Fanatical Life

Music & Imagery Activity

The Effect of Music at Workplace

The Effect of Music at Workplace

Sohail Ahmed Khan, Music Therapist CMT (London), BMGIM Advance Level USA

The word music has many meanings which tell us about the organizing different elements of sound, or to manage and systematization. I think it is not necessary to include only sounds with music you can find music without sound as well. Music is not only to listen, it has various amazing powers to feel, sense, and experience. I am not splitting music into two categories “music with sounds” and “music without sounds” but I am allowing you to find, music is everywhere it is up to you that how you find it. You can find music in nature, in realization of universe, you can find it in yourself, music is present in all forms of architecture, and even in the silence.

There are many definitions for music and it will take many years to explore the subject of music. Music is a universal language and it is also relative and subjective. What may be music to one may not be so to another. When we include sounds with music then we can say that “music is organized sounds” and when we (Human) produce any music then we add one more word to the definition and now we can describe music as (Blacking, 1973) said “Humanly Organized Sounds”.  I would talk about the music which we produce regardless of sounds. 

When we construct any place for our routine exercises i.e. for living, for work, and for other activities actually we compose these places according to our frame of mind and try to make a unique environment which reflect our mood and nature of activities.

Music has the effect of imposing order and structure on time. At an event featuring music, everyone experiences the same feeling at the same time. I have designed and conducted several sessions on “Effect of Music on Moods & Feelings”.

Basic Elements of Music

Thousands of pages are required to describe music theory and its technicalities, but to understand the effect of music on behaviour it is important to understand few basic elements of music.

Here I’ll describe only four basic elements of music

Melody is a succession of notes in specific or structured path heard as some sort of unit. A Note refers to a specific frequency, pitch, and/or rhythm or the written symbol.

Rhythm is the organization of the durational aspects of music.

Harmony is the relationship between two or more pitches. 

Timbre (pronounced "Tam-ber"). Timbre describes all of the aspects of a musical sound that do not have anything to do with the sound's pitch, loudness, or length. In other words, if a flute plays a note, and then an oboe plays the same note, for the same length of time, at the same loudness, you can still easily distinguish between the two sounds, because a flute sounds different from an oboe. This difference is in the timbre of the sounds.

How Music Process in Brain

(Levitin, 2006) Described that the sound waves go to the brain through the ears in the form of Neuro Signals. As the sound hits the ear drum it sets up the pressure waves inside the snail like structure called cochlea and cochlea has hair cells that are tuned to specific frequencies. At the one end of cochlea hair cells only fire the electrical charge and response to low frequencies at the other end they fire electrical charge and response to higher frequencies. That electrical charge goes to the auditory cortex where a primary, secondary, and tertiary auditory cortex activates as they received signals from the brain stem through the inferior colliculus and nucleus. Primary and secondary auditory cortex process different elements of music in different parts of brain, pitch process in one part of the Neuro region rhythm is in another. Timbre, where it is sound of Violin, Trumpet, Piano, or Human voice, process in other part of the brain, and harmony in another. When it comes all together tertiary auditory cortex help brain to sense the complete feel of music and produce emotions.

Music & Emotions

Music has vibrant powers which can bring changes in mood and emotions in few seconds. Each element of music has emotional effects which makes the overall impact of music on human feeling, emotions, and behaviour. (Plutchik, 1989) Described emotions are best perceived through an evolutionary viewpoint as adaptations provoked by the challenges of survival and reproduction that are part of every creature’s existence.

Emotions have a couple of properties Valence and Intensity, valance refers to the kinds of emotions doesn’t matter whether they are positive or negative. Intensity is about the power or force with which you feel the emotions the scale of intensity is from slight to extreme. If you’ve done something wrong you might feel only mildly guilty or you might feel extremely guilty. Here are some positive and negative emotions:

Positive Emotions: positive emotions are fueled by an underlying desire of enjoyment and unity. Delight, Bliss, Amusement, Tenderness, Enthusiasm, Laughter, Gratitude, Serenity, Adoration, Action, Curiosity, and Interest are few examples of positive emotions.

Negative Emotions: negative emotions are fueled with unknown fear, fear of others about their actions, and a need to control those emotions to avoid harm. Regret, Resentment, Grief, Offence, Depression, Anxiety, Panic, Embarrassment, and Guilt are few examples of negative emotions.

The aim of using music is processing it to make people more fluid in terms of emotions. They should be able to use whatever emotion is most appropriate with its full range. Positive people are more flexible and fluid with emotions but the goal is actually integration, moving beyond the positive/negative idea altogether.

To understand about the role of music on emotions we need to know about the structure of music its elements and dynamics. Every aspect of music has a characteristic and emotional effect, I’ll discuss about the few of them.

Emotional Effects of Pitch & Melody

You can observe some of the main emotional effects of pitch, and melody. (Schellenberg, Krysciak, & Campbell, 2000) Examined the effects of pitch and rhythm on the perceived emotional content of short melodies.

Low Pitch and Melody: with Allegro, Andante, and Largo movements produce the emotions of Fear, Seriousness, generally negative emotional valence, also Majesty, Vigor, Dignity, Solemnity, and Tenderness.

Low Pitch Monotonic: associated with Anger, Boredom, and sometimes Fear.

Low Pitch Especially Octave Leap Downwards: produces the emotions of Sadness, Grief, and Melancholy.

Wandering and Unfocused Melody: associated with Sadness.

High Pitch/ Melody: Generally positive emotional valence, Happiness, Grace, Surprise, Triumph, Serenity, Dreaminess.

High, rising melody, especially octave leap upwards: produce the emotions of Happiness and Excitement.

Emotional Effects of Dynamics

Dynamics of music refers to softness and loudness of music elements

Soft (Quiet): this type of music generally have negative emotional valence—Sadness, Melancholy, but also Tenderness, and Peacefulness.

Soft, not varying much: associated with Tenderness

Moderate, not varying much: produce emotions of Happiness, Pleasantness

Loud Music: produce Joy, Excitement, Happiness, Triumph, generally positive emotional valence.

Very loud, to distortion levels: associated with Anger

Wide changes, soft to loud, especially if quick: produce the emotion of Fear.

Emotional Effects of Timbre (Tone Colour)

Simple tone color, few overtones (e.g., flute): Pleasantness, Peace, and Boredom

Complex tone color, many overtones (e.g., over-driven electric guitar): Power, Anger, Fear

Bright tone color, crisp, fast tone attack and decay in performance: Generally positive emotional valence, Happiness.

Dull tone color, slow attack and decay in performance: Generally negative emotional valence, Sadness, Tenderness.

Violin sounds: Sadness, Fear, and Anger

Drum sounds: associated with Excitement, Motivation, and Anger depends on playing style and speed.

 Sharp, abrupt tone attacks: Anger

Emotional Effects of Intervals

Consonant intervals: produces Pleasantness, generally positive emotional valence; not as strong or active as dissonant intervals.

Dissonant intervals: Generally negative emotional valence, Strength, Activity

Major intervals: usually associated with Brightness, and Strength

Minor Intervals: Dullness, and Weakness

Large intervals: Power.

Small intervals: Weakness.

Minor second: Melancholy, Displeasure, Anguish, and Darkness

Major second: Pleasurable Longing, Displeasure (neutral as a passing tone)

Minor third: Tragedy, and Sadness.

Major third: Joy, Happiness, and Brightness.

Perfect fourth: Buoyancy, and Pathos

Tritone: Violence, Danger, Tension, and Devilishness.

Perfect fifth: Cheerfulness, and Stability.

Minor sixth: Anguish, and Sadness

Major sixth: Winsomeness, Pleasurable Longing (neutral as a passing tone)

Dominant seventh: Irresolution, Displeasure, Mournfulness.

Major seventh: Aspiration, Displeasure, Violent longing.

Octave: Lightheartedness (i.e., sudden melodic leap).

Music at Workplace

If you listen to music while working, it puts you in a better emotional state, and you’re more likely to stick with your work management. Professional composers of film scores tend to have a good grasp of the connections between emotional valences and elements of tone such as pitch, loudness, and tone colour.

Listening to music can have an extremely relaxing effect on our minds and bodies, music can have a valuable effect on our physiological functions, slowing the pulse and heart rate, lowering blood pressure, and decreasing the levels of stress hormones. Music can absorb our attention; it acts as a distraction at the same time it helps to explore emotions. This means it can be a great aid to meditation, helping to prevent the mind wandering. This is the reason which makes us vigilant about the selection of music at workplace. To get maximum benefits of music at workplace we should have some knowledge of music and its emotional effects, only those people should have right to select music who knows about the music and its effects in working environment. Wrong selection of music can distract workers from their assignments which will affect their performance and can cause losses to the employer.

Selection of Music in Different Working Environments

A workplace is a location or building where people perform physical or mental work in order to earn a living. There are different types of work and working environments, and we can incorporate music in most of the working environments. It is important to understand that each workplace is a social place where different people interact with each others. In each workplace people comes from different backgrounds, and everyone has different approach mental attitude, behaviour, and skills.

People comes at workplace with different emotions, such as joy, anger, love, hate, excitement, fear, etc. all these emotions have consequences and have an effect on the mental and physical abilities of a worker. As we’ve discussed earlier about the vigorous powers of music on emotions and feelings we know that music is capable of bringing change in emotions in few seconds. Carefully selected music with rich expressive effect can bring change in the mood of the listeners and develop similar emotional outcomes on the mood and behavior, of all listeners.

We have many different environments at different types of workplaces, assessing any workplace environment we should consider about the characteristics of all individuals and the nature of work activities. (Queensland Government , 2015) Mentioned in module 10 work environment, we should ensure while designing a workplace environment that the environment should accommodate a broad variety of human characteristics. The work environment should satisfy the mental and physical requirements of all workers.

Helen Bonny is the pioneer for the Guided Imagery & Music method of music therapy, she has written many books and articles on the effect of music on human emotions and behaviour. I feel lucky and proud when my mentor Fran Smith Goldberg told her about me, she was very happy to hear that someone (Me) from Pakistan is having a training in BMGIM (Bonny Method of Guided Imagery & Music). Bonny sent me a message of good wishes and told that “Sohail you are the pioneer of music therapy in Pakistan like I am the pioneer of BMGIM in the world”. She died couple of years ago and unfortunately I couldn’t meet her. I am quoting her statement here, Bonny states, “at the beginning of a listening experience best results are obtained when the mood of the music matches the mood of the listener. It is as if the mind and the feelings are vibrating at a certain frequency and are most satisfied with music that is attuned to that frequency” (Bonny & Savary, 2004).

Concluding this discussion I would like to suggest the use of music in different working environments according to the background of workers, mental and emotional state, and the nature of work activities.

Ensuing decisions about which piece of music to select in which type of mental and emotional state and working environment made us using a two-step decision making process. The first step is to select the music pieces with similar emotional effects and the second is to use different music pieces with different emotional outcomes. Bonny states “Music may be used either to sustain a mood or to alter it”.

Music can change and equalize brain waves. There are 5 kinds of waves that the brain produce Gamma waves, Beta waves, Alpha waves, Theta waves, and Delta waves. All of these waves are measured in hertz. German neurologist Hans Berger discovered brainwaves, he published his findings in 1931.

State	Frequency range	State of mind
Delta	0.5Hz - 4Hz	Deep sleep
Theta	4Hz - 8Hz	Drowsiness (also first stage of sleep)
Alpha	8Hz - 14Hz	Relaxed but alert
Beta	14Hz - 40Hz	Highly alert and focused
Gamma	40Hz – 100Hz	Higher processing tasks and cognitive functions

By using all above information about emotional effects of music elements, melodies, and brain waves we can select music pieces and songs to sustain or alter the emotional states of workers. Organizations can contact a music therapist or the people who have in-depth knowledge of music and its effects to prepare a structured music program which fits their organizational and environmental needs.

References

Blacking, J. (1973). How Musical is Man? Seattle and London: University of Washington Press.

Bonny, H. L., & Savary, L. M. (2004). Music and Your Mind: Listening with a New Consciousness. New York: MMB Music, Incorporated.

Levitin, D. J. (2006). This is Your Brain on Music. Monterial : Dutton Penguin.

Plutchik, R. (1989). The Measurement of Emotions. New York: Academic Press.

Queensland Government . (2015). Creating Healthier Workplace. Retrieved from Queensland Government Department of Education and Training: education.qld.gov.au/health/docs/.../workplace-environment.doc

Schellenberg, G. E., Krysciak, A. M., & Campbell, J. R. (2000). Perceiving Emotion in Melody: Interactive Effects of Pitch and Rhythm. Music Perception: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 18(2), 155-171.