By Gary Dickson —
I attended a company meeting this week where there were about 25 company employees; many of which had never met. The facilitator began the meeting by having us give our name, home newspaper, job title and favorite band or singer. Most people were not a bit shy about touting their favorite singer or group.
The age of the group had a wide range, so the list was quite eclectic, ranging from Michael Buble to Metallica. I had to look Pink Martini up. I learned that it is a 13-piece “pop orchestra” from Portland.
In all of the business meetings I have participated in during my career that was the first time someone had asked for that piece of information for introductions. I really liked it though because I had already decided to write about the influence of music on humans and it created a good lead for my column.
I can”t remember ever meeting a person who honestly admitted that they hated music.
Most of us thrive on music or because of it. A good friend of mine has cancer right now. For him, singing and making music is one of his therapies.
One of Daniel Levitin”s wonderful books about music, “The World in Six Songs,” quotes David Huron from the annals of the New York Academy of Sciences of 2001 that, “Americans spend more money on music than they do prescription drugs or sex?” It also mentioned that, “?the average American hears more than five hours of music per day.” One of the best features of music is its dual nature. Those who can make music are able to derive joy from the creative process and those us who are not adept at making music can, nonetheless, get immense satisfaction from listening to music created by others.
The act of reaching a joyful state due to music is just one element of music. Like his title suggests, Levitin says there are six basic types of songs. Aside from joy, there are songs of friendship, knowledge, religion, love and comfort. Each type has its own strength and purpose.
There is no doubt that music is powerful. Almost everyone has heard that “Music can soothe the savage beast.” Actually, that is a misquote of the original statement that came from playwright William Congreve”s 1697 play “The Mourning Bride,” in which he had Almeria say, “Music has charms to soothe a savage beast.” What mother has not quieted her uncomfortable child with a soft lullaby? Visit healthcare facilities where patients have to undergo long treatment processes. Their doctor will usually have them bring in the music that will comfort them during their anxiety.
In fact, it has been proven that listening to music can actually change the chemical balance within a person”s body. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that has been widely accepted has having a direct impact on mood. Scientific studies have shown that music can impact the serotonin level.
Happy music can make us happier, while sad songs can make us sadder. Music has an impact on many chemicals in our body. Singing with others raises the oxytocin level which heightens trust.
In the past 100 years I believe I would be safe in saying that more love songs have been written than any other type.
If you are a baby boomer like me, just think of the Beatles. If you are a Gen Xer think of Robert Palmer”s “Addicted to Love” or Billy Idol”s “Rock the Cradle of Love.”
Of course, for all of us there are literally thousands of other love songs.
Frank Zappa once said, “I think one of the causes of bad mental health in the United States is that people have been raised on ?love lyrics.””
Even if Zappa was right I still know for certain that the world is a better place because of music.
Every one of us has a soundtrack for our life and it has served us in many ways, such as to make us feel higher when we were low or to make us feel like we belonged when it seemed like we didn”t.
Gary Dickson is the publisher of the Record-Bee. Call him at 263-5636, ext. 24. Email him at gdickson@record-bee.com.
