Are the classics useful?
In the recently popular studies of the impact of music on the functioning of the human body, a red thread runs through the statement about the supposedly unconditional usefulness of classical music on the human body. About the same thing is said about the benefits of jazz. In contrast to this, it is categorically stated that rock music is harmful. However, is this really so? Is changing your playlist really enough to benefit your body?
No, of course not. Everything is much more complicated. Unfortunately, almost all the research in this area has not been large enough to cover all the nuances, and we know that the Devil is in the details.
For example, when talking about the dangers of rock music on the human body, neither the style of this movement the work participating in the experiment belonged to, nor the individual preferences of the listener. At the same time, the most extreme direction of rock was chosen, which is as far from most rock compositions as a racing car is from a Zhiguli. Listen to “Scum” by Napalm Death and “Still Loving You” by Scorpions. Compare them and everything will become clear. It is quite obvious that these musical works carry a different emotional charge, and their impact will be different, although stylistically both belong to heavy rock.
It also turned out that the impact of a particular piece of music largely depends on the musical culture of the listener. Simply put, the above-mentioned composition “Scum” will have a different effect on an admirer of such music and on a fan of romances.
The situation is similar with classical music. If for some reason only the most extreme directions of the “heavy metal” style are chosen as an example of rock music, then in the case of classical music, such an example is necessarily Mozart or Tchaikovsky. However, not everything is so simple: in addition to the above-mentioned geniuses, there are others: Shostakovich, Schoenberg, Richard Strauss, Wagner and many others. It is known that at concerts where the works of these composers were performed, some listeners felt faint and even lost consciousness.
However, it’s not just about the composer. Some works by the aforementioned Tchaikovsky and Mozart can also hardly be considered healthy. Thus, experiments conducted by American researchers showed that systematic listening to Mozart’s “Requiem” by representatives of various social and age groups led to apathy and a weakened immune system.
How to choose the most useful music? Unfortunately, the answer can only be found experimentally. Listen to music that’s energetic but not crazy when you need a boost. And when you need to calm down, you should give preference to calm music without an admixture of melancholy or sorrow.
