Music has been around for thousands of years in many different forms. It has proven to not only heavily influence one’s mind but our physical beings as well. For many, music can be seen as a form of relaxation while others use it for quite the opposite. There're endless reasons why music has become such an integral part of people’s lives. 

Whether it’s through social media, friends, or even the radio, everyone picks up their own music taste. Growing up, I would sit in the living room and listen to my mom and my uncle blast Rock Band 2 on our Playstation for hours. When I was old enough, they plugged in the microphone and let me sing along with them. Now as a teenager, most of my Spotify playlists are filled with those songs. The music you’re around when you’re younger can have a large effect on the rest of your life. For example, hobbies like playing an instrument can be a result of the type of music you listen to. I found a love of playing the drums. Not just the actually drumset, but I’ve also picked up playing Bass for my high school marching band. Throwing in my Airpods, turning the volume up to 100%, and just beating along to the rhythm of my favorite Red Hot Chili Peppers songs is like therapy. 

When you’re younger, you don’t always understand the true meaning behind the lyrics of your favorite song. One of my favorites was ‘Centerfold’ by The J. Geils Band and I just learned what that song was really about around two weeks ago, probably not okay for a 7-year-old to understand. There are also some songs that you just have to truly experience to fully relate to. After my first breakup, every Taylor Swift song seemed to hit a little closer to home. As we go through life, finding lyrics we connect to can make us feel understood and seen. There really is a song for almost every situation. 

To further show how much music affects our daily lives, I put together a survey that was sent out to over 80 high school teens. Surprisingly, none of the results seemed to differ very heavily. In general, all answers were in a similar range regarding the importance music had in their lives and the effect it has on their mental/emotional state. 

The first question started off pretty basic, what was the top genre?

Overall, the top three preferred genres include Pop (38.1%), Alternative Rock (33.3%), and Rap (28.6%). According to outside research, Pop music is one of the most popular genres because of the fact that it is catchy, easy to remember, upbeat, and joyful. People tend to listen to music that lifts their spirits and boosts their mood. Not a large majority of the population listens to depressing music on a daily basis. Pop music also has a history of being very diverse and constantly changing. There is always a song for everyone of all age ranges, backgrounds, and cultures which makes it commonly spread around the world (Wilmington 2022). 

Next, what is the most hated genre?

Taking the spot for #1 most disliked genre is country music (47.6%). The main reason that these results showed is because of the vocals. In another poll question (included below), it came to the conclusion that lyrics/vocals are the second most important aspect of a song. All country singers share a very similar southern accent, making a lot of the songs sound the same to a larger percent of the population. Despite country music being the third most popular genre in America, it has been disesteemed because of the universal agreement that the music in general has become extremely repetitive. Nearly every song seems to be talking about falling in love in a small town, something about a car (specifically a truck), and some form of alcohol. Not to mention that mostly white, cowboy/cowgirl, midwestern folk make up a majority of the listeners. No hate to those country lovers out there but there is a larger lack of diversity compared to genres like pop (WRSU 2023).

Following this, they were asked what the most important aspect of a song is. 

According to the data that was collected, the most important part of a song is the rhythm/beat (38.1%). This could be for a multitude of reasons. Some could be relating back to the first question about how pop music tends to be upbeat and peppy. When we listen to music, our heart corresponds with the beat. Emotionally, almost all humans become attentive and mentally synced with the environment around us. This behavior is the most common in people who could be considered ‘empaths’, meaning that you have the ability to apprehend the emotional/mental state of those around you. When you’re in a room full of people who are sad or depressed, you are more likely to match that spirit. The same thing would apply if you were to walk into a party. Everyone around you is laughing and having a good time, you are more likely to coordinate with that. The part of your brain that controls empathy reactions is also responsible for how you react to music. Having a slower, diastolic rhythm sends a sad, depressed reaction to your mind compared to buoyant and cheerful songs that will do the exact opposite (EOFM Inquiry 2021). 

The last question related to what listening to music made them experience, emotionally. 

As claimed by the data, the most commonly felt emotion while listening to music is happiness (85.7%). The second most popular is a tie between content and relaxed (57.1%). Generally, most people would consider these to be positive states of mind. There is a chemical, scientific reason behind why this happens. When you listen to music that you enjoy compared to the music you dislike, your brain releases a chemical called Dopamine (also known as the ‘feel-good hormone’). This reaction is then stored as a reinforcement reaction which means that your body will be continuously looking for that same feeling. You want to keep listening to your favorite song on repeat so many times because your brain is basically begging for it. For the 42.9% of the population that stated that music makes them sad is because the type of music you listen to can also have a large effect on your mindset. Getting sucked into listening to sad music constantly can be very damaging to your mental state. As earlier mentioned, people tend to match the energy of their music. So listening to songs with a slow beat and depressing lyrics will only make you feel unhappy (Cloud Cover Media 2021).

When people were specifically asked how music affected them, the answers were generally repetitive. Music seems to have an extremely positive effect on everybody’s mood. For example, one response claims “Music is an emotional outlet for me, it can instantly put me in a better mood”. It’s amazing the things that a few instruments can do to your mindset. One of my personal favorite responses was “Sometimes, it makes me realize there is meaning to life”. As humans, everyone was put on this planet to do something, to be someone. Everyone has a purpose and music has the power to allow people to see their potential. It’s truly a beautiful thing. For generations to come, music will hopefully continue to be an important part of life for people of all ages. 

Sources

05, May. “What Makes Pop Music so Great? - in Wilmington.” IN Wilmington - Your Entertainment Source for Live Music, Fine Arts, Dining and Special Events of All Kinds IN Wilmington, Delaware., 5 May 2022, inwilmde.com/blog/what-makes-pop-music-so-great/. 

“Music and Mood.” How Does Music Affect You?, effectsofmusicinquiry.weebly.com/music-and-mood.html#:~:text=When%20we%20listen%20to%20a,sign%20of%20love%20or%20joy. 

Wallmark, Zachary, et al. “Neurophysiological Effects of Trait Empathy in Music Listening.” Frontiers, Frontiers, 21 Mar. 2018, frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00066/full. 

“Why Does Music Make You Happy? (Answered).” Cloud Cover Music, cloudcovermusic.com/blog/music-and-happiness/. 

“Why People Hate Country.” WRSU - The Voice of Rutgers, 8 Jan. 2021, radio.rutgers.edu/why-people-hate-country/#:~:text=After%20all%2C%20it%20is%20called,to%20hear%20at%20some%20times.