The Music Made Me Do It

The Music Made Me Do It Music has a huge impact on the everyday lives of individuals in America today. It is an important part of the sociological self, which causes a person to feel and act in a certain manner. Sensual guitar playing, a suggestive song, hard rock power chords, or a tune from the past are all highly powerful forces in shaping one’s actions. I have taken a particular interest in the way that different genres of music affect student’s actions at this university. This paper will take into account the effects that particular genres of music have on people. Because we are in a college town such as Austin it is easy to observe the effects that music has on people. Whether it be at parties, clubs, concerts, or in the dorms, I have seen the effects that music has on students. In many situations in today’s world, actions that would normally be deemed inappropriate are viewed as acceptable due to the fact that a certain type of music is playing. Through a few experiences and observances, I have discovered the sociological importance of different music in the lives of many students. At many heavy metal and rock and roll concerts, there are areas where a large group of people congregate and physically shove each other during the performance. This area is most commonly referred to as a “mosh pit.” At the beginning of this semester, I attended an outdoor concert here in Austin. The headlining band was the Stone Temple Pilots, a band that performs songs that often contain some heavy metal guitar riffs. As the concert progressed, there arose a massive mosh pit engulfing the area from about one hundred yards away from the stage all the way to the front of the stage. Three rows back from the stage I could hardly breathe. I was not standing under my own power, but by the pressure of all the people around me pushing in every direction. There is no doubt that these actions are the direct effect of this particular music. This type of music can lead to a state of mind where these activities are a main focus in a person’s way of life. According to Freud, the id is the part of the person which desires certain things, but is controlled by the ego and superego (Freud, 65-68). When a person enters a stage such as this in their life they are completely controlled by the id. The music is an ally to the id, helping it achieve its desires. To illustrate this point further, a closer look at the actions is necessary. A concert’s purpose is to allow fans to listen to a band perform live. If the rational part of one’s self, the superego, were in control, it is highly unlikely that someone would begin shoving random people to the beat of a song. Though this behavior would not normally be tolerated, it is viewed as acceptable because the participants are at a certain music concert. These actions “toe the line” between expression and violence. For the most part, this aggressive behavior is instigated and carried out by males. By nature the males of the human species are more prone to violence and exhibitions of strength than females. Music is a powerful means by which these people deem it permissible to act in such a manner. There may be other factors involved with this behavior such as male angst and stress, but the driving force is undoubtedly the music. When a typical heavy metal song is played there is an intense beat that penetrates to the soul. The most common rhythm in many of these songs lends itself to sharp, powerful, and rigid movements. In a society where the men are seen as the dominant sex, they need a place to display their masculinity. Those who don’t have any other outlet find their release in their “physical appreciation” of the music. It is logical to deduce that males need a place to release their natural selves, and the music at these concerts provides just such a place. Music from your one’s also brings with it the memories of the times they have experienced while listening to that music. Whole periods, not just single occurrences, can be relived by hearing an old favorite. Several weeks ago in my wing on the second floor of Jester East, I performed an experiment. The participants were very well suited for the experiment because they mostly listen to rock and roll and heavy metal. Their musical taste is a far cry from the music I used in this experiment. Sometime around one in the morning I placed a compact disc entitled “80’s Dance Party” in my stereo, and turned it up excessively loud. My goal was to see how the male residents in the wing would react. Immediately after the music began doors started to open, and the residents proceeded to pour out into the hall. Though many of them had already been in bed, they all had smiles on their faces. Everyone was dancing around, and talking about times when they remembered having heard a particular song in the past. Dancing around in a dormitory hall during the a.m. hours of a school night may not be perceived as the most rational event to be occurring, yet the participants did not feel strange because of the music that was playing. The feeling that one has when hearing a song is often related to the most memorable moment they experienced while that song was being played. In the case of my experiment, being that all the participants were around 18 years of age, the songs from the 1980’s reminded us of