When you listen to music...

[27B6]

Do you mostly listen to change your mood, or to confirm it?

That is, when trying to decide what music to play, do you think to yourself, "I'm feeling X but want to feel Y, so I'll play music with mood Y"...

Or do you think, "I'm feeling X so I want to play music with mood X."

Or another way to think of the question...you are at a party and some style of music is playing that doesn't match your current mood. Maybe you are feeling a bit blue and the music is very upbeat, or perhaps you are hyped up but the music is more sedate.

Do you simply feel discomfort that the party music doesn't match your mood (and maybe desire to get away from the music), or does your mood change to match the music?

What do our choices here say about our personalities?

[Emmanuel-A]

Well, I used not to like reggae music much, but I now love it when I drive.

I tend to be nervous and agressive when I drive (especially in traffic jams), and I discovered that reggae music magically cools me down, so I always have a few reggae CD's in my car (Ijahman and Israel Vibration being my favourites).

This particular case aside, I tend to listen to music that fits my current mood. So that's 50-50 for me.

[AJB4]

I listen to music that confirms my mood mostly.

[Philothei]

I voted:

I usually listen to music to change my mood, but sometimes I want it to confirm my mood

because I usually listen to music to change my mood as it gets "ugly" during the day. If I followed my mood I would be listening to rock every minute... so mostly I listen to something to relax me and take my mind off things. Like Byzantine or Slavonic Chants. Sometimes when in my good mood I would listen to Greek music that I enjoy.


God bless,
Philothei

[JustinHesychast]

It's 50/50 for me. I try to confirm my mood, good or bad. But sometimes if in a bad mood, I try to change it. Then again, if I am in a good mood I sometimes listen to depressing music.

[Mary of Bethany]

I voted for mostly to confirm my mood. The only time it works the other way, is if I want to be prayerful or stick to liturgical music, no matter what my "mood" is.


Mary

[Tsarina]

I almost never listen to any music beside Byzantine Chants. However, when i do listen to secular songs once in a blue moon, i usually listen to whatever my mood is for that time being.

[DonVA]

I think this was a great question! Music does affect my mood, and I found that when my son and I are having a particularly unsettling conversation (or argument), afterward, I can turn up the music on a station that plays songs we both know, and before long we're both singing along together. I have a friend who nailed it when he said "I love to hear people singing. While they are singing, they are happy."

Of course, you have to choose your songs carefully. ;)

[BabyLutheran]

I have been turning Creed up real loud in my car lately, and singing along loudly with the windows down. I used to look around and see if anyone near me was laughing, but now I don't look, I know I am singing on key, and don't really care what they think anymore. I can't decide whether Creed makes me more depressed, or less depressed. I just like it. lol

[DonVA]

I have been turning Creed up real loud in my car lately, and singing along loudly with the windows down. I used to look around and see if anyone near me was laughing, but now I don't look, I know I am singing on key, and don't really care what they think anymore. I can't decide whether Creed makes me more depressed, or less depressed. I just like it. lol
I've been doing the same thing with Train and the Daughtry CD. My son and I are both screaming our heads off. I figured passers-by would just assume we're arguing!

I pity the poor soul who winds up sandwiched between our cars on the interstate this summer!