Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | RSS | Learn How to Subscribe
In this week’s episode of The Art of Personal Growth Podcast, I explore the power of music. We all know that music is powerful: it moves us to feel emotions, takes us back in time to a certain place, or inspires us to reach for our goals. Let’s dive deeper into how music makes all of this possible.
Subscribe on iTunes // Subscribe on Stitcher
Music’s Power Explained
In this week’s New & Noteworthy section, I review an article from Psychology Today by Courtney Lopresti: “Music’s Power Explained.” In the article, she discusses how hundreds of studies have shown that the power of music is more than a general idea we all believe: it’s scientifically proven. These studies have shown that listening to music can reduce anxiety, fight depression, and boost the immune system. The effects are so dramatic that there is a new branch of therapy which has been popping up: music therapy!
There’s also a scale for how to measure how we use music to regulate our emotions: the Music in Mood Regulation (MMR) scale is an empirically proven way to study and measure the relationship between the music we enjoy or use to help us feel a certain way, and the impact this has on our mood. Music’s powerful impact on our lives explains why nearly all of human history can be connected to music – and this will continue in the future too.
The Music of the Future
In this week’s featured TED Talk, I discussed the unusual talk given by Ge Wang, The DIY Orchestra of the Future. In the talk, Mr. Wang explores how music can be created in new, innovative, and unlikely ways, and how this unlocks the power for people to not only enjoy new kinds of music, but to make new kinds of music to express themselves.
Mr. Wang also discusses how music and technology have changed over time, and how historically, music was a much more communal experience – just think back to a family sitting around the radio to listen to a program together, or even farther back to sharing songs around a campfire after a long day on the wagon trail. Music has lost its communal elements, making us more passive listeners rather than active participants. In some ways, the role and impact of music is changing, and I set out to explore this idea further.
Self-Help Crash Test Dummy Experiment
Inspired by the idea that music can be a communal event as it used to be, I decided to attend the symphony. While this is a small town symphony near where I live, I had the chance to not only experience the beautiful music made by the performers and also to observe how the symphony was a very communal experience: families came together to talk before and after the show, musicians chatted before the performance began, and everyone connected through the live experience of enjoying the music.
This brings me to the one thing you can try this week: listen to classical music. As one of the oldest genres of music we still have easy access to, you can find a great playlist, radio station, or live performance anywhere you are. If listening to classical music isn’t your thing, try watching Mozart in the Jungle, an Amazon Prime show about a symphony in San Francisco. Don’t have Amazon Prime? Use my special Amazon link (affiliate link) to sign up for 30 FREE days, and you’ll support The Art of Personal Growth Podcast at the same time.
Thanks for Listening!
Thanks for joining me this week. I’d love to hear your thoughts, please leave an honest review for The Art of Personal Growth podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are super helpful to tailoring the content of the show and I read them all! They also matter in the rankings of the show.
Don’t forget to subscribe to The Art of Personal Growth Podcast. Click one of the links below to do so.
Subscribe on iTunes // Subscribe on Stitcher
If you enjoyed this episode, please share it on the social media! This week’s hashtags are #ItsMyJam and #TAoPGP18.
