Thread: How Music Affects You

Yeah music definetly relieves stress. Especially when you can play it your self. You can take it out on your guitar.

Personally I feel that it has affected me quite little - then again, I'd probably be the poorest judge to asses that. Minute changes in something you experience quite frequently are quite often unnoticed, and that might be whats happening.

Still, to be honest, I don't think it plays too much of a part. I mean, my brother listens to alot of classical (modern and old), as he is a composer, but doesn't seem arrogant or as if he is above anyone.

And me, I listen to alot of classified 'emo' or 'screamo' music, but not once have I felt the urge to cause any degree self-harm. Hell, I barely get depressed. And metal, my favourite genre, as broad as it is, doesn't make me want to go get wasted, thrash anything or worship the devil. And one of my mates is indian, and listens to black rap, but has do be one of the peaceful, modest and nicest blokes I know.

Still, these theories are given my belief through examples or cases, which might not always be the case. It probably affects different people for different reasons. I often enjoy music for its lyrical value, while someone may listen to it for the tone or mood it places upon them. That being sad, some calm relaxing music DOES help me to relax, so I can't be sure.

All in all, I vote a not-completely-confident No.

Music effects me so much, sometimes I actually try to avoid to listening to music.

I started to notice how much music effects me after I graduated with my BFA. At the time I thought I would make video games. I had trouble working on my artsy game project UNLESS I was listening to music. The music was so inseparable from my art it became a part of my art. At first I was designing instruments for the video game characters to play. But then slowly the game storyline started to change, there was an ancient deity involved, and her name was Music. At the same time I was listening to a lot of David Bowie. I fell in love with his voice and his voice alone gave birth to a video game character. . . . who in my head. . . . has the same voice.

Well the video game started to get too weird and surreal, and I thought, the video game industry isn't for me. Instead, the music inspired storyline is locked away in the back of my mind till the day I can illustrate as I graphic novel. Music constantly reminds me to create this story!

Music effects me so deeply, it doesn't matter at all how upset or depressed I am. Even the simplest beats and tunes can lift my spirits and make the bad emotions feel like a bad dream.

But I have to becareful. Some songs are explosive. These explosive songs are like drugs. They give me an awesome rush. But without fail, that same night I'll have depressing dreams and wake up feeling miserable for hours. My energy will be so low for hours. I'll have a headache, I'm dizzy, my throat starts to hurt. I'll worry or be anxious over things I'm usually not. I started to realize all these bad days had something in common - certain kinds of music I listened to the day before.

Other times music makes my head explode, in a more positive way. It's like I can see my entire future laid out before me. I can see other worlds and places, all my future stories and works of art waiting for me to make them.

In the first graphic novel I was talking about, my character is madly in love with Music. Music is his/my muse.

I used to be addicted to music, and that is easy when you are a musician. I love music and I learn from music from all over the world. I would always have to be listening to music, even when I was sleeping! When I had a friend over I would make them listen to music. I got out of control!

I quit cold turkey. I wouldn't listen to music unless I was making it or a friend or a friend's band was making it.

I am cured now. I can deal with silence.

But yeah, music affects you. You need to develop an ear to appreciate good music. It affects your mind subtly. that is why the same kind of people like the same kind of music. It goes hand in hand. Birds of a feather...

Juroara, I LOVE David Bowie. He is one of my all time favorites, and a cool down to Earth guy to boot... pretty surprising for such an alien with an alien voice and alien eyes. Shapeshifter!

I also love Led Zeppelin, it is great for a cathartic release of frustration and replacing it with good sexy joy. The great thing about Led Zeppelin is they mastered expressing what it feels like for a man to be horny.

I like to listen to North Indian Classical music before I meditate. And after I meditate. Listening to it is meditation as well. It is so good to segue from Indian music into silence and then to come out of silence into North Indian Classical Music. My favorite is Ustad Sultan Khan with Zakir Hussain. I also love Hariprasad Chaurasia, very meditative. Hmmm Ali Akbar Khan. Believe it or not I am not such a fan of Ravi Shankar.

Bossa Nova always makes me feel romantic but sometimes in a cheesy way. Reggae music makes me feel all good but it gets too redundant so I can't listen to it too much. Bob Marley though, he was the man.

I can't listen to rock music like I could. I need more subtlety. Rock music sometimes doesn't leave room for my own feelings. It kind of tries to replace my feelings instead of effect them. I can only really listen to Rock when I am alone.

Some Jazz puts me in a sublime almost stoned mood. But a lot of Jazz annoys the hell out of me.

I love North African Arabic music. It makes me feel exotic like a caravan across the Sahara. Moroccan tribal music and Sufi music!!!! Exotic and uplifting. Egyptian!!!

it does affect me, but for me there are only 2 kinds of effect:
positive, the strongest, with all music I like
negative, with music I don't like

the negative is the simplest, mostly from rap, also from very slow music, ot makes me bored, a little dizzy/fuzzy

the positive is much more complex, the effect is what I want at that time
for example in the morning when I wake up and am still a bit sleepy I put on some music to get awake, but the same music helps me get sleepy if I ca't sleep, helps against boredom, makes my head empty fronm thought when I need it, or makes me think when I want to think deeply
the music that has this positive effect on me is mostly metal(but not deathmetal/blackmetal), also some hardrock and rock, as long as it has enough speed in it
I'm now listening to the newest album of sabaton(powermetal) for example

when I was a kid I didn't listen to music much, only 2 years back or so I really discovered it