How Music Affects/Influences People 1

How music affects people

Jonathan Esparza

University of El Paso Texas

2/12/17

Professor Drapes
How Music Affects/Influences People 2

How Music Affects/Influences People

Throughout time, studies have shown that music affects/influences people in certain

ways. For example, classical music helps people concentrate even better, rather than music that

has lyrics. As it is said in the Article The effects of Music on the recipient by Helmut Rsing

(Rsing, 1980) In recent literature on music therapy, there have been attempts to discuss the

effects of music on the listener in a systematic way. (Rsing, 1980, p. 62) In reality, music does

affect a person in multiple ways, especially when comes to a persons favorite song, or to just a

simple tune that they just heard. Music has been around for a long time, making people groove,

bounce around and etc. This topic is touches two genres that help show the facts that music does

in fact influence a person. One by Helmut Rsing, on The Effects of Music On The Recipient: An

Attempt To Define A Position, to which explains the reason or science behind on how music

affects a person, depending on the type of test or way song/music affects a determening person.

The other The Mental and Emotional Effects of Music, uploaded by Zach Church, from a video

from Ted, explaining how music affects the mental and emotional effects on a person. The genres

chosen for this topic, come to conclussion that something as simple can affect such a person in

varies ways.

Audience and Purpose

The first genre, Helmut Rsings The Effects of Music On The Recipient: An Attempt To

Define A Position, is an article that touches the points of music being used for therapeutic ways

or disorders. As stated by Helmut Rsing in general it may be said that, in the field of

music therapy, individual scholars clearly rate the effectiveness of different types of music for

therapeutic use in widely divergent ways. (Rsing, 1980, p. 62) On the second genre, (guest

speaker) Julian Treasure in Ted speaks about the affects of music to coming in terms is the
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mental and emotional effects. In the video, he speaks about how music is the Music is the

most powerful sound that we know that affects our emotional state (YouTube, 2012) The

purpose on this specific topic is to actually proove that music is something that changes our state

of mood of an everyday basis. For example, the song Happy by Pharelle Williams, it puts you in

a great happy mood that makes your self esteem higher, which may cause a person to start

dancing.

The intended audience of The Effects of Music On The Recipient: An Attempt To Define A

Position, is intented usually to those who like music or who get motivated or even use music

everyday. As stated by Rsing, Nevertheless, their underlying assumptions are no doubt

perfectly correct: first, all the various aspects of the structure of the music affect the impression

received by the listener, even if in different degrees; secondly, musical structures are in some

way analogous to reversible optical figures, whose appearance can be materially altered by a

change in only one of their dimensions. (Rsing, 1980, p. 64) For the YouTube video, the topic

is intended for those who want a deeper definition or even understanding of the influece of

music. Stated by the video Music has transformational powers in health, education, and well-

being. Music may enhance rest and rejuvenation intelligence and learning creativity and

imagination Which is true, as for a person who sleeps with music at night, they may have

have a better rest than to those who dont sleep with music on at night. It has been show that

music does have a remarkable impack on a person or people. Which in fact as said earlier, it does

come with positive feed back. Yes, music may be self explanitory but, in this case, there are

many factors that contributes to the way of music actually affecting a person mentally and

emotionally. In Rsings work, he has explain many areas that can be helpful, as to which he

mentions that certain knowledge on music varies on dominace of a ordinary or a linguistic

How Music Affects/Influences People 4

person. As in the second genres audience, may want to know what is the real scheme that music

lays on a psychological aspect.

The two genres chosen for this topic, typically are different. Though, both do cover a

vast amount of information, but the time the time that is covered from the genres is highly

different. For this reason, the first genre chosen is an article with 17 pages, so depending on the

person, it may take at and hour or so to review the article. For the Youtube video (second genre),

the video is at most 6 minutes with 21 seconds. There is plenty of information is said on the

video, and even facts, which is obviously needed. For the second genre, it is quite straight

forward.

Rethorical Issues

In both of the chosen genres is that they reffer to different aspects of the influence of

music withing the genres.

Ethos

In the first genre, the write, goes onto the studies on how the music can be used

theraputicly. By many studies and test, Rsing, was able to identitify what kind of music can be

affect a person either if its majestic. sentimental, and etc. Through out the article there are

quotes that as well backs up the opinion Rsing was trying to reffer. The article is credible based

on the information given to the reader. In the second genre, the person who had uploaded the

video, add more information towards actual footage. He had added more information like for

example, Mozart. There he went on going about how classical music (like Mozarts) can help

enhance other skills. The credibiliity seems to be credible, though if it was the official footage of

the Ted program, it could have even more valid points and could have been more flawless.
How Music Affects/Influences People 5

Pathos

The writer of the first genre does not apply any emotional appeal. Even though

Rsing provides enough information to apply on his article, but he does not apply any emotional

connections towards the influence of music. In the second genre, there is actually some

emotional appeal. Since it is a video, you can actual see the guest speaker giving emotions

towards the topic. He is clear about the facts towards the concept that he is talking about.

Logos

The first genre used graphs/charts, adding more clear thought about the conpect. The

evidence is quite explanitory once it is viewed carefully, but it is self explanitory. For the second

genre, it provides images that gives off that clear picture of the concept. In some of the images

it has a percentage or even images of the mind, resembling that music does work in a emotional

and mental area.

Structure and Delivery

The main concept of both genres, was organized, it did not jump around with random

facts, but it was quite organized towards the respected genre. At the beginning of both genres, it

was straight forward. It was not a slow intro, it was straight forward. In the beginning, the

writter brought out personal experiences towards studies that they have done inorder to establish

a base. In the second genre, the video came out with a quick eye catching intro, with the guest

speaker getting to the point on how music influences a person. The audience was greatly

impacted by it because it was simply clear to understand.

Conclusion
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Towards both of the chosen genres explained the concept quite amazingly. The first

genre was about the studies that they have done, rather than the second genre they talk about

more facts towards the concept. Although, since the second genre was a video, it was simple to

understand, especially when it came it to facts and studies they may have done. Both genres gave

a different side of the issue and raised gave the different points on how music influences a

person.
How Music Affects/Influences People 7

Work Cited
The Mental and Emotional Effects of Music Rvptsnare https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=5UetE-O77xw
Rsing, H. (1980). The Effects of Music on the Recipient: An Attempt to Define a Position. Royal
Musical Association Research Chronicle, (16), 62-77. Retrieved from http://0-www.jstor.org.lib.utep.edu
(Brighouse, 1952)/stable/25099354