“We ought to remember that either type of music, stimulating or relaxing, should not be played too loudly. What is good for us is not always good for our neighbour,” says Wladyslaw Pitak, a music therapist, who is talking to us today about choosing suitable music for office work.
How can music influence our mood and ability to work?
- First of all, music is asemantic, which means that it has no meaning. Pure music is a relatively weak therapeutic or marketing measure. Certainly, it does not change human customs or habits, as people often say. However, it is known that music can influence the level of activity of the nervous system and change whole body functions, e.g. changes to muscular tone, stimulation of the metabolism, lower the threshold of sense activation or modify the breathing. These are specific changes. Music often evokes various moods and emotions.
What type of music should we listen to at work?
Any music should be selected to suit a particular job and the people doing it. A truck driver will not listen to a Mozart symphony, but instead will prefer reggae or country. During physical work it is advisable to listen to stimulating music, including those with lyrics, characterized by:
Quick pace;
Contrasting melodic pattern with opposite themes, as in a classical sonata;
Turbulent metric system with strong rhythmic accents;
Wide diversity of melodic and rhythmic pattern;
Opposition of individual groups of instruments;
Wide dynamic diversity.
A physical worker can listen to music with lyrics. Is this the same for an intellectual job?
- Rather not. Lyrics may distract this type of worker. The best option here would be relaxing music characterized by:
Slow or moderate pace;
Low volume and lack of dynamic contrasts;
Predominance of a central register of sounds; using string, wind or keyboard instruments of a gentle sound and mild tone;
Smoothness of melody and rhythm, predominance of steady rhythms- "rocking";
The presence of slight climactic points, which allow the listener to oscillate between a state of tension and relaxation;
Lack of instruments with bright and sharp tones, strong rhythmic section (percussion, bass guitar) and avoiding vocal compositions.
After listening to such music, emotionally unstable workers become less physically and verbally aggressive. They are also less irritable, and feelings like guilt, suspicion and pessimism are reduced.
Perhaps listening to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is the best option in the office?
- Not necessarily. It is said that Mozart’s music positively influences the brain functions, but it can also have a negative effect. Music that helps and calms one person, can stimulate and make another person aggressive. Popular disco music (based on three chords) can make an adolescent calmer, but on the other hand, a fan of classical music can become depressed or even aggressive while listening to it. We cannot disdain any type of music. Listening to disco is advisable while doing physical work, when we expect a particular effect, but it should not be too loud. It has been shown that noise lowers the level of concentration, increases stress and blood pressure and disturbs sleep.
Is there a kind of music that especially decreases our efficiency at work?
- Teenage music is the most predominant type of music in our professional life. We can hear it everywhere: on building sites, in supermarkets, in offices, from the next apartment and over our neighbour’s fence. It is characterized by chaos and randomness, making it impossible to for the body to respond well to the sounds. Such music is not considered as useful for achieving positive effects at work. On the contrary, classical music mainly comprises pieces compatible with the human psyche and the natural, primeval rhythms of the whole body. We should remember that both types of music, relaxing and stimulating, should not be played too loudly. What is good for us is not always good for our neighbour. While listening to our music, an irritated neighbour can behave in a completely different way than we might expect. This music can be harmful for him, and regardless of the saying that music has soothing effect on our mood and behaviour; he will act quite the opposite.
What should we do when we are in a bad mood at work? What music can help us to improve the way we feel?
-For sure we should not listen to rhythmic music, which is not suitable for our mood. Perhaps in such a case it would be better to choose calmer and milder tunes.
by Anna Wójcik
Wladyslaw Pitak – medial speech therapist and music therapist from Koszalin
