Effect Of Heavy Metal Music example essay topic

Music has been used for many different things throughout history. It is said that music influences a person's brain, and by doing so, has an effect on overall behavior or activity of a person. Many Indian tribes across North America used percussion instruments (drums) to contact the spirits of their ancestors. During the Renaissance period, during many parties held by royalty, "classical" music was played to keep a happy atmosphere about the ballroom.

In the next few paragraphs, we " ll look at how today's society blames Metal Music for many behavioral disorders amongst the youth. Musical preferences are as diverse as the people who listen to them. Different types of music have different reputations; heavy metal music is often labeled as 'negative,' yet others find it a harmless form of music. It is my belief that music may have some sort of effect on the listener, but nothing serious and nothing damaging.

The behavior of a person is purely their own, whether it be caused from their parents telling them no or a kid they hate at school spoke with them; however, this is by no means the musicians' faults. Like other types of music, such as jazz, blues, and even rap, the distinct style of heavy metal music can be grouped into three main sections. One popular style of heavy metal is death metal. Death metal has a darker sound and more surreal style than other forms of heavy metal. The music itself is fast, heavy, and loud, usually with a classical twist thrown in.

The images that death metal portrays are death, doom, destruction, suicide, sex, and drugs. Some people may see these images as harmful or having a negative effect on the listener. Another form of heavy metal music is speed metal. Speed metal has a more upbeat sound than death metal and isn't as "depressing".

It's fast paced and has a hard impact, the lead guitar following a seemingly impossible rhythm. This is in contrast to death metal, which emphasizes rhythm guitar. The last type of metal music being thrash metal. The name refers to both the thrashing sound of the music and the flailing movement of its listeners. The sound is extremely loud and has the same tone and style of speed metal. These styles however, attract certain "types" of people.

The majority of people who listen to metal music is said to be white males. These males range in ages between 14-24. They have a certain style of dress and way of life; they wear dark clothing with morbid images of death and destruction, for example. This clothing can be seen as an advertisement that displays the teens' musical preference. Teens who prefer metal music have a higher incidence of below-average grades, school behavior problems, sexual activity, drug and alcohol use, and arrests.

Despite this, it was obvious that the teens' home lives were "stable": two parents, good living conditions and a sound financial status. It's just a way of getting attention. Parents want the best for their children, but sometimes their efforts are not beneficial. When parents nag their children about what they should / shouldn 't listen to, kids can become angry and depressed.

This can possibly lead to drinking, drug use, and suicide. Parents can blame this behavior on the music that their kids are listening to, but they will never be able to link it to the music their children enjoy. Studies have been done on the effect of heavy metal music. Child psychiatrists at the University of Iowa examined the effects of heavy metal music on teenagers's o cial behavior. These studies show that many teens who thought, seriously, about suicide and have thought about or have abused drugs listen to heavy metal, but they can't show a direct connection between the music and these actions. Another recent survey done by the University of Iowa reported that female hard rock fans thought about suicide more often than people that listen to other types of music; however, most of the females who thought about suicide were too scared of dying to try it.

One positive effect of this music was that if the teenager was depressed, listening to his / her favorite music helped him / her feel better again. Another study down by psychologist Stephanie Pinder-A maker says that music can influence a person's state of mind. In her studies she found if people listen to music that is faster than their heart rate, like metal, it increases their heart rate. If you " re trying to increase your energy level, it might be a good way to create "excitement".

Metal music, by increasing the heart rate of its listeners, could be seen as a form of exercise or physical release. -- Many people do not take this music seriously. Brian Slag el, CEO of Metal Blade Records, says, "I think the genre -as a whole- is serious in wanting to shock people, but it also has its tongue planted in its cheek. These bands don't do cannibalistic things, they do not worship Satan. They don't do all the things people think they do. If you take it seriously, you " re further off the deep end than most people, I think.

' In other words, this man is saying that the entire metal world is based around attention and money making. What these musicians do to grab a buck or entertain their fans doesn't mean the fans, themselves, have to imitate the band members. In conclusion, I would like to point out that none of this has pointed a finger at a person's behavior being caused from the music they listen to. Could we not point the finger at today's rap industry? At least in the world of metal music, most things they endorse are fantasy and rarely seen to be realistic.

In rap, children are listening to plain vocals about rape, drug use, and prostitution, among other "immoral" things. Should we not take a look at today's most popular musical influence instead of attacking the men "out of the norm", ? I might also point out that while I did relate metal music with depression, I didn't directly connect any of it. I did, however, say that a certain person was attracted to a certain type of music. Could the person be the depressed one, their inner emotions causing whatever it is that makes them act as they do, but not the music itself? Also, music might be looked at as an outlet for today's angry and energized teen.

Without this outlet of stress and complete angst, maybe the suicide rate would increase, or the school shootings number would go up? Teens will continue to listen to such music that their parents loathe, nothing will change that; this may be looked at as a good thing from my point of view.