The Mozart Effect Theory Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Mozart Effect Theory - Research Paper Example The science backing this theory has not been shown to have reliability as it cannot be duplicated through subsequent testing of the same hypotheses. The popularity of the idea, however, has inspired political use of the theory in order to appeal to a public that seems to like the idea that music can affect learning in their children. The romanticism of the science has been turned into a public set of myths that have yet to be proven. The development of the Mozart Effect Theory gives power to the music written by the young composer that extends well beyond its beauty, suggesting that intelligence is affected by exposure to his writings, but the theory only has support and has yet to be definitively proven. According to Don Campbell, â€Å"Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was a child prodigy who saw, spoke, and listened to the world in creative patterns† (xiv). Campbell discusses the idea of the Mozart Effect in terms of it being miraculous. He lists a series of events that suggest that the music can do wondrous things, including that in Britain there are monks who believe that through playing Mozart’s music to their cows, the cows produce more milk. He reports that in the Washington State Immigration Department they play Mozart and other baroque music during classes for students learning to speak English because it increases learning. He also states that in Japan the Ohara Brewery will use Mozart to increase the density with which the yeast for their sake rises, creating a higher quality drink. Campbell believes that the power of music is far more than in the enjoyment of listening. Brown and Volgsten state that â€Å"the enhancement seen with Mozart is not produced with music per se but occurs with rhythmic auditory or visual stimuli of diverse kinds, and is primarily localized to operations underlying mental rotation† (146). The effect of hearing the music of Mozart or music in general seems to be that the brain responds to the rhythms produced, cr eating a sort of re-organization of thought patterns towards a reception to the information that is in the process of being learned. Brown and Volgsten suggest that the stimulation may simply be arousing, that the effect is caused by the auditory system as it is ‘perked up’ through the rhythms and sounds it is hearing. Campbell, on the other hand, cites that research done at Irvine by Francis H. Rauscher and her colleagues has shown that increased spatial reasoning occurs for about ten to fifteen minutes after listening to ten minutes of Mozart’s music. This effect may go deeper than simple stimulation of the auditory nerves which in turn stimulate brain activity. Neil-Palmer discusses how â€Å"the findings for all of the studies supported the theory that music lessons lead to an improvement in spatial reasoning, but there are contradictions as to which specific skills are affected† (33). One of the theories that Neil-Palmer discusses is that phonemic awa reness may be a part of how music stimulates increased learning. Phonemic awareness involves the way in which language is learned and how a child learns to read through the phonetics of how a word sounds. She cites a study published by Gromko in 2005 in which children were divided into an experimental group and a control group where the experimental group

A Position Paper on the Current State of the Music Recording Industry Case Study

A Position Paper on the Current State of the Music Recording Industry - Case Study Example But more than a simple issue of finances and revenues is the issue of the product that Springsteen is selling, other than the records the labels are charged with marketing. In the tradition of rock and roll, a tradition that Springsteen is now a large part of, the live performance is the musician’s venue for making that personal connection—an emotional connection—with his fans. Through tours and concerts, the rock musician continues a legacy in which millions of people are emotionally invested. Firstly, because Bruce Springsteen is so well-established, his concert, performance, and appearance revenues actually outweigh revenues of sales from his album releases. This fact makes two things clear: first, the choice between record label distribution and self-distribution is less important, and second, Springsteen can focus on performing instead of writing new material to play to new audiences. Instead, he can perform his classic repertoire of music that multiple generations have loved and enjoyed. For that reason, his record label should actually have very little impact on his musical career going forward, which is a similar case to Radiohead, who decided to self-distribute new material. Clearly, the decision to trust a record label or to self-distribute is up to the individual artist, and his decision will be influenced by a number of factors. For Springsteen, first and foremost, is his age. At 60, a 10-year contract may last him through the remainder of his performing career . Also, for many artists, the decision to self-distribute is a philosophical one: trying to shift away from the label-dominated paradigm that exists in the United States. These intangible issues aside, perhaps the best advice one can give Bruce Springsteen, when faced with these two options, is to reflect on his experiences from the past 35 years, and whether he has had a satisfying experience with Columbia. Another