The enhancing effects of music on happiness

This thesis examines the heightening effects of music on happiness.Music is the purest signifier of art. It can be said that it has an impact on about everyone. Certain pieces of music have a restful consequence, while others stimulate us to move, and some cause alteration in or stress our temper. This work specifically concentrates on how listening to different sorts of music can increase the degree of felicity and the factors associated with it.

Specifying Music

The word music fundamentally comes from the Greek word “ mousike ” intending art of the muses.As by and large percieved, music is one of the all right humanistic disciplines which is concerned with the combinition of sounds with beauty of signifier and the look of idea or feeling.It can be defined as vocal or instrumental sounds holding some grade of beat, tune and harmoniousness. Harmonizing to the Australian Oxford lexicon ( 2004 ) , music is “ the art of uniting vocal or instrumental sounds ( or both ) to bring forth beauty of signifier, harmoniousness and look of emotion ” . The Collins lexicon ( 2000 ) relates music as “ an art signifier consisting of sequences of sounds in clip, particularly tones of definite pitch organized melodically, harmonically, rhythmically and harmonizing to colour ” . Music is besides known as, “ the art of uniting sounds so as to delight the ear ” ( Chamber ‘s dictionary,1987 ) .

Music is besides viewed as an art that is hard to bind down. Harmonizing to Wikipedia, the definition of music varies harmonizing to civilization and societal context. The creative persons may see music as a executing art, a all right art, and an audile art.William Sheakspeare has defined it as as the “ nutrient of psyche ” .Humanistic psychologists view music as a agency of ego fulfilment, integrating and ego actualiztion.For existentialists it is another section of pick and freedom. Music in any signifier has a cosmopolitan entreaty, like an international linguistic communication, it is understood and spoken everyplace, and its appeal and perforating power can non be denied. ( Malik, M.S. , 1983 ) .

Components of Music

Harmonizing to a physicist ‘s point of position, music consists of a set of a set of sounds with peculiar frequences, amplitudes, and timbers which are organized into extremely predictable forms. The societal and cultural significances by people turn these sounds into music ( Hargreaves, D. J and North, A. C. , 2000 ) .The constituents of music are,

Musical note is a individual sound of definite pitch and continuance which can be identified in authorship.

Rhythm, is the agreement of sounds in clip, this agreement is a complex agreement of notes into a mixture of short and long continuances within a individual saloon or a series of bars. Regular pulse groupings are called bars or steps. Rhythm is one of the most cardinal characteristics of many manners of music, particularly wind and hip-hop ( Lerdahl & A ; Jackendoff, 1983 ) .

Scale, is a patterned advance of notes in an rise or falling order.

Tune or melody assembles a series of notes into recognizable musical forms. The notes of a tune are created with regard to flip systems such as graduated tables. A tune normally though non needfully possesses beat. The beat of a tune is frequently based on the tones of linguistic communication, the physical beat of dance or merely periodic whippings. ( Narveson, 1984 ) .

The round of a piece of music is its regular pulsation, determined by the saloon lines by which music are metrically determined.

Pitch, is the tallness or deepness of a note in relation to other notes or in relation to an absolute pitch. The absolute pitch has internationally been set at A=400 Hz that is, the A above the in-between degree Celsius has a frequence of 440 rhythms or quivers per second. Pitch is determined by the sound ‘s frequence of quiver. The procedure of delegating note names to pitches is called tuning. The difference in frequence between two pitches is called an interval. The interval indicates either the doubling or halving of the base frequence. ( Machlis & A ; Kristine, 2007 )

Harmony is the survey of perpendicular plangencies in music. A perpendicular plangency refers to sing the relationship between pitches that are together. Harmony can besides be implied by tunes that outline a harmonic construction. A larger construction affecting multiple pitches is called a chord ( Darmschroder & A ; Williams, 1990 ) .Harmony in music can be analyzed through Roman numerical system. A system of chord symbols is used in popular and wind music. ( Friberg, 1991 ) .

Musical texture is the overall sound of a piece of music.It is described as the figure of parts or lines and their relationship. The sensed texture of a musical piece can be affected by the interval between each musical line, the timber of instruments or the figure of instruments used. Monophony, homophony and polyphonic letter include musical textures. Monophony is the texture of a tune. The texture of homophony is achieved when a tune is accompanied by chords. The tune in homophony is normally voiced in high notes. Polyphony consists of several coincident tunes of equal importance ( Temperly, 2001 ) . Form, is a characteristic of musical theory that explores the construct of musical sentence structure, on a local and planetary degree. The sentence structure is frequently explained in footings of phrases and periods or subdivisions or genre severally. ( Juslin, 2003 ) .

1.1.2 Musical Instruments

The earliest and largest aggregation of prehistoric musical instruments was found in China and dates back to between 7000 and 6600 BC. ( Wikipedia ) .People of different civilizations have developed musical instruments of their ain distictive manner, the sounds of these instruments therefore, affect different prople differently.Some distict musical instruments are,

Sitar, it has been the male monarch of Indian tribunal music since 14th century. It is the alteration of an earlier instrument, the Keena.The sitar is made of teak, jackwood and a seasoned gourd.Its cervix towers above the participants head while it is played.It chiefly has six or seven playing strings running above the pess and below them, a twelve or so sympathetic strings, that set up a steady running echo.The sitar is played with a wireplectrum worn on the right finger of the sitarist.The sitar music is a universe in itself.Learning to play the instrument with proficiency demands ten or twelve old ages of intensive survey ( Bhattacharya, McDonald & A ; Carter,2008 ) .

Rebab, is the name for assorted Arabic bow twine instruments found in Islamic states. They occur normally with three strings in assorted forms like extended boats, trapezoid rectangles etc. The Rebab was both carried due easts and due wests with the spread of Islam ( Kartomi, 1990 ) .

Guitar is a twine instrument, originally brought to Spain by the Moors in the in-between ages. It has a level back. The modern instrument has six strings. The guitar is a popular instrument used to supply a simple choral achievement to a dance or a vocal.

Flute, is a cylindrical tubing closed at the upper terminal where these is a side hole, though which the participant bows air and makes the internal air column vibrate. The modern flute was mostly developed by T.Bohm, he made it possible to pierce finger-holes in right places. The flute did non come into general usage in chamber and orchestral music until eighteenth century ( Taylor, 1992 ) .

Saxs are classified as members of the individual reed household. Saxophone was invented in about 1840 by Adolph Sax, a Belgian instrument shaper. Saxs are regular members of dance sets military sets and are besides used to play typical solo in orchestral work. The sound of the saxophone is highly variable. Its timber being intermediate between wood and brass, it passes from the softness of flute over the wide, laid-back tone of cells to the metallic strength of the coronet ( Ingham, 1998 ) .

Drum, is the generic name for instruments dwelling of tegument stretched over a frame or vas and struck with the custodies or a sticks. The membranophone was introduced in the western universe through Greece ( Kinnear, 1985 ) .

Tabla, is a type of an oriental membranophone. It exists in different signifiers. The Indian tabular array is a individual headed membranophone resembling a little tympano, holding a similar sound. The Arabic tabla is beaten by the custodies and the tone is much drier than that of the Indian instrument ( Holroyde, 1972 ) .

Marimba is a set of tuned wooden bars beaten with sticks. The bars normally rest in a frame and are arranged in order of pitch. Most marimbas are provided with resonating chambers, either in the signifier of a cradle shaped box under the bars, or in the signifier of a separate calabash for each saloon calabash for each saloon. When playing the marimba, the participant uses mallets of assorted weights and hardness harmonizing to the quality of tone required. ( Nettl & A ; Bruno,1956 ) .

Piano, Classicism is the greatest and the best known period of piano music. The piano player uses a flexible system of levers connected by four articulations, brass knuckss, carpus, cubitus and shoulders. It can besides be played by puting the finger on the key and raising the arm somewhat in a relaxed action. Piano is a mechanical instrument through which the notes are produced by the work stoppage of keys ( Krumhansl, 1997 ) .

Violin is the most of import of the stringed instruments in the orchestra every bit good as in chamber and solo music. Its chief parts are the, organic structure dwelling of label sound board, back and ribs ( pavements ) , the finger board, threading holder, the span. The fiddle provides expressiveness runing from soft lyricality to extreme dramatic exhilaration and a sensitive timber ( Cremer, 1984 ) .

Harmonium is a keyboard instrument that sounds by agencies of thin metal linguas being set in quiver by a steady current of air which is provided by a brace of pedal operated bellows. The metal tongues act as free reeds. Modern organ can bring forth expressive graduations of sounds by agencies of the look halt. The organ was developed in the nineteenth century from a figure of experimental instruments ( Encyclop?dia Britannica ( 11th Ed. ) , 1911 ) .

Types of Music

The purpose of all music is to touch the nucleus of the bosom and therefore music can be called an look of our bosom ‘s expressions. Different types of music aid in comforting one ‘s disturbed psyche, in the growing of concentration and besides hearten us up to populate life to the fullest. There are assorted types of music as people have different gustatory sensations i.e. , classical music, stone, hip-hop, common people, opera, mystical etc. The nonsubjective behind listening to music remains the same.

Classical music is a complex signifier of music as it requires high musical accomplishments like larning the ragas and ability to organize with other instrumentalists.The one who wants to larn, he/she has to travel through proper preparation in this field of music ( Bhattacharyya, 2008 ) .

Rock music, originated in the stone n axial rotation epoch of 1950s. The vocalists are accompanied by a guitar, bass and membranophone. Certain stone groups use pianos, saxophones, flute, mandolin and sitar for a deeper consequence. This type of music has several subtypes such as difficult stone, progressive stone and metal stone. All these types of stone music are popular to day of the month. ( Warren, Romanowski & A ; Parles,2001 ) .

Hip-hop ( Pop-Music ) music ever includes the usage of instruments such as guitar, fiddle, violin, piano, bass and membranophones. In these types of music, the bass is the chief instrument. This can be used in different strengths to emote feelings of choler, pride and others. This type of music is the consequence of hip-hop civilization and is known as hip-hop music. This music shows a heavy influence of Jamaican music. The roots of the music are found in African American and West African music. ( Light, 1999 ) .

Folk music is a sort of traditional music that is handed down from coevalss in every civilization. Folk music shows the societal turbulence that lies among assorted categories of people. This besides portrays their battle for endurance and their civilization ( Bhattacharyya, 2008 ) .The term can be applied to music that has been evolved from fundamental beginnings by a community uninfluenced by popular and art music and it can similarly be applied to music which has originated with an single composer and has later been absorbed into the unwritten living tradition of a community. It is the re-fashioning and re-creation of the music by the community that gives it a folk character ( Lloyd, 1975 ) .

Opera music foremost emerged in Italy in the seventeenth century. This genre of music a singular combination of theatrical art and musical innovations and is specifically played in theaters. This has greater demand for its amusive orchestral addendums. The debut and interval of this music set the tone for the action on phase. ( Grout & A ; Williams, 2003 ) .

Mystic music Music is an effusion of the soulA .Mystic music includes broad, brooding, heartfelt, enchantment inducement and psychedelic sounds in such genres as infinite music, electronic, ambient, airy, acoustic, universe merger, classical, neo-classical, and even some progressive stone ; a mix of capturing drones, constructions, and beat. Mysterious music extends from Bach to sway. Mysterious music is that sort of heavy sound experience that lifts and awakens you above normal consciousness, even if merely for a few minutes. If you listen sensitively, it puts you in touch with your most particular memories and disregarded dreams. It is restful and good for your workss ( and your organic structure excessively ; non to advert your head, bosom and psyche ) . Mysterious music remains true to the original intent of music: to assist us reach the religious dimensions of life and uncover the secret to us ; and to, “ maintain the spirit alive ” ( Nasr, 1997 )

1.1.4 Effectss of Music

Music holds a really important place in our lives since the beginning.From the early beginning to the present twenty-four hours, involvement in music with mention to healing and therapeautic experiece has sustained ( Bartlett,1996 ) The qualities of music were known even in earliest times. Evidence suggests that dance and vocal preceded address. Research workers have found that about two-thirds of the interior ear ‘s cilia resonate merely at the higher frequences that are normally found in music ( 3,000 – 20,000 Hz ) . This seems to bespeak that crude worlds communicated chiefly through vocal or tone.India has one of the oldest musical traditions in the universe, mentions to Indian classical music ( marga ) can be found in the ancient Bibles of the Hindu tradition, the Vedas ( Wikipedia ) .

There are mentions to the godly confederation of music and medical specialty in classical antiquity and the mending map of much among crude people ( Schullian and Schoen,1948 ) . Recent work on music has confirmed the effectivity of music excessively. This is of the fact that music can trip Endorphins in human organic structure that help the head in making sound images, leting people to get away into a painless universes sheltered by their imaginativenesss. Music can rush up or decelerate, regulate or upset our bosom round, relax or strain the nervousnesss, can impact digestion, respiration and blood force per unit area ( Tame,1984 )

Ansdell ( 1995 ) says that we make and experience music because or organic structure is made up of cells, variety meats, and musculuss that have pulsations and tones, tensenesss and declarations of the tensions.Emotions portion with music the qualities of velocity force onslaught and intensity.It has besides been suggested that music could be a powerful tool to utilize within neuro-disability and the construction of music can assist form and recover information. ( Taylor, 1992 ) . In many cases it has been found that people with encephalon related jobs were able to work in better ways while being exposed to music. ( Erdonmez, 1993 ; Nordoff & A ; Robbins, 1997 ) . Mc Carty ( 1999 ) described how music could cut down negative emotions and increase positive emotions in healthy every bit good as clinically sick people. In the words of Janet Towell ( 2000 ) , “ Music can comfort the psyche, excite the emotions and supply a sense of cultural individuality ” . Music can diminish hurting and depression while increasing temper and ego esteem. A survey showed that pacing affected rousing while manner of the music affected the temper ( Husain, Thompson & A ; Schelenburg, 2002 ) .

Well cape is a merchandise of healthy organic structure, head, spirit interactions, and, as a consequence music can an of import plus in making the appropriate environment for individuals ‘ healing ( Stewart, 1990 ) .Music ‘s entreaty to us is chiefly emotional and psychological. Music has been noted for its ability to heighten people ‘s tempers, travel them to cryings, make them desire to joy or merely travel them emotionally in both negative and positive ways ( Goldstein, A, 1980 ) . Radocy and Boyle ( 1979 ) suggest that there are eight types of affectional responses to music.Some of these relate to an unconditioned centripetal perceptual experience of the sound while others are associted with images, experiences and emotional context of these experiences.These responses may include simple feelings ; negative and positive organic feelins ; moral spiritual feelings and emotions and tempraments.Because of this entity, music frequently can assist people in facing issues which they have non dealt earlier in their lives.This is because of the association between the events of our yesteryear with the peculiar piece of music ( Bright,1993 ; Levine, 1999 ; Ortiz,1997 ) .

Stewart ( 1990 ) believes that music is an affectional curative agent under the right fortunes as it can “ allign forms of emotion, constructions of conciousness and /or psychic energy ” ( P.62 ) .It does non appeal to logic and seldom meets with rational resistence to iniciate its actions ( Guzzetta, 1995 ) .Music can assist us to originate psychological motion by modifying our mental provinces and prompting us towards more positive avowals such as sad to cheerfull, discouraged to hopefull, or field to peaceful.Music has an indispensable ability to make another universe of practical clip ( Blaking,1990 ) .Menuhin ( 1972 ) reveals furthur that “ Music creates order out of pandemonium, for beat imposes unanimity upon the divergent, tune imposes continuity among the disjointed, and harmoniousness imposes compatibility among the incongruous.Listening to music can make and spread out out internal infinite where we can withdraw from the norms and the world of the world.This is achieved by making an internal inventive universe of sound which is rich in symbolism and personal significance, and leting us to revisit the emotional context of peculiar memories ( Bunt,1996 ) .

Harmonizing to Sloboda ( 1989 ) , the ground most of us take portion in musical activities is that music is capable of eliciting in us deep and important emotions.These emotions range from the aeshetic delectation in sound building, through emtions such as joy or sorrow which music sometimes enhances to simple alleviation from ennui of depression.The music itself can non hold excess musical significance unless the experience to which it refers already exists in the head of the listener.When music has similar connexions with human life, so it can do people more cognizant of feelings they experienced by escalating the emotions.Particular music can assist in traveling painful memories or the unsolved issues in life.Stor ( 1992 ) besides refers this rousing as being a status of heightned watchfulness, consciousness, involvement and excitement.He besides believes that apart from the dealingss between seeing an emotional rousing, the relation between hearing and emotional rousing is stronger.

Campball ( 1992 ) , observed that when we communcate with the emotional Centres of our being such as through the usage of music, we can break cut down emphasis and accomplish a sense of welbeing.Music can besides assist in accomplishing peace and relaxation ( Ortiz,1997 ) . Diamond ( 1979 ) suggests that music can be an of import portion of primary preventive wellness attention at a psychosocial degree. Bunt ( 1996 ) shows that how music can be used to help people in recognizing their feelings, traveling beyond their mundane experiences, deciding injuries and hurting and measuring important unrecorded events. Music can besides arouse memories of the emotional context of past events and times and assistance people to research issues for a different angle and recovering events and emotions. Music evokes non merely the memories of past clip but besides the emotional context of those times ( Bunt,1997 ) .It has been reported that music is an activity that the healthy impaired talented and interested enjoy, because it provides them with a alleviation from their emphasis, anxiousness, depression and bereavement ( Blacking,1995 ) .Music coupled with personal attending and attention of other people, can supply satisfaction and reconstruct a sense of worth to people who may be sing depression or low self-esteem ( Crystal, Grober & A ; Masur,1989 ) .

Harmonizing to Spingte ( 1998 ) , music is the most intense agencies of emotional communicating. In position of Hallan, S & A ; Price, J. ( 1998 ) , quieting music led to better participant public presentation on arithmetic and memory undertakings. Music can “ aline forms of emotions, constructions of consciousness and / or psychic energy ” ( Stewart, 1990 ) .

Therefore, music has great influences on a hearer. It can take the head and organic structure to make self-generated things whether they are good or bad. Depending on the type of music and the interior message it has, music can act upon a individual and his/her actions ( Cassidy, 2008 ) .

Happiness

There has been a rush of involvement in Positive Psychology during the last one-fourth of this century. There has been a immense sum of involvement and research on felicity, wellbeing and satisfaction among all positive Fieldss ( Diener 1995 ) .The authoritative definition of felicity by Jeremy Bentham ( 1800s ) is that felicity is “ the amount of pleasances and strivings ” .

HappinessA is a province of head or experiencing characterized by contentment, love, satisfaction, pleasance, orA joy.It is a positive emotional province that is defined by every individual on a subjective degree. The term subjective wellbeing is used as a equivalent word for felicity. Happiness is defined as an overall assessment of life, where the good and the bad is balanced ( Diener & A ; Scolon, 2003 ) . Happiness in this older sense was used to interpret the Greek Eudemonia, and is still used in virtuousness moralss. ( Wikipedia ) .

Happiness is a belief about yourself and the outside universe. You can be making something you usually see as enjoyable but non be happy. Pleasure is born from the external universe ; felicity is born from the internal workings of our ain heads. Martin Seligman, ( 2002 ) one of the laminitiss of positive psychological science, describes felicity as consisting of “ positive emotions ” and “ positive activities ” . He categorizes emotions related to the yesteryear, present and future. Positive emotions associating to the past include satisfaction, contentment, pride and repose. Positive emotions associating to the future include optimism, hope and trust.

Veenhoven ( 1997 ) has defined felicity or subjective wellbeing as the grade to which one Judgess the quality of his life favourably. Harmonizing to Schwartz and Strack ( 1999 ) , even really minor incidents in life can impact the degree of felicity.

The findings of a Pakistani research have shown that figure of happy people is more than that of unhappy people and that the eastern people have higher degrees of felicity than western people. Work satisfaction, societal support, spiritual association, societal category, income degree, and matrimonial position and satisfaction were found to be forecasters of felicity ( Suhail, & A ; Chaudary, 2004 ) .Individual differences in the degrees of felicity besides have significance.

Theories of felicity

The theories of felicity have been divided into three types,

Need/goal satisfaction theories,

Process/activity theories,

Genetic/personality sensitivity theories ( Diener et al, 2002 ) .

Psychoanalytical and humanistic theoreticians believed that decrease in tenseness and satisfaction of demands lead to the accomplishment of felicity. It was theorized that people were happy as they had achieved their ends. ( Compton, 2005 ) .

Harmonizing to the process/activity theoreticians, take parting in activities generates happiness. Csikszentmihalyi ( 1990 ) proposed that people who indulge in interesting and ambitious activities, and therefore see the feelings of flow, are happier. Emmons ( 1986 ) has besides emphasized how pursuing ends generates felicity.

The genetic/personality theorists position felicity as a stable concept. A Research by Costa and McCrae ( 1986 ) proved that felicity is based on personality and genetic sciences.

Lucas ( 1996 ) besides found in a research that personality traits were closely related to felicity.

Keyes and Lopez ( 1995 ) presented another theoretical account of felicity. They defined felicity as a complete province of mental wellness while uniting many rules of pleasance. They defined emotional felicity as the presence of positive affect and life satisfaction with the absence of negative affect. Social felicity was achieved by integrating credence, realization, part, coherency and integrating. However, self credence, personal growing, aim in life, environmental command, liberty and positive dealingss with others were the constituents of accomplishing psychological wellbeing,

Most of recent researches agree with thought of felicity being a combination of psychological, emotional, and physical wellbeing.

Causes of Happiness

Sexual activity: No important differences have been seen between the degrees of felicity of work forces and adult females ( Nolen-Hoeksema & A ; Rusting, 1999 ) .In a survey by Wood, Rhodes & A ; Whelan ( 1989 ) , it was found that adult females report somewhat higher degrees of felicity. Fujita, Diener & A ; Sandvick ( 1991 ) besides reported that adult females showed greater capacity for joy. Shayam and Yadev ( 2006 ) found that aged work forces scored higher on wellbeing as compared to aged adult females. However the impact of gender histories for merely 1 per centum of variableness in felicity in people.

Fundss: Fiscal position is related to felicity, nevertheless with an addition the consequence diminishes ( Diener, 1997 ) .Diener ( 1995 ) found that positive correlativities existed between the GDP and subjective well being of 50 five states. Harmonizing to Keely, ( 2000 ) addition in income does non take to increase in happiness.Most people are happy regardless of their stuff wealth ( Diener, 1996 ) .

Marital position: Research has shown that married people are happier as compared to single, divorced, separated or widowed people. Shields & A ; Wooden ( 2003 ) found that married adult females and work forces were systematically happier than single work forces and adult females.

Education: Education has greater affect on the felicity degrees of people with lower incomes ( Campbell, 1976 ) .Education appears to hold merely little direct influence on felicity.

Culture: Diener & A ; Lucas ( 1999 ) found that some states appear to be more emotional than other states. It was found that people in individualistic civilizations had higher subjective wellbeing as compared to collectivized civilizations. ( Ball, 2001 ) .

Health: Physical wellness is strongly related to degrees of felicity. If one is physically healthy he/she would hold higher degrees of felicity as compared to a individual who is ill. Harmonizing to doctors, Brief, Butcher, George & A ; Link ( 1993 ) a strong correlativity exists between subjective wellbeing and wellness.

Religion: Many researches support that people who are spiritual tend to be happier. Surveies have found that battle in spiritual activities is significantly related to higher wellbeing ( Donahue & A ; Benson, 1995 ) .James Peacock and Margret Poloma ( 1999 ) found that one ‘s sensed intimacy to God was a really strong forecaster of felicity.

Life Events: The figure of positive events correlate with positive affect at.33 in people whereas, the mean strength of positive affect when topics were experiencing happy correlated with felicity at.25 ( Schimmack, Diener & A ; Oishi 2002 ) .Happiness correlative with a figure of friends and the relationships with them ( Diener & A ; Lucas, 1999 ) .Peak experiences nevertheless have been found to be due to religion music or other intense activities.

Therefore, huge research has been done on the effects of music on physical every bit good as mental wellness which has shown promising consequences.