The Power of Music

Sagnik Sarkar
Class 9A
Roll No. 29

Complete Transcript of Speech

Good morning/afternoon to all present. Today, I have chosen to speak on the power of
music.

In Vienna, a teenage girl drowned herself, clutching a piece of paper with lyrics on it. In
Budapest, a shopkeeper killed himself and left a note that quoted the same lyrics. In London, a
woman overdosed while listening to a record. At the centre of all these apparently unrelated
suicides, the culprit was a music track by the name of “Gloomy Sunday”: the Hungarian Suicide
Song. It was composed by a struggling, Hungarian music artist by the name of Rudi Spitzer, in
the extreme depression post a breakup with his girlfriend. It ultimately took his own life.

Although this might just sound like an extreme case, the overwhelming power of music is well
documented. It has been, and is still being used for both the good and the bad. What makes
music so overwhelmingly powerful, and perhaps, influential, is the fact that the emotions and
sentiments portrayed in a music track are not distorted by cultural differences. A recent study
confirms this, concluding that people with absolutely no knowledge of a language can accurately
point out the emotions portrayed in a music track composed in that very language.

Regardless of the fact that the tremendous psychological influence of music has only been
recently discovered, Indian classical music theory always incorporated psychological influences
of music. For example, take the ‘raga’, the fundamental framework of Indian classical music.
Each ‘raga’ is supposed to be played or sung at a specific time of the day. A ‘raga’ played or sung
at the correct time of the day heightens the intrinsic emotions present in us in that part of the
day. That increases the appeal to the musical audience. Coming to Western Music Theory,
specific combinations of melodies and notes are used to make a piece of music sound
depressing, jovial, and so on.

Well, music can also help you fall asleep. Definitely, that is a well-known fact. But researchers
have now identified the most relaxing song in the world. It’s a music track by the name of
“Weightless”, composed by an English musical trio, Marconi Union.

Then someone said, why not use music for our vested interests? And indeed they have. The use
of music as satire, and for mocking the enemy can be traced back to the American Revolution.
It’s just another form of psychological warfare. However, it was only Adolf Hitler who
understood the true potential of the use of music as propaganda. Hitler made use of musical
works glorifying German legends, such as the works of Richard Wagner. His operas glorified
ancient German knights, which Hitler then co-opted for himself. The widespread use of music is
also traced to be a way to indoctrinate Nazi philosophy into young Germans. Further forward in
history, communist States such as the USSR and China have also used music for political
propaganda. The Soviet Union, being very much aware of the wide appeal of music, banned
those that roused emotions against the USSR, and instead promoted those which glorified their
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principles. Music continues to be used as a means of projecting “soft power”, and also in public
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diplomacy.

English Language Oral 2nd Term January 21, 2015

We might like to reconcile ourselves by saying that all these scenarios might just not fit into our
daily lives. Let me prove you wrong. Remember the last time you saw a horror scene? Maybe
merely excluding the playback music might make the scene appear a bit less scary. Maybe,
excluding the soft background music from a solemn funeral might not make you so emotional.
Maybe, getting rid of the playback music from an advertisement might not make it so appealing
to us. Psychologists have figured out wonderful ways to subtly influence our choices, and
marketers and movie makers take full advantage of it. It affects us all.

That finally brings us to the big question: why is music so appealing to us humans? A probable
explanation might be the fact that it reinforces our emotions. We tend to listen to gloomy music
when we are sad, and music which is upbeat when we are much more cheerful. It also acts an
emotional outlet. When we often want to express emotions but cannot, we listen to music that
portrays such emotions. For example, when we are outraged, but cannot express this emotion,
we tend to listen to music that is heavy and aggressive. Music also possesses the power to
cultivate emotions in us. Listening to upbeat music when sad can often up your spirits.

Yet, to say the truth, researchers do have sleepless nights pondering over what in the world it
truly is that makes music have its general appeal to all of us.

Thank You.

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English Language Oral 2nd Term January 21, 2015

Main Points of Speech
Good Morning/Afternoon to all present. I have decided today to speak on the
power of music.
“Gloomy Sunday”: The Hungarian Suicide Song
o Vienna: Teenage girl drowned, clutching a paper in her hand with lyrics written
on it.
o Budapest: Shopkeeper kills himself, and leaves a note with the same lyrics on it.
o London: A woman overdosed while listening to a record.
o Seemingly unconnected suicides have 1 common culprit.
o A music track by the name of the Gloomy Sunday, the Hungarian Suicide
Song.
o Composed by struggling Hungarian Artist Rudi Spitzer, in the depression post a
breakup with his girlfriend.
o He ultimately took his own life.
Might sound extreme, but the overwhelming power of music is very well documented.
It has been, and still is being used repeatedly for both the good, and the bad.
Reason for the power of music:
o The emotions and sentiments portrayed by music are not distorted by cultural
differences, unlike other forms of communication.
o Recent Study: Offers confirmation. People can accurately point out the
emotions portrayed in a music track composed in a language they have no
knowledge of.
Music Theory
o Regardless of the fact that the tremendous psychological influence of music has
only recently been documented.
o Indian classical music theory always incorporated psychological
influences of music.
o Example: The raga, the fundamental framework of Indian Classical Music.
o Every raga is supposed to be played or sung at a particular time of the day.
o If so done, the raga heightens the intrinsic emotions experienced by us during
that particular time of the day.
o This increases its musical appeal to the audience.
o Western Music Theory: Specific combinations of tones and melodies make a
piece of music sound depressing, jovial, and so on.
Falling Asleep
o Music helps you fall asleep. Well known to all.
o However, researchers have identified the most relaxing song in the world.
o It is the music track Weightless, composed by the British musical trio, Marconi
Union.
Use of Music as Propaganda
o Someone said, why not use music for our vested interests. And indeed they have.
o American Revolution: Music was used as satire and for mocking the enemy.
o It is a form of psychological warfare.
o However, it was Adolf Hitler who understood the real potential of music being
used as a tool for political propaganda.
o Use: Musical works glorifying German legends.
o Example: The works of Richard Wagner, whose operas glorified German
princes.
o Hitler then co-opted these for himself.
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o Widespread Use of Music: To indoctrinate Nazi philosophy into young

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Germans.

English Language Oral 2nd Term January 21, 2015

 o Further forward in history: Communist States like China and the USSR have
used music as a form of propaganda.
o Soviet Union: Banned songs that attacked their ideologies, and instead
promoted those that glorified their ideals.
o Music continues being used as a means of projecting “soft power”, and in public
diplomacy.
We might like to reconcile ourselves by saying that all these scenarios might not fit into
our daily lives.
Let me prove you wrong.
Use of Music in Marketing and Movie-Making
o Remember the last time you saw a horror scene? Maybe merely excluding the
playback music might make the scene appear a bit less scary.
o Maybe, excluding the soft background music from a solemn funeral might not
make you so emotional.
o Maybe, getting rid of the playback music from an advertisement might not make
it so appealing to us.
o Psychologists have figured out wonderful ways to subtly influence our
choices, and marketers and movie makers take full advantage of it. It
affects us all.
Final Question: Why is it that music is so appealing to us humans?
o One probable reason might be that it reinforces our emotions.
 We tend to listen to gloomy music when we are sad, and music which is
upbeat when we are much more cheerful.
 Emotional Outlet: When we often want to express emotions but
cannot, we listen to music that portrays such emotions. For example, when
we are outraged, but cannot express this emotion, we tend to listen to music that is
heavy and aggressive.
 Music also possesses the power to cultivate emotions in us.
Listening to upbeat music when sad can often up your spirits.
Closing
o Yet, to say the truth, researchers do have sleepless nights pondering over what in
the world it truly is that makes music have its general appeal to all of us.
o Thank You.

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English Language Oral 2nd Term January 21, 2015