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Does Music Affect Emotions Essay

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Does Music Affect Emotions Essay
John A. Evans
Instructor: Wilson
English: 101-039
02/06/2013

Does music affect the emotional state of a person?
Have you ever walked into a room where music was playing while in a bad mood or emotional state, only to find you are humming along or singing to the music that is playing? Music affects the way we feel, and it can alter the current state of our emotional well-being just by listening to it. Often in everyday life, people overlook the importance that sounds make in our lives. With all of the issues and tasks that an individual tries to complete during their busy day, it’s no wonder that we often do not take the time to examine something as simple as the sounds that surround us and penetrate our minds, or the affect in which these sounds have on our current emotional state of mind. Music has a peculiar effect on the human mind. Tonal qualities by themselves do not create any extreme mental activity, yet when we combine them together into music, it may create flashbacks of strong memories, make a person feel happy, sad nostalgic, peaceful, excited, or even aggressive! Sound and melody have an intricate value to our emotional well-being as a whole, and also singularly per person. Music brings people together in the same spirit, such as a concert or a band that plays live performances. It’s hard to have the feeling of being alone while surrounded by a multitude of people all interested in the same subject! There have been concerts in which I attended, where it was difficult to sit still and just listen. The effects of the music were felt physically as well as emotionally. My heart rate increased, and there was felt an inner feeling of being happier and more energetic. A lot of people tend to use music as an emotional motivator when doing something they find tedious or hard, such as lifting weights, which is one way music affects myself. Although certain individuals may find this as a distraction while trying to complete a task or duty, instead

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