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*Capstone Presentation (READ CAREFULLY) (Jun 3, 2020 at 12:47 AM).MOVCapstone Essay
Capstone Essay
Gabrianne Toledo
Kohler
English 8 Capstone Paper
5 May 2020
Music’s impact on the brain
Music has been my passion since birth and I have been looking forward to sharing my love of music together with the benefits that music provides internationally. My passion for music sprouted when I first started taking singing lessons and, from there, it inspired me to grow in the field of performance and singing. Recently, I learned to songwrite and it introduced me to a new hobby, interest, and way of expression. Everyone has gone through a difficult time in their life, even if it appears as if they do not have a problem at all. Some people are unable to reach out to others due to fear or simply not knowing how to express what they are feeling. As a songwriter and singer, I want to use my gifts as a way to reach out to those in darkness and to at least break the barrier of silence for them. I want to let my audience know that they are not alone in their battles and to provide support through encouragement: directly or indirectly. Music has created a sense of hospitality and security for those in need and has fabricated the world with a blanket that sows people together, united under the melodies we know as music.
This information leads into my objectives for capstone. I will educate the public about music’s effectiveness through visual, auditory, and verbal representation. My aspiration for capstone is to create an album with numerous songs to portray various emotions and spread meaningful messages. I want to create an effective presentation to create a simplified understanding of music, psychology, and neuroscience, and possibly create an animated music video. I have been aspiring to create an album since 7th grade, and I have been writing a collection of songs since the summer. However, the emotional centres my songs revolve around contradict with the goal for capstone since most of them appeal as sad and lonely. Yes, inspiration can sprout from anywhere including sad songs, though, a truly inspirational message that fascinates every audience is a victorious war that only the lister can battle themselves. My presentation will most likely be structured similar to my essay. It will educate my viewers on the psychological and scientific aspects of music, which will lead into showing my album and art piece. This art piece will either be an animation or a comic revolving around a shortened version of my song. This song of mine was created by me messing around on the piano and finding a beautiful melody. Then, inspired by one of my own original books, I decided to do the prompt “if this book was a movie, what would be it’s outro?” I was impressed by my own work, it turned out to be dark yet alluring, passionate yet guiltening in its own way. However, since the message of every song is based on interpretation, I cannot say what this song truly means. Hopefully, with the help of my research, my standards will be reached and I will be able to encourage and inspire my peers as well as an audience.
The phenomenon of music has infiltrated and advanced society despite it’s unknown origins, providing healthcare for the people’s welfare in our daily lives. Music was invented during a time when history was not recorded; the sole creation of it can vary from a complicated rhythm to a simple melody hummed by the people. Either way, music has grown with humanity since the dawn of time and is controversially defined through perspective. In the literal sense: the definition of music is the “science or art of ordering tones or sounds in succession, combination, and in temporal relationships to produce a composition having unity and continuity” (Merriam). However, there is not a pinpoint on how individuals share that bond with music, nor is there a specific way how individuals express their love of music. Music presents a knowledge and comprehension of our emotional state in a unique way, giving leeway for the music to influence our minds and hearts through our interpretations (Holland). For starters, music is absorbed as information in both hemispheres of the brain, (This is) being the reason why people interpret and process songs in different ways. This affects many factors of the brain (such as the auditory cortex, cerebrum and the limbic system) and the ability for the brain to maintain it’s emotional condition. As a result, an individual's mood, actions and even the conduct of a task are all all dependent on a person's interpretation of a song (Koelsch, Musliu). Music spares hidden essentials to the human race, and though it may not be defined by one statement, the phenomenon and blessing has provided in various ways.
With that said, there are a number of ways music can be used. It all just depends on the scenario and the user. Music’s usage is controversial yet common in the modern world, it can be used in daily routines or can be used for understanding and knowledge. Starting from the customary and ordinary, music is heard all around the world and is interpreted in many different ways due to environmental or cultural influences. It is a common medium to escape boredom and inspire the mind through ardent language and hidden meanings. It also can substitute for emotional healing despite a being’s condition (Holland). An explanation for that reason can be found in the scientific field of Neuroscience. Neuroscience has provided a great deal of information assisting the medical industry. As mentioned previously, regions of the brain are activated which modify memory, mood and development. (This is) Critical information about the brain is put into psychological and therapeutic treatments, entitling music to be a part of the healthcare industry as well. Music forms an emotion that is illustrated by the instrumentals and the lyrics that matches the listener’s current mood and preference. This can be incorporated into therapeutic exercises for a type of therapy known as “music therapy.” Music therapy provides positive encouragement to reach goals for patients and has created an explicit understanding between patients, their family and doctors. (Music) The methods used revolving around music have innovated research, understanding and healthcare for humans internationally, serving as a language and education that billions have in common.
Clearly, there is an array of benefits that music provides but, how does one create music? The irony of the answer is: there is not any specific formula to write music. Composition starts with the lone idea of inspiration. Whether that would come from a vision, a beat from a song, or an event that truly stood out. (This is) Once a broad idea has been generated, the songwriting process can start. There are two components to the songwriting process: the emotional factors and the “music” factors. The foundation of songwriting is based on perspective, a combination of experiments and opinions. Since all songs revolve around a central idea, the musical portrayal is crucial to the message of the song. Songwriting comes with the requirement for something appealing or outstanding to reach the audience. Tempo, rhythm, pitch and lyrics all correspond to each other creating a specific depiction to the audience. For example, changes of harmonies or a key change gives out a surprise and awakens the piece entirely. Another way to interest the audience is in rhythm and dynamic, which provoke urgency and importance in their speed and volume. A key factor to emotional portrayal is the instruments and pitches used. Comparing a happy song to a sad song, the instruments, musical key and tempo are seen as polar opposites, describing their own individual stories to the listener. (Douek) The creation of music is controlled by creative chaos, opinionated in various ways and formulated with musical theory to create a production built for the audience.
Music has its imperfections like many creations on earth, but it’s flaws create beauty and support in the face of weakness. Commonly, music is subjected to interpretation based on influences and the perspective of the listener. Numerous times artists, producers, and songwriters will have inconsistent reactions from the audience, resulting in controversial outcomes and forms of the subject. Depending on the scenario, listening to the wrong music can lead to distractions and affect the quality of the task’s outcome. (Omeles, Gallie) This is because the brain can only focus on one subject and though “multitasking” exists, your brain subconsciously picks a task to primarily focus on. Not only that, but the information supposedly learned is ignored and it is likely to be forgotten. (Gallie) This is basic understanding of overstimulation, where the brain is stimulated mentally to an excessive degree than the individual can handle.
Overstimulation can lead to mood swings depending on the emotion illustrated in the song, especially when a person misinterprets the lyrics in a negative way. Since memories are commonly associated with music, it can also trigger trauma and unwanted nightmares leading to anxiety. Not only that, it is easy to damage one’s hearing, especially when the music is too loud. (Pros) Over 85 decibels can lead to physical pain in the ears and can deafen a person over time. (Omeles) Though that may be the case, many factors of music overrule these negative components as described in detail throughout history, usage and research. For example, music can reverse pain and anxiety as well if the correct type of music is being played by changing a person's physical and mental state. In addition, children exposed to music have a boost in emotional intelligence and expression, and they can develop social, cognitive and communication skills. Music improves visual attention and concentration which helps them school. Finally, it can maintain energy levels to an extent. (Omeles, Pros, Gallie) As a configuration of comfort, empathy and a guide: music serves as enlightenment despite its imperfections, shaped to assist humanity’s mishaps and understand their pain, silence and being.
Like a man’s best friend, music has evolved with humanity since the dawn of time, creating a universal language and connecting humans together as one. Music has defined emotion, documented memories, translated encrypted words and understood society as individuals or as a whole without education, training or a single hint. Although it’s origins remain a secret, its controversial usage provides medical help, mental encouragement, scientific knowledge and entertainment in our modern world and has brought good fortune and relief to everyone. Without music, society would not have the cures, knowledge, or understanding of how music affects the brain and infamous individuals would not be known. “There really is not any other way to thank it other than keeping it alive.” (Toledo) The sole evolution of music is made through creative chaos, influenced opinions and audiences worldwide; and it is up to the creators, inspirations, music lovers, therapists and scientists that impact the new generation of music through experimentation, propagation, and adoration. Without music, the world would not have motivation; and without motivation, the world would have never been the same.
Inspired by music and my intimate attachment for creativity and expression, my capstone will revolve around the subjects I have learned through my research: writing songs born out of inspiration. When creating my album, I established that I wanted to portray different emotions with each song. The songwriting process I took notes on provided me with numerous examples of what to consider when creating the instrumental and where to find inspiration. I especially need this information for one of my songs, since I am basically lost on how to transition from a slow, mournful cry to a distressed scream for help. The whole song has to paint a picture for me to create a storyboard out of it so I can work on the animation or comic inspired by the song. My presentation will probably be easier for me to format due to the immense amount of data I have, it will just be based on my essay or my concept map since it equally divides the main points of my entire project. My introduction will be saying who I am and why I chose music as my capstone, defining music and what it does, music’s usage internationally, music composition, a comparison chart with the pros and cons, and the “impact on the world” can basically be a summary and the conclusion of my presentation component of my capstone. Though I am weary for the presentation date, I feel confident in the elaborate examinations I have conducted and my skills as a songwriter to create a project that will engrain a sentimental yet motivational lecture through tones and poetry. I look forward to creating a project which fuels a rationale within my audience to strive for excellence and to continue persevering throughout the near future no matter what condition they are in.
Works Cited
Douek, Joel. “Music and emotion - a composer’s perspective.” November 19th, 2020.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3832887/ Accessed May 5th, 2020
Gallie, Brandon. “8 Pros and Cons of Music While Working.” Brandon Gallie. August 15th,
2015. https://brandongaille.com/8-pros-and-cons-of-music-while-working/ Accessed
May 5th, 2020.
Holland, Bernard. “CLASSICAL VIEW; At Its Best, Music Warms the Heart, Not the Brain.”
The New York Times. 11 Dec. 1994. Accessed February 20th, 2020
Orneles, Eliza. “Positive and Negative Impacts of Music On Youth.” Xeroxservism. Wordpress.
January 29, 2019. https://xeroxservisim.com/music/positive-and-negative-impacts-of-
music-on-youth/ Accessed May 5th, 2020
Koelsch, Stefan. “Brain correlates of music-evoked emotion.” Nature Reviews Neuroscience.
Springer Nature Limited. 20 February 2014. https://www.nature.com/articles/nrn3666.
Accessed February 1, 2020.
Kassem, Noreen. “What Parts of the Brain Are Stimulated by Music?” Live Strong. Leaf
Group. N.d. https://www.livestrong.com/article/175434-what-parts-of-the-brain-
are-stimulated-by-music/ Accessed May 5th, 2020.
Musliu, Arian. “The Impact of Music in Memory.” European Journal Of Social Sciences
Education and Research. (2017): 222. N.A. http://journals.euser.org/files/articles
/ejser_may_august_17_nr_2/Arian.pdf Accessed February 9th, 2020.
“Music Therapy.” Psychology Today. Sussex Publishers. N.d.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3832887/ Accessed May 5th, 2020.
“Pros and Cons of music.” Pros and Cons. Wordpress. February 24th, 2019.
https://www.prosancons.com/health/pros-and-cons-of-music-therapy/ Accessed May 5,
2020
“This Is Your Brain On Music - How Music Benefits The Brain (animated).” Better Than
Yesterday. Youtube. Better Than Yesterday. April 17, 2018.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZJ8BfEu-P8 . Accessed February 29th, 2020.
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