Teens all around the world suffer with depression, and multiple studies have shown that music can drastically help improve the mood of those with depression. Music is a very stimulating art with many abilities, such as provoking an emotion to causing a recollection to occur in its listener. Various academic advisors throughout LC each take a different perspective on exactly which element is most impactful in music, ranging from lyrics to the rhythm of the piece itself.

“[Music] lightens people’s moods [and changes] the chemical balance [in your brain]. Dopamine is released when you hear music, similar to when you kiss someone or eat chocolate. [Music] is just a good feeling that goes through [a person], you enter a ‘zone’. [Students] do it when they put their headsets on. As far as when [my] kids perform, they can block everything out. It is a focus that you have to learn how to do to overtake your nerves,” Mrs. Sandy Hobbs, Arts, said.

While music has been proven to increase the mood of its audience, it can also have inverse effects.

“If you have a really violent piece of music, it can get you angry too. There are certain pitches and scales that are like nails on a chalkboard. Some people can’t stand higher pitches while others can’t stand lower pitches. We did a piece earlier this year in Choir called Dies Irae, the Day of Wrath. It was almost like the devil was coming after you. It just agitated you, and it was meant to be that way,” Mrs. Hobbs said.

Contrary to the negligent effects of music, tunes and rhythms are shown more often to please listeners than to disturb them. Music has a broad range of impacts on both individual people, their lifestyles and even products.

“Ferrari’s actually tune their engines to sound like a higher powered vehicle. [This way, it] sounds soothing to the owner,” Mrs. Sandy Hobbs, Arts, said.