How does music affect how you interpret events in your life?

It’s an effective way to portray emotions when they are sometimes not easy to portray. I play music based on my mood all the time. I’d rather play songs that fit my mood instead of ones that alter it. My emotions overcome the sounds sometimes, though. It doesn’t always have an effect on me because of this. What really interests me is why people perceive melodic sounds as such.

Great question! Being a movie lover and video editor, I’m always greatly sensitive to soundtrack music. However, in my daily life, the only time I’m really aware of music having a strong impact on me (other than calming me when I’m stressed) is when I’m power walking. Lively music energizes me and speeds up time when I’m on the track.

@dxs: “I play music based on my mood all the time.”

Do you think it reinforces that mood, shortens it, or has any effect? I think back to when I was younger and would listen to music all the time. I did choose music that fit my mood, but I’m wondering what the effect is of being able to find a music that confirmed my mood. For example, I spent senior year in high school destroying my ears with Ministry’s “Land of Rape and Honey”, and a collection of other music that seemed to confirm what I was feeling. It felt less odd and lonely to be feel as though someone had created music that seemed to express (musically)precisely what I was feeling. But what is the effect of this musical confirmation?

I wonder if there have been studies done on the effects of certain musical landscapes on people’s moods and behavior towards each other. There are color studies. Music would be interesting.

@dxs: “What really interests me is why people perceive melodic sounds as such.”

I’m curious in this as well. Let me know if you find anything interesting.

@hominid I’m kind of confused about your original question since the details seemed to answer the question and then present a new one, so I just added my input on how I comprehend music. If I’m in the mood, it enhances it, but if I’m not feeling it, it’ll make it worse. I’m generally not a very mushy-gushy kind of person, so when a heart-to-heart comes on in the movies, I don’t want to hear the synthesizers play added ninths and suspended chords. That’s just me; others may soak it all in.
There are songs from my childhood that when I hear them, it’s a mini-high. They just sound good, especially if I’m in a certain mood, but I doubt I’d feel the same way if I didn’t hear them when I was young.
I once watched this video that graduates made where they explained elements of music. When they talked about consonance and dissonance, they didn’t mention that consonance is “happy” and dissonance is “sad” because that’s not universally accepted, which I never knew. It’s interesting how differently people interpret melodic sounds.

@hominid: “I’m kind of confused about your original question since the details seemed to answer the question and then present a new one”

You’re not the only one who is confused (so is this guy => @hominid). I’d like to keep it open to interpretation. I mostly have questions. Some answers, maybe, but those are likely just hunches.

Let’s try this: you’re watching a movie. Something is happening. But if you have the volume down and you read the subtitles, you may feel very little if the movie is relying heavily (as it often does) on the music to create an emotional response. Your experience of that moment in the movie is significantly-influenced by the music. I suspect that many so-called “tearjerkers” wouldn’t require the box of tissue for it not for a film score that is tugging at our deep emotions.

Now, if I am someone who is driving around and I’m listening to aggressive* music (* this can be whatever the person feels makes them feel aggressive), will this affect their driving? Will this affect their mood and interactions once they stop listening. Now, of course – they are likely listening to this music because they chose to listen to music that fit their current mood. But there lies one of my big questions in this mess of questions: what is the effect of choosing the music we choose?

If I’m angry and I choose music that I can relate to in that moment, am I creating an anger-loop that may keep me trapped for longer than a non-musical moment would be? If I were cut off while driving, how would that event feel while resting with my anger silently vs. experiencing it with the music?

I’m just asking questions because I don’t know. I know that for me, music is powerful. And listening to it vs. creating it is a completely different experience. I haven’t even really explored the creative side – just the consumption.

There is much I would love to learn about music – not necessarily musical theory, but rather what you describe about consonance, dissonance, and what is universal, etc. It seems so cumulative and cultural. Every note and rhythm seems to be a reference to other music that was generated within a particular culture.

@dxs: “I’m generally not a very mushy-gushy kind of person, so when a heart-to-heart comes on in the movies, I don’t want to hear the synthesizers play added ninths and suspended chords. That’s just me; others may soak it all in.”

It feels very manipulative in many cases. I’m not opposed to music in movies, but when it screams, “ok, cry now!”, I tend to check out.

@hominid Music definitely adds effect to movies; it definitely adds to the aura. But as for “buying into it”, well maybe that depends on the context of the A/V.
Music can speak: it can tell a story. Think of Looney Tunes and other cartoons of that era. So much of the plot was told by music (which includes sound effects). I think the composers compose the music to fit a sound you might hear if the characters were in real life. For example, when someone is being chased, what sounds would you hear-thumping heartbeats, fast footsteps, etc.-and how can I put that sound into musical form? This makes the music relatable and therefore impacts the audience. In other instances, such as the Full House “dramatic moment” that occurs at the end of each episode, the music doesn’t do anything but try to tug at the heartstrings, so it’s irrelevant and, as you said, manipulative. (And I think the manipulativeness of it is the reason why I hate it so much. I’m not 100% sure, but that seems like a valid reason.)

It’s hard for me to speak on music moods while driving, so I’ll leave that answer to the scientists. but I’ll say that my thought process and aspects of my creativity are different in each different mood I’m in. Music helps me bring out that mood, again, like a high. The only way I can improv or create pieces on the piano is if I’m in the mood. I can’t just sit down and say “OK dxs! Time to create!” I start by playing chords that are associated with my mood—smooth minor: sad, solemn; loud minor/aug/dim chords: aggravated, frustrated; major: happy, simple, innocent; M7: melancholy, and so on. Then, my moods dictate the transition between notes or chords, and that’s how I make a piece.

It doesn’t.