Answer:What is music? Is it a simple strum on the banjo or a raging squeal from an electric guitar? Why not both? In many cultures today, music is not limited to only one genre. Music can range from heavy metal, to classical, to country. The question isn’t what music is, but rather what does music do. Different types of music elicit different emotions, but “in order to be moved by music (physically and emotionally),” Daniel Levitin argues, “it helps a great deal to have a readily predictable beat” (Levitin, 2006, pp 166). Levitin refers to this beat at groove—“that quality that moves the song forward” (Levitin, 2006, 166). The emotions people feel from listening to music are interpreted by the entire brain. Negative emotions are interpreted in the right hemisphere of the brain and positive emotions are interpreted in the left hemisphere (Davis and Palladino, 2006, pp 262). Music has the power to change people’s feelings; in fact, music therapy has recently become a popular method of helping people deal with problems such as stress, anxiety, and pain (Music Therapy Makes a Difference, 2004). Therapists also recommend music as a means of “positive change in mood and emotional states” (Shinn, 2005). So what genres of music are best for enhancing one’s mood? Which genres create negative emotions in the listeners? In our paper we will explore the many faces of music, and determine what effect different genres of music have on emotions.
Jazz music originated at the turn of the 20th century in New Orleans. Often associated with Louis Armstrong and improvisation, jazz has not only played a major role in American history, it also can play a role in the emotions felt by one listening to it. Just as there are many genres of music, there are many types of jazz. Levitin lists a few: “Dixieland, boogie-woogie, big band, swing, bebop, ‘straight-ahead,’ acid-jazz, fusion, and metaphysical” (Levitin, 2006, pp 232) and these can stir up many different emotions, such as sadness, happiness, and excitement.
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