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March 2007
THE PSYCHOLOGY OF MUSIC
By DJ MARK BISSON
It is probably no surprise that there are more songs about relationship issues than all other topics combined. To most of us, a relationship is a pretty big priority. People generally “connect” with songs that mirror whatever is going on in their lives. Someone who is in love will most likely connect with a song like Melt With The Sun by Amber, while someone who is having relationship problems is more likely to relate to Ring The Alarm by Beyonce, and someone who is totally over the relationship and ready to move on will favor On My Own by Reina.
Music, if used correctly, can be used to change a person’s mood. In much the same way that someone goes through the various stages of grief, a person can listen to songs that will progressively elevate them to a better mood. For example, if someone has just gone through a breakup and are at the depressed state, they most likely will connect to a song like We Belong Together by Mariah Carey. They may be feeling sorry for themselves, or really longing for their lover to come back. A step up in mood for them would be to start feeling anger that the other person left them, and a song like I’ve Had Enough by Frankie Knuckles would be a good choice. After that, a song about being independent like Stronger On My Own by Kathy Brown & Soul Central would really put them in a much better state of mind.
Music can be a very powerful tool based on the effect it can have on people. It has the ability to create a variety of emotions. A DJ has the ability to have a direct affect on each listener. If used incorrectly, music can also bring a person down into a lower mental state. For example, say the DJ was angry or depressed and primarily played songs reflecting those emotions, they could impress their negative emotions onto their listeners. My motto, as a DJ, is “Let the music lift you up!” and I always make it a point to end my musical story with a happy ending.
For an example of this, on my website's Live Mixes page listen to my Love Cycles mix. In this mix I begin with songs dealing with a relationship “on the rocks”, followed by a breakup, on to independence and then finish with an exciting new love interest.
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