Music is powerful. It calms and it empowers. According to myriad sources, including SuperConsciousness, eMedExpert, and World Of Psychology, music changes humans.  Without music, the world would be a different place. People would not be who they are today; they would not have the same feelings and memories. Lives are changed by music and people are controlled. People change what they do and how they do it because of their music and it’s influence on them. Music changes people through their thinking capabilities, their emotions, and their actions.

First and foremost, mind of the listener changes through the music. Greatist found that “listening to music allowed test takers to complete more questions in the time allotted, and get more answers right,” which clearly explains that the mind is enhanced when music is listened to. This then means that people’s minds do in fact change while they are listening to music. Furthermore, Be Brain Fit says that learning music increases the learner’s IQ, increases language development, and increases the connectivity of the brain. These all directly correlate to the mind and its development or growth. Music can help people gain a better memory as well as increase focus. The way that people think and view the world changes; they gain different perspectives on the world around them.

Additionally, emotions are powerful. They affect individuals and everyone around that person. According to World Of Psychology, the music people listen to says a lot about who they are. They listed a few people who thought that they were one way, but their musical preferences described other emotions that were bottled up. People often release emotions that they were feeling through the music that they listen to, such as dark or heavy music to express sadness or anger. While they may be using the music to help themselves, music also may control them. It controls through influencing our emotions. According to Best Binaural Beats, a person’s heartbeat will pulse in sync with the beat of the music which is being listening to, effectively changing the how fast or slow the listener’s heart is beating.  Best Binaural Beats declares that “A slow heartbeat with a strong diastolic pressure tells our brain that something sad or depressing is occurring.” In other words, when the brain recognizes a slow heartbeat from the rhythm of the sorrowful song and recognizes it as upsetting or depressing, thus making the listener feel an emotion which isn’t really theirs, it was created by the music. The brain is controlled by these music-induced emotions. Therefore, music is changing emotions and influencing the way a person feels. The emotions of a listener are warped by the music that they listen to.

However powerful emotions are, actions are ten times as powerful. Music influences how people act and how they interact with others. Creatid states that “when you're feeling a bit down, you can put on your favorite music and presto!: you feel better and are more inclined to take on something.” This shows that while sad music can induce sadness, exciting and peppy music can create confidence which can destroy just as much as depression. If someone is overconfident and tries to do something that they can’t, then that person may get seriously hurt, mentally or physically. When one person or a group of people undertake a task which ends badly, it affects those around them and the music has then caused pain amongst many people through the original listener. As discussed in an article by Psychological Science, the music that is playing while a consumer is browsing a menu or a store will change what they want to buy, what they remember, and how much they will pay for different items. A study was conducted with a menu, four rooms, 120 college students, and three different musical groups (one room had no music) from around the world. After they were allowed to view the menu, the students were asked to recall what was on the menu and give a hypothetical order. The room they were in changed what their results were. They were likely connecting the music to the food, and music is often used to help people remember memories. The music also helped them notice what was on the menu. Music changes how people act. People don’t realize it, but the music that they listen to affects how they act and how they see the world.

In conclusion, music is extremely important. A significant amount of evidence that exists points towards the fact that it controls people. Their thoughts are shaped by music, their emotions changed. People act differently because of the music they listen too. Without music, everyone on the planet would be different. The world would not grow or change; it would be static. As Bono, the lead singer for U2, said, “Music can change the world because it can change people.”

WORKS CITED

Alban, Deane. "How Music Affects the Brain for the Better." BeBrainFit. N.p., n.d. Web. Fall
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"Background Music Influences Buying Behavior." Association for Psychological Science. N.p.,
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Bono. "Quote." BrainyQuote. N.p., n.d. Web.

Drossaert, Ray. "Can Music Change the Way We Think and Act?" Creatid. N.p., 30 Apr. 2007.
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"The Effect Music Has on the Brain." Examined Existence. N.p., n.d. Web.

Feiles, Nathan. "How Music Impacts, Helps Our Emotions." World of Psychology. N.p., 07 Aug.
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"How Music Affects Our Mood." BestBinuaralBeats. N.p., n.d. Web.