Our body is a very sensitive being. When certain music is played it gets bodily reactions. Some music will make you laugh while some might make you cry.
This chapters discusses how music effects the body and why. Music effects in two main ways; physiologically and physically. The first way we respond physiologically, which can be found in numerous ways. Physiological responses include internal bodily process.
This would include heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, skin conductivity, biochemical responses, and body enrapture. The two ways people respond is stimulates and sedative, But there is no set rules saying one type of music will give the same response to someone else. Studies have shown that one song might be relaxing to someone but be arousing to another Just because they have certain connection to the song.
The book gives ten reasons why this happens: there are no standard protocols, music varies from study to study, stimulates and sedative might be to general of terms, researchers use sad ND happy music which might be to general, hard to measure responses, listener variables, hard to have listener explain stimulates parts, responses to easily impacted by outside variables, and each individual has their own response different from the next.
It is hard to show why music effects us physiologically but there is no denying that it has a huge impact on our inner bodily responses. The second part of responses is physical.
Physical responses are external, readily observable, reflexive motor movements. This includes facial gestures, foot tapping, head nodding, or body swaying.
Theses happen out of reaction, so they are natural and can not be trained. With physical responses there is a “universal” reaction to certain notes and rhythm. Unlike physiological responses physical responses are much easier to read. Music effects everyone.
For some, a sad legato song might be relaxing while to another person it might be arousing. We can’t change how react to music, we can only find out how we respond to music and choose what to listen to.
