Hinojosa 1

Olivia Hinojosa
Mr. Munoz
English DC 5th
11-13-14

Music: A Cool Pass Time or the New Yoga?

Stress is an emotional state caused by various emotional or circumstantial factors. Stress
is part of everyday life (at home, in work, in personal relations), as well as a psychological
condition that is part of a crisis (Yehuda). It can have immense effects on the way people
interact, feel, or respond. There are several ways to cope with stress including meditation,
communication, behavioral therapy, and musical therapy. Music therapy is the clinical and
evidence based use of music interventions to accomplish individualize goals within a therapeutic
relationship by a credentialed professional(Lingham). It uses the mind to improve the health of
a person. The right side of the brain is the feelings side, and is more stimulated during music
analysis. The region close by that is involved with conveying meaning and emotions is the
limbic system; it is close to the auditory cortex where sound is processed. Therefore, listening
to music becomes an instant reward, releasing enkephalins and endorphins to change moods, and
evoke relaxation(Ferrer). There has been much controversy over whether music reduces stress
level in people or not. There have been many experiments and tests done to a variety of different
people to see whether music has reduced their stress levels or not. People including those with
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, nursing home residents, ventilated patients, college students, and
pregnant women have claimed to experience high stress levels and have been tested using music
therapy.

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In the article Group Music Therapy For Patients with Persistent Post Traumatic Stress
Disorder- An Exploratory Randomized Controlled Trial with Mixed Methods Evaluation,
several tests were done on patients with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). They took each
patient and had them listen to an hour of music. Half of the patients were given music therapy,
and half were given cognitive therapy. The result concluded that the PTSD patients responded to
music therapy in a more positive way than cognitive behavioral therapy.
Aside from patients who suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, nursing home
residents suffer a lot of stress, anxiety and depression. With the same question about the effect of
music on stress levels, researchers split up the nursing home and tested the residents. Half of the
nursing home would engage in music sessions that lasted about ninety minutes every day for ten
weeks. The control group would just engage in regular daily physical activity. After testing they
came to the conclusion that the music, instruments, and singing made the elderly think back to
their lives as a child; bringing back fond memories. With these memories they claimed to feel
less anxiety, stress, and depression.
Musics effect on stress was tested on a group of mechanically ventilated patients as well.
These patients were given a choice to choose a song they liked to listen to while being connected
to a ventilator. After a while they tested their urinary tracts and monitored their stress levels. The
results concluded that music had a positive effect on reducing stress level in these ventilated
patients.
While many tested this on medical patients, their response to music, and their stress
levels, Eileen Ferrer tested this on college students in their classroom environment. They
gathered some students, asked their favorite songs, and had them listen to them while working.

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After the class they asked how their music affected their feelings towards the stress they were
having during class. The results showed that the music reduced their stress levels.
Another group of people suffering from anxiety and stress are women that are pregnant
and about to have a Cesarean Section (C-Section). In the article Coping with Preoperative
Anxiety in Cesarean Section: Physiological, Cognitive, and Emotional Effects of Listening to
Favorite Music., they offer another experiment of musics effect on stress level. Some women
were allowed to listen to the music of their choice before they went into surgery. The others were
controlled and were not allowed to listen to any music before surgery. They asked the women
how they felt, and the ones who had music had less stress going into their surgery than the ones
with no music did. The women who listened to their favorite music felt less stress going into
their surgery, as well as had a reduction in systolic blood pressure and had a quicker recovery.
In some instances however, music therapy results do not have a positive effect on stress
level. After pregnancy women may suffer postpartum stress and anxiety. In the article Effects of
listening to music on postpartum stress and anxiety levels, they tested two groups of women
receiving postpartum care. In one group they had them listen to one hour of predesigned music a
week and in the other they listened to no music. After they tested this experiment the results
stated that the music these women listened to had no effect on their stress levels.
It has been suggested that the use of music in the community may negatively influence
risk- taking behavior, and even extreme behavior like suicide(Rubin, West & Mitchell, 2001).
In the article Metal made me who I am: Seven adult men reflect on their engagement with metal
music during adolescence, an experiment was tested on seven men through email. The testers
asked the men about the effects metal music had on them and their emotional well being. The
results concluded that there is a relationship between hardcore music and delinquent / criminal

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thoughts and behaviors(Hines). The emotions that these men got from listening to metal music
was feelings of sadness and elation that can provoke stress levels to go up. In the article Selfselected favourite stimulative and sedative music listening- how does familiar and preferred
music listening affect the body?, rap songs have been reported to elicit angry responses and the
listeners tend to have more aggression and a lesser regard for women(Lingham). Some cases
of music therapy have resulted in negative stress level changes.
Whether the music soothes the soul, it stirs up some angry feelings, or it is just a nice
pass time is up for interpretation. Let the music take you where you want to go.

Works Cited
Carr, Catherine, et al. "Group Music Therapy For Patients With Persistent Post-Traumatic Stress
Disorder - An Exploratory Randomized Controlled Trial With Mixed Methods
Evaluation." Psychology & Psychotherapy: Theory, Research & Practice 85.2 (2012):

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179-202. Academic Search Complete. Web. 28 Oct. 2014.
Chlan, Linda, L., William, C. Engeland, and Kay Savik. "Does Music Influence Stress In
Mechanically Ventilated Patients?." Intensive & Critical Care Nursing 29.3 (2013): 121127. CINAHL Complete. Web. 28 Oct. 2014.
Ferrer, Eileen, et al. Playing Music to Relieve Stress In A College Classroom Environment.
College Student Journal 48.3 (2014): 481. MasterFILE Premier.Web. 28 Oct. 2014.
Hines, Michelle, and Katrina Skewes McFerran. "Metal Made Me Who I Am: Seven Adult Men
Reflect On Their Engagement With Metal Music During Adolescence." International
Journal Of Community Music 7.2 (2014): 205-222. Academic Search Complete. Web. 11
Nov. 2014.
Kushnir, Jonathan, et al. "Coping With Preoperative Anxiety In Cesarean Section: Physiological,
Cognitive, And Emotional Effects Of Listening To Favorite Music." Birth: Issues In
Perinatal Care 39.2 (2012): 121-127. CINAHL Complete. Web. 28 Oct. 2014
Lingham, J, and T Theorell. "Self-Selected "Favourite" Stimulative And Sedative Music
Listening -- How Does Familiar And Preferred Music Listening Affect The Body?."
Nordic Journal Of Music Therapy 18.2 (2009): 150-166. CINAHL Complete. Web. 11
Nov. 2014.
Mohammadi, Ali Zadeh, Tanaze Shahabi, and Fereshteh Moradi Panah. "An Evaluation Of The
Effect Of Group Music Therapy On Stress, Anxiety And Depression Levels In Nursing
Home Residents." Canadian Journal Of Music Therapy 17.1 (2011): 55-68. Academic
Search Complete. Web. 28 Oct. 2014.
Tseng, Y, C Chen, and CS Lee. "Effects Of Listening To Music On Postpartum Stress And
Anxiety Levels." Journal Of Clinical Nursing 19.7-8 (2010): 1049-1055. CINAHL

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Complete. Web. 28 Oct. 2014.
Yehuda, Nechama. "Music And Stress." Journal Of Adult Development 18.2 (2011): 85-94.
Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection. Web. 28 Oct. 2014.