Running head: LITERATURE REVIEW
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Literature Review
Natalie Farris
El Paso Community College
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Abstract
This paper discusses music from several points of view, answering four questions related
to music and people. The first question attempts to explain why people listen to music; it is
found that people listen to music for a variety of reasons including mood improvement, stress
reliever, enjoyment, distraction, among other. The second questions looks at why/how music
affects individuals. It is discovered that people are affected by music when it touches their
emotions, and it can have positive or negative effects. The third question deals with how people
listen to music; radio, online, etc. It is found that many individuals listen to music using free
avenues, as opposed to something that will cost them monetarily. The last question asks how
people pick their favorite music. It seems that it is similar to a person's taste in food; either they
like it or they do not. It appears to be an innate or experience based factor that determines
someone's taste in music.
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Introduction
Everyone in the world has been exposed to some type of music. Here in the U.S. it is
normal for every person to own something that can play them music, whether it is an mp3 player,
a radio, a computer etc. Each person has their own personal preference when it comes to what
type of music they listen to, as well as how they listen to it. In addition, people are affected by
different genres in different ways; for some, a music video may really speak to them, while the
lyrics do not. For another it might be the complete opposite, where the lyrics move them deeply,
but the video does not catch their attention. Why is the music industry so big? How come
people love music so much? Although these questions seem basic, they can be taken very deep
into the research world, and used in countless ways.
Research Questions:
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Why do people listen to music?

How does music/lyrics affect people?
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How do people usually listen to music?
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How do people pick their favorite genres of music?
Music is a huge part of many individual's lives, from the songs, to the artists, to the
consumer; everyone plays a part. People listen to music for different reasons, are affected in
different ways, listen in different ways, and have many varied genre preferences.
Why do people listen to music?
Everyone in the U.S. will be exposed to some type of music probably every day. It is
something that is everywhere. So why do people choose to incorporate music into a very large
portion of their lives? Walking down the street you will see countless people with headphones
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in, listening to their "mix". When driving in your car, more often than not, you will be listening
to some form of audio-most likely music. Why is it so important? What is the underlying
motive and meaning to listening to music?
According to Lonsdale and North (2011) the primary reason why people listen to music is
"to manage/regulate their moods." (108) When people are stressed or depressed and no one will
listen to them, they turn to music. Music seems to be a best friend to many in today's world. It is
common to see a classroom full of students, and just a few who are not wearing headphones. It
is becoming commonly known that people wear headphones to avoid interaction with
individuals, and that way they will not have to speak to someone they are afraid of or dislike.
Music could be considered an escapism for some, and a stress release for others. And of course
music is very entertaining and millions upon millions of dollars are spent in enjoying that music
each year. Concerts, raves, and festivals are huge in the states, and it is rare to meet someone
over the age of 14 who has never experienced at least one of these events.
Music speaks to people on many different levels; emotionally, and cognitively. Some
people are not good with words and have a hard time expressing themselves, but they can feel
expressed or validated by listening to music that "speaks" to them. Owlcity's song Fireflies
(Young, 2009) is a good example of a song that spoke to millions, becoming a huge hit through a
social media site. The song was relatable to the greater adolescent population at the time; the
listeners felt an emotional connection to the song, and that is what made it so popular. People
listen to music because it is emotionally relatable to them, if no one related to music there would
not be music the way there is today.
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How does music/lyrics affect people?
Individuals across races, ages, and economic status may all share the same love for one
style of music, but then you may have stereotypically similar people who like completely
different types of music. Why are people affected differently than others, and even affected at all
by music? Adolescents seem to be the largest consumer of all forms of music. Lonsdale and
North (2011) say that adolescents "listened to relieve tension, pass the time, fill uncomfortable
silences, alleviate feelings of loneliness, manage their mood, and relieve boredom."(108) These
are all very relatable reasons to countless people everywhere. Music seems to fill the gaps of
people's lives with meaning that they feel would not be there otherwise.
Almost any individual most likely has a story of that one song that just gripped them in a
strange and beautiful way that they will never forget. Lyrics speak to a person's emotions,
making them feel in a way that is hard to replicate in any other form. What part of the song
affects people the most? According to Ballard and Dodson (1999) "A combination of rhythm,
vocals, music, and melody affects musical preference, not lyrical content per se." (3) Basically it
seems that it is personal preference and personality that determines which types of music will
affect an individual. People are "wired" differently; some are the "yolo" type, others pessimists,
others are prone to worry, etc. These varying sets of characteristics play a role in people's music
tastes, and why certain things affect them, and not others. Just like some people prefer chocolate
over vanilla-one makes them feel good, the other not as much; it’s the same with music, some
like hip-hop, and others like rap.
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Over the years, the music industry has grown tremendously. Why is that? One reason is
because as people are being affected by music in a way that they enjoy, then more music like that
will be in demand. If an artist releases a song that does well, they will probably want to replicate
that success into a new song that has the same hit with the audience. How can they do that?
They can know their audience; the age, race, social background, etc. This will help them gauge
what it is people want to hear. Some songs are popular because the audience relates to the
music, and truly loves it, but there is the opposite effect; a song is popular, but everyone "hates"
it. Some songs are simply popular because they are catchy; the catchier they are, the higher up
on the charts they tend to get! Many people go around singing songs they absolutely dislike, but
it is in their head because of the catchy chorus or perhaps whole song.
Music can affect individuals in both positive and negative ways. According to Martino,
S. C., Collins, R. L., Elliott, M. N., Strachman, A., Kanouse, D. E., & Berry, S. H. (2006) in an
article about music lyrics and their effects on teens, "popular music may contribute to early sex."
This is just one aspect of the negative effects that music, specifically lyrics, can have, especially
on the younger generation. This is something that many parents are becoming aware of when
censoring music for their children. It is impossible to take "bad" music out of a person's life and
many have begun to wonder if there should be more regulations put on what can and cannot be
played in a public facility, as well as public radio stations. On the other hand, there are very
positive affects by music on people too. There are many songs with positive and wholesome
message in it that can have a positive effect on the listener.
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How do people usually listen to music?
There are countless ways to listen to music; in the car on the radio, at home on the
computer, exercising on you mp3 player. In a survey (Farris, 2015) taken of about 45 randomly
selected individuals it was found that the majority of them did not purchase the music they
listened to. Participants were asked how they usually listened to music, being given several
examples like free online listening, radio, cds, etc. Most of the individuals (about 80 %,( Farris,
2015)) answered with Spotify, Pandora, iTunes radio, and other free customized radio stations.
YouTube was also mentioned when answering the question, so the surveyor then asked if the site
was used for videos or merely just the songs. Respondents varied more in their answers to this
question, but the majority used the site for video surfing when bored or because a social media
post linked them to it. When the individuals were asked about their favorite artist and whether or
not they supported them, most answered that they purchased some of their favorite artist's music
from one of the main music purchasing sites, but got the majority from illegal music
downloading sites, or ripped the songs from YouTube. Some of the individuals expressed their
remorse at that fact, while others had no conscience issue on the subject.
There are many factors as to why the individuals gave the answers they did; one could be
an economic issue since many of the participants in the survey were college students who often
do not have many funds available to them. Another factor could be the times we live in now,
where being dishonest is acceptable on many levels, and illegally downloading music is not
considered stealing by many people. According to the study, individuals are much more likely to
subscribe to a customized radio station with a monthly rate like Pandora or Spotify where they
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can listen offline to the music of their choice, than to actually purchase vinyls, mp3 downloads,
or cds.
How do people usually pick their favorite genres of music?
The music industry is huge. There are countless ways in which you can experience
music, from internet radio sites like Pandora, to video sites like YouTube, to iTunes or Amazon,
to just your basic local radio stations; the options are virtually endless. According to Lonsdale
and North (2011) even with the growth of online piracy in the industry, it was still estimated to
be worth nearly 18 billion U.S. dollars (108). The industry encompasses so many things, from
singles, to albums, music videos, tours, and merchandise. The consumers do not seem to be
going anywhere, so neither will all of these music related things that people love.
People love music. Whether it is hip-hop, jazz, pop, country, indie, etc., everyone has
their favorite. Just like certain people prefer cold weather over hot, some people prefer jazz to
country. Individuals often have a hard time coming up with reasons as to why they like a certain
genre of music. Stereotypes are also put on certain music genres that can give off biases as to
various genres of music. Country music is a classic example of stereotyping a genre, and it is
often shocking which people are the ones who like that style of music. Music preference seems
to be an innate part of the human being. It is very hard, and takes a great deal of time, to acquire
a taste in a certain type of music that an individual previously did not like. If a person dislikes
country music, it highly unlikely that they will begin to like it without considerable motives for
desiring to like that genre. Constant exposure to specific types of music can make a person enjoy
that music, or extremely dislike it. Working somewhere that plays mostly electronic music could
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prompt an individual to start liking it if they previously did not, but it could also have the
opposite affect and make the person dislike it even more. No matter what the case, a person's
views on musical genre will probably alter over the course of a lifetime.
People have varying tastes, as well as morals, and experiences that all tie into why they
choose specific genres of music. There is no real definition to give as to why people like the
stuff they do. Either they like it or they do not like, and that is perfectly acceptable to most
people in the world. Experiences that people have throughout their lives may dictate the music
they enjoy, their preferences may change over time, through different seasons of their lives.
Their playlist during one decade may be completely different a couple decades down the road.
Image courtesy of agunghartono.site11.com
Conclusion
Music is everywhere today, and people all over the world experience it in some form just
about every day. There are varying reasons and factors as to why people listen to music, pick the
genre they do, are affected differently, and have different tastes in musical style. Individuals
listen to music for a variety of reasons, some of which include; improving mood, passing time,
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alleviating stress, as well as the pure enjoyment of it. Music greatly affects people in positive
and negative ways that fluctuate between individuals. Songs that speak to a person emotionally
will tend to affect them more than someone who does not connect with the song. Personality and
personal characteristics play a major role into why people are affected by music, and which types
affect different people. Music is experienced in a vast amount of ways including radio, online,
video, cds, etc. People have a wide array of music that they enjoy for many different reasons,
and it is often very hard to pinpoint the reasons for an individual's enjoyment of a certain musical
genre or song, etc. Music is many people's driving force, it is often their rock and comfort when
they have nowhere else to turn. Without music, life would be dull and boring; it is often the
thing that brings people together, keeps them going, makes memories, and sparks new life when
it is blown out... In essence, music is the sound of life; everyone has their own unique mix that
plays in their background.
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References
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effects. Journal Of Genetic Psychology, 160(4), 476.
Belcher, J. D., & Haridakis, P. (2013). The Role of background characteristics, music-listening
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Bonneville-Roussy, A., Rentfrow, P. J., Xu, M. K., & Potter, J. (2013). Music through the ages:
Trends in musical engagement and preferences from adolescence through middle
adulthood. Journal Of Personality & Social Psychology, 105(4), 703-717.
doi:10.1037/a0033770
Farris, N. (April 2015) How do people usually listen to music? Survey/personal
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Kirby, D. (2012). ATTACK of the KILLER TURNTABLES. American Interest, 8(2), 62-69.
Lonsdale, A. J., & North, A. C. (2011). Why do we listen to music? A uses and
gratifications analysis. British Journal Of Psychology, 102(1), 108-134.
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Martino, S. C., Collins, R. L., Elliott, M. N., Strachman, A., Kanouse, D. E., & Berry, S. H.
(2006). Exposure to degrading versus nondegrading music lyrics and sexual behavior
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Young, A. (2009). Fireflies [Owl City]. On Ocean eyes. New York, New York: Universal
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