Category: Music

The Power of Music in Daily Life

As soon as I get up, I put Pandora or Spotify on as I am getting ready for the day. It helps me start my day on the right foot; it wakes me up, and my brain feels refreshed. As soon as I turn my car on, I either listen to the radio or plug in my phone and listen to it as I am either going to work, school or other miscellaneous activities. Then, when I come home and start on homework, I am then listening to instrumental and relaxing Music to help me focus. I personally cannot remember the last day that I went without listening to Music. Music is a big part of my life. I have been in band and choir, so my life was built around all sorts of Music.

However, even though Music may be a big part of our lives, we may not realize how much Music can impact us and how it can help others. Music helps all sorts of people in very different ways. Music is able to help the military and veterans overcome different scenarios that they have witnessed in their time of serving. It can help calm children as they are getting ready for rest time. It helps calm their bodies. Also, it helps people who have Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI); they also receive several benefits from music therapy. Also, it can help college students as they are cramming for a final.

Music Therapy: Healing for Military Veterans

So, what is music therapy? The American Music Therapy Association defines music therapy as the clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship by a credentialed professional. This definition may sound unclear, but to put it into better terms, music therapy is just using Music to help people mentally and emotionally make it through complications in their lives. As mentioned before, music therapy can help the military and veterans through tough times. We all know that the military goes through some hard and difficult times when they are serving. It is even harder for them to recuperate whenever they come back from war.

When they come back, not only listening to Music but also playing Music can help them get through the hard memories, and they are able to recover from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, also known as PTSD. Staff Sergeant Paul Delacerda came back from Iraq with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and a Traumatic Brain Injury, which caused him to have anxiety, loss of sleep, and muscle pain. Before Delacerda went to war, he knew how to play the drums, but when he came back, he had forgotten how. As he was relearning how to play the drums, he did not only enjoy it, but it was therapeutic for him. Delacerda said, “Music was what drove me to where I’m at today. Actually, it’s the reason I’m still around.”

Music and relearning how to play again helped him get through his PTSD and TBI. According to the American Association of Music Therapy, Music helps to improve motor, language, and social skills; it creates better balance, helps with managing stress and pain, and provides breathing support. The impact of music therapy on the military and veterans has become more familiar over the past couple of years. Paul Delacerda started a music therapy charity for wounded veterans in Houston so he could show other veterans how Music can help them just like it helped him. Veterans can come to Houston, and they can do almost anything, anywhere from playing Music to managing a band.

Music Therapy’s Impact on Traumatic Brain Injuries

Music does not only help our military and veterans, but it also helps those with a Traumatic Brain Injury. People with Traumatic Brain Injury suffer from disabilities in the physical, mental, and social parts of their everyday lives. Even though music therapists and researchers still have a long way to go, music therapy is still able to help them significantly, and it is still able to make a difference in their lives. According to Dr. Shantala Hegde of the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, “Music therapy helps with all three areas that people with traumatic brain injuries have trouble with.

Music therapy helps to rehabilitate sensorimotor functioning, which involves mobility, strength, and coordination. It also helps develop speech and language functioning. Cognitive functioning, which involves attention span, memory, and psychological skills, is also improved by music therapy.” After considering this, I wondered how Music helps with the development of their sensorimotor, speech, and cognitive functioning. Music helps these three functions through the different pitches and rhythms in Music; these involve attentional networks and executive functions when put together. Music is proven to involve all cognitive processes. In Magnetic Resonance Imaging or MRI, it is shown when listening to Music, the whole brain lights up.

The Soothing Effects of Music for Students and Stress Relief

After viewing how Music helps veterans and people who are suffering from traumatic brain injury, college students also benefit from Music. Even listening to Music for a short period of time helps reduce stress in students. There are positive effects on students who listen to Music for a short period, as little as six minutes. In this short time frame of listening to Music, serum hormone levels are lowered, and stress can be reduced, according to studies done by Rico Mockel, a scientist at the Institute of Neuroinformatics. For both college students and high school students who are stressed every day, listening to Music is a seamless way to relieve stress.

It is also one less stress because it is free and accessible to almost all of us. When I listen to instrumentals, it helps me feel more relaxed and less stressed. Music does not only help college and high school students but also those under stress. There was a study done by colleagues at the School of Kinesiology on rats that had increased corticosterone levels. This is a chemical that causes stress, and then the rats were exposed to Music. Once the rats heard the Music, their levels of corticosterone went back down to normal. If it helped lower the rat’s corticosterone levels, just think how much it can help a college or high school student or anyone with high stress levels.

Music therapy, or even just listening to Music, can have positive effects on the mind and body. While listening to Music, we now know that it helps veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and people who suffer from Traumatic Brain Injuries and how it helps them improve their everyday functions. We also know now how it can help college and high school students reduce stress levels and just people in general. So, the next time that you are listening to Music, whether that be when you are getting ready, in the car, or having a study session, just remember how much Music can really do.

References:

1. American Music Therapy Association. (n.d.). What is Music Therapy? Retrieved from https://www.musictherapy.org/about/musictherapy/
2. American Association of Music Therapy. (n.d.). Music Therapy and Military Populations: A Status Report and Recommendations on Music Therapy Treatment, Programs, Research, and Practice Policy. Retrieved from https://www.musictherapy.org/assets/1/7/Military_Status_Report_8-11.pdf
3. Borden, C. (2018). Music therapy provides an emotional outlet for veterans. The Post. Retrieved from https://thepostathens.com/article/2018/11/music-therapy-veterans
4. Hegde, S. (2014). Music-based cognitive rehabilitation for patients with traumatic brain injury. Frontiers in Neurology, 5, 34. https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2014.00034

Emotional Resonance and Health Benefits of Music

Music is in everyone’s life. People encounter music in a variety of places on a daily basis. For example, music can be found in elevators, malls, schools, and cars. It is also used in television commercials to gain the audience’s attention and in movies and television shows to appeal to the emotional state of viewers. Both the young and the elderly spend time listening to their favorite music. Whether that be pop music, jazz music, rock music, rap, country music, classical music, or even the blues, all music brings joy and excitement to people.

Music has been in existence for thousands of years and can be found in cultures around the world. It allows people to express themselves in different forms and to communicate feelings without the use of words. Music bonds people together, whether that be with a lullaby between a mother and her child or a concert with friends. Music brings much entertainment, but could it also improve a person overall? Research says that the answer is yes. Music can better a person’s life, health, and even intelligence.

People like to listen to different types of music at different times. For example, while doing homework, one may desire to listen to relaxing classical music. However, while at the gym, one may want to hear music with a faster tempo, like rap. Tone and rhythm are responsible for the changes in our emotions. Music with a slow tempo tends to make a person’s heart slow down with it, and humans relate slow-paced music to sadness.

Music with a fast tempo makes people feel energized and happy. When listening to music, several parts of the brain are activated. These parts of the brain are associated with planning, attention, memory, and movement. Music changes our brain chemistry as well. There is a release of a hormone called serotonin and a neurotransmitter called dopamine in the brain. Also, with upbeat music, the hormone norepinephrine is released, causing feelings of exhilaration. Emotions play a huge role in our quality of life.

Music motivates and encourages people. Powerful music can change a person’s state of mind and overall mood. Songs with inspirational messages can help people change their lives by uplifting them and making them see the world more positively. Music can heal both the body and the soul by allowing the expression of feelings that are hard to say in words. For those struggling to find motivation, focusing on good music or a favorite song can make even the most mundane task more bearable and fight against fatigue and boredom. Music can inspire a person to keep going, to reach his or her goals, and to move on from the negativity in order to think positively.

Music’s Therapeutic Potential and Cognitive Enhancements

Because music makes such a large impact on people’s feelings and emotional well-being, music therapy has become a widely used practice. “Music therapy is a type of expressive arts therapy that uses music to improve and maintain the physical, psychological, and social well-being of individuals.” Music therapy helps patients feel more positive, confident, and hopeful. It allows patients to be able to express how they feel through song. Not only does music therapy improve how a person feels on the inside, it has been shown to improve a person’s fine motor skills. For example, the music therapist may hand a patient a drum, maraca, or tambourine. The therapist will then ask him or her to keep a steady beat and even play a rhythm. An activity such as this improves fine motor skills and emotions while the patient creates beats or rhythms and expresses himself or herself through music.

In addition, music therapy has been shown to improve the symptoms associated with several disorders. For example, children and adults with autism, a brain disorder that negatively affects communication and social skills, have demonstrated improvement in verbal and nonverbal skills and increased developmental processes through music therapy. Strategies used during music therapy have also been found to improve the lives of people with learning disabilities, intellectual disabilities, and cerebral palsy. Music therapy is effective with children and adults with disabilities due to its multisensory experiences. All systems are engaged during music therapy, including the tactile, kinesthetic, auditory, and visual systems. Because of this, music therapy appeals to their sensory strengths and their needs while improving social interactions and those developmental deficits that adults and children with disabilities may experience.

The Cognitive Advantages of Music: From Learning to Intelligence

Memory and music have a strong correlation. For example, patients with dementia experience a decline in memory and thinking skills that are so severe that everyday activities are a struggle. They have trouble remembering things like their family, address, and recent conversations. Music can help greatly with this. Hearing certain songs reminds patients of their childhood and can help them relate certain songs back to a single moment in their lives. By adding music to daily activities, people with dementia can more easily perform daily routines that they normally struggle to remember.

A recent study of over 330 subjects with dementia showed that music therapy produces improvements to social behaviors, decreases behaviors such as wandering and restlessness, reduces agitation, and improves cognitive abilities. Music and memory are also linked to learning during our younger years. Elementary-age students learn needed skills through music. Teachers use the ABC song to teach the alphabet, the state song for memorizing the 50 states, and the multiplication rap for learning multiplication facts. A person may memorize this song once, but he or she will still remember it years later. Research has shown increased verbal intelligence in children who use music to learn. It enhances the child’s ability to comprehend words and define their meaning. It is amazing what music and our minds can do when they are put together.

Patients with chronic pain or those experiencing surgical procedures can experience an ease in pain through music. When a patient with chronic pain listens to music, a chemical in the brain is released called opioids. Opioids can decrease pain and decrease the need for excessive amounts of medication to relieve pain. With music as treatment, people who experience chronic pain have fewer medications, leading to fewer side effects such as addiction and stomach problems.

Listening to music while dealing with chronic pain can also cause a patient’s mind to think about the music instead of the pain that they are enduring. Similar effects have been found in patients before and after surgical procedures. For example, those patients who listened to music rather than taking the pre-op medication, Midazolam, were able to become drowsy and relieved from anxiety without the side effects of coughing and vomiting that Midazolam often produces. After surgery, music can create a relaxing environment to keep patients calm and speed up recovery.

Music’s Role in Pain Management and Weight Loss

For those interested in weight loss or in healthy weight management, music can be a key weight loss factor. As previously stated, listening to upbeat music makes one feel energized due to the release of certain hormones and neurotransmitters. In a recent study, researchers found that runners who listened to fast music or slow motivational music actually ran faster and burned more calories in a shorter amount of time than those who listened to soothing music or no music at all. Research has also shown that listening to soft music while eating leads people to eat fewer calories and to actually savor their meals more. Sleep habits affect weight management as well. A study showed that students who listened to lulling classical music for 45 minutes before going to bed slept better than students who did not. Restful nights contribute to a healthy weight.

Music can also improve anxiety, stress, and depression. Just like chronic pain, music can shift a person’s mind to something more pleasant. Music can be a distraction from the daily strains and difficulties of life. Stress, anxiety, and depression can cause a person’s heart rate and nervous system to change negatively. When a person is stressed, the body and the organs inside the body feel stressed as well. Stress makes the body and its organs have to work harder, leading to more serious issues like strokes and heart attacks.

Music can be soothing and calming in chaotic situations. A prime example of music and stress relief can be found during childbirth. It has been shown that music will cause the mother to feel more relaxed during childbirth, making her less likely to experience postpartum depression after her child is born. For those suffering from anxiety and depression, music can suppress the nervous system, causing the brain to release endorphins, raise dopamine levels, and block pain pathways. All of this leads to a heightened feeling of well-being.

The Universality of Music’s Impact: Enriching Lives

Music can change and improve a person’s brain. Research says that learning to play an instrument can raise a person’s Intellectual Quotient, or IQ. Musically trained children and adults actually outperformed others on verbal memory tests. This same research has shown that the brains of people who are not musically inclined are different than musicians’ brains in both shape and power. The corpus callosum that connects both sides of the brain is actually larger. When playing an instrument, the player has to read and comprehend the music and manipulate the fine motor skills to play it. Researchers have also noted increased reaction time in musicians. Other benefits of learning to play an instrument include enhanced attention, organization, and self-discipline skills. Through research, music has been linked to a person’s improved ability to process multiple senses at once when making decisions and drawing conclusions, which are needed life skills.

Music is as diverse as the people who listen to it. People will hear it in their homes, during their daily commute, on their elevator journey to the office, and in traveling to all places of the world. Any type of music can impact a person in a positive way. With its variety of genres, tones, rhythms, and tempos, any music can affect a person’s emotions. Music is a natural medication or therapy for some patients. Therefore, patients with anxiety, stress, depression, chronic pain, memory loss, dementia, and more can benefit from music therapy. Music strengthens memory skills, leads to superior multisensory skills, and can also increase mental alertness and reaction time. Music is one of the most amazing things that life has to offer. Intelligence, health, and a person’s life are bettered by the sound of music.

References:

1. Daily Mail. (2002). The science of sound: How music affects your mood and your mind.
2. Harvard Health. (2018). Music and health. Harvard Health Publishing.
3. Lifestyle. (2018). The psychology of music: How music affects your brain and mood.
4. Good Therapy. (2015). What is music therapy? GoodTherapy.
5. Time. (2018). Music therapy helps heal brain injuries. Time.
6. HuffPost. (2015). Music therapy improves developmental and social outcomes for children and adolescents.

Introduction:

Is listening to music while at school a benefit, or is it a distraction? Is it possible that by not allowing students to listen to music during class, they’re being hindered from reaching their full potential? A dilemma that many teachers face daily is the decision of whether or not to allow students to listen to music during class. Most schools have policies in place that do not authorize the use of music while in class or in school entirely. Many students listen to music every day while not at school, so they shouldn’t be deprived of this while at school. Music can have a significant impact or influence on an individual’s life. Schools should allow students to listen to music during class because it can help ease anxiety, encourage participation, and maintain motivation in students.

The Ubiquitous Influence of Music:

A form of art that is involved in the everyday lives of humans worldwide is music. Music is everywhere throughout the typical human day. Humans engage or listen to music differently depending on their surrounding circumstances. Music is played while in the car, in waiting areas, while waiting for a call to connect, and in a variety of other places. The diversity of music allows it to serve multiple purposes other than entertainment. A few purposes that music serves are as a form of therapy, expression of emotions, motivation, and numerous other reasons. Another purpose for music is it helps memorize different things. For example, many individuals learn the alphabet by listening and reciting the song regularly. The majority of individuals love the sound of music. There are different genres of music around the world with a touch of uniqueness based upon the distinctiveness of one’s inclination.

Music’s Evolution and Impact:

Music has evolved drastically since it was first introduced to humans centuries ago. Music has since then gone through different periods.  Those periods included, but are not limited to, The Renaissance, The Classical, and The Romantic, just to name a few. The current period of music is The Modern period. Every period has added something unique to the advancement of music. Music has always been shaped by the encircling circumstances going on in the world.

For example, during the Civil Rights movement, artists used their songs to display what was going on in their communities through their lyrics. By adding lyrics to the sound of instruments, music was used to express different emotions. The lyrics can evoke feelings of emotion that many people are able to correlate with what is going on in their own personal lives. The diversity of music allows it to be a great component to everyone in the world, including school children. Music can be very useful if it is used to its full capacity.

Diverse Viewpoints on Music in Schools:

With every decision made in schools, there are different perspectives given from opposing viewpoints. Before enacting rules in schools, the administration listens to different standpoints from teachers, parents, and sometimes students. Those with different opinions typically believe that their outlook is generally correct rather than their differing counterpart. Therefore, they choose to ignore the importance of the opposing views. A few individuals would say that music should continue not to be allowed in school because it causes distractions to students. Meanwhile, others believe that music should be allowed in school because it is more beneficial than harmful. Allowing music in school helps reduce anxiety, encourage participation, and enhance motivation among students while in class.

Alleviating Anxiety Through Music:

A reason why schools should reconsider allowing students to listen to music during school is because it can help reduce anxiety. Dealing with anxiety is stressful, but dealing with anxiety while at school could be very hectic. Having different coping mechanisms could help reduce the levels of anxiety. One coping mechanism is listening to music. Whether played aloud while in class or amongst students with their personal headphones in, the sound of music can be beneficial in reducing anxiety. To better understand this, readers can look at a study conducted on the measures of state anxiety by the influence of music (Davis and Thaut 168). In this study, researchers concluded that participants who suffered from anxiety levels decreased when they listened to music. The power of music helping reduce anxiety can be seen through Music Therapy.

References:

Davis, W. B., & Thaut, M. H. (2008). The influence of preferred relaxing music on measures of state anxiety, relaxation, and physiological responses. Journal of Music Therapy, 45(4), 519-534.

Country music is a genre of prominent music that originated in the rural southern parts of the United States of America. Throughout the years, country music has evolved and broadened its range of viewers. Country music is diverse and ever-changing. Artists can make songs that tell a beautiful story with a fairytale-like ending or songs that make you feel broken and emotional. Most importantly, country music has been a genre of music that shows both patriotism and nationalism here in the States.

The songs can deliver powerful messages in various ways. As I began to conduct my research on country music, I used primary, secondary, and tertiary sources. Through the use of my school’s library database search system and the help of the librarian, I was able to find a majority of reputable sources. For the interview section of my research, I interviewed my uncle’s stepson, who is a free-lance country music artist in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He is a graduate of the University of Wyoming with a music degree.

Introduction

Beginning in the early 1920s, country music began to make its debut in the Appalachian Mountains. Regarded as one of the first genres of contemporary American prominent music, county music was a blend of folk, British Isles, and blues music. To keep up with other genre’s popularity, like rock and roll, country music artists have developed new styles that blend authentic country music tunes with the unruly sounds of rock. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, country music is “music derived from or imitating the folk style of the Southern U.S. or of the Western cowboy.” During this time, American people were hit with a lot of changes and struggles. Americans were searching for the spark that would streamline their feelings and take them back to their true roots. Country music was the answer.

Slowly but surely, people started to catch on and become involved. From the beginning of its development and in recent months, country music has been receiving backlash for supporting certain political agendas, associations, and white Southerners. This is not a new dilemma country artists are facing; it is a reoccurring one. Modern-day artists are doing all they can to spread the true words of country music. Race or an individual’s political stance is important in country music. Predominantly found and played in the Southern parts of the United States, country music has greatly influenced American culture through its nationalistic, patriotic, and militaristic roots.

History

Born in the southern parts of the Appalachian Mountains, the area was first occupied by English and Scottish immigrants in the 1700s. These immigrants brought various instruments with them: guitars, fiddles, mandolins, and any other instrument that was easy to carry up the hills. During this time, music established upon remote English/Irish songs and church music was prominent. At the turn of the twentieth century, things began to change. The modern world began to spread its influence on the Appalachian community. New advancements such as railroads, steel, and oil fields were making their presence seen in the community.

Along with the new advancements came new influences on traditional music. The music became more about an individual’s deep internal feelings, struggles, and hardships. Written by Stuart Kallen, The History of Country Music is a novel that describes the origins and introduction to country music. Kallen states, “People began to sing about their common problems, such as longing for the old homestead, suffering from a broken heart, and working for low wages.” The most recent change to country music came upon the introduction of the technology (radio). Country music transformed from English/Scottish roots to incorporating various genres such as blues, gospel, Cajun, western cowboy, and even hints of jazz. Country music was no longer isolated in the Appalachian Mountains; it began to make its way around all of Western and Southern America. Being mocked as “hillbilly music,” country music was, in fact, true American heritage music, influenced by hardworking, patriotic Americans themselves.

Country music has evolved over the years and can be performed differently by various artists. Today, traditional country music is split up into different categories; for instance, bluegrass, the honky-tonk, and western swing are just a few. However, what all country music has alike is the originality in the lyrics and the tribute artists pay to the original forefathers of country music. Kallen also states that “While the top artists in the digital age sell millions of compact discs (CDs), music downloads, and cell phone ringtones, the sounds of contemporary country can be traced back several generations to the 1930s, ’40s, and ’50s” (Kallen, 9). This shows that although modern country singers like Brad Paisley, Darius Rucker, Toby Keith, and many more are releasing albums left and right, people must realize that deep down in each song, there is a tribute to the original founders.

Viewed as being music predominantly sung and listened to by white people, country music is just the opposite. In fact, one of the top famous modern country music stars today is Darius Rucker. Darius Rucker is just one of many prominent African-American country music stars. They all take after one man, Charley Pride. Charley Pride became country music’s first esteemed African-American superstar. Selling millions of record albums and winning two Grammy awards, Pride revolutionized country music by incorporating new rhythms and diversity into the culture.

Performing for various presidents and being inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, Charley Pride continues to perform country music around the globe. Moreover, so much has been said about how the popularity of country music can be associated with conservative ideology. However, this claim does not account for the country music genre being intrinsically conservative. It is true that the bulk of the audience of country music is black, but according to the New York Times, “in recent years, black singers have become country stars…” Having been published over thirty years ago, the statistics for African-American artists and audience demographics have drastically increased in 2018.

Known as the Father of Country Music, Jimmie Rodgers sold over 1 million records of his hit song “Blue Yodel #1.” His singing career was cut extremely short due to his death in 1933. Although his presence was short-lived, his influence on country music and music in general is everlasting. His music has paved the way for the up-and-coming generation of new artists who quickly take after him. As important as Jimmie Rodgers was to the foundation of country music, the history of country music still cannot be fully explained without mentioning a specific family.

According to the novel Meeting Jimmie Rodgers by Barry Mazor, “The history of country music requires mention of The Carter Family, which was probably the most famous of all the vocal groups.” The Carter Family was made up of A.P Carter, his wife, and sister-in-law. They reached popular status around the same time Jimmie Rodgers was making his voice heard around the country. The Carter Family changed the perception of country music as being hillbilly music to more instrumental and vocal-based. It is said that without The Carter Family and their historic influence on other music, bluegrass would not have existed.

Interview

Born and raised in southern California, Aria Mesri (my uncle’s stepson) was always the different type. Being Persian, it was not considered the norm to be so involved in country music. Southern California has its own type of music, ranging from reggae to rock. However, Aria was different than the rest of the city. His passion for country music started when he was ten years old. It all started when his next-door neighbor had recently bought an old classic project truck. It was a 1966 Ford F100. Every weekend, his neighbor would bring out three things. His array of toolboxes, an old radio that somehow still worked, and a bottle of Coke. One day, Aria heard the music that was playing out on that old radio.

The lyrics were “Country roads, take me home. To the place, I belong. West Virginia, Mountain momma. Take me home, Country Roads”. He and his father walk over and ask their neighbor the song’s name. While fixing the exhaust under the truck, he hollers out, “It’s John Denver! Country Roads”. From that day on, Aria found his new genre of music. A genre that was rarely liked by people in a city full of giant company buildings and blinding lights. The music took him to the University of Wyoming, where he pursued a degree in music and is currently performing gigs at local bars and other venues.

To begin my interview, I wanted to know more about why he decided to move to Cheyenne, Wyoming, out of all places. “Wyoming had deep country roots, and it was an escape from all the lights and glamor that Los Angeles offered.” He wasn’t pleased with the rap, hip-hop, and rock genres in California at the time. Its lyrics didn’t seem to convey true meaning. Wyoming is home to famous country music festivals like Cheyenne Frontier Days and was the birthplace of many famous country music stars.

His neighbor, who was drinking Coke and fixing the old truck, was a native of Wyoming. He would tell him all about the great outdoors of the state. From the fishing to the hiking, all the way to its country hospitality. “I had to be there,” he said. When high school finished, he moved to Cheyenne, Wyoming, to live the county life. Years went by, and he decided to pursue a degree in music at the University of Wyoming to gain more knowledge about the history of country music and its impacts on American culture.

Next, I wanted to know who was his most influential country music artist and why. “My favorite artist would be John Denver, without a doubt. I mean, his song is what got me into this whole thing”. He continued saying how simple yet complex his songs were. The way they would make you feel. How his songs were among some of the best ever written. His music wasn’t the only reason why he liked John Denver. His being a Humanitarian was part of it. John was an important figurehead in the development of the Windstar Foundation. This foundation is aimed at the preservation of wildlife. President Jimmy Carter also made him part of the Commission on World and Domestic Hunger.

While doing my own research on country music, I stumbled upon various articles that talked about race being an issue in the country music community. I got mixed answers and wanted to know an individual’s non-biased point of view. He said, “I never saw race as a problem. If you have that classic country voice with a little spin of your own, people will embrace you and cheer you on”. He did agree that in the beginning of the birth of country music, some artists did hint at racist lyrics. However, those artists did not represent true country music.

You don’t have to be white to love and sing country. This genre of music is for all to get on that dance floor and start line dancing! Aria did agree that African Americans did receive a lot of backlash and hate for their involvement in country music because they looked and sounded different. “It’s not right to disregard someone’s music because they look and sound different,” he said. Discrimination of another person’s color of their skin has no place in our society, nor our music.

To conclude my interview with Aria, I had one remaining burning question to ask. Being Persian myself, I know firsthand that the Persian community has no favor or approval of country music and simply does not understand it. Not only did he pursue a degree in music, which is also quite odd for a Persian individual, but most shockingly was his decision to move to Wyoming. I wanted to know if he has ever received backlash for his enthusiasm and pursuit of country music. “Oh yeah! In a friendly way, friends would call me a wanna-be-cowboy. They would could me a redneck, different things. But I didn’t pay attention to it”. What I took away from his response is that people will criticize you for everything. But, you have to shield yourself from negativity.

Aria has been a great information source for my research on this topic because he offered a different side of the spectrum. Coming from a completely different background, neither white nor African American, Aria was able to speak on both issues of the spectrum. Aria was a good candidate for my interview because he has lived the country life for over 10 years now, is a graduate with a music degree, and has performed for various events and small-town country concerts. It was quite the experience to finally sit down and talk with him about his journey away from the normal Persian lifestyle to living on the rural country roads of Wyoming.

Music and Nationalism – Patriotic Music

In the wake of last year’s Las Vegas massacre that took place at a country music festival, many people have been looking at country music differently. Being accused of having ties with the National Rifle Association (NRA) and right-wing conservative spectrum, country music stars have found themselves in a stalemate. In reference to The New Yorker, “Some country stars have pleaded a kind of aphoristic neutrality (“Spread love!”), while others have been quietly distancing themselves from the Trump Administration” (Petrusich, 2017). From Toby Keith’s “Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue” to Randy Travis’s “America Will Always Stand,” country music has always been about nationalism/patriotism and its ties to the military.

Country music and nationalistic roots date back to the 1890s with the emergence of Tin Pan Alley and the production of songs supporting a war (Spanish-American War). During moments leading up to the Civil War and years after, artists began to perform songs about the unity of the North and South in support of America’s undertaking overseas. Country music singers saw this as an opportunity to unify the country, put away our differences, and focus on the growth of our nation.

Although country music does pay homage to the military and is strongly influenced by it, country music doesn’t necessarily follow a specific military theme. Dating back to the beginning of country music in the early 1920s, we see the development of what are known to be the first country music artists – people like John Carson. In the midst of World War I, he sang songs that paid tribute to the different divisions in the U.S. Army. However, it wasn’t until World War II that country music began incorporating patriotism in its lyrics. Popular songs like “There’s a Star Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere” by Elton Britt began to steamroll through the country.

The song talks about how badly an individual wants to fight for his country despite being disabled. One of the lines in the song states: “Though I realize I’m crippled that is true Sir/Please don’t judge my courage by my twisted leg/Let me show my Uncle Sam what I can do Sir/Let me help to bring the Axis down a peg.” This individual doesn’t want any sympathy. He doesn’t want anyone’s tears. People feeling bad for him simply won’t help him. The only thing he wants to do is stand fearlessly and fight a war for his country. Nothing more, nothing less. All he wants is to stand in Arms by his brothers and sisters and bring the fight to the enemy!

Part of what country music does as a genre is it takes the experiences of working-class citizens, typically Southerners, and turns those experiences and struggles into a song. It was common for Southerners and the working class to be ridiculed in wars like Vietnam. Close to 30 percent of U.S. troops during the Vietnam War came from former confederacy states.

In addition to this, money spent on defense was the main economic booster for the region post-World War II. The growth of military installments and the emergence of defense contractors in agrarian communities in the South began to take place. Therefore, it is important to note that it is not that there is some deep-rooted inclination for nationalism among working-class Southerners. More so, it is important to state that when people think about why country music is so engrossed with the military, it is because it mirrors the experiences of its ever-growing audience.

Some may argue that behind the nationalistic lyrics in country music are hints of racism toward the African-American community. Country music is most freely correlated with a rural white southern demographic. This particular demographic is the most adamant in America’s history as a nation with plagued race relations. Although certain country music records were undoubtedly racist, we have to be cautious as to who and what we put the blame on. Looking back on the days of blackface and up through the 1940s, racism was a momentous part of American culture, a culture in which country music had no part. If it were not for the cultural exchange of white Southerners and African Americans in the South, country music would not have advanced as it did.

Conclusion

For many Americans, country music isn’t just another genre of music. It’s a way of life. From cruising in that old Chevrolet pick-up to dipping some good old Longhorn tobacco with your grandpa while reeling in some Bass, all the way to having an ice-cold bottle of Mountain Dew after a long day’s work, country music has engraved and paved itself into the hearts and minds of Americans. Dating back to its roots, country music serves as an emotional channel, allowing for companionship during an individual’s hardships in life.

Being among one of the top influential genres of music in the twentieth century, country music has paved the way for other genres of music we have today. Originating in the Appalachian Mountains in the early 1920’s, country music truly is an American homegrown art form. Welcoming with open arms and a large audience appeal has made country music the largest commercially acknowledged genre in America.

Before beginning my research on this genre of music, I had little to no knowledge of the topic and just believed whatever I saw on social media. Misconceptions of how country music is racially divided sparked my interest. However, after doing research and conducting an interview, I learned that despite being scrutinized for its controversial, over-the-top nationalistic, or possibly racial lyrics at times, country music is just the opposite. Its deep roots through American history, the expression of love for your country, and the expression of common struggles and perseverance are what makes country music so great and diverse.

References:

1. Kallen, S. (2012). The History of Country Music. Lucent Books.
2. Merriman-Webster. (2018). Country Music. In Merriman-Webster Online Dictionary. Retrieved from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/country%20music
3. Palmer, R. R. (1981). The Sound of Culture: Blacks and Black Music in America. Pantheon Books.
4. Petrusich, A. (2017). Country Music, Real Life, and the Media in The New Yorker. Retrieved from https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/country-music-real-life-and-the-media
5. Mazor, B. (2009). Meeting Jimmie Rodgers: How America’s Original Roots Music Hero Changed the Pop Sounds of a Century. Oxford University Press.

Introduction

The Vietnam War was perhaps the worst war the U.S. ever took part in. The government suffered massive losses, and the war substantially tainted its image. As the war progressed, the government faced great set-backs because public were totally against the war.

The government had lied to the public about the intentions of the war but as the 60’s decade came to an end, war veterans brought the truth home. This was amid an announcement by President Nixon that the war had escalated to Cambodia.

As the public absorbed the announcement, and the truth behind the war, they were angered by the fact that many American lives had been lost in the war, and the fact that the government was still directing young-adult males to go to Vietnam. Mass protests, that had begun earlier, increased with students forming the frontline of the protesters.

Anti-protest police killed and injured a number of the protesters leading to even more protests, and irresponsibility during the protests as protesters quelled their anger. These protests continued until the government made a decision to withdraw troops from the war.

Music and Vietnam War

The Vietnam War led to an era of music that can be associated entirely with the events of the war. Music was part of the war as soldiers used in many occasions during the war. This can even be evidenced by the number of movies produced after the Vietnam War because the movies were characterized by battle scenes that have music playing in the background. An example is the movie Forrest Gump.

The troops in the Vietnam War had their own music tastes. A good example of a track that was popular among American troops is the song We Gotta Get Out of this Place.

The song Happy Birthday Abey Baby also became popular during this time because of its message, which reflects the racial aspects of the Vietnam War. Another popular song was the track, “We Will All Go Down Together” (Miller 1), which is done by Billy Joel.

During the war itself, soldiers had tapes which they were fond of listening to even as they engaged in gun battles. There were a lot of references to music by the troops as the war progressed. For instance, before soldiers fired their guns, they would sometimes say that they were “ready to rock n’ roll” (Fish 1). Additionally, as bullets or missiles were fired from a helicopter, the phrase, “Puff the Magic Dragon”, was commonly used.

Even more surprising is the fact that in certain areas, music would be playing from loud speakers as the combat progressed. An example of a song that was commonly played during combat is the song “Night in White Satin” done by Moody Blues.

People who had the privilege to have been alive during the Vietnam War agree that music had a special role to play during the war period. In fact most of these people, who are grannies now, recommend several songs to anyone wishing to know what went on during the Vietnam War.

They recommend that one listens to the message being passed by the artists of the time, and the deep meaning of the songs. The message in the music was that of a people desperate for peace in a war-torn world.

Some of the tracks showed how the government had misrepresented its intentions in the Vietnam War, and how the public was angry towards the government’s decision to be involved in the Vietnam War (Tuso 9).

It is for this reason that the 1960 decade went down in the books of performance-music history as the decade that had a record number of concerts, and number of people in concerts, in comparison with what was experienced before the decade.

Effects of the music

The discussed anti-war music had great socio-economic and political implications for the American government, specifically in relation to decisions about the war in Vietnam.

The anti-war music took the American youth of the 1960’s; especially college students to a high level as far as political matters are concerned. The anti-war musicians gave clear messages to the youth of the time; that the country had gone to political dogs, and it was time the public took control of their own destiny.

With time it was apparent that the young generation was very alert on political matters, and that the youth was not going to watch as the government misrepresented facts about the situation in Vietnam. Moreover, some combat veterans were already returning from the war and unearthing the government secrets about the intention of the war in the first place.

The social climate that was created by the presence of people who knew the truth about the war, and the presence of musicians whose lyrics and music were a reflection of the collective conscience of the public, saw the end of an unjust and barbaric war, which the government had been sweeping under the carpet with the tag “police action” (Schifferes 1).

Protests against the Vietnam War

The Vietnam War was characterized by so many protests that it can be confidently argued that the protests marked the greatest anti-war movement in the history of the United States. The protests were sparked early in the 1960’s, during which they were based in colleges and large cities. With time, however, troops in Vietnam grew to more than half a million Americans.

This was after 1964. After the increased presence of American troops in Vietnam, the public grew more restless, and protests became more serious and frequent (Sayre 1). By the close of the decade, hundreds of thousands of American citizens were protesting at various locations all over the nation.

The year 1970 saw the peak of the protests as the public was angered by several attempts by the police to quell the protests. This was after four students who had been involved in a peaceful demonstration at the Ohio’s Kent State University were shot dead and other nine students injured by gunshots.

These atrocities were carried out by the National Guard Troops in an attempt by the government to contain the situation created by the mass protests against the war in Vietnam.

This increased the protests, with some protests being accompanied by violence, bombings, vandalisms and arson. The students were expressing their anger towards the shedding of blood in the Kent State protest by government agents, as well as expressing their displeasure of the government’s involvement in the Vietnam War.

By the end of the year 1974, American troops had been withdrawn from Vietnam, and the protests had also subsided (Miller 1). The puppet regime that was in Vietnam before the war had also collapsed, and thus the Vietnamese were no longer under foreign colonization.

President Nixon had made an announcement during the last day of April in 1970 that the war had extended to the neighboring Cambodia. This was, perhaps the motivation behind the protests at Kent State.

The killing of the four students, as well as the announcement that the war had escalated, led to an increase in the intensity and volume of the protests in terms of protesters. The four killed were students at the Kent State University, which is based in Ohio. This was the inspiration behind the song Ohio done by Young, Crosby, Nash and Stills.

During the first week of May, there was a general strike for lauding antiwar protests in Oklahoma University. Close to a thousand protesters went to the streets with one of the protesters displaying a communist flag belonging to Vietnam. He was arrested by the police under the Oklahoma law.

This led to angry exchanges between the protesters and a number of police and highway patrol officers. Several protesters sustained injuries during the exchanges and other three protesters were arrested (Garrity 1).

This led to mass protests by the students in response to the arrest of the student who had unfolded the Vietnam flag. This, combined with protests in other states like Ohio, created an environment that could be regarded as that of pure protests.

Effects of the protests

The protests that took place during the Vietnam War shaped the socio-economic and political set-up of the United States significantly. Prior to this, protests were being taken seriously, and the public was not properly protected against the atrocities of the police during peaceful protests.

The Kent State killings, in particular, led to development of appropriate laws for freedom of expression that were tailored to ensure that the public is able to express its displeasure towards the excesses of the government, and other similar issues.

Apart from this, the fact that the Vietnam War ended in the year 1974, barely a decade after the U.S. sent troops to Vietnam, can be attributed to the contribution of the public unrest.

The protests had peaked in 1970 and thus the ending of the war in 1974 can be seen as an indication that the protests made a great contribution towards efforts to end the war. The protests also revealed the fact that the ultimate power of making political decisions rests on the public, but not the political class (Fish 1).

This is because all the senators were unanimous about the decision to send troops to Vietnam. As mentioned above, the war protests led to development of a more conducive climate for expression. Thus after the war, courtesy of the protests, people had more freedom of expression than before.

Relationship between music and protests

Music formed a very important part of the protests that took place against the Vietnam War. Most of the music that was played during the time was a motivation for protests against the War in Vietnam. For example, the song Ohio done by Young, Crosby, Nash and Stills was used to call the public for more action after the killing of the aforementioned Kent State students.

In the year 1969 the song, Fortunate Son was released by the band Creedence Clearwater. The song was a protest song dedicated to the youth who were being forced to be involved in the Vietnam War.

Some of the lyrics of the song include a line that says, “It ain’t me, I ain’t no senator’s son, I ain’t no fortune one” (Garrity 1). Another part of the song says, “When the band plays hail to the chief, they point the cannon at you” (Garrity 1), depicting the cruelty that the protesters were facing from the military.

The songs were therefore meant to act as motivations for unrest. Music was also a consolation for the masses since they had been failed by their political representatives and thus they needed somebody with whom they shared the same sentiments.

The music played during this time also had a number of cultural influences. For instance, the impact of The Beatles was so enormous that the members of the group were trendsetters for the society. For instance, they were responsible for the popularity of long hair among boys. They set a record 21 hits that topped charts during the time.

This record has never been beaten by any other band. Their popularity was so great during the time that the guitar player of the group, one John Lennon, was prompted to think that his group was “more popular than Jesus” (Streich 1). Of course this statement attracted substantial outcries from religious crusaders but all he meant was that The Beatles were unimaginably popular.

Conclusion

As evidenced in the discussion above, the Vietnam War was characterized by the largest anti-war protests ever experienced in the history of America. These protests were mainly caused by the fact that the real reason of America’s involvement in the Vietnam War was not known to the public. The public also saw carelessness on the part of the government, and ill intentions.

This was aggravated by the government’s requirement of young-adult males to be involved in the war after college in the late 1960’s. This requirement made college students to be actively involved in the protests, which saw a number of students being killed, and others injured by anti-protest police.

After a number of violent incidences involving students and the police, specifically the Kent State shootings and protests in several other universities, the protests increased and the number of people being involved in a single episode of protests also increased. This situation continued until the U.S. government started withdrawing troops from Vietnam in the early 70’s.

The Vietnam War was also characterized by great music influence. After losing confidence in the government, artists started producing songs with lyrics that were a message to either the government or the public regarding the Vietnam War.

The songs therefore acted as a consolation to the masses because they no longer had confidence in their government. The influence of the anti-war music was so much that even the troops in Vietnam used phrases that were actually lines from the lyrics of certain anti-war songs.

They even listened to music played via loudspeakers in some areas as they engaged in combat. However, the greatest influence of the anti-war music was the fact that it fuelled protests and thus acted as a motivation for revolting against the Vietnam War.

All in all, anti-war music and protests remain in the minds of every American citizen who witnessed the activities of the Vietnam War. The war is mostly remembered when people reminisce about the protests or when people listen to the anti-war music.

Works Cited

Fish, Lydia. “Songs of Americans in the Vietnam War”. 1993. Web.

Garrity, Patrick. “Music and the Remembrance of War”. 2006. Web.

Miller, John. “Vietnam War Protests”. Oklahoma Historical Society. 2009. Web.

Sayre, James. “Late 1960’s and early 1970’s anti-Vietnam war protests, social and political background notes and a short discussion of some of the best rock ‘n roll music of the times”. 2008. Web.

Schifferes, Steve. “Vietnam: The Music of Protest”. 2005. Web.

Streich, Michael. “Vietnam War Protest Music”. 2010. Web.

Tuso, Joseph. Singing the Vietnam Blues: Folksongs of the American Fighter Pilot in Southeast Asia. College Station: Texas A and M Press, 1990.

Executive Summary

Ian Dobie writes about the contentious concerns of the distribution and utilization of the internet music and compares it with the concepts of copyright and property of music industry. In today’s world internet has facilitated the music artists to create, publicize and promote their music more easily but on the other hand it has created a big problem for the record companies as they are unable to control over the replication of their recordings done on internet.

The five largest record companies are Sony, BMG, Warner’s, EMI and Universal who have spent a huge amount of money to produce, record, promote and distribute their music recordings but this unique process has become worthless as their music is easily recopied on the CDs with the help of internet. So, to avoid this system has established the process of copyright, which permits standard rights to the creator.

As mentioned by the author the internet was initially developed for military purpose and their main objective was to share the information that was more technical and scientific in its nature but in contrast to this in commercial entertainment the analogue sound has been replaced with mp3 that has made a large file to shrink into a miniature one.

Mp3 was initially launched for two main purposes; one was to decentralize it known as the “gift economy” by Babrook so it can help to easily share music and information with their coworkers on non monetary basis and made MP3.com. And the second purpose was to create a peer to peer (P2P) services for the music industry and they created Napster (Dobie).

The author states that in internet world the music use is revolving around two main strings; one the sharing of authorized music such as MP3.com and the other is sharing of unauthorized music as done on Kazaa.com. If the authorized point of view is considered it has helped a lot of artists to become popular and successful by distributing and promoting their music through internet at a low cost and are earning a significant amount of money e.g. David Bowie.

Whereas sharing of unauthorized music has made it difficult for the major corporations to have control on their records the only solution to it till now is the copyrights and another thing they have introduced now is anti piracy campaigns in which their major objective is to constrict the Intellectual Property Rights.

The corporations have also established tightened oligopoly which is about extending the supremacy over the markets and for this the companies are merging with internet based companies such as AOL/Warner merger and they are tightening the copyrights.

The main objective of copyright is to “promote the progress of Science and useful Arts” but today it has been diminished and copyrights are being used as status quo in addition to this public statutory rights have been gone too. CD releases is also one of the big issue for the music industry but this can also be overcome by providing CD based copy protection technologies and the companies would have to provide value added services.

There are specific requisites that can help to promote music industry in future. A model can be created to distribute, promote and publicize their work which would help to spread globally. But there are three strands; first the justifiable market for copyrighted recordings, second the illegal market for foremost music brands and thirdly the legal market for independent music (Dobie).

According to my point of view there a lot of positive aspects mentioned by the author but in today’s world as the major record companies are suing the public is becoming a huge criteria as mentioned by Professor Plume in his article, he states that these prominent record labels have made the lives of general public really difficult.

These are the same people who were promoting their products by buying their CDs worth 20 dollars each and now these companies are targeting the same people by blaming s thieves and suing them. And due to this huge propaganda the record companies are earning nothing but are loosening their reputation among the general public because this internet is going to flow this way in the future too but these companies won’t be able to bring back their record sales as compared to previous years (Plume).

So as mentioned by Ian Dobie the record companies should be inventive and creative rather being reactionary and authoritative (Dobie). One more article suggests that by threatening almost 261 people, these hi-fi-record based companies think that this can help to bring their money back but in return what they are getting is nothing but failure and they have lost their long termed customers (Ali).

Works Cited

Ali, Ruhina. “Music industry.” Chicago Tribune 16 September 2003: 1.

Dobie, Ian. “The music industry versus the Internet: MP3 and other cyber music wars.” Ross Horsley, David Gauntlett. Web.studies. 2010.

Plume, Prof. The Music Industry’s raise to throne. 06 July 2010. Web.

What industry conditions led to the revolution in an audio distribution described above? Which stakeholders stand to benefit most (or least) from this revolution?

Innovation is the use of more advanced ideas or methods to meet new requirements and articulate societal needs. Innovation allows for daily activities to be efficiently and more easily undertaken. This value addition acts as a catalyst to growth in major sectors of the economy. This is clearly depicted in the case based on the digital music distribution revolution.

In relation to the case study, we can argue that the development of the algorithm led to the revolution in audio distribution. This codec provided for the compression of music into a tenth of its original size without compromising quality. The compressed file was later dubbed into MP3. Later on, with the help of software programs, it became possible to convert tracks from disks to MP3 files. This advancement provided a basis through which music could be manipulated as files could be stored on a hard disk and shared all over the internet. There was a crop up of decoders and encoders to capitalize on this trend. Though the founders of these techniques benefited, upcoming artists gained a larger platform to market their work. It was also beneficial since they escaped the huge capital needed to register with recording labels. Fans were also seen as beneficiaries since they had easier access to music of their choice. On the other hand, artists faced the challenge of ‘music pirates’ as music could be accessed online, thus, illegal trade. When companies like Apple, Adobe, and Microsoft came together, they provided a broad base that offered free encoders. This made it easier for piracy levels to rise. The development of Napster helped to curb these crimes as users were trading on copyrighted materials.

Why did the music stores created by the record labels fail to attract many subscribers? What, if anything, should the record labels have done differently?

It is clearly shown from the study that record labels did not attract many subscribers. A good example is the Recording Industry Association of America whose intention of curtailing online sharing was more towards protecting its business model, rather than its artists. This association challenged the growing illegal trade of music which was likely to cause loss of finances for members. Additionally, record labels sold albums at inflated prices thus limited its clientele compared to online sellers making them less popular. Record labels were an expensive strategy for marketing and promoting artists as they required a large amount of capital, not to mention the difficulty of getting deals and if available the deals were unattractive. This mainly challenged artists joining the industry. These labels were termed as rigid and outdated and resisted to embrace new technology. Prioritizing the rights of artists, charging suitable prices for albums or individual songs, adopting new technology as well as providing a platform for upcoming artists could have worked to the advantage of the record labels. Also, record labels should operate on openness to avoid providing room for critics. This relationship could enhance their popularity with the members of the public.

What will determine how long the success of the iPod and iTunes endures? Should Apple allow its iPods to play non-iTunes songs? Should Apple allow iTunes songs to play on non-iPod MP3 players?

From the case study, the success of the iPod and iTunes will continue to endure if the Apple Company maintains its attractive image to the recording industry and its users. The company should also carry out its ‘FairPlay’ DRM scheme which protects against illegal sharing. This helped to reduce users from mass-distributing songs as well as ease the minds of record company executives. The success of iPods and iTunes is also assured as a result of the provided music audios in two file formats namely Advanced Audio Coding and modified MP3s. The DRM ensured that files could not be emailed or distributed and were hidden in the iPod subdirectory structure where files were hidden, thus, making them not prone to copying from one iPod to another. The company should maintain its attractive prices as well as its licensing agreement with five major labels to offer a one-stop customer base. Since Apple enjoyed a large market and had a high negotiating power, it is reasonable to allow its iPods to play non-iTunes songs as a way of creating a large customer base. On the same note, it should not allow iTunes songs to play on non iPods mp3s since it advocates for fewer DRM restrictions from record labels. Apple’s huge catalog leverage entices users to buy music through its iTunes music store.

Why would musicians sign away their copyright privileges to their songs through Creative Commons?

From the case study, musicians were willing to sign away their copyright privileges through creative commons as this made their work available at varying levels of openness. Creative Commons is licensed; hence, it allows only copyright members to its membership. Creative Commons gives artists the chance to create the awareness that downloading their music is allowed, and is not against the law. Creative commons provides a room for songs uploaded primarily by independent artists to incorporate podcasts and make them available for download. The opportunity of gaining exposure and increasing fan base entices the artists to take the chance of allowing access to their property. This also allows for increased revenue to be earned from a wider fan base.

How is podcasting likely to impact the appropriability or’ recorded music, radio broadcasting, or other types of audio transmissions?

The case study illustrates the effects of podcasting on radio broadcasts, music records as well as other audio broadcasts. This was clearly shown in June 2005 when iTunes started to use podcasts in iTunes software and music store. By March 2009, households’ listening to podcasts had increased by 9%, thus, content providers made podcasting a preference for conducting their activities. In a period of fewer than two months, assured NPRs podcasts with only 17 shows generated five million downloads. From 2005 -2009 podcasting directory had increased to 640 titles. As time went on podcasting continued being more popular with the public and media. On this note, we can say that podcasts have positively impacted the use of MP3 players. There is also a clear prediction that person will continue embracing it in their daily activities.

To conclude, this case study gives us a wide scope on why we should embrace innovation and be avenues of dynamism. Technology is thus regarded as the major factor of the revolution of music distribution in modern society.

Bio: I am interested in how people choose new media to express themselves and oriented to creating a personal blog to discuss ideas that influence the modern society.

Project description: My project is developed to represent how the Radiohead music can influence the people’s visions, ideas, perceptions, and goals. The audience members are expected to submit their favorite words from Radiohead’s songs, their interpretations, ideas, and impressions as well as photos under the project topics or under the Contribute Section. All the submitted texts are presented in separate sections, and recent submissions are grouped into clouds to demonstrate the recent understanding of the topic or an issue according to the users’ submissions.

Project goals: The project’s goal is to help people understand that many people all round the world suffer from the same problems caused by the frequent changes in the reality. These problems are reflected in Radiohead’s songs, and they include alienation, fear, disorientation, isolation, anxiety, powerlessness, loss of identity, and loss of spirituality. Sharing personal visions of these problems discussed with the help of music is the first step to finding the solution and adapting to the changes. The project demonstrates how people can share their inner ideas on favorite and important songs and receive the understanding while promoting the Radiohead music.

Interactive component: The audience members can engage creatively with the project while submitting their favorite words from Radiohead’s songs, their texts presenting interpretations, ideas, and impressions which can be accompanied with photos. The materials are posted under the project topics or under the Contribute Section.

Audience: The project is developed for fans of Radiohead and people inspired by the band’s songs. The audience members are females and males from different social backgrounds and countries. The audience’s age is 18-50 years.

Inspiration: The Radiohead Project is inspired by the Johnny Cash Project and its approach to organizing the audience members’ contribution. The project is also inspired by many posts on forum pages which describe the listeners’ emotions and experiences associated with Radiohead’s songs.

About

The Radiohead Project is a collaborative text-focused art project with the help of which you can share your vision of the Radiohead music and its impact on your life. Radiohead was formed in 1985 and its debut single “Creep” made a kind of revolution in 1992 and following years while demonstrating how a person’s feelings and emotions can influence his life. Lyrics of the Radiohead songs can be discussed as the limitless world of associations and illusions.

We are sure that Radiohead also influenced your mind and vision of oneself. Can you determine the words from the Radiohead songs which influenced your personality and vision of the world? What are your associations and emotions? Join our community and submit your favorite words taken from the Radiohead songs accompanied with your interpretations and descriptions of associated experiences, feelings, and emotions. You can also use images to support your emotion.

While combining all the received textual and pictorial materials under certain topics, we can understand the unique role of the Radiohead songs in our life. The result of your work is the deeper understanding of the “Radiohead effect”.

Topics Section

Alienation

Here you can find the recent opinions on the topic Alienation and personal reflections of the project members.

Topics Section

Songs: “Climbing Up the Walls” (1997)

Here you can find the recent opinions on Radiohead’s song “Climbing Up the Walls” and personal reflections.

Interactive Component

Contribute to the Project

Submit Quotes from the Songs, Impressions, and Pictures Here:

User 1:

“I don’t care if it hurts, I want to have control / I want a perfect body, I want a perfect soul” (“Radiohead Lyrics”).

I received a chance to listen to “Creep” in 2008. I know, I have lost many years without an opportunity to join the unique world of Radiohead’s songs. However, I cannot resist temptation to learn more and more about the band. I have quoted my favourite words from “Creep” and I want you to share my experience associated with this song:

Nobody is perfect, but I want to receive a chance to improve my life, and I need to start from my body and soul. I know how destroying can be the other people’s words about one’s imperfectness, and I know that it is necessary to make only few efforts in order to start the work at your inner world and appearance. I know that I am not perfect, but my imperfectness is the first step to the better, improved reality. Many people have no such chances because they cannot compare “before” and “after” stages.

Works Cited

Black and White Wallpapers. n.d.

Radiohead Lyrics. n.d.

Introduction

Ableton live is a music sequencer and digital audio program. It is built for OS X and Windows. The first version of the software was developed on 30th October, 2001. The current and modern version dates back to March 5, 2013. The application is used by a wide range of music creators, such as producers and sound engineers (Buono & Margulies 2010). It is also used by songwriters in home, professional, and mobile studio locales. In addition, the instrument is used by DJs. The reason behind this is because it offers a wide range of controls for cross-fading and beat-matching. Since its development, the software remains a favorite of many artists who take part in live performances (Hosken 2010).

In this paper, the author will discuss the use of Ableton live performance software in relation to two artists. The two are Daft Punk and Krewella. Aspects to be analyzed include the artists’ career, discography, and performances. In addition, the hardware and software used and the compositional and production techniques employed in the performance and recording will be evaluated.

Daft Punk: An Analysis of Career, Discography, and Performances

Career

Daft Punk is a French electronic music group. It is made of two artists. The two are Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter. The duo’s career began when they gave a demo tape to Stuart Macmillan, cofounder of Soma Quality Recordings (Santorelli 2014). The two new artists were attending an event in Euro Disney grounds, Paris, in 1993. Upon its release, the tape formed the basis of the debut single ‘The New Wave’. In 1995, the French duo recorded ‘Da Punk’. The new project went on to become their first commercial success. The big breakthrough into music industry forced them to look for a manager.

They employed Pedro Winter, alias Busy P, who was a promoter of Hype nightclubs. Busy P managed them from 1996 to 2008. In September 1996, Daft Punk was signed by Virgin Records (Santorelli 2014). Since 1993, the duo has produced numerous tracks and worked with several artists. Such artists include Pharrell Williams and Kanye West. In addition, their records have won a number of awards. In 2014, for example, Daft Punk’s project Random Access Memories won five Grammys.

Discography

Daft Punk’s discography is made of four studios and three remix albums. It also involves two live albums, one compilation, one soundtrack, and one video album (Santorelli 2014). All the projects consist of twenty two singles and eighteen music videos. The four albums include ‘Homework’, which was released in 1997, and ‘Discovery’, which was produced in 2001. Others are ‘Human After All’ in 2005 and ‘Random Access Memories’ in 2013. All the projects have recorded success by topping various music charts from France to the United States. Their second single, ‘Da Funk’, was released early in their career. It peaked at number seven in France (Santorelli 2014). In the United States, the song went was on top of the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart. Other singles to attain the top spots in charts across different countries include ‘One More Time’, ‘Around the World’, and ‘Get Lucky’.

Range of Performances

The Daft Punk duo has appeared in numerous live performances since their rise to fame in the 90s. In addition, they have performed in different clubs using vinyl records from their collection. Daft Punk’s first major live original performance was in 1997 (Santorelli 2014). The two artists held the Daftendirektour with its primary purpose being to promote their first album, ‘Homework’. The duo toured a number of cities in different parts of the world. During this tour, Daft Punk used their home studio equipment for live stage performance. All their work on stage, which composed of drum machines and bass lines, was synched up. They used the sequencer to control tempos, beats, and bars (Williams & Webster 2006).

In mid 1997, the duo performed at the Tribal Gathering Festival at Luton Hoo, England. Towards the end of the same year, Daft Punk held performances in Birmingham, UK. In 2006/2007 period, the duo held the ‘Alive Tour’, which began in the United States at the Coachella Festival in Indio, California. They went on to conduct shows in Europe and Japan during the Summer Sonic Fiesta. In 2008, the duo made an astonishing appearance at the 50th Grammy Awards. They performed alongside Kanye West (Santorelli 2014).

Krewella: Analysis of Career, Discography, and Performances

Career

Krewella is an American electronic dance music duet. It consists of songwriter and vocalist Jahan Yousaf and Yasmine Yousaf (Bartlett 2014). The group is from Chicago, Illinois. It was formed in 2007. At the beginning of their career, Krewella was made up of three artists. The third member, Kristopher Trindl, was also the group’s producer. He left in 2014. The duo’s music is a mix of self-produced electro house and dubstep. Their major project was released in June 2012. The work was an album titled ‘EP Play Hard’. Within the course of their career, Krewella has engaged the services of several managers. They are currently under the management of Chuck D. Lyor Cohen.

Discography

Since 2007, Krewella has grown to be an important name in the rock and house music genre. The duo has two albums. ‘Get Wet’ is the official studio album. It was produced by Columbia Records. Upon its release on September 2013, it peaked at position one in the US dance charts (Bartlett 2014). The project’s major hits were ‘Alive’ and ‘Live for the Night’. In addition, the duo has ten singles, 1 DJ mix, and 6 miscellaneous. In 2012, Krewella won the International Dance Music Awards for the Best Breakthrough Artist. They have also appeared in eight music videos as lead artists. Some of the videos include Killin’ It, Legacy, and Enjoy the Ride.

Range of Performances

Krewella has held live performances in various arenas in different parts of the world. In 2012, the duo headlined several EDM fiestas. They include Electric Daisy Carnival, Sunburn, Ultra Music, and Streosonic festivals. Others are Paradiso and Spring Awakening carnivals (Bartlett 2014). In 2014, the duo held numerous tours where they made electrifying live performances alongside other artists, such as David Guetta, Tiesto, Afrojack, and Martin Garrix. In most of their live concerts, the music duo uses custom LED technology from Illuminode to light up the stage.

Hardware and Software Devices used by Daft Punk and Krewella

Daft Punk’s Hardware and Software

The Daft Punk duo utilizes a wide range of hardware and software when rocking a live set. Their primary instruments include Ableton Live and four Minimoog Voyagers. In the 2007 ‘Alive’ tour, the robotic duo made a dazzling performance using a wide range of devices and controllers. They included custom super computers on the top row, 2 Behringer BCR2000 Controllers on the bottom row, and two JazzMutant Lemur touch-screens (Santorelli 2014). One other major software used is the Synth Drums.

Daft Punk uses Ableton live software to order their loops into scenes and provide structure to their songs. The tool allows them to position their loops before the live performance (Hosken 2010). As a result, they manage to play each scene using the right timing. The four Minimoog Vayager RME units and two Behringer controllers are used by the duo to mix, filter, shuffle, trigger loops, and distort samples. In addition, they are used to equalize in and out and to switch or deconstruct sythn lines (Collins 2011).

The JazzMutant Lemur Touch-screen is a customizable audio tool. It acts as a controller for musical gadgets, such as mixers and synthesizers. The device’s role is similar to that of MIDI controller. However, it is more advanced because it uses Open Sound Control (OSC). The tool works best with Reaktor and Max or MSP contrivances in developing custom software synthesizers (Buono & Margulies 2010).

Music Hardware and Software Utilized by Krewella

During their live performances, the Krewella duet uses a wide range of hardware and software. They include Akai Professional APC40 Ableton Live, reFx Nexus 2, Ohm Force Ohmicide Software Distortation Plugin, and Avalon VT-737sp Mic Preamp. Others are Native Instrument Massive Synth and Avid Pro Tools 11.

Akai Professional APC40 Ableton Live helps artists to balance analytical parameter control with imaginative expression (Collins 2011). The APC40 is an intuitive and powerful tool. It links an artist’s inspiration with Ableton Live. To use the software, the musician is not required to map its controls. They only need to connect a laptop to the APC40 by use of a USB.

The reFX Nexus 2 is a ROM synthesizer plug-in. It is used to produce a high level of sonic quality sound (Williams & Webster 2006). The device is fitted with euphoric leads, unique pads, and glowing keys. The hardware is preferred by electronic dance music groups, such as Krewella, due to its wide range of features. They include a filter with numerous frequency responses, an arpeggiator, and a stereo pattern controlled noise valve. In addition, with the nexus 2, an artist can delay and reverb effects.

An Analysis of Compositional and Production Techniques used by Daft Punk and Krewella

Daft Punk’s Compositional and Production Techniques

Daft Punk employs different compositional and production techniques in their performance and recording materials. Since the beginning of their career, the duo has refused to act on the rules of dance music. Unlike other artists, the two prefer to sample their own work instead of music from other artists. Their primary composition technique entails interlocking the worlds of analogue and digital sounds to develop an eclectic, tongue-in-cheek mix (Santorelli 2014). Each of Daft Punk’s songs in all the albums is a blend of diverse experiments and tricks. Due to this, a wide range of production techniques are employed in a single track.

While composing their songs, the duo also employs the bricolage approach. The French term refers to the art of using found sound and turning it into something new. Through the technique, Daft Punk uses various musical instruments for purposes they were not developed for. In production of their music, the duo uses the modest set-up. They use Logic Audio on an iMac DV and record the content to a Sony DAT, straight into the Revox A77 or B77 analog recorder (Williams & Webster 2006). However, this is influenced by the sound they desire.

Compositional and Production Techniques Employed by Krewella

Due to the unique nature of their work, Krewella utilizes different production and compositional techniques. However, when composing their tracks, the duo does not employ specific methods. The songs are based on their actual feelings at the time (Bartlett 2014). One track influenced by their moods is ‘Alive’. In addition, some recordings are influenced by the nature of drum and bass beats. The tempo and energy from the instruments act as the inspiration behind the compositions.

Production of electronic house music is a complex and versatile process. It entails the use of various skills and techniques (Hosken 2010). The production methods employed by Krewella include innovative vocoder and pitch, frequency shifting, and ring modulation. Innovative vocoder is a system utilized to reproduce human vocalizations (Buono & Margulies 2010). In the encoder, an artist’s speech is passed through an envelope follower. The signals produced are then communicated to the decoder. The entire process enables more speech straits to share a radio circuit.

The other production technique entails the utilization of pitch shifting, frequency shifting, and ring modulation. Pitch shifting transfers incoming signals by musical intermissions (Williams & Webster 2006). Frequency alteration involves moving each sound in a signal by a set amount. The technique allows artists to develop high quality chorus effects.

Conclusion

Music recording and live performances brings together a number of diverse components. A wide range of hardware and software devices are used to ensure the artist performance comes out as envisaged. Ableton live is one of the most preferred music software among artists, producers, and DJs. The reason behind this is because it enables them to compose, arrange, and master music. In addition, the software can be used for recording and mixing purposes.

References

Bartlett, B 2014, Recording music on location: capturing the live performance, 2nd edn, Taylor and Francis, Hoboken. Web.

Buono, C & Margulies, J 2010, Your Ableton live studio, Cengage Learning, Boston. Web.

Collins, M 2011, Pro tools 9 music production, recording, editing, and mixing, Focal Press, Waltham, MA. Web.

Hosken, D 2010, An introduction to music technology, Routledge, London. Web.

Santorelli, D 2014, Daft Punk: a trip inside the pyramid, St. Martin’s Press, New York. Web.

Williams, D & Webster, P 2006, Experiencing music technology, 3rd edn, Schirmer, Belmont, CA. Web.

Introduction

Fitness instructors are actively involved in the research and practical activities associated with finding the effective methods to improve the exercise behaviour and muscle performance. Music is actively discussed today as an effective method to be used in fitness or physical training and professional sports for enhancing muscle performance and athletes’ results. It is stated in recent researches that music can not only influence the athlete’s emotional state but also affect such physiological processes as the heart rate and respiration (Atkinson, Wilson & Eubank 2004, p. 611; Barwood et al. 2009, p. 435).

As a result, it is important to pay more attention to discussing the role of music heard in fitness rooms and at training grounds. The main purpose of this report is to provide the overview and analysis of the effects of music on the improvement of muscle performance. The report also provides the discussion of the approaches to using the positive connection between music and athletes’ performance in marketing and business environments.

Effects of Music on Enhancing Exercise Performance and Motivation

Music in Stimulating Physiological Processes

Recent researches provide much evidence to support the fact that music affects performance at the physiological level. In spite of the fact that in his research, Atan demonstrates that there no significant changes in anaerobic performance and results associated with performing physical activity while listening to the slow rhythm music or fast rhythm music, the other researchers provide a lot of evidence to state that music can increase the anaerobic performance significantly (Atan 2013, p. 36). Anaerobic and muscle performance are affected by music directly when athletes are focused on rhythm and tempo.

Moreover, the music tempo is often discussed as a main factor to affect changes in performance. According to Szabo and Hoban, fast-tempo music can influence persons’ performance effectively because of increasing the quality of training. The opposite effect has the slow-tempo music (Szabo & Hoban 2004, p. 39). The high music tempo and clear rhythm improve the motor coordination because of the synchronisation processes (Atkinson, Wilson & Eubank 2004, p. 611). Music can affect the exercise performance positively because it influences the brain activity, the speed of reactions, and a range of other neural and physiological processes.

Referring to the specific cardiovascular and respiratory responses to listening to music during the physical activities, it is important to note changes in the breath length and heart rate in 20% and 10%. Thus, the heart rate becomes slow, and respiratory activities stabilise affecting the quality of the exercise performance (Etzel et al. 2006, p. 57). About 60% of physically active sportsmen point at the increases in the oxygen intake during the physical activities. Researchers also observe significant decreases in the heart rate and blood pressure in more than 45% of the survey participants (Paulin, Aasa & Madison 2013, p. 783). Changes in athletes’ respiratory processes and heart rate are directly associated with changes with their muscle performance because of improving endurance performance.

One more positive effect of music on exercise performance is the changes in the focus on fatigue and relaxation processes. Music can be discussed as an important factor to stimulate the positive behavioural change. Listening to music affects the brain activity, and a person’s reactions to stimuli change (Pankseppa & Bernatzky 2002, p. 134). These facts can be used in improving the muscle performance while using music in order to affect the brain processes associated with the person’s attention. Thus, music improves performance in relation to simple motor tasks, reduces ratings of perceived exertion, and improves the energy efficiency.

Music in Affecting Psychological Functioning

In spite of focusing on the role of music for affecting the physiological processes, it is necessary to discuss the primary goal of using music in training which is the improvement of the emotional state. According to Crust, music directly influences the levels of psychological arousal because of associations and stimulating the person’s activity with the help of the melodic structure (Crust 2004, p. 985). Referring to Figure 1, it is possible to note that having a clear rhythmic pattern, cultural background, and provoking associations, music can affect the person’s mood, emotions, feelings, and behaviour

Thus, tempo and rhythm also influence the psychological state of an athlete. Researchers note significant reduction in the feeling of fatigue when high-tempo music is heard (Miller et al. 2010, p. 45). In order to evaluate the effect of music on the athletes’ performance during a 10-km time trial, Atkinson, Wilson, and Eubank assessed the changes in the measures during the period of a trial and asked participants to determine what factors influenced their muscle performance.

It was found that the cycling speed was improved during the first minutes of a trial, and the participants noted that performance improved because of focusing on the music’s tempo and rhythm. Furthermore, music decreased the participants’ fatigue (Atkinson, Wilson, & Eubank 2004, p. 611). As a result, the person’s muscle performance and psychological state improve significantly.

Music as the Motivational Factor

Stimulating changes in the psychological state of a person, music can be discussed as a strong motivational factor. The use of favourite music to accompany training activities improves the exercise performance of different people, in spite of their age, abilities, and gender. The key aspect is the focus on selecting the preferred music for training because the motivational role of music to enhance the muscle performance increases. Furthermore, the results related to the perceived effort decrease while reducing the rates of experienced fatigue (Lin & Lu 2013, p. 389). Referring to Figure 2, it is possible to discuss the motivational quality of music which is observed in increasing the arousal control, perceived effort decrease, and improved mood.

Music in Rehabilitation Process and Working with Motor Behaviour Disorders

Health and fitness professionals refer to using music in their training because of the music effects on working with orthopaedic, neuromuscular disorders, and motor behaviour disturbances. Furthermore, rehabilitation associated with music therapy is also effective for patients with Parkinson’s disease. Music is discussed as the effective rhythmic stimulus to improve persons’ motor skills.

According to Pacchetti and the group of researchers, the effectiveness of adding music to the rehabilitation training and therapy is high, with significance in p <.0001 (Pacchetti et al. 2000, p. 386). Motor improvements and the progress in working with different types of disorders are observed regularly. While listening to the rhythmic music patients with orthopaedic, neuromuscular, and motor disorders are able to perform middle-intensity exercises because of the focus on the synchronization effect.

Music in Stimulating Maximal Muscle Performance

Music is also discussed as a critical factor to stimulate athletes’ maximal muscle performance. Fitness instructors and professional trainers are interested in making sportsmen and clients faster, more active, and more productive. It is stated in many researches that the connection between the use of music and improvement in performance is direct that is why the use of auditory stimuli is prohibited during competition to avoid the provision of the additional advantage. Music can reduce fatigue and increase endurance in 48%, muscle tension also decreases, and the physical strength increases (Nakamura et al. 2010, p. 257). As a result, athletes receive a chance to demonstrate maximal muscle performance.

That is why, the effects of music on maximal muscle performances are researched by many investigators because of the great potential of using music as the additional motivational tool for increasing the performance results. Jarraya and the group of researchers focused on evaluating the ergogenic effects of using music with references to short-term supramaximal exercises and P_peak and P_mean measures. It was found that the results increased in relation to 4.1 ± 3.6 and 4.0 ± 3.7 W·kg⁻¹ for P_peak and P_mean measures (Jarraya et al. 2012, p. 234). Thus, it is possible to state that music also affects the supramaximal and maximal performance because of influencing the psychomotor arousal and stimulating activities.

The Effectiveness of Using Music in Professional Training Activities and Fitness Clubs

Music in Professional Training

Music is an important motivational factor which influences the quality of the exercise and the person’s performance. In order to enhance people to use music in their training, it is necessary to demonstrate the advantages of listening to music while doing exercises (Karageorghis & Priest 2012, p. 45). According to Rendi, Szabo, and Szabo, music is an effective tool to increase productivity and stimulate the persons’ activity in both outdoor and indoor sessions (Rendi, Szabo & Szabo 2008, p. 175). Having used music in training sessions, Paulin, Aasa, and Madison asked the participants to record the changes in their attitudes to physical training and to their bodies. It was found that the majority of participants chose to focus on further training (Figure 3; Paulin, Aasa & Madison 2013, p. 790)

Marketing Approaches to Using Music

Athletes and client in fitness clubs demonstrate better results and high motivation to be trained while using players and listening to FM stations because of not focusing on their fatigue and duration of the exercise. This idea is presented in the surveys conducted by Bernatsky and the group of researchers, by Lin and Lu, and by Pankseppa and Bernatzky (Bernatsky et al. 2004, p. 4; Lin & Lu 2013, p. 388; Pankseppa & Bernatzky 2002, p. 133). Understanding that music contributes to increasing the person’s motivation, positive changes in the mood, and improves exercise performance, fitness professionals are focused on promoting the active use of different technological devices in their training activities.

Using personal music players such as iPod or MP3 players, it is possible to select and listen to the music which addresses the subjective preferences and can work effectively to increase the personal results and muscle performance. Today, a variety of small and lightweight personal music players are proposed in the market, and there is the space to expand the market (Barney, Gust & Liguori 2012, p. 23; Crust 2004, p. 985).

More attention should be paid to designing headphones and earbuds which do not prevent the athletes from doing their exercises. Furthermore, the advantages of using music in training are often presented in visuals and video. Many fitness clubs and centres use music to accompany training activities, demonstrate video accompanied with popular audio tracks, and use visuals presenting athletes during their training sessions with players and headphones.

Conclusion

The use of music in training is an important factor to stimulate the increase in muscle performance because music has the complex effect on the athlete’s organism. The first obvious effect is the changes in physiological and neural processes. As a result, persons’ performance improves, and the feeling of fatigue becomes reduced. The next positive effect is the increased motivation. Listening to the preferred music, persons’ mood increases, they try to follow the rhythm of melodies, and the perception of the context of physical activities changes according to associations.

The use of music should be promoted in fitness centres and training clubs because music can stimulate persons to achieve higher results while affecting their maximal performance. Furthermore, professionals in rehabilitation training can also use music in order to stimulate persons’ motor skills. Thus, music affects all the aspects of training positively, and it improves muscle performance significantly. That is why, players and headphones are important parts of the athletes’ equipment during training sessions.

References

Atan, T 2013, ‘Effect of music on anaerobic exercise performance’, Biology of Sport, vol. 20, no. 1, pp. 35–39.

Atkinson, G, Wilson, D & Eubank, M 2004, ‘Effects of music on work-rate distribution during a cycling time trial’, International Journal of Sports Medicine, vol. 25, no. 8, pp. 611-615.

Barney, D, Gust, A & Liguori, G 2012, ‘College Students’ Usage of Personal Music Players (PMP) During Exercise’, Journal of Research in Health, Physical Education, Recreation, Sport & Dance, vol. 7, no. 1, pp. 23-26.

Barwood, M, Weston, N, Thelwell, R & Page, J 2009, ‘A Motivational Music and Video Intervention Improves High-Intensity Exercise Performance’, Journal of Sports Science Medicine, vol. 8, no. 3, pp. 435–442.

Bernatsky, G, Bernatsky, P, Hesse, H-P, Staffen, W & Ladurner, G 2004, ‘Stimulating music increases motor coordination in patients afflicted with Morbus Parkinson’, Neuroscience Letters, vol. 361, no. 1, pp. 4-8.

Crust, L 2004, ‘Carry-over effects of music in an isometric muscular endurance task’, Perceptual Motor Skills, vol. 98, no. 1, pp. 985-991.

Etzel, J, Johnsen, E, Dickerson, E, Tranel, D & Adolphs, R 2006, ‘Cardiovascular and respiratory responses during musical mood induction’, International Journal of Psychophysiology, vol. 61, no. 1, pp. 57-69.

Jarraya, M, Chtourou, H, Aloui, A, Hammouda, O & Chamari, K 2012, ‘The Effects of Music on High-intensity Short-term Exercise in Well Trained Athletes’, Asian Journal of Sports Medicine, vol. 3, no. 4, pp. 233–238.

Karageorghis, C & Priest, D 2012, ‘Music in the exercise domain: a review and synthesis’, International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 44-46.

Lin, J & Lu, F 2013, ‘Interactive Effects of Visual and Auditory Intervention on Physical Performance and Perceived Effort’, Journal of Sports Science & Medicine, vol. 12, no. 3, pp. 388–393.

Miller, T, Swank, A, Manire, J, Robertson, R & Wheeler, B 2010, ‘Effect of music and dialog on perception of exertion, enjoyment, and metabolic responses during exercise’, International Journal of Fitness, vol. 6, no. 1, pp. 45-52.

Nakamura, P, Pereira, G, Papini, C, Nakamura, F & Kokubun, E 2010, ‘Effects of preferred and nonpreferred music on continuous cycling exercise performance’, Perceptual and Motor Skills, vol. 110, no. 1, pp. 257-264.

Pacchetti, C, Mancini, F, Aglieri, R, Fundarò, C, & Martignoni, E 2000, ‘Active music therapy in Parkinson’s disease: an integrative method for motor and emotional rehabilitation’, Psychosomatic Medicine, vol. 62, no. 3, pp. 386-393.

Pankseppa, J & Bernatzky, G 2002, ‘Emotional sounds and the brain: the neuro-affective foundations of musical appreciation’, Behavioural Processes, vol. 60, no. 1, pp. 133-155.

Paulin, J, Aasa, U & Madison, G 2013, ‘Physical and psychological effects from supervised music exercise’, American Journal of Health Behavior, vol. 37, no. 6, pp. 780-793.

Rendi, M, Szabo, A & Szabo, T 2008, ‘Performance enhancement with music in rowing spring’, The Sport Psychologist, vol. 22, no. 1, pp. 175-182.

Szabo, A & Hoban, L 2004, ‘Psychological effects of fast-and slow-tempo music played during volleyball training in a national league team’, International Journal of Applied Sport Science, vol. 16, no. 1, pp. 39-48.