Music is a part of everyday life for most, and many question the effects that different genres can have on one’s mental health. However, music affects everyone differently. Listening to a sad song can have a therapeutic effect for some, but listening to the same song can be extremely difficult and sad for others. Research has shown that, for Chinese college students, listening to uplifting Chinese folk music has an overall positive effect on their mood and work ethic (Zhang, 2023). So, listening to positive/familiar music has shown to have a positive and therapeutic effect. Other research has found that music commonly seen as negative, such as heavy metal, can also have a therapeutic effect for some. It has been found that heavy metal music correlates with psychological and behavioral problems, however there is no evidence that heavy metal music causes those problems (Olsen et al., 2023). Meaning that those who listen to heavy metal can have a sense of understanding, familiarity, and acceptance while listening, which can give a therapeutic effect. So, all genres have the ability to create a therapeutic effect, it just depends on the person and their taste in music.

            So, begin to observe how different music genres make you feel, and decide which genres are best and most therapeutic for your health. There is not a wrong or bad genre of music, every genre can be therapeutic. It is not simply that a sad song makes someone sad, the therapeutic effect is determined by the person’s perceived musical meaning (Kong & Wong, 2022). So, a sad song could both elicit sad emotions/feelings for some, and also have a relieving/euphoric effect for others. It all depends on how one perceives a song or genre. Just as there is no right or wrong genre when listening to music, there is also no right or wrong time to listen to it. Music can be listened to while doing pretty much anything, often people will work while listening to their favorite music. When to listen is also dependent on the person and what works best for them. Some people excel and do better work while listening to music, while others can’t seem to focus for more than a minute. So, explore the many genres of music and find which ones have a therapeutic effect for you!

References

Zhang, J. (2023). The impact of Chinese folk music on the mental health and academic motivation of college students. Current Psychology: A Journal for Diverse Perspectives on Diverse Psychological Issues. https://doi-org.proxy-tu.researchport.umd.edu/10.1007/s12144-023-05376-5

Olsen, K. N., Terry, J., & Thompson, W. F. (2023). Psychosocial risks and benefits of exposure to heavy metal music with aggressive themes: Current theory and evidence. Current Psychology: A Journal for Diverse Perspectives on Diverse Psychological Issues, 42(24), 21133–21150. https://doi-org.proxy-tu.researchport.umd.edu/10.1007/s12144-022-03108-9

Kong, S., & Wong, W. (2022). Stressors and psychological distress: Music listening as a coping strategy for pre-service kindergarten teachers. International Journal of Music Education, 40(2), 260–275. https://doi-org.proxy-tu.researchport.umd.edu/10.1177/02557614211050986