Music and Emotions

Hey guys welcome back to the blog that comes with free samples of air! I have to say this week has been as busy for me as a dung beetle in an outhouse. I can safely say that after a week of fire threats and evacuations, the town of Springwood has had some good fortune come to it. Thanks to the firies volunteers, and chopper pilots the fires are dieing down and life is starting to return to normal. I just hope that those who have lost things due to the fires will be compensated and will be alright. The Aussie spirit really shines through adversity.

Anyone notice how music makes us feel? Whether it be in a romantic movie, during a scene of passion or during an epic boss battle in a video game where the music makes your blood pump and the hairs on your skin stand on end. Music is an amazing medium, it enable us to visualise scenes, actions and brings out so many emotions inside of us! Today I'll talk to you about music from different genres and if we have time, we will go into music in movies and video games.

Music in the soul can be heard by the universe. ~Lao Tzu

Music is truly a wondrous thing. It doesn't matter what song, anthem, overture or melody we hear, music can be enjoyed by anyone on any wave length. Music can touch people in ways they can't imagine, it is said to be the language of emotion. I know people who are music therapists, using music as therapy to help people with autism. Music is used to help people relax and meditate or scream and yell to heavy metal tune. People have been in awe hearing an orchestra play something as strange as the Mario theme. Lastly most of us know about buskers, the people in the world who brighten up our days just a little as we head to and from work.

So what goes in to a song that gives it it's own unique feel? Well there different types of features or structures that do this.

 Firstly there is tempo, tempo is the speed of a musical piece. The different speeds can convey either happiness, anger or excitement on the fast side of the spectrum.  Good examples of this include the 1812 Overture, Herb albert's 'Zorba the Greek' and the invincibility music from Super Mario. On the slower side music can convey sadness or serenity. Good examples of this tempo include the theme from Chariots of Fire, Herb Albert's 'South of the Border' or theme for Music World in Rayman Origins.


On our second part of what helps emotions through music is Mode. Music pieces have tonality to them. Modes are used to either convey joys and happiness or disappointment and sadness. Take for instance the Eurhythmics song 'Would I Lie to You' it can convey excitement and a slight bit of anger. If you listen to Gerry Rafferty's song 'Baker Street' there is a feeling to it, of sadness. Mr Rafferty mentioned in an interview that back when he was writing the song, he was leaving his old band Stealers Wheel and his everyday life was someone suing someone else. The only joy he had was from meeting his friend, sitting down and chatting while playing the guitar. I personally thought with that much sax it was about a girl, but looks like I was wrong!

On the third part of our musical adventure we have loudness. Yes loudness does count. Haven't you ever heard an orchestral version of a song and nearly fall out of your chair by its sheer amplitude? When it comes to the different variations  if the sounds are intense, we can feel power or anger. If the music is more mellow or soft it can be perceived as tenderness, sadness or fear. The loudness of the music can change and may mean playfulness or pleading. On the other hand if there is little to no change it may mean peace or sadness. Geeze all this sadness in music. Did everyone who wrote music break up with their partners? If you are interested in finding out more about this, just listen to the 'William Tell Overture' it has more ups and downs than Emily Emotions bouncing on a trampoline.

As we reach the second last item, I realise this will have to be a two parter. Melody is our next item on the agenda. Melody is the range of notes that make the song. A wide range of notes can imply joy, whimsicalness or even uneasiness. On the other hand a smaller or narrower range can show us tranquility, sadness or triumph! Not only that, these harmonies can be put together. If they are complimenting we end up with feelings of happiness and serenity. We also end up forming a scene at the start of a musical piece and if the whole musical piece comes together in a complimenting way our final result is a full story of the picture we started with. When the harmonies clash, the resulting feeling conveyed can be of excitement or anger! Unlike the complimenting harmonies, the clashing harmonies can make us feel confused, by the end of the song we feel like we have been putting a jigsaw puzzle together only to be missing that last piece of the puzzle. Take for example Big Audio Dynamite's Rush, hell as the song says, it's about rhythm and melody!

Ever wondered why daft punk or dub step is so popular? I myself am a big fan of daft punk. I however don't get dub step. Any song or soundtrack will use this last item. What is that item you ask? Well I'm not going to tell you! Oh wait, sorry I was thinking about my journal, that bastard is a nosy prick! The last item is rhythm. Smooth consistent rhythms are always linked with happiness and peace. If the rhythm is rough or irregular, people can feel amusement or uneasiness. But that's not all! We also have varied rhythm which can imply joy. The reason why so many classic video games have music that we can remember, is because their rhythm is simple and uncomplicated. It is almost like being able to tell what the rhythm is going to be if you succeed or fail at a certain stage of the game. In normal everyday life if we hear a simple rhythm that is to our liking it can help us go through the day in a more confident manner. We can also hear a disagreeable rhythm that will have us on edge because we can't get it out of our heads.

Tempo, mode, loudness, melody and rhythm are all foundation bricks that go into building a wall of sound. When we mix all the above bricks together, we get a musical piece that can make us as joyous as young girl skipping in the meadows, or as sad as a fan girl missing out on meeting her dream actor. As Aspies we need music for when we are having meltdowns or when we can't concentrate. Just remember I'm not a musical archivist or a professor at university with 40 years of professional music experience. I'm just a blogging Aspie that has a fondness for music and how it brings out emotions in us.

If you have any thoughts on music and emotions, any suggestions on songs or anything about Aspergers Syndrome or Autism, pop a comment down below or email me at thomaskuzma91@gmail.com

So that brings us to the end of another blog. Tune in next week to find out who stole the holy grail, where the Bermuda Triangle is, and other stuff I have no clue about and won't answer! However you will find out more about music and the emotions and how good it is for you soul, next week on the Tommy K blog!