NPR had an interesting piece back in January about London using classical music in the subway stations to discourage youth from loitering there. They actually had a sizable decrease in robberies and vandalism from that point forward. Bruce Schneier also recently mentioned that 7-Eleven uses classical music in its stores to reduce loitering.
Let's suppose that classical music is the cause of the decrease in crime in the subway stations. Is there something inherent in classical music that calms people? Is it just the lack of exposure to this type of music that drives away the youth gangs? What would happen if the classical music were replaced by smooth jazz or blues?
Comments
On the other hand, what would happen if I constantly played rap music here in the house?
Posted by: Shannon on Wednesday, August 24, 2005
It is better to live on a corner of the roof than to share a house with a contentious woman.
Posted by: CJ Costello on Wednesday, August 24, 2005
True. How nice that you share a house with a very nice, kind, wonderful woman!
I don't think you'd like the corner of our roof.
Posted by: Shannon on Wednesday, August 24, 2005
Ignoring rap music for a moment, there are actually two different issues here. One, why does classical music drive away youth? Two, if classical music decreased crime in London's subway stations, why did it happen? Is it something inherent in the music? The NPR piece did mention selecting music that would be soothing. Maybe it is more of a learned reaction - just like schools claiming that behavior improves when students wear ties.
Posted by: CJ Costello on Thursday, August 25, 2005
I don't believe Bruce Schneier's claim. Classical music is played in book stores, where the company WANTS you to stick around and buy books. How is it that teenagers could be so different from adults (other than hormones I guess) that, ostensibly, the same (ie "classical") music is used to retain AND to repel? Makes no sense to me.
However, I CAN imagine that a teenager sometimes WANTS and NEEDS to be angry. And the presence of "soothing" music precludes that. He is then forced to find some other place where his need to be emotional can be released.
Posted by: jaime on Thursday, August 25, 2005
People tend to avoid what they do not know. Sometimes we use the phrase "out of our comfort zone" to describe this. The type of music played most likely affects what customers frequent the business or at least how long they stay. Play rap music and you will attract a certain clientele. Play folk music and attract a different set of people. In this case, bookstores are trying to attract people who read books and those people usually feel comfortable with classical music in the background.
I really wonder how much the classical music affected the London crime rates as opposed to the extra security steps taken at the same time such as the curfew. Plus, there is the question of the length of the effects.
Posted by: CJ Costello on Thursday, August 25, 2005
Interesting post. One person I checked said this about the effect of different types of music:
He also lists some other effects of music. In my own opinion (as I like classical music), I think it's refreshing to see something like this happen! But I wonder what the subway scene would look like if Wagner or Strauss were played (!)...not your typical "classical" music!Posted by: David on Thursday, August 25, 2005
The Vibrant Life article that David linked to above contains one of my pet peeves: confusion of correlation and causation. The writer presents some research in a way that gives the reader the impression that the involvement of youth in music education (band, chorus, etc.) decreases the chances that they will be involved in crime. In this case, it is more likely that the type of parents that encourage their child to play an instrument in the school band are also the type to make sure the child is not running around with the wrong crowd.
The Mozart Effect is accepted as common knowledge in the United States now but is heavily disputed in the scientific community. Some researchers are trying to understand why and how this has spread so quickly. The original researcher behind the Mozart effect has recently published some findings on Mozart sonatas helping rats. The claim is that it's the rhythmic qualities of Mozart's music that affects the brain. If Mozart does make a person temporarily smarter for certain tasks, is there a composer that makes you dumber?
Posted by: CJ Costello on Friday, August 26, 2005
For anyone interested in the interaction between music and education, the New England Conservatory puts out a journal called Journal for Learning Through Music that offers some online articles.
Here is a quote by Frank Lloyd Wright from one of the articles:
Posted by: CJ Costello on Friday, August 26, 2005
So what you're saying is that that $500 I just spent on my Mozart for Baby Geniuses class is worse than wasted? That is to say, my children will be no smarter, and they will be *more* inclined to visit subways in London, where cameras may or may not detect the bombs that will blow them to demisemiquavers...
Posted by: Tara Stein on Wednesday, August 31, 2005
This is such an interesting post.
Every kid is going to adopt a culture, symbolized here by music. The kids I hang around seem to have adopted the, oh, why don't I just call it the MTV culture.
Music is amazingly powerful. Even tunes I don't like get into my head and get stuck. I am influenced by music in stores that I am often not really aware of until later.
My dear sister and I were thwarted (note her bitterness in the above comment) in our attempts to adopt the MTV culture, so the only culture left for us to adopt was that of our parents, who are classical music buffs.
I am repelled by MTV culture music and I know MTV culture kids (adults, too?) are often repelled by classical music.
I think a higher level of education is required to understand classical music...I appreciate it more since I took all those music history classes. Futhermore, I often listen to it just like I read literature, with an awareness that I am not picking up on a lot of what is there.
Posted by: Shannon on Thursday, September 1, 2005
So classical music is for the educated and other music is for the ignorant? I don't think education is required at all to appreciate classical music. Exposure is certainly a requirement (more than just hearing cell phone ringtones).
Posted by: CJ Costello on Saturday, September 3, 2005
I enjoyed classical music when I was much less educated, and I enjoy it now.
Now, however, I am more aware of what makes classical music the way it is, and I understand it more, and enjoy it more. I also realize that there is lots more that I'm not "getting" in the music.
Education is not required to enjoy classical music, though it may enhance your ability to appreciate and understand the music.
Posted by: Shannon on Thursday, September 8, 2005