Music and Mood—a continuing series relating to our mental health.

Music is wonderful. We’re drawn to it. It can’t be touched, but evokes emotion as we respond to happy tunes, dancing rhythms, heart-wrenching songs, beautiful melodies, inspiring anthems, stirring hymns, and majestic orchestrations. Soldiers march better to a band. Workouts can go longer and feel better when done to inspiring music.

Without music, there’d be no orchestras, operas, ballets, ballerinas, musical comedies, singing, chiming cell phones, musical instruments, or lullabies to babies. Films would have no background music. Advertisers would seek other ways to attract attention.

Medical research has proven that music can have a positive effect on mood, without understanding exactly why. It can help psychologically, emotionally, physically, spiritually, cognitively, and socially, when enjoyed with others. Skill or talent isn’t necessary to benefit.

Restoring WWII Veterans

Music as therapy was first used by the US War Department in 1945, to aid recovery of our injured military.

Today, it helps against substance abuse, trauma, and shortness of breath. It can lower blood pressure, improve coping, manage pain, reduce stress, and help the memory. It can enhance mood, increase motivation, alleviate loneliness, boredom, depression, anxiety, fear, frustration, and anger. Music may help children and autistics to develop reading and communication skills. Mental patients are calmed by soothing tunes.

In those with mental disorders, music may reduce agitation, and improve cooperation with daily tasks. I used to visit a lady with advanced Alzheimer’s. She didn’t converse, but when I began singing, she’d join in, singing lyrics and melodies. Her face—previously expressionless—became alive.

Music may aid responsiveness to antidepressants, lower blood pressure, and improve sleep quality and duration—vital to those serving in corrections.

Help or Harm

For most, music is already part of life, listening to your preferred artists. Sometimes, however, we may want to try a different style of music, since various genres trigger different neurological stimulation: some encouraging peace or joy, while others produce tension.

I encourage correctional staff to listen to the upbeat music and messages of KLove, Air-1, and Moody on their commutes and at home—because these stations’ programming connects with and enriches the soul. I learned of the first two from staff who shared how these programs help them.

One officer—grieving his mother’s death—began listening to KLove, and continues doing so, saying it “really helps” his feelings and sleep.

This isn’t a new concept. Plato wrote, “The kind of music determines the balance of the soul.” Aristotle wrote, “If one listens to the wrong kind of music, he will become the wrong kind of person.”

What’s A “Wrong” Type of Music?

As with the food we select, it’s important to be wise about which music we “ingest.” Research shows that harm comes from disharmonic genres: rap, hard, or acid rock can damage brain neurons, increase adrenalin, and prompt hyperactivity, even aggression. Their tones impede learning and memory. In Closing of the American Mind, Professor Allan Bloom writes that harmonic music, such as classical, makes listeners more relaxed and thoughtful, whereas prolonged electrical amplification of jarring rhythms is similar to damaging, recreational drugs!

A friend, reading about the potential neuron and emotional harm from disharmonic genres shared: “I listen to hard rock/metal and it relaxes me more than anything. Also, heavy bass is really helpful for headaches (at least for me).” Since God makes every person unique, discordant music might not harm everyone — but it might be worthwhile trying harmonious music when confronted with life’s upsets.

Particularly for those serving in the typical correctional environment, which is noisy: voluntarily taking in additional discord — through listening to grating music and negative lyrics when off-duty—could further tax their emotional, mental, and physical health.

If you’re in administration and can provide to on-duty staff music that is harmonic, with fun or encouraging lyrics, this can strengthen their thoughts and spirit — even energize weary bodies. For tiers with radios, I suggest officers tune into the above stations, to calm the detained and positively engage their minds, which may assist COs in maintaining good order.

When was Music Invented?

Because of the Bible, we’re able to identify the first human singer and earliest instrumentalists.

Scripture reveals that God sings—lovingly—over us! “God…will rejoice over you with singing,” according to Zephaniah 3. Since He has always existed, his attributes (voice and capacity for music), also always existed. He created angels, and gave them musical ability, because the angels (as God told Job), while watching creation, “sang with joy.” Music is joyous because it’s from God, the creator and giver of all good things. God built music into both the spiritual and physical realms.

Psalm 92:1 is “A song which Adam (the first man) uttered”which means Adam sang it! It mentions stringed instruments. God gave Adam a psalm to sing, an instrument, and taught him how to play it—simple for God, who created complex galaxies, life, and the human body. Also early in humanity’s history was Jubal, “father of all who play harp and flute” (Genesis 4:21).

God told Moses to make trumpets for worship (Numbers 10). King David appointed 4,000 Levites as worship musicians, to “play loudly on harps, lyres and cymbals, to raise sounds of joy…instruments of power.” Music-makers were so valued by God that he instructed musicians to be exempt from other duties, and to pay no tax! (1 Chronicles 9:32-34—33, and Ezra 7:24).

The Cosmos Sings

Flying through space, celestial bodies emit sounds that work together, much like a musical composition. In Music of the Spheres,science writer Jamie James explains that the Pythagoreans viewed the cosmos as a vast lyre, with crystal spheres in place of strings, spaced to the same ratios of musical scale frequencies. Aristotle said, “the whole heaven is a musical scale and number.”

James continues, “The motion of bodies of that size must produce noise, since on Earth the motion of bodies far inferior in size and speed has that effect. Their speeds, measured by distances, are in the same ratios as musical concordances. Sound given forth by the movement of stars is a harmony.”

Science discovered “heavenly music bellowed out by the sun’s atmosphere” (Space.com, April 18, 2007), at frequencies too low for human hearing. The sun’s corona carries magnetic sound waves, “exactly the same waves you see on a guitar string,” said Siebenburgen of the Solar Physics and Space Plasma Research Center.

Music From Nature

God created sound to emanate from all creation to make music, perceptible at least to Him. First Chronicles 16 states, “the trees sing out at the presence of the Lord.” We can’t hear that, but God gifted us with other, audible music to enjoy—made by animals, insects, and birds. And he gave us desire to bodily move to music, such as when King David danced, praising God.

As creator of us and music, God provided it for our well-being. We may only just be learning what He’s always known: music can ease emotions, build feelings, express pain, hope, joy, hurt, even request His help, amid our struggles: “I will sing of your love; you are my refuge in times of trouble.” (Psalm 59:16). Songs’ poetry aids memory, and helps humans to recall significant events and warnings, such as in Deuteronomy’s Song of Moses.

The world would be lackluster without music. It permeates every area of life. It had to be complete from the start. Evolutionists can’t explain the development of our capacity to perceive certain sound combinations as healing, our ability to recognize certain patterns as ‘music,’ and others as ‘noise.’

Among all societies we find music. Non-creationists conclude that even music in its most elementary state represents a development ‘from an unknown original.’ However, the composer of music isn’t unknown. He is God, who loves you, and wants you to use this gift of music for joy and health, and to thank Him for it!

Wise Choices

So, choose to not turn on negative news. Set aside scrolling through social media. Do your body, mind, and spirit a favor by tuning into Klove or another source of uplifting music. Sing along, dance, grow, and live!

If you’ve a question about God or creation, or seek prayer, it’d be my privilege to hear from you (it’s confidential); just email me a phone number and good day/time convenient for you to receive my call.

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Chaplain Linda Ahrens Chaplain American Jail Association

References

The Oxford Illustrated Dictionary of Music, 2nd edition. Orchestration, Cecil Forsyth, 2nd edition. The Bible, NIV. www.Space.com, April 18, 2007.

www.my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/8817-music-therapy. Health.usnews.com/wellness/mind/how-music-therapy-helps-terminally-ill-patients. www.psychologytoday.com/music-therapy-health-and-wellness. www.thetrumpet.com/7580-where-did-music-come-from; Dec, 2010.

www.creation.com/music-evidence-of-creation. Ordainedgeek.com/2016/08/09/when-did-god-create-music.

www.blablawriting.net/the-negative-impact-of-rap-music. www.arlenetaylor.org/music-and-the-brain/7410-potential-negative-impact.

Please check out the more than 100 free leaflets on the AJA website, written for correctional staff. Topics cover: After a Jail Incident, Experiencing Loss, Communication, Emotions, Health, Marriage, Parenting, Suicide Prevention, and Spiritual Matters. Download any for yourself, your family, and your staff at: AJA.org–Publications–Wellness–Printable Brochures.