Blog Post #3 - The Importance of Background Music

 

Blog Post #3 - The Importance of Background Music

Recently in class we have been talking about silence and noise within our everyday lives. We look at understanding sound and how it's always around us, one noise that goes unnoticed is background music. I think most of us fail to realize how often we are exposed to music, without it being our primary focus. Stores, restaurants, sporting events, and in virtual spaces. 

Background music isn't just there for no reason, it serves a purpose “ rather than musical styles or genres signals a functionalist perspective that regards music as both accompaniment and actant: that is, background to our everyday routines, amplifier for experiences and enabler of moods” (Prey, 2019).  The music chosen to be played in many different stores and restaurants have meaning, they don't just play the most popular music but choose music with very special criteria, things like speed, rhythm and volume affects the customers pace within the store setting. The louder the music the more increase in pace by shoppers and vice versa. In general music in restaurants and retail stores is very important and can affect business, music affects things like atmosphere, perception of time, and much more.

A study on the Arousal-Mood Theory in relation to background music explained that “the beneficial influence of background music on cognitive performance would be related to its ability to increase the arousal level of the listeners and to improve their mood” (Fernadez, 2020). Music in general is able to improve people's moods depending on the genre and artist, large corporations understand this and use music to create the best possible setting for shoppers so they can maximize their profit. I think background music is a positive creation and helps us to feel more comfortable when in restaurants and retail stores or other places that have some sort of background music. Whether noticed or unnoticed background music plays a key role in shaping our experiences, the ability to control the shopper with sounds is a very fascinating element that companies use for people to spend more. Positive or negative background music will continue to be seen in our everyday lives, and sometimes unknown to us can be affecting our experiences. 

1) Can you name some from other places or things that use background music to their advantage?

2) What role does background music play in enhancing mood during social gatherings?

Cloutier A, Fernandez NB, Houde-Archambault C and Gosselin N (2020) Effect of Background Music on Attentional Control in Older and Young Adults. Front. Psychol. 11:557225. Doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.557225

Prey, R. (2019) Background by Design: Listening in the Age of Streaming, in Naxos Musicology International ,1:1

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