Final Paper: Chapters 1-3

     HOW MUSIC AFFECTS AN INDIVIDUAL 

A Research Paper Presented to

The English Resource Center

School of Multimedia Arts

Asia Pacific College

Magallanes, Makati

In Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Course

ERESWRT – Research Writing

   Jennifer S. Canillo

April 2014

CHAPTER 1:

INTRODUCTION

A. Background of the Study     

People use music as entertainment because music is everywhere. Everywhere one looks, there is always going to be music. People listen to music everyday, every hour, every minute, or perhaps every second of their lives. A song that became very popular are heard in neighbor's houses, and sung even by children. They can hear music and anyone can make music if its pleasing to the ear or not as long as it is entertaining. A sound can become music when it has a rhythm and melody. It's like when tapping a foot, It surely produced a sound and when rhythm combined in to it then it will become a music. Somehow when an individual listen to a sound they imagine a melody then it will became a music.

Keanxy wrote an article entitled, "The Importance of Music". In that article he explains, "For me is anything that is pleasant to the ears is music. Anything that vibrates create a sound and if that vibration creates great sound then it may be consider as music."(http://keanxy.hubpages.com/hub/An-Essay-About-The-Importance-of-Music)

Also, in the past. One of the passed times of people is listening and playing music. It serves as their entertainment during their bored hours. This helps them to express their boredom through music when one is incapable in doing their tasks.

Anthony Sacks wrote an article entitled, "The Power of Music". In that article Anthony Sorrs explains, "People sing together, dance together, in every culture, and one can imagine them doing so, around the first fires, a hundred thousand years ago." (http://brain.oxfordjournals.org/content/129/10/2528.full)

On the other hand, there are some that thought that music industry leaders are more concerned with making money than making quality music because they thought that the public is ignorant. So they make any kind of music whether its good to the ear or not as long as it is entertaining . Lindsay Lowe wrote an article entitled, "Tony Bennett Slams Modern Music."  In that article, Tony Bennette explains, “The songs that are written today, most of them are terrible, It’s a very bad period, musically, throughout the world for popular music.” (http://parade.condenast.com/273273/linzlowe/tony-bennett-slams-modern-music-todays-songs-are-terrible/)

Music is inevitable to people because music serves an entertainment for them. However, the researcher observes that one can be affected by music. In a good and a negative way, whether it is psychologically, physically, or emotionally.

Having background information on music will help an individual understand how music can affect an individual  by becoming aware on the music that they listen in what can do to them.

The purpose of this paper is to inform and expose the different sides of music that it can affect an individual in the society.

B. Statement of the Problem    

This study aims to answer this question:  

1. How does music affect an individual?


C. Significance of the Study 
   
1. College Students of Music. This research paper would be able to help students in college who are taking up Music because as this paper is about on the approach of Music. It basically focuses on the effect on the individual.
 
2. Musicians. Since this paper aims to explain the effect of music in an individual, musicians would benefit a lot from this research because they will know and understand how their music affects an individual. With the different genres that they have they are able to understand the deeper meaning of music.
 
3. Teachers and Professors of Music. They would benefit from this study because they would be able to make use of the info in this research in preparing lesson plans and other activities.  Future Researchers. This study will help future researchers in finding the deeper meaning of the different genres of music. They'll be able to know the different faces of music.

D. Scope and Delimitation     
This study focuses on the music that affect an individual. Music have been considered a part of the human being that never seizes. This study will no longer focus on the history and origin of music. It will will focus mainly to the meaning and the effect of music in an individual in the society. Due to the approximate number of genres of music. The research found it very important to study this matter in order to know how it affects our lives.

E. Materials and Methods    
The sources of data that will be used in this research are mostly gathered articles from the internet that generally tackles about music. It will be analyzed by pointing out the different sides of music and how it can affect a certain individual. This will be observed in the view of sociological and psychological perspective. in addition, the researcher will discuss different genres of music.

F. Definition of Terms       

 1. Entertainment. He act of entertaining; agreeable occupation for the mind; diversion; amusement: Solving the daily crossword puzzle is an entertainment for many.(http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/entertainment?s=t)

2. Music. An art of sound in time that expresses ideas and emotions in significant forms through the elements of rhythm, melody, harmony, and color.(http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/music)

CHAPTER 2

DISCUSSION

How does music affect an individual?

I. Definition of Music

According to merriam-webster.  Music is define as, (a) Sounds that are sung by voices or played on musical instruments. (b) It is written or printed symbols showing how music should be played or sung. (c) the art or skill of creating or performing music.

For as long as man has walked the earth, music has been a vital part of our culture, lifestyle and collective memory. A more detailed definition of Music is presented in the Resurgence website wherein they define what is music for an individual. Listening to music can reduce chronic pain from a range of painful conditions, including osteoarthritis, disc problems and rheumatoid arthritis, by up to 21% and depression by up to 25%, according to a paper in the latest UK-based Journal of Advanced Nursing.

The website stated that, "Music is pure magic. It is a wonderful gift to humanity. Music moves us, and soothes us. It stimulates. It makes us want to dance or sing. It makes us feel happy or sad, inspired or uplifted. It affects our mood in all kinds of infinite ways. It can be exquisitely subtle or wildly raucous: from a lullaby, to a war cry for revolution." 

Music is very important for people because it serves as an outlet for them to express their feelings in a way that they can't  find the words to help express their feelings. Music helps them to communicate and relate to things when we can not. Ancient cultures used music as a mnemonic device to imprint vital stories and myths onto young minds, passing down tribal histories. Almost anything you need to memorize from a shopping list to a formula like E = mc2, may be set to music, locked quickly into memory for later retrieval and use.

An article entitled, "The Power of Music" by Timothy Crawford.  Music affect us wholly- socially, physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. Timothy Crawford says,"Just be careful what you listen to, the more you listen to it, the more may it influence your actions." (http://brain.oxfordjournals.org/content/129/10/2528.full)

Overall, music does have positive effects on pain management. Music can help reduce both the sensation and distress of both chronic pain and postoperative pain. Music has the power to manipulate people for better or for worse. It has the capacity to control us in every possible way if we let it. By using music as a window into the function of a healthy brain, researchers may gain insights into a slew of neurological and psychiatric problems.

II. How Music affect an Individual 

A. Entertainment

Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and interest of an audience, or gives pleasure and delight. The people found music as entertainment. When boredom strikes, the number one remedy for them is listening to music. It never fails to alter the negative vibes whenever an individual is annoyed by a situation because music helps us gain a better feeling.

According to the article entitled, "About You: How Music Affects Your Moods" from Read Works, soft music with long, gentle notes is what many people play to relax. At an exhibit at the P.S. 1 Contemporary Art Center in New York City, visitors can lie down on the city's largest futon bed. They close their eyes, put on headphones, and listen to music by more than 60 "sound artists."

 Grewal wrote an article entitled, "Music plays an important role in the society" According to it, Music is used in different ways and one of it, is for entertainment. It discussed how music affects an individual emotionally.

 Grewal says, "There is no doubt that music is a good source of entertainment. Music helps to cheer everyone up." (http://brain.oxfordjournals.org/content/129/10/2528.full)

Music is one of the few activities that involves using the whole brain. It is intrinsic to all cultures and can have surprising benefits not only for learning language, improving memory and focusing attention, but also for physical coordination and development.

B. Psychologically 

Speaking of, music helps an individual gain a better feeling. An example of this is like eating a chocolate. The goodness or the sweetness that the chocolate gives is like the feeling when an individual listen to a music. This applies for everyone. Even if a person is young or adult, still music affects them emotionally. because it satisfies the feeling of a person through music.

Virginia Hughes, wrote an article entitled, "Why does Music feel so good?".  According to her, Music moves everyone, in a way that it doesn't seem to happen with animals. Nobody can really understand why listening to music gives rewarding experience. When a person tried to listen to a song for the first time, the strength of certain neural connections can predict how much he or she like the music, and that these fondness are guided by what they've heard and enjoyed in the past.        

Valerie Salimpoor says, “This piece of music came on, and something just happened I just felt this rush of emotion come through me. It was so intense.” (http://phenomena.nationalgeographic.com/2013/04/11/why-does-music-feel-so-good/

By emotional means, it affects the mood and feeling of a person. By listening to sad music, their moods can change in just a snap. It can change from happy to sad. In addition to, an article entitled, "Music, Emotion, Brain" by Geetanjali Vaidya.

She said that,  "One great problem that arises in trying to study music's emotional power is that emotional content of music is very subjective." (http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro04/web2/gvaidya.html)

On the other hand, music opens a whole new world of experience that it further enhances a person's mind and emotionally. It provides an escape from their everyday lives. By music used as entertainment, it fills the part of a someone's need emotionally.

Gilbert Galindo, wrote an article entitled, "The Importance of Music". According to him, Music sets a mood and a vibe as a person hear it in lounges, bars, parties, or other social events. Also, attending a concert is unique as it gives the excitement and entertainment of hearing live musicians while providing the sound as it is meant to be heard.

Gilbert Galindo says, "Music can also stimulate the mind because there are many things in music, in which one can listen and bring attention to." (http://www.gilbertgalindo.com/importanceofmusic.htm)

A piece of music may be undeniably emotionally powerful and at the same time be experienced in very different ways by each person who hears it. The emotion created by a piece of music may be affected by memories associated with the piece, by the environment it is being played in,. by the mood of the person listening and their personality, by the culture they were brought up in. By any number of factors both impossible to control and impossible quantity.

C. Physically

Music competes with this physiological feedback for the brain's conscious attention. Similarly, music often changes people's perception of their own effort throughout a workout: it seems easier to run those 10 miles or complete a few extra biceps curls when Beyoncé or Eminem is right there with them.

From an article entitled, "Physical workout music" by Ferris Jabr.  Stated that, Their is a recent research that clarifies not only what type of music is best for a workout, but also how music encourages and motivates people to keep exercising. Distraction is one explanation. The human body is constantly monitoring itself. After a certain period of exercise—the exact duration varies from person to person—physical fatigue begins to set in. The body recognizes signs of extreme exertion—rising levels of lactate in the muscles, a thrumming heart, increased sweat —and decides it needs a break.

In the article, Karageorghis was quoted, "Given that exercise is often tiresome, boring and arduous, anything that relieves those negative feelings would be welcome." (http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/psychology-workout-music/)

Music also increases endurance by keeping people in strong emotions. Listening to music is often an incredibly pleasurable experience and some certain songs open the mental thinking with which people control their emotions in everyday situations. If one strongly identifies with the singer's emotions or perspective, the song becomes all the more motivational.

D. Culture

In an article entitled, "Bridging Cultural Gaps with Music" by Diaa Bekheet. Stated that, Music can bring people together regardless of nationality, and without translation. Music is very important. It's hard to live without it because it has many advantage that we benefit from. One of the most important thing that music can bring is by bringing people together regardless of nationality, and language. No matter what is their nationality or language, music unites them. It helps them to understand what a person feel in the surroundings without any hesitations. Likewise, we should value music.

Diaa Bekheet says,  “Music is a language everybody understands.”
(http://whatsupvoa.wordpress.com/2011/06/07/bridging-cultural-gaps-with-music/)

Music is an important tool because it build bridges and translates the fears and problems of the people. Through music they are united with their differences because they are separated with their culture, language, and what they believe in. But with music they can overcome all of those differences because music serves as an another language that they can connect with different people and know them well.

CHAPTER 3:

SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

SUMMARY

This paper attempted to determine the affect of music in an individual.

          The research design used in this study is the descriptive research method wherein data from articles found in the internet were used to answer the research question posed. The research findings are the following:

1. Music is like a language that can communicate in every aspect of people's lives. Music expresses, at different moments, serenity or excitement, regret or triumph, fury or delight. It expresses each of these moods, and many others, in a numberless variety of ways and differences. It may even express a state of meaning for which there exists no adequate word in any language.

2. By entertainment means, music highly affect people in a positive and a negative way. By also becoming a modern generation the entertainment field most likely improved and it made people more attracted to music and in that way they're more affected in such a way the music gives.

3. Music is an inevitable piece of art. Many things can affect an individual through music and music has many sides that it tells the good of music.

CONCLUSION

Based on the findings of this study, the following conclusions are drawn:

1. Music has different sides that can affect an individual that mostly people are not aware of.

2. There are many advantages that music affects people in their daily lives.

3. By music, it helps people in expressing their true emotions when one can't find the right words to express it. There is a certain language that music has and can affect an individual strongly.


RECOMMENDATIONS

After drawing the conclusions of the study, the researcher hereby make the following suggestions/recommendations:

1. People should take a deeper look on music on how it can affect a certain individual whether it's positive or negative.

2. People, specifically readers, teachers and students should be more aware and observant on what can music influence an individual.

3.Scholars and future researchers should design a research that will develop the study throughout the process of the research to give a different take, perspective and approach in incorporating music and how it will affect or the relevance of it to the society. Use this study as a basis for a more concrete study in the future regarding or related to the same topic as this study.

References:

A.Electronic Media

Annie Lennox (2007) What is music. Retrieved Febuary 2013
(https://www.resurgence.org/magazine/article2540-what-is-music.html)

O Sacks (2006)  The Power of Music.  Retrieved March 2013
(http://brain.oxfordjournals.org/content/129/10/2528.full)

Geetanjali Vaidya (2001) Why Are We Still Surprised When “Entertainment” Does More Than Entertain Us?.  Retrieved Febuary 2013
(http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro04/web2/gvaidya.html)

Ferris Jabr (March 2013 ) Let's Get Physical: The Psychology of Effective Workout Music. Retrieved Jan 2013
(http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/psychology-workout-music/)

Diaa Bekheet (June 2011 ) Bridging Cultural Gaps with Music.  Retrieved Jan 2013
(http://whatsupvoa.wordpress.com/2011/06/07/bridging-cultural-gaps-with-music/)

Jason Morehead (November 2013) Entertainment.  Retrieved March 2013
(http://www.patheos.com/blogs/christandpopculture/2013/11/why-are-we-still-surprised-when-entertainment-does-more-than-entertain-us/)

Lind Sey (2011) The Effect of Music on Our Lives. Retrieved March 2013
(http://www.teenink.com/opinion/movies_music_tv/article/237386/The-Effect-of-Music-on-Our-Lives/)

Keanxy (August 9, 2011) The Importance of Music. Retrieved Febuary 2013
(http://keanxy.hubpages.com/hub/An-Essay-About-The-Importance-of-Music)

Gilbert Galindo (July 2009) The Importance of Music in our Society. Retrieved Febuary 2013
(http://www.gilbertgalindo.com/importanceofmusic.htm)

Grewal (November 19, 2012) Music plays an important role in society. Retrieved Febuary 2013
(http://lang-8.com/505254/journals/1787695)



   

BLOGPOST 7: "A Little Bit"

I love listening to sad songs because with the touching lyrics that I can relate to. It gives me mixed emotions that I felt like happy or sad. I'm feeling happy because it felt like the song is written for me like its just fits what I am feeling. And I am sad because I remember all the heartaches, pain, and sorrow that I felt before. But sad songs makes me feel better. It helps me to release all the sadness that it is in my heart at the same time it makes me happy.

In addition to that I read an article entitled, "Why sad songs makes us happy" from the site popsci.com by Shaunacy Ferro. Stated that, The researchers goal is that to asked the participants to pinpoint the feelings that they experienced as wells as predict what kind of emotions they perceived while listening to a song. In a study of 44 participants, they listened to one of three lesser-known classical pieces to avoid emotional influences from memories connected to hearing the piece before in both a major and minor key. Nevertheless, the participants perceived the sad music (minor key) as tragic, but it didn't make them so miserable as they thought another person would feel. The researchers write: The listeners felt less gloomy, meditative, and miserable as well as more fascinated, dear, in love, merry, animated, and inclined to dance. When they listened to sad music compared with their actual perceptions of the same music. Part of the reason for this could be that we expect to feel sad, and thus pleased when our expectations come to pass, a phenomenon called "sweet anticipation."

 

Shaunacy Ferro said, "Even if the music itself is perceived as negative, and negative emotion is aroused in listeners in part, we have a tendency to experience ambivalent emotions by concurrently feeling pleased by virtue of our cognitive appraisal." I think it starts in ourselves in how we listen to a music. It's our choice if we will be sad or happy because no one directs us to feel something we don't want to feel. It could also have to do with the fact that the sadness that we feel isn't the direct result of a sad situation. Listening to someone sings about his or her sadness is a sad experience, so the sadness we feel isn't threatening to our well-being. We can just sit back and enjoy someone else's heartbreak.

In another article I read entitled, "You listen to that sad song because it makes you happy" from the site psmag.com by Sarah Sloat. Stated that, the participants felt somewhat upset but produced romantic and inspired emotions by the sad song that they have listened to. It's just that it gives us a feeling of relief that's why we kept on listening to a sad song.

Sarah Sloat said, "Emotion experienced by music has no direct danger or harm unlike the emotion experienced in everyday life. If we suffer from unpleasant emotion evoked through daily life, sad music might be helpful to alleviate negative emotion.” It's a good thing that sad song was invented. I wonder if we don't have this kind of genre. What about the those who are going through a tough break-up then sad music was not invented. But also, sad music is for everyone it's not only for brokenhearted people. By having this kind of music, it makes us express and pour out emotions more and more. 

BLOGPOST 10: "BEATbox"

One of my favorite movie is Pitch Perfect because it is a musical movie. I love the character of Utkarsh Ambudkar which is he played as Donald. He is the beatboxer of the rebels. He is so good in doing his role. He sings while he beatboxes. That's very hard if a common person tries that. But it can also be learned you just have to practice.

In addition to that I read an article entitled, "Shlomo and the beatbox concerto" from the site theguardian.com by Pascal Wyse. Stated that, In theory, beatboxing could include any vocal utterance, but it has always loved mimicry. The imitation of turntables and classic drum machines such as the Roland TR-808. The wow factor soon wears off, though, and in using the beatboxers as instrumentalists. It's a unique accompaniment, it's an art. The way they made the music is great. It takes a lot of practice to do it.

Shlomo said, "Beatboxing is a lot less about your voice than people think. It's more to do with your lips and your face and teeth. My voice is way behind the rest of my technical stuff. But Anna's written some melodic ­material that's really stretching me. There's even a duet with the bass trombone." Beatboxers are very creative because they create their own sound in a way of mimicking it to a certain instrument. It's not easy to learn this kind of music. It entails a lot of practice to master it. Just be patient enough to learn this.

In another article I read entitled, "The Science of Beatboxing" from the site insidescience.org by Charles Choi. Stated that, The scientist found a beatboxer, a speaker of American English and Panamanian Spanish, was able to generate a wide range of sound effects that do not appear in either of the languages he spoke. They found out that they are similar in African languages. It informs us the human ability to imitate and create sounds.

Shrikanth Narayanan said, "We were astonished by the complex elegance of the vocal movements and the sounds being created in beatboxing, which in itself is an amazing artistic display, This incredible vocal instrument and its many capabilities continue to amaze us, from the intricate choreography of the 'dance of the tongue' to the complex aerodynamics that work together to create a rich tapestry of sounds that encode not only meaning but also a wide range of emotions." It's very interesting to learn this kind of stuff. The way you dance your tongue and create a sound. How amazing to hear different kinds of sound produced by humans. You just have to be patient enough in learning this.

BLOGPOST 9: "Let's get PHYSICAL"

I and my sister used to jog a lot when we are still kids because we love to go outside our house. When we jog, music is inevitable. We will not go out unless we have our phones or ipod for music can accompany us. It's so good to hear upbeat sounds because it motivates you to go further. Besides, it distracts you from tiredness. We usually listen to Britney Spears, Beyonce or Justine Bieber. Their songs are the best when motivating you to keep going.

In addition to that I read an article entitled, "The Psychology of Effective Workout Music" from the site scientificamerican.com by Ferris Jabr. Stated that, 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 exercise, the exact duration varies from person to person, physical fatigue begins to set in. The body recognizes signs of extreme exertion, rising levels of lactate in the muscles, a thrumming heart, increased sweat production, and decides it needs a break. Music competes with this physiological feedback for the brain's conscious attention. Similarly, music often changes people's perception of their own effort throughout a workout: it seems easier to run those 10 miles or complete a few extra biceps curls when Beyonce or Eminem is right there with you. 

Karageorghis said, "Given that exercise is often tiresome, boring and arduous, anything that relieves those negative feelings would be welcome." When up against high-intensity exercise, music loses its power to override the physical feeling of tiredness, but it can still change the way people respond to that fatigue. The right music heightens up mood and persuades us to ride out waves of exhaustion, rather than giving up. We should be cautious too against listening to music while running in heavily trafficked areas, though, distraction from fatigue is great, as long as it does not put you in danger. It increases endurance by keeping us motivated in strong emotions. Listening to music is often an incredibly pleasurable experience and certain songs open up our minds with new ideas which people control their emotions in everyday situations. If one strongly identifies with the singer's emotions or perspective, the song becomes all the more motivational. 

In another article I read entitled, "The Psychology Behind Why Music Helps You Work Out" from the site lifehacker.com by Thorin Klosowski. Stated that, music distracts us from the fatigue. Having the right BPM music it can improve our workout. It's much better to listen in fast musics than to slow. In order to be motivated. Some listen to audiobooks because they find in more motivating than to music.

Thorin Klosowski said, "The benefits of music are largest for self-paced exercise, in other words those sports where some of the work involved is in deciding when to act, as well as how to act. This means all paced exercises, like rowing or running, rather than in-paced exercises like judo or football. My speculation is that music helps us perform by taking over a vital piece of the task of moving, the rhythm travels in through our ears and down our auditory pathways to the supplementary motor area. There it joins forces with brain activity that is signalling when to move, helping us to keep pace by providing an external timing signal. Or to use a sporting metaphor, it not only helps us out of the starting blocks but it helps to keep us going until we reach the line."  Music plays an important role in our lives. It does not only affect us emotionally but it affects us physically. It helps us to be healthy because it motivates and pushes us to our limits when doing our workouts. It acts like he is our coach or trainer. We should just choose right songs that will bring motivation and not depression.

BLOGPOST 8: "HEADphones ADDICT"

One time, I am telling a story to my friend. We are sitting in a side view so I can't see her. I am telling her what I am going through, I am very emotional and wholeheartedly telling her. But I wondered why she's not responding or not having any reactions at all. When I look to see her she's like wearing headphones and doing some head banging stuffs. And I was like what the heck. I asked her if she listened to my story telling she said yes. How can she listen if she's wearing headphones? Whatever, we just laughed to avoid awkwardness.

In addition to that I read an article entitled, "Do Headphones Really Help?" from the site online.wsj.com by Sue Shellenbarger. Stated that, Taiwanese studies, listening to music with lyrics was linked to lower scores on tests of concentration. In separate research, listening to hip-hop music was linked to a significant reduction in reading-test scores. Another research, workers who either loved or hated music being played where they were working scored lowest on tests of attention, compared with workers who didn't have strong feelings about the music or who worked in rooms without music. People naturally pay more attention to music they strongly like or dislike, hurting their ability to focus.

Dr. Robert Desimone said, "Attention takes mental effort, and we can get mentally tired." Our brain works harder to force itself not to process anything in order for us to focus. So if we are listening to a song while working. Our brain works so hard just to put our head into it. The longer you try to concentrate to avoid distractions the worse your performance can be because your brain multitask. And it is harder for it to concentrate because of the distractions. 

In another article I read entitled, "Headphones Day" from the site lifehacker.com by Alexander Kalamaroff. Stated that, Constant engagement with music diminishes our experiences. Wearing headphones all the time means you're in no longer involved with this happy world, where anything can happen. Instead you're just in a controlled environment of playlists and albums. There's no chance of estrangement, excitement, or surprise. By listening to music all the time, we are shutting ourselves from our thoughts and from the world, reducing the possibility of a sound or idea intruding into our experience. Headphones become our earmuffs. Our ability to notice is reduced. We are no longer have to participate or think. It's rather dulling in the long run. Plus, it means that the novels that our lives become much more boring. And it's a bad show.

Barbara Browing said, "And then I was going to have some interesting thoughts but instead I put on my headphones so I could listen to my favorite songs and ignore the bothersome, beautiful discord of my brain and not have to deal with these wackjobs around me." Our actual brain storming is no longer happening. Music has a profound impact on our thoughts and by always listening to it we don't give these thoughts free reign. There's less chance for flights of fancy or for brain light bulbs to turn on. The music keeps our minds occupied always. Wearing headphones isolates us from the world. It's as if the people around you don't exist. We are isolating ourselves from the reality that we can experience.

.

BLOGPOST 6: "Look at ME now"

Have you tried listening to Rap or hip-hop music? What's your impression about it? As for me, some Rap and hip-hop music are cool because of the upbeat sound that they make. But as I observed, the lyrics of the music are not good. They contain words that it is not suitable for the ear especially for kids. But many teens love this genre of music even though of its not so good contents. I wonder what is the effect of this kind of music to youth.

In addition to that I read an article entitled, "The impact of Rap and hip-hop music on youth" from the site teenink.com by Abkoobthoj. Stated that, some lyrics can affect the minds of the youth by telling them that they must use violence in order to win or survive. Just look if all youth are exposed to this kind of explicit language. Moreover, this rise of Rap and hip-hop music, youth use them to help their selves in solving their problems. But these kind of music can be destructive to teens because of the content that the music contains. Also they can be good but they have an extremely impact on attitudes and behaviors of youth. It also tells that youth who listened to them were most likely to get involved with drugs because some songs refer to drugs. So this sparks the curiosity of the youth. Youth are target towards the marketers of Rap and hip-hop because they are always influenced by the media and still trying to find their selves. The marketers finds it easy to market towards them because they are not sure who they are which is easier to influence them,

Abkoobthoj said, "We teenagers are growing up in a society where media has a great impact on our lives. I wrote this article to hopefully open the eyes of youth and to make them realize the messages that we are getting through media, specifically the music we listen to everyday." In our daily lives we are surrounded by media. Anywhere we look, still media is there. We can't control what they show on T.V or internet but we can control what influences they gave. It's okay to listen to that genre  but we should be careful because sometimes we are not careful enough to analyze what is entering in our brains. We should be more aware and careful on what can do to us.

In another article I read entitled, "Hip-hop influences teenagers" from the site mycenaean.org by Nia Doks. Stated that, A Rap and hip-hop music are used as the voice of the people and it is also a way of carrying message across the globe. It used to be a cry against oppression, racism, poverty, corruption, and discrimination. But today, these genres of music seem to talk about sex, money, drugs, and suicide. Though Rap and hip-hop music appeals to many different races, it seems that black population affect the most, especially teenagers. They are under in a certain stereotype. Like for male: saggy pants, attitude, loud music all the time, and vulgar language. For female: ghetto, war freak, and walking around with barely any clothes on. These stereotypes are mostly seen in music videos on T.V.

Timothy Crawford said, “Just be careful what you listen to, The more you listen to it, the more it may influence your actions.” Rap and hip-hop music is a one of a kind genre because of its style in music. The way that the rappers rap is just amazing because not all people can do that. I tried tongue twisters and it's very hard what more when you rap, because it involves fast pronunciation of words with clearness. It's much harder. But the kind of music has a good and bad influence. First, the good influence that they bring is that it serves as an outlet for people and it serves as the voice of the people. Second, the bad influence is that it makes people to stereotype others. The thought of their song is not good because what they say in their lyrics is very vulgar. So teenagers affect the most what they see and hear influences them. Besides, the kind of music that you listen to reflects your personality.

BLOGPOST 5: "Standing in the Gap"

Music is very important. It's hard to live without it because it has many advantage that we benefit. One of the most important thing that music can bring is by bringing people together regardless of nationality, and language. No matter what is your nationality or language, music unites us. It helps us understand what we feel in our surroundings without any hesitations. Likewise, we should value music.

In addition to that I read an article entitled, "Bridging Cultural Gaps with Music" from the site watsupvoa.wordpress.com by Mrs.Falguni Shah. Stated that, There are two music female singers, Falguni Shah and Emel Aykanat. They uses music to show a fuller picture. They do not know each other because one lives in United States and the other is in Switzerland. They used Oriental instruments and music to speak out against racism of the society and try to overcome prejudices. Music is an important tool because it build bridges and translates the fears and problems of the people.

Mrs.Falguni Shah said, “If there is anything that brings together people and not divide them, it is music.” Music establishes a relationship with different people.It brings people closer to one another. Through music we are united with our differences because we are separated with our culture, language, and what we believe in. But with music we can overcome all of those differences. Because music serves as an another language that we can connect with different people and know them well.

In another article I read entitled, "Uses music to bridge Cultural gaps" from the site siouxcityjournal.com by Richard Steinbach. Stated that there is this man who shares his music through playing and by teaching kids in doing outreach. He has a project called "The Fusion Project". This aims is to share his music all over the world. He will be performing in different countries to show his love for music that can do anything. Further as, inspiring the next generation of musical performers.

Richard Steinbach said, "I’m always amazed at how powerful a force (music is) in bringing people together." With our cultural differences there is this one thing that connects us and that is music. We are very lucky to have music in our lives because it is an opportunity for us to be able to reach out to our fellowmen. In able to understand and know them very well.

BLOGPOST 4: "Punks gone Good"

I asked, my friend what punk means to him. He said that "Sila ung mga naka-converse, my black ung mata at mga rebelde." The punk portrays a bad image to the society and media. But they don't know what does really a punk is. Just by seeing them dressed up like that, it doesn't mean they're bad people. We just don't understand how they dress and express their selves. I believe that they're good people.

In addition to that, I read an article entitled "Punk Pop Riot" from the site theguardian.com by Joe Strummer. Stated that, on the cover was a 1976 photo of the Clash, punk band, to mark 35th anniversary of punk's explosion in London. It's about the Clash's revolutionary tub-thumping of 1976 and the events that went were not fine. The interview tells about the boredom that they live on with their parents, job, and society. Also the band describe the facts of being young, like being broke and bored in London but it did not have any changes much since their days. They also tried to show a change in society by speaking what is outspoken because nowadays the people are mute to the things that are not right. We just let go of them and not taking a stand. They try to show that they can be a good influence to people. We shouldn't judge them just because their music is like this and their appearance is like that. That doesn't mean they are no longer part of this world. 

Joe Strummer said, "I think people ought to know that we're anti-fascist, we're anti-violence, we're anti-racist and we're procreative. We're against ignorance, I don't have to get drunk every night and go around kicking people and smashing up phone boxes, We're dealing with subjects we really believe to matter. We're hoping to educate any kid who comes to listen to us." See they're good people, maybe it just depends on some punks that made the Punk appearance look bad. We just don't understand how they think and how they express their selves because we are not punks. We should look deeper in a wider picture and not just what we see outside because it is wrong to judge people. They just want to change their image to be different in all the rest because they are fighting for what they believe in. The only thing that we can do is just to understand in how they express their selves in the society and media.

In another article I read entitled, "Punk Rock alive and kicking" from the site theguardian.com by Fathun Karib. Stated that, In different countries - Indonesia, Burma, and Iraq. There are also different opinions for punks because of what they know about them. But in the past, being a punk can be a harm because you can be attacked in the street, a ban in your records, and the difficulty in finding a place to play. But now, if you pushed your love for punk you can experience oppression in a brutal way - torture, imprisonment and death. And then there are different kinds of punk: a poser punk and a community punk. The poser punk,mainly street kids, they adopt the fashion and especially they are the ones who commit petty crimes. While the community punk,they're the ones who are opposite of poser punk. They have good moral in living their lives. But the government and society thinks if you have a Mohawk and boots,you are a punk and all punks are the same. 

Fathun Karib said, "It's simply an expression of freedom. It has those do-it-yourself values. And it's always opposed to the dominant culture. That's why people like it." By the differences of people it's hard to understand one another. But if you just look closer and see what's inside them you'll be able to understand what they're going through. Because they're just ordinary humans who tries to express their selves in an unique way. They tend to look an outlet for them to release what's inside them so that they will see what they can change for them to find their selves.

BLOGPOST 3: "We found Art in a Heavy Metal Music"

I remembered when I am still a kid my cousin used to watched MTV Channel. He watches music videos with bands that sings from the top of their lungs. Strange voices that creeps into your mind and making you deaf. Thus, this made me wonder. It made me think that, is this music? or do you call this music? Because with the way they sing and they way they play the instruments is weird. Also, with their appearance is scary. It's like they will sing in a Halloween Party or they will have their Trick or Treat.

But I was dumbfounded, I found out that it's a kind of Metal Music. It is a Heavy Metal Music. The term "Heavy Metal" used in a musical in the '60s song "Born To Be Wild" by Steppenwolf when they referred to "heavy metal thunder." But they're debates with the experts that the most consider groups like Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple to be the first heavy metal bands. This style developed and branched out into many different subgenres. In addition to that, I read an article entitled "Heavy Metal as a Art and Culture" from the site anus.com. Alex Birtch, stated that we prefer symbols because it makes us feel certain for everything that it will turn out just fine.

Heavy Metal contradicts to our dominant symbols, but it doesn't create negative ones. It gives a different view of the world where all of our fears become hopes, and all of our false hopes become fears. It is a popular music movement that awakens our desire for power, stepping aside all of our fears, and seizing life by our throats, screaming all the way to the end, so that we can experience it safely and ambiguously.

In another article I read entitled "The Categorization of Death Metal" from the site metalstorm.net. Stated that Death Metal's characteristics are heavy growling, screeching distorted guitar, intense bass and head banging drumming. With these kind of sounds they make. They are attracting many people to listen to their music. By being different in their lyrics. The chances of the attention that they may get are high in the creativity department.

BreadGod explains structure of Death Metal is very intense unlike any other genres. It is full of emotions that you can really feel it. The singer puts his/her heart in singing through heavy growls. It is very unique because this is only the genre that the singer growls in high or low pitch and sings until his/her vocal chords came out.

Brian Woody said "Just listening to it made me feel better" and "It made it easier to cope. It gave me a release for all that anger." from the article "Death Metal comes alive" from the site articles.sun-sentinel.com. For him, it helps him to express his emotions and feelings in situations that he doesn't know what to do.

By hearing it on his brother's cassette, made him feel better. He knew right at that moment that he wants Death Metal because of what he's experiencing. He needed an outlet to release all the emotions that he's keeping inside that's why it made him feel better. 

This genre of music is an art because it tries to spice up and makes a song interesting. It's in your perspective in how you will understand Death Metal because we don't have the same minds and thinking. Some say that this kind of genre is not good but I believe that this genre of music helps some people to express they're emotions because some are finding it hard in expressing what they truly feel. This just serves an outlet for everyone. We should appreciate them for creating an art that is unique and enables people to express and release what's keeping them inside.

BLOGPOST 2: "Backmasking"

Have you ever wondered to play a song backwards? It's kinda weird right? But have you thought that when a song played backwards you will hear something? Like a lyrics or a message? I have experienced this kind of stuff like listening to music that is played backwards. It's kinda creepy because of the lyrics that I am hearing. It's different from the original lyrics when you played it back.

Back Masking is a technique of playing a song backwards that is meant to be played forward. In the process, there is a possibility that you will encounter or hear messages in the reversal that maybe unintentional or intentional. In addition to that, I read an article entitled "Article about backmasking" from the site paranormalknowledge.com. John, the author of the article, Stated that it is a controversial topic because it is a type of a subliminal message. Subliminal messages enters in our mind consciously but it affects some parts of the subconscious mind.

Ever since, the artists used Back Masking for some artistic and comedic purposes for both analog and digital recordings. It is used to review words for clean versions of the songs. They making sure that it is safe to listen to or it is free from bad subliminal messages. They use this so that they can check up on artist if they are writing good lyrics or not.

It began with Thomas Alva Edison. After inventing the phonograph in 1877, Thomas noticed that music in reverse sounded "novel and sweet but altogether different." In the early 1950's, experimental musicians began including the difference into their compositions. They ran reel-to-reel tape recorders backwards and boom - the unsettling sound sucking up a melody and lyric. In 1966, it was popularized by the Beatles who used backward vocals on the album Revolver.

In another article I read entitled, "History of Back Masking" from the site mentalfloss.com. A book entitled "Backward Masking Unmasked" written in 1983 by Jacob Aranza . His book is an unintentionally hilarious attempt to expose the backward messages of rock music. He found a backward messages from a southern California group that he thought of them was they were a bad person because of the backward messaged that he had found.

He blast subliminal messages that encourage everything from homosexuality to marijuana use, he mentions the usual suspects – Zeppelin, Stones, Sabbath – as well as Hall & Oates. He thought of them was that they exploit to people bad influences. He believed that they intentionally wrote songs for people to do crazy stuff.

So think, can a songwriter write a song that scan forwards and backwards? And does the brain understands the subliminal messages? Big no to the first because David John says that our subconscious mind can understand the reversal, there is no proof that it can, or that person's behavior can be influenced in any way, if it could. It's up to the person in how he/she will react to this.

Jeff Milmer, the author of the article "backmasking" from the site seattletimes.com said that, "People have a natural curiosity for hidden messages and the unknown," and "People like being in on the secret." Maybe some artists intentionally they wrote songs that has subliminal messages and some are not. But we are really not sure if they use it against people because they are merely humans and maybe they don't know what's going on with their song.

It's up to us in understanding if the artists use it against us. We have a choice in every situation. One thing for sure is that you can play a song backwards but it's your responsibility on how you will react to what will you going to hear. Many videos are being shown but we are humans, our brains are wired and it will look for something according to some rules. So we will not be surprised when everybody  agrees on when something weird is they are hearing about. Even though it was not intended to be there.

We should be responsible and careful enough on songs that we will be listening to. Again, their are no proofs that it can really affect our minds. It's up to the person on how he will take it and understand it. We should be responsible and mature enough to understand this kind of situations. My point here is that it's okay to listen to songs even though it is rock, pop, or R&B because we don't have any right to judge the artists. They are just humans who sings and write songs and maybe they are not aware on what's happening with their songs.