MUSI20150 Music And Health University of Melbourne

University of Melbourne

MUSI20150 Music And Health University of Melbourne

During their lifetime, approximately 45% of Australians aged between 16 and 85 will
experience a mental health related condition such as depression or anxiety according to a
mental health and wellbeing survey conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Music
can be used by individuals to combat and cope with any stresses or problems they may have
in their everyday lives (McFerran, K.S., 2016). For this assignment, I have created a playlist
which aims to have an uplifting and motivating effect on the listener to promote mental
wellbeing. I have based the playlist on the genres trance and hardstyle because I believe
that often they seen as just dance music without meaning and I wanted to show that they
can have an uplifting effect on an individual’s feelings. The playlist was compiled by
extracting ten songs from one of my current playlists which consists of 106 songs. I first
chose all the songs which had a strong effect on my mood when listening to them. From
these songs, I listened to the lyrics to decide which ones had the best meaning and uplifting
effect on my feelings. Eventually I was able to pick out 10 songs, 3 trance and 7 hardstyle. I
put the 3 trance songs at the beginning of the playlist so that the it starts out as uplifting
trance, then progresses into hard trance and then eventually into euphoric hardstyle. This is
done so that the listener is eased into the music instead of just being hit with hard beats.
Additionally, by doing this the playlist has a storyline-like feel to it. The few songs are
progressive trance tracks that have strong uplifting vocals in the melody. These songs try to
induce a sense of happiness and heightened consciousness to set the mood for the rest of
the other tracks. An external stimulation is created by the first song as a form of distraction
and opens an optimistic perspective which the listener can escape to. As the playlist
progresses, the tempo and beat increases in speed which stimulates the heartbeat and
physiological arousal (Clark et al., 2015). This may instil a sense of liveliness and excitement
which could act as a distraction from the negative thoughts in their heads. The hardstyle
songs have an uplifting effect on the listener through the fast upbeat tempo and emotive
lyrics which may help relieve any unhappiness, stress, anxiety or anger.
1. Aly & Fila; Roxanne Emery – Shine (2014). A. Amr Fathalla – F. Wassef Naguib – R. Emery.
Shine [Recorded by Aly & Fila and Roxanne Emery]. On The Other Shore [MP3].
Amsterdam, Netherlands: Armada Music.
My playlist begins with “Shine” because it is the most gentle and relaxing song out of the
playlist to allow the listener to at ease. The lush piano and slow but powerful breakbeat
combined with the melody and strong vocals creates an emotional but uplifting vibe. The
lyrics allow the listener to reflect on their feelings and any “mountains [they] must climb”.
This suggests to the listener that everyone has struggles in their life and they are not alone.
The repetition of “learn to shine” motivates the listener to fight through any challenges that
they might be facing. Following the melody, the slow tempo transitions into an upbeat
tempo which prompts the listener into a positive mood (Khalfa, Roy, Rainville, Dalla Bella, &
Peretz, 2008). This positions the listener to have an optimistic outlook on life and sets up the
mood for the rest of the playlist.
2. Cosmic Gate; Emma Hewitt – Be Your Sound (2011). Be Your Sound [Recorded by
Cosmic Gate and Emma Hewitt]. On Wake Your Mind [MP3]. Netherlands: Black Hole
Recordings.
“Be Your Sound” was fitting for this playlist due to the compelling, powerful lyrics which
Emma Hewitt sings with emotion. The combination of this and the slow piano create a deep
and melancholic enables the listener to draw from their experiences to relate to “a world
gone silent”. Although this may instil a sense of sadness in the listener, there is progression
into faster tempo with uplifting lyrics and synths to help them find solace. This may give an
impression that strength is building as the song continues. The lyrics “we’ll build a fortress
to keep them out” and “if they try to hurt you, I’ll tear them down” suggests that the
listener has support to overcome any fears or problems which might hold them back.
Cloninger (2006) suggests that if people let go of their fears and conflicts, they can learn to
flourish and have greater control over their lives.
3. John O’Callaghan; Sarah Howells – Find Yourself (2009). Find Yourself [Recorded by John
O’Callaghan and Sarah Howells]. On Never Fade Away [CD]. Amsterdam, Netherlands:
Armada Music.

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