Music can affect self-esteem through its ability to trigger memories and emotions. Different experiences and associations mean that the same music can affect individuals differently. The type of music a person listens to can also influence their outlook on life. The true effect of music on self-esteem lies in the listener’s perception and processing of the music in relation to its effect on their mood.
Self-esteem and music are connected in various ways. Music doesn’t need a language to connect with a listener. In this sense it can be said that music is a language of the soul. It affects the mood of the listener and can affect the listener’s self-esteem through the type of mood he triggers. A melody, tune, sound or some lyrics can be attached to some memory that has been stored in the recesses of a person’s mind. The feelings associated with that memory may be the trigger for the listener’s self-worth at the time.
For example, someone who was attacked in an elevator while playing classical music might later associate classical music with a moment of helplessness, which could result in feelings of low self-worth when the person listens to classical music. On the other hand, classical music itself can evoke feelings of joyful memories for someone who associates the music with a happy time in her life. For someone who is hearing classical music for the first time, the person’s mood might be affected only to the extent that the song might be relaxing, pleasant, or peaceful. Therefore, different people might be affected differently by the same music.
With different experiences, it cannot be said that self-esteem and music have a formula where the effect of a particular piece of music will affect the mood – and consequently, self-esteem – of listeners equally. The effects arise mainly from the sense of association and the sense of perception of the feelings associated with the mood evoked by the music. For some people, listening to rap music might make them feel good, boosting their self esteem and also elevating their self esteem. For others, it might seem like just a lot of noise, further depressing them and lowering their self-esteem.
Self-esteem and music are also connected because the type of music a person listens to most can significantly influence their outlook on life. For example, some people may feel that people who listen a lot to heavy metal rock often have a more pessimistic outlook on life than people who listen to R&B, country, or classical music. The true effect of self-esteem and music lies in how the listener perceives and processes the music in his subconscious mind in relation to the perceptible effect it has on his mood.
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