Music affects the brain in various ways. Songs elicit different feelings, thoughts, and emotions in people depending on their tempo, pitch, and rhythm. “La Vie en rose” is one of the most famous classic songs written and performed by Edith Piaff. When translated from French to English, the title of the song reads “Life in Rosy Hues”. The following survey questions can be used to determine the effect of the song on the mind and mood of listeners as well as the overall effect of music on the mind of human beings.
Survey questions
Do you consider music to be an important part of your life? If yes, explain your answer. If no, give reasons for your response.
What are your three most favorite genres of music in their order of preference? If you list three, explain why you like the first genre more than the others. If you list only one, explain why you are not captivated by other music genres.
In your opinion, is the stereotype that people who listen to classical music are creative, love solitude, and have high levels of self-esteem true or false? Provide a detailed explanation for your answer.
After listening to the classical song “La Vie en rose” by Edith Piaf, what thoughts, feelings, or emotions did it evoke? Provide an explanation as to why you think the song evoked those outcomes.
What is your understanding regarding the effect of music on learning processes or music’s potential to change mood by eliciting certain emotions or feelings? Compare your understanding before and after listening to the song and cite any shift in your understanding.
After listening to the song, what type of feelings did t evoke in you? Examples of such feelings include happiness, sadness, melancholy, regret, remorse, joy, serenity, and uneasiness. If yes, describe why you think the song evoked the feeling as well as its intensity. If you experienced more than one feeling, describe their intensity.
Does listening to music in general affect your mood in any way? If you answer yes, explain in details the changes that you observed after listening to Piaff’s song. For instance, the song could have made you lively, excited, or dull. If you answer no, state why you think the song failed to affect your mood.
After listening to the song, what shifts in mood do you observe? Explain whether your mood changes or remains the same, and state whether the change is significant or negligible.
What is the effect of the song’s rhythm, tempo, pitch, and melody on your mood? If you observe any effect, describe it and its respective influence on your mood.
Did the song affect any of your brain faculties such as attention, comprehension, responsiveness, and alertness? If yes, state whether it was significant or negligible. If no, describe how the song altered your general state of mind.
After listening to La Vie en rose, what would you say is the difference between the classical genre of music to which the song belongs and other genres of music that you have enjoyed before?
Does the fact that the singer uses French influence your enjoyment of the song in any way? Provide an explanation for your answer.
What was your physical response to the song’s rhythm during the time of listening? Take into consideration that a song’s rhythm is an important musical aspect that elicits different responses in people. Examples of physical responses include head shaking, clapping, and tapping the ground with your foot. If you observed any of these responses, describe their intensity and duration as well as their effect on your physiology.
Did listening to the song irritate or vex you to an extent that you wanted to fast forward the song or stop it indefinitely? If you answer yes, provide reasons and cite the specific aspects of the song that elicited that response. If you answer no, describe specific aspects of the song that informed your decision.
Did you feel an urge to play the song a second time while doing an activity such as reading, dancing, reflecting, breathing deeply, or meditating?
If you listened to the song for a second time, how did it affect your level of attentiveness, focus, and learning while executing the activity? For example, you could have found learning more interesting, you could have retained more information during reading, or you could have found it easier to recall past experiences while meditating.
Were you able to differentiate between the different rhythm patterns and pitches? If yes, explain how you were able to make such distinctions.
Did the song elicit any physiological changes such as muscle tension, muscle relaxation, rise in body temperature, decrease in heart beat, increase in breathing rate, decrease in breathing rate, or increase in heart beat?
Did the song have any effect in your levels of psychological arousal when performing any activity after the session?
Do you think that the song had any effect on your mood and brain? If you answer yes, provide an explanation.