Rosenzweig, F. (n.d.). How Music Can Enhance Your Workout. Retrieved from
http://www.active.com/fitness/articles/how-music-can-enhance-your-workout
Research exploring the link between music and exercise began in the 1920s and
continues today. According to Robert Sewak, PD, author of the article Striking the Right
Chord With the Music You Choose, scientists in 1935 discovered a simple tempo change
in music caused the respiration rate to change.