Family Matters
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Is Is Music, Sound, or
Noise?
by Janet Tubbs
usic, music, everywhere and hardly
a song we'd choose to listen to. It's impossible to spend
a day 
without hearing music in some form
in supermarkets, department stores, elevators, offices,
schools, buses, cars and homes.
Music is manipulative, both in the positive and negative sense of the word. It can create behavioral changes both good and bad. It influences your decisions to perform according to the wishes of your employer, merchandisers or other special interest groups when certain tempos and styles are played where you're a captive audience.
Lullabies at bedtime
induce sleep 
and marches at football games
generate excitement. It doesn't take a rocket scientist
to see the connection between music and moods but most
people are unaware of the subtle influences upon the
mind, body, and emotions.
Music and rhythm are a natural part of a child's early life and he tells us in a dozen ways of this need by banging on pots, clapping hands, rocking his crib, or going for a ride on Grandpa's leg.
Adolescents may turn to
rock music, 
not because they like it, but
because it makes them feel part of the group and offers
an outlet for blossoming sexual energy. Little or no
thought is given to the effect of music, yet we know
certain rock beats disturb the rhythm of the heart, and
riots often occur at rock concerts as the audience is
swept up in a frenzy of emotion.
Although we still don't
know how exactly it works, we have learned a great deal
about the effects of sound. According to an article in Science
News, March 21, 1981, 
monkeys were used in an experiment
to determine their reaction to the noises that are around
us every day. They heard alarm clocks, running water,
toilets flushing, electric razors, radio and television
shows, construction equipment, and televised football
games.
They experienced an average rise in blood pressure of 27% over that of the control animals who were exposed to no unusual noise. Not only did their blood pressure rise, it stayed elevated for over a month.
You may remember reading about a balcony at a Kansas City hotel that collapsed during an afternoon tea dance as hundreds of feet in rhythmical unison created so much stress that the floor gave way, killing many people.
And most people are familiar with the Bible story of Joshua who tramped around the walls of Jericho, then blew a trumpet blast which caused them to crumble.
Today, military troops are advised to break rank when marching over bridges to reduce stress caused by the cadence of pounding feet. Since constant rhythm affects inert physical structures, it's logical to assume that it also affects the human body. Continued exposure to loud music, particularly at rock concerts, has caused people to complain of "rubbery legs", chest pain, and loss of hearing.
With the popularity of
headsets, parents 
should talk with their children
about the potential danger of high decibel sound. Even
more importantly, homes should be filled with the great
classics that generate feelings of tenderness, love,
mutual respect, and an appreciation of fine music.
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Janet Tubbs is founder and president of Children’s Resource Center, in Scottsdale, Arizona. She is also one of the Founders of VegSource. Her column, Family Matters, is a regular feature of VegSource On-Line Magazine.
You can visit Janet's home page by clicking on this link: