In this large world that never stops spinning, sounds alike never stop filling the air. Whether that be night or day, sounds are always at work. When these sounds are produced with creativity and individuality into patterns, music is created. Music has accompanied every generation of human evolution. From the periods of traditional cultural music to categorized classical music, music continuously plays a part in human life. To the present day, the power of music continues to spread and create change in society worldwide. Even though the presence of music around people is never lacking, few are aware of its impact on them. Little are aware of music’s significance and its power to change lives. Through the different elements of music, such as instruments, rhythms, melodies, and lyrics, music has the ability to shift people’s perspectives and lives. More precisely, music heavily impacts the well-being of young people elaborated in, “The impact of a community-based music intervention on the health and well-being of young people: A realist evaluation” by the Health and Social Care in the Community research group. Music is crucial to the development of personal growth in young people.

The article, “The impact of a community-based music intervention on the health and well-being of young people: A realist evaluation” published on December 25, 2019, was written by a group of four researchers of the Health and Social Care in the Community. The first author, Francesca Calo is a senior lecturer in management at the Department of Public Leadership & Social Enterprise who research interests in health, well-being, and social care. Artur Steiner, the second author of this article, is a professor of social entrepreneurship and community development who tackles inequality and works to empower individuals and communities. The second author is followed by Stephen Millar, a lecturer in anthropology and ethnomusicology who focuses heavily on the social impact of music making. The fourth author of this article is Simon Teasdale, a professor of public policy and organization who develops a culture of social innovation and draws upon a range of qualitative and quantitative data methods. In this article, the four researchers worked collaboratively to determine the creditability of music’s impact on the well-being of young people through a real-life experiment and examination. Twenty-seven disadvantaged young people ranging from the age of twelve to seventeen with different backgrounds and experiences were put into sixteen music-making sessions. Through the use of logos and repetition of each segment of the evaluation, the mixed method research concluded that music can increase confidence in one. Additionally, the mechanisms portrayed the creation of new opportunities for those individuals as music greatly encouraged them.

Music has the ability to build safe connections between people. Interacting with people who share similar interests in music helps establish new relationships. These relationships exist between different communities of people with contrasting ages and backgrounds generating a sense of safetyness. When people acknowledge that there are others who differ and understand their perspectives, they feel reassured. For instance, one of the participants was able to transform the difficulty of building trust in the beginning due to the close connection they were able to develop with other participants and music staff. The participant reset his mindset to, “I can trust people again and these people aren’t going to judge me from what’s happened before. They’re going to judge me for me and the person that I put over now” (Calo et al. 993). In other words, after engaging with staff and participants who understood him, he was not afraid to truly present himself. As music generates a safe space of connectedness between people, creativity and understanding is sparked. In such a setting, one will feel encouraged to strive to accomplish more. In addition, when young people can drop the constant worry of judgment through trust, they are capable of expressing themselves to pursue more in the long run. Once one is able to express oneself, stress can also be released whether that is through creating music with others or consulting with others. As a result, young people will slowly develop their confidence through these relationships helping them better understand themselves, which is a significant factor in their personal growth.

In the articles, “Study Shows Music is Becoming More Negative” by Kyana Early and “The harmonious connection: exploring the impact of music on the brain” by Abigail Keller, instances of music’s influence on people are explored. Published on April 24, 2024, the first source mentioned is written by Kyana Early, a journalist who concentrates on entertainment and pop culture issues. Through her exploration, she found that music has had negative impacts on groups of people, particularly younger groups. Using ethos through an interview with an up-to-trend college student, the journalist concludes with the concept of the negative influence music possesses in the present. This idea was supported by the publicity of music, which leads younger groups who are vulnerable to influence to believe that negative meanings and doings in music are acceptable. In the second source published on December 6, 2023, the writer Abigail Keller is a senior at Apex North Carolina with five years plus of experience in journalism. The concepts that she explored in her article were the impacts music has on the brain and how that positively influences the way people act. By using rhetorical questions and logos, Abigail Keller explores the connection music builds in people’s brains, affecting people’s emotions and health. 

The behavior and perspectives of people are influenced by music. As music is open to listeners and creators alike, it can comprise negative or positive ideas. When music containing negative ideas becomes a trend in society, people will believe that such ideas are acceptable. Precisely under the circumstances that people follow and admire what their favorite artists do. For instance, the up-to-trend college student stated that “if their favorite artist is talking about something negative in a song it will probably influence their actions to be more negative because children are so easily influenced” (Early 1). That is to say, as young people tend to be persuaded more easily, they are likely to normalize what they have been exposed to whether or not such ideas are proper. As a result, younger populations will start to implement those perspectives into their own minds, believing they are justifiable. While looking up to their preferred artists who may stand towards violent topics of music presented in society, they will start unconsciously accepting those doings and topics. Hence, they will begin to defend the violent behavior and perspectives they have adapted from influence. Though lyrics and meanings in music play a huge impact on the population, the smaller elements of sounds also have a large role. When music waves enter the brain, the nervous system reacts differently based on the type of music. As Keller states, “When exposed to slow beat music, the parasympathetic nervous system is stimulated, decreasing the heart rate, and while listening to fast beat music the sympathetic nervous system is stimulated and increases the heart rate” (Keller 1). The pace of music stimulates the nervous system to act differently, affecting the way people function. Listening to faster-paced music will increase heart rate and is often linked to the emotions of joy while listening to slow-paced music will decrease the heart rate frequently linked with a sense of relaxation and restfulness. Therefore, when one has a greater joyful emotion, they are more likely to think and act positively. Even when one may be listening to softer and sorrowful music, a calmer space is created for them to release their stress and negative emotions in. Based on the preferences of individuals, the type of music they listen to greatly influences their perspective and behavior. Contrasting with the article by Early, Keller focused on the impact of the sounds of preferred music on people’s brains. On the other hand, Early concentrated on the impact trends and songs’ meanings have on people. While people are profoundly influenced by trends and artists, trends are not always agreed with by all communities. As people have their own selections, oftentimes, music with negative connotations may not affect their views and actions. However, the different sounds and emotions evoked from music will consistently affect the brain and nervous system. As the brain and nervous system control one’s behaviors and thoughts, especially in younger populations where the brain is developing, music has the ability to impact the development of young people. Hence, the personal growth of young people is influenced by music.

To conclude, music constantly circulates the world. From the past to the present, music will continue to grow and expand to create a never-ending existence of creativity. It is a form of art that persists with the ongoing life of humans, sparking connections and inspiration. Despite people’s awareness of the impact music has on individuals, music is significant to the development of personal growth. The role of music significantly plays a big role in the development of young populations. Music has the ability to alter the behaviors and perspectives of younger individuals, shaping them during their growth period. Furthermore, music builds a safe bond and environment between people which leads to an increase of confidence that is crucial for young groups. Therefore, it is interesting to take into consideration how the different elements of music can shape the complex connections of society.

Works Cited

Calo, Francesca, et al. “The impact of a community‐based music intervention on the health and well‐being of young people: A realist evaluation.” Health & Social Care in the Community, vol. 28, Issue 3, 2019, pp. 988-997. Academic Search Complete, doi.org/10.1111/hsc.12931.

Early, Kyana. “Study Shows Music Is Becoming More Negative.” YR Media, yr.media/arts-culture/music/music-negative-lyrics-emotions-mental-health-kyana-early/.

Keller, Abigail. “The harmonious connection: exploring the impact of music on the brain.” UNC Media Hub, ​​mediahub.unc.edu/the-harmonious-connection-exploring-the-impact-of-music-on-the-brain/.