With the exception of the effects of rhythm, all other reactions thus far cited have been largely psychologic. Before leaving the discussion of response, one bit of evidence demonstrating possible physiologic action will be presented. Gundlach[39] studied the songs of six different American Indian tribes. Now the language, customs and music of neighboring European countries frequently have something in common, but the absence of the wheel in transportation made the scattered people of the Western Hemisphere strangers to each other. The speech and songs of the different Indian nations are entirely unrelated, yet the songs representing the same types of ceremonials show considerable agreement. From this Gundlach concludes that “music has some conventions grounded on a firm basis of physiologic structure and behavioral similarity of human beings.”
A—Live Music. Most people will turn to the source of sound. Even the most phlegmatic will turn if the sound is sudden and loud enough. It is a protective mechanism because identification of the source may prevent personal injury. There is also a sense of satisfaction in the corroboration of the auditory and visual images. When the sound is musical the desire to see its production is greatly increased. For those who cannot make music themselves, it is like watching a conjurer from behind. For musicians it offers the opportunity of inspection, improvement or criticism. One of the most important psychologic components of music is the physical presence of the music maker. About twenty years ago a manufacturer produced piano-player rolls which reproduced the manipulation of well known artists so well that experts could not differentiate between the sounds produced on the piano by a live pianist and the automatic player. Yet this method of reproduction was a failure financially; it had every quality of the live musician except the physical presence.
We demand far less in quality of music from a live band than from a mechanical reproduction of band music. Groups of people who assemble to dance will pay relatively high prices for inexperienced players with a monotonous repertoire for the sake of having live music. The dancers may complain of the poor musical execution, but will suffer a return engagement in preference to the playing of recorded music.
There are cinema stars whose singing voices are harsh to most ears, yet listeners will applaud them into an encore, not so much for the sake of a beautiful experience, but to prolong the human contact. We react not only to the sound, but to the motions and very presence of music-makers. We listen to people as well as their music. Live music stimulates, sustains and focuses attention. It should be used as often as possible for patients. The “live” musician can get patients to listen to musical forms which would be entirely ignored otherwise. If musicians wish to spread the appreciation of “good” music and music appreciation, one method is to be found in personal appearances at hospitals.
B—The Human Voice. Of all the sounds of given pitch and intensity the one which best attracts and maintains interest is the human voice. We habitually turn to the human voice. Sometimes we do it as a matter of courtesy. Again, we may do it for better understanding, or even out of curiosity. The spoken language is understood by far more people than is the so-called language of music. When words are set to music they command greater attention than when they are spoken. They are usually compact and in rhyme. We strain to hear each word to gather the full meaning and humor or cleverness of the lyricist. Yet, we willingly lower our literary standards when words are put to music. The verses of many songs sound vacuous and repetitious without accompaniment. But the words are made interesting by the melody, and melody takes on additional meaning from words. “Vocal music has greater power to arouse a definite emotional response than has instrumental music. Rest results about equally from instrumental and vocal music.”[71]
Songs with words are ideally suited for arousing patient interest. Community singing is the most valuable form of music for maximum group response.
LISTENING
Violet Paget[55] sent questionnaires to one hundred and fifty people in different parts of the world to obtain a global sampling of reactions to music. From an analysis of their answers she found
“two different modes of responding to music, each of which was claimed to be the only one in those in whom it was habitual. One may be called ‘listening’ to music; the other ‘hearing’ ... with lapses into merely overhearing it. Listening implied the most active attention.... Hearing is a lesser degree of the same mental activity where active attention occurs in moments like islands continuously washed over by a shallow tide of other thoughts.”
This is very similar to Gurney’s classification of musical perception as “definite” and “indefinite.” Vernon[77] lists the varieties of response to indefinite listening as: