Music and it's Influence

The impact of music is everywhere in this culture. The age of just settling for what the radio played is long gone. The time of waiting for an artist’s new ‘compact disc’ might be remembered, but is quickly fading. The rise of MP3 music files, and many more file types, has made music accessible with great ease. And of course the inventions of the iPods and iPhones have revolutionized the whole process (rest in peace Steve Jobs). The industry has become wildly more popular and shows no signs of slowing down.

Because this is such a huge industry, it has a giant influence on people. Artists are full blown stars, popular songs top the radio charts, and some gain a cult like following. We are influenced by the singers, by the beats and especially by the words.

For example, have you ever had a bad day and put on a song that helps you get through that bad day? I use to like new alternative rock music. It seemed to fit my style and I always liked the beats. What I came to find out was that I liked the words and the singers also. Ever find it interesting how easy it is to memorize the words to a song. Now just imagine reading those same words, do you think they would have the same influence? Interesting….  The more I listened to this type of music, the more I realized the power it had over me. I had to hear certain songs after a long day, I had to hear certain songs when I was feeling down and I had to hear them as quickly as possible. The sooner I could listen, the quicker I would feel better. Strange?

Don’t get me wrong, I love music and listen to it everyday. But I have changed who I listen to and why I listen to it. For the most part I play music that has no words, otherwise known as Electronic or classical. I have found this music to still have a great beat, but I don’t have to worry about the words or the message trying to be expressed. I can have my own agenda in my head and work out my own thoughts. I still listen to music with words on occasion, but it is certainly not my first option.

Control your music, don’t let it control you!

Have you found this to be true? What are your thoughts on the influence of music?