Is there such thing as anti-social music or sociopathoic music? I would definitely say that there is. Although I don't have the strict standards that Plato had in his time.
Music can certainly be a form of entertainment, for both the musically educated and the non-musically educated. This does not cause a problem for me. I don't feel that this corrupts the integrety of music. I believe that people can have whatever opinions they want to have and they are free to voice their opinions. In our society we place a heavy value on "expert" opinion and those opinions will always carry more weight.
So I disagree with Plato that music as a form of entertainment can cause problems in society. I disagree also with the idea that the voiced opinions of the unknowledgable will corrupt music in society and lead to lawlessness. I also don't have a problem with mixing modes. I once heard someone sing the words of "Amazing Grace" to the tune and chords of "House of the Rising Sun" and I thought that the result was brilliant and beautiful.
As long as we continue to respect the professionals who dedicate their careers to studying music and understanding music more that we respect a random person on the street, I think we are okay.
With all of this being said, I do believe that some music is harmful to individuals and society. Mostly this type of music would manifest itself through the lyrics. Lyrics that contain themes of violence racism, misogyny, murder, death, hatred, etc., obviously affect the individual who is listening to it, and it has the potential to negatively affect society as a whole. There are even some clear examples of life imitating art, where people who listened to this type of music went out into the real world and committed crimes similar to the music that they were listening to daily.
Many people scoff at this idea of certain types of music being harmful. They view music as an art that is completely subjective. They say that it's not real, it's just a show, it's just for fun, it's an outlet for people to explore their dark side. Regarding crimes committed, many people would argue that the type of music was not causal. Rather, those who have a dark side are just more likely to be drawn to that type of music.
I disagree. The main reason that I disagree is because I have such a strong belief in the power of music to affect people. I know that music affects me greatly. I believe that there is something in the human spirit that is universal. We are hard-wired to respond to music. If people believe that they can listen to dark and violent music, they are kidding themselves.
The flip side of this is that music can have powerful effects in a positive way. I know that I have experienced this myself and others have as well. I believe that everyone should be aware of the type of music they are drawn to, and question it a little. Ask themselves why they are drawn to this particular type of music? How does it affect them? Is it just entertainment? Is it having positive or negative effects on your mood and behavior?
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