Becoming A "Swiftie"
Going to Concerts // How Music Can Effect Us
Taylor Swift changed my life. As someone who only listened to Fall Out Boy and other random metal bands growing up, that is saying a lot (and now Fall Out Boy is on her new album which is mind-blowing). She is someone I’ve always looked up to in the music industry, but never really been super big on…until last month. About a month ago, my friend invited me to go to a Taylor Swift concert, and of course, I said yes. The only issue was I knew only about two songs, but I did what I could to listen and become familiar with as many of them as I could.
Fast forward to a month later in May, me and two friends got to see her live at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ, and it was one of the coolest experiences in my life.
So for todays post in light of this, I’m going to be talking about music, concerts, and how music can effect us on a day to day basis, in order to make it educational and fun at the same time.
Anyways, let’s get into...
The Concert Experience
If you’re someone who’s never been to a concert (hell, it took me 18 years to get to one), then I’d highly recommend trying to get to one. The unfortunate part of them is they’re usually very expensive for bigger bands/artists, but for some they have cheaper tickets that are still in very solid seats.
The whole experience at a concert is probably some of the most core memories in life, in my opinion. The whole vibe at a concert is so positive and wholesome and seeing your favorite artist or band is so euphoric. My first concert was actually Taylor Swift, and although she wasn’t my first choice to see live (I’m more of a punk rock person), I had so much fun. I didn’t know what a concert would be like along with the vibe at a Taylor Swift concert, but it really was a blast. Going with my friends, spending all day at MetLife, waiting in line for merch, along the whole concert was one of my most memorable experiences of my youth by far. You don’t always have to love an artist to have fun seeing them live, it’s all about the experience that comes with it.
The memories from a concert are some of the best to look back on and the bond you’re able to make with people when you’re with them long enough is really amazeballs too. I can confirm that waiting in a merch line for 4.5 hours in the raging heat really made me and my friends bond more than we really ever wanted to.
In summary: go to a concert, make memories, and have fun while you still can at a young age (if you’re above the age of 40, that also includes you, I swear). It’s worth every pennie to go to one, especially if it’s Taylor Swift.
Now, let’s get into the educational bit…
How Does Music Help Us?
A fact I learned in the last few years is that music is a kind of therapy. It generally can be beneficial for almost any kind of mood and it’s a great way to cope. When you’re sad, it helps to play something that soothes you. When you’re angry, it can help to play something that’s relaxing or something that directly reflects your anger if it helps calms you down.
According to John Hopkins Medicine, Music reduces anxiety, blood pressure, and pain. It can also help improve our mood, sleep quality, and mental alertness. In general, music’s a very healthy way of coping along with the positive health benefits that are associated with it. Along with the multitude of health benefits, music is able to make our lives so much more exciting and entertaining. Weather it be at a concert, the shower, doing work (I’m jamming Taylor now as I write this), or the comfort of our own cars, music is what makes it more of a real vibe and more valuable to us. For me, in my own car, that’s blasting Freaks by Surf Curse late at night.
Yes or No to Music in Schools?
Another great attribute about music is the fact that it can make it easier for us to concentrate and get work done in school. Although, for many schools including my own, it was more of a “privellage” to be allowed to listen to music in class when doing work. For others, their schools didn’t allow it at all. In my opinion, I think it should be allowed for every student to be able to listen to music in class within reason and when doing work (during lectures and during instruction time, not so much).
As a student myself, music has helped me keep myself stable in class and assisted me in being able to enjoy myself more while working on assignments. A study done by West Governors University found that “[by] listening to music, [it can] lead to positive changes in mood, as well as increased activity [in school].”
Some other quick benefits of music in the classroom includes:
The development of reasoning and language
Improved coordination
Emotional development
Enhanced auditory skills
Improved creative thinking
From these factors, it further proves how music is an healthy and productive option for our daily lives weather that be at work or in the classroom. Music is able to help us stay on task and is generally helpful for a better self-esteem.
Are There Any Negatives of Music?
With anything in life, there’s always negatives that come with the positives. Although, music is a very healthy and beneficial way of expressing ourselves and a way to relax and have fun, it can have some negative effects too, but it really depends on what you listen to.
As we already know, music has a very big impact on how we’re feeling, and with that, our moods. With this, we also sometimes associate music with certain events or times of our lives. Certain songs can make us think of a time in our lives that could be a really happy and great time or the exact opposite which can have a big impact on how we’re feeling.
Again, though, this really depends on the song and how we associate it with our lives. Different songs/lyrics can have different effects. If a song is very relatable to how we’ve felt or are feeling too is a big attribute with our emotions. Songs such as good 4 u by Olivia Rodrigo is a big example of this, as it’s a song about a breakup.
The same thing goes for any kind of angry or violent song or artist. It can make us become more aggressive and/or violent in social interactions or just angry in general. Studies have shown that people who listen to more violent music are usually more likely to use this anger from the music in real life situations because of how the music makes them feel. Music sometimes releases something in us that can unfortunately not always be a positive reaction or outcome.
In summary, though, the big idea is that it really depends on how you “use” and perceive music that you listen to at the end of the day. Being self-aware of what you listen to and how it makes you feel is helpful so you know of what makes you feel a certain way.
Lastly…
Go to a concert, listen to music when you’re feeling down in a healthy and positive way, use it to express yourself, use it to be more productive, and of course, be a proud Swifite. Thanks for stopping by.
All feedback from a text or comment is appreciated : )
Sources:
West Governor University's Study
Medium- Can Music Have Negative Effects on People?
