#SpeakingOut – Music influences the mind

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by this author are their own and do not represent the official position of the Barbados Today Inc.

by Roger Marshall

The legendary rock star the late Jimi Hendrix once said: “YOU CAN HYPNOTISE PEOPLE WITH MUSIC and when you get people at the weakest point YOU CAN PREACH INTO THEIR SUBCONSCIOUS whatever you want to say.”

The recent controversy and justified outrage over the violent and obscene lyrics of the Trojan Riddim Mix music video brings back into sharp focus what psychologists and musicologists have known for decades – music influence’s behaviour.

For example, the American Journal of School Health in a 1982 edition featured the statistics taken from a survey which was conducted among 100 university students concerning music and social conditioning.

Forty-eight per cent felt that music lyrics have a significant influence on shaping values, only 20 per cent felt they have little or no influence. Eighty-two per cent felt that lyrics could shape values at the subconscious level.

Twenty-one years later, the July/August 2003 edition of the American Psychological Association in an article titled Violent Song Lyrics May Lead To Violent Behaviour reported that: “Violent song lyrics increase negative emotions and thoughts that can lead to aggression.”

The article related the findings of five experiments in which 500 college students were subjected to listening to violent songs such as “Shoot ‘Em Up” by the rap group Cypress Hill and “Hit ‘Em Hard” by Run DMC

According to the article the researchers from Iowa State University and the Texas Department of Human Services found that “aggressive music lyrics increase aggressive thoughts and feelings, which might perpetuate aggressive behaviour and have long-term effects, such as influencing listeners’ perceptions of society and contributing to the development of aggressive personalities.”

And that “The results indicate a relationship between violent song lyrics and increased aggressive thoughts and feelings of hostility” (cited at https://www.apa.org/monitor/julaug03/violent).

There are several reports of violent songs influencing people to commit murder. For example, the Guns ‘N’ Roses hit song “Used to Love Her (But I Had to Kill Her)” was implicated in two murders in the USA
when the killers listened to the song sometime just before they killed their lovers in separate incidents.

Considering these facts our local music artistes need to be responsible with the power of music which they wield over their fans.

Instead of preaching into the subconsciousness of our impressionable youth messages of unbridled violence and sexual immorality, they should take the same time to preach positive messages that will augur well for a better society.

The ancient wisdom of Scripture (though derided by many) is still relevant for today as it exhorts us to: “Let not any hateful words come out of your mouth, but whatever is good and useful for improvement that you may give grace to those who hear” (Eph.4:29, Aramaic Bible in Plain English). That is good advice and plain old common sense.