Dissecting a song : the psychology of music

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to provide an overview of the psychological and emotional impact of music on the audience. The study was conducted due to the lack of attention and focus on this field of study in musical education programmes of music schools, conservatories and universities. Primarily, composers, producers, and songwriters, have been considered as the reader. However musicians of all specializations may benefit from the findings presented here.

This thesis investigates the psychological effect of core song components on the human brain. These components include rhythm, harmony, melody, lyrics, and arrangement. The compositional form of song has been chosen because of the inclusiveness of lyrics, in addition to the other common core elements present in musical works. Resources used in this study include books on music psychology, philosophy, songwriting, and composition, as well as articles from scientific journals, related to fields of biology, medicine, neuroscience and psychology.

Study findings show undeniable evidence of emotional and psychological impact of music on listeners. People have an implicit knowledge of music, which is already developed in childhood, formed mostly by mere exposure to music. Such knowledge develops regardless of musical education later in life. Not all findings are valid cross-culturally, as the formation of music perception is culture-specific. However, while all studies, considered in this thesis, provide valuable information, further research is needed to make definitive conclusions. This thesis also contains a media part of two songs, which have been composed to display the possible implementations of the study findings presented, serving as examples.