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Stop! In the Name of Music!

Posted by: Pat Padua

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Stop thief! by Albert Von Tilzer. New York, Broadway Music Corp, 1913.
Stop thief! by Albert Von Tilzer. New York, Broadway Music Corp, 1913.

In Stanley Kubrick’s film adaptation of the Anthony Burgess novel A Clockwork Orange, Malcolm Macdowell is memorably conditioned to veer from his life of ultra-violence with generous doses of Ludwig Van.  But does music really sooth the savage breast? Does blasting Barry Manilow at high volume  drive away delinquent teenagers? The answer may surprise you. Check out  Music, Criminal Behavior and Crime Prevention, part of the Music and the Brain lecture series, on the Library’s YouTube channel. You can subscribe to Music and the Brain podcasts on iTunes. And if you’re in Washington, come hear the latest in the series  Music and the Brain II on Friday, March 12th, with  “The Positive Effects of Music Therapy on Health.” Concetta M. Tomaino, Executive Director, Institute for Music and Neurologic Function, will be our guest speaker. The lecture begins at 6:15 in the Whittall Pavilion, adjacent to the Coolidhge Auditorium in the Jefferson Building.

Comments (3)

  1. Captain John says:

    Great topic! For those (like me) who love music we know the answers. You can overcome pain, the blues, depression, hunger, you name it, especially if you are performing yourself but just listening works as well. Historically it seems to have been key in keeping some otherise over the edge extremely creative people from I work at a Medical School and some of our researchers are studying the influence of music on the brain, the brain and ultimately the bodies response in fighting physical or emotional illness. This is great stuff. I’ll be following along as I am interested in seeing the results from different types of music and their variations. Perhaps in the future, physicians will give digital prescriptions of classical, folk or acid rock to speed recovery.

  2. Captain John says:

    Ooops. Didn’t finish a sentence!

    Historically it seems to have been key in keeping some otherise over the edge extremely creative people from self destruction.

  3. Maya says:

    Music can definitely affect your mood, which is why we prefer to listen to soothing music when we’re in subdued mood. I believe there have been studies to prove this.

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