Psychology Music

Before I started my research on music, I've always thought to myself, why not everyone likes the music that I like? And why I don't like some of the music that they're so in love with. In this study, I found out that people who likes different type of music has different type of personality. For example, people who like songs that are more rock and roll are more out going and wild. While those who like songs that are more slower beat are more easy going. It has come to me to see that different music can see other's personalities by just knowing what music they're into.

Music not only can tell personalities, but also help in changing the moods. Different speed of tempo can control your mood, just like your heart beat is following the tempo of the music. Lively tempo makes a person wanting to move and exercise while slower tempo slows down your body activity. This is why people would listen to songs that are more hyped up at gyms and why people listen to softer songs while studying because it helps improve their concentration and relaxes their mind a little bit more.

The psychological effect of music can change the way we think and also a form of communication. Sometimes we couldn't find words to describe our feelings, but songs can. There are many meaningful songs out there that touches different person and has different meaning to each individual. The lyrics of the song can also touch a person's heart when they're listening. It's like someone just broke up and they would sink themselves into a lot of heart breaking songs just so that they can let their tears run through. Some people may say 'how are you?' and you could be fine but once that music that touches you, it could trigger a certain emotion inside of you that lets you let go of holding back, and let your emotions out.

While writing this, it reminds me of a song written by a song writer and a singer himself dedicated to his fiance. It was about his fiance getting into a car crash, in coma and now in her healing process. He wouldn't leave his fiance for anything and was by her side all the time. That song he wrote was very meaningful and had touched people who have been through the same situation. It shows me that music can be a form of language and tells people about their story as well as being shared to the world. Here is the video of the song.

(I won't lie. Every time I hear this song I'll tear a little.)

Research:

ChrismedinaVEVO (2011) What are words, Youtube, 25 Feb. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQY4dIxY1H4 (Accessed 26 June 2016).

eMedExpert (2016) How Music Affects Us and Promotes Health. Available at: http://www.emedexpert.com/tips/music.shtml (Accessed 26 June 2016).

mFiles (n/a) Tempo and Rhythm. Available at: http://www.mfiles.co.uk/what-is-music.htm (Accessed 26 June 2016).

verywell (2016) Music and Personality. Available at: https://www.verywell.com/music-and-personality-2795424 (Accessed 26 June 2016).

Biography:

theExpress (2015) How Does Music Affect Our Lives? Available at: http://www.blhsnews.com/opinion/2015/09/29/how-does-music-affect-our-lives/ (26 June 2016).

 

Music Theraphy

Music is something what we touch in our daily lives but little do we know what music can be used in the medical field. Music therapy is using music to help with therapeutic sessions and there are approved music therapy program by therapist. It helps people with managing stress, increase wellness, release their pain, enhances their memory and many more with music experiences.

Music therapy is almost similar to psychological therapy. Psychological therapy is more on talking base while music therapy is more on the music experience. Music therapy is not something you just do at home but it involves a therapist, a client and music and the therapist will use music that is suitable to help you with your psychological treatment.
Using different music can help in different situation as well as provide different type of cure. It can help remove anxiety, relief pain of a pregnant women. The slow paste beat of a music can help calm your heart down thus help you relax and feel comfortable.Music therapy can be very beneficial to our brain as music helps us to release something called endorphins to our brains which helps in lightening up our mood.

I love music. I really do love music. Music changes my mood, how I feel and how I think. In this research I am very surprised to know that there is something called music therapy and it made me appreciate music even more than ever. It's amazing how melody can help someone, clients, patient and even the sickest person in the hospital. Music therapy should be introduced to the audience even more because it is indeed a wonderful and special way to help someone.

Research:

American Music Therapy Association (n/a) What is music theraphy. Available at: http://www.musictherapy.org/about/musictherapy/ (Accessed 23 June 2016).

Kalani Music (2016) What is Music Therapy? Youtube, Jan 3. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gn6E9GAe-7s (Accessed 23 June 2016).

mid-day (2015) Health: How music affect our lives positively and negatively. Available at: http://www.mid-day.com/articles/health-how-music-affects-our-lives-positively-and-negatively/16517184 (Accessed 23 June 2016).

Tedx Youth (2013) When Meds Fail: A Case for Music Therapy: Tim Ringgold at TEDxYouth@BommerCanyon, YouTube, Feb 8. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_H3MVZPtAA (Accessed 23 June 2016).

Biography:

Psychology of music (2016) Music and Emotion. Available at: http://pom.sagepub.com/site/spotlights/Editor%20Choice%20Collections.xhtml (Accessed 23 June 2016).

Society meets Fashion

The society plays a huge role in how fashion looks like today as clothing can tell us what kind of society group do we belong to and influence the way we think. Fashion can show what profession are we in. An example is a person wearing formal suit, it gives you an idea that he's working in the business sector or an impression of that person is highly education. Fashion helps us determine our social level with others in a formal or informal way.

In society, it's easier for us to tell our races or religion apart from fashion as well. Each religion has different element or a unique part about their clothing and some of them has their own religious meaning behind it. To make an example, Indian women wear their traditional saris and wrapped around their body in different ways while Hindu women wear short tops and slips. Another example is that female Muslim would wear a tudung, all parts of their body must be covered and revealing fashion are unacceptable. Even so they have their own restrictions on what kind of clothing they should wear, but it doesn't stop them from creating something new. Vogue is a well known fashion brand and there's actually a fashion line for them called Vogue India. Here, all the high fashion clothing are created base on Indian fashion trends.

The society of fashion could be fun and full of creativity but it also creates stereotypes and creates boundaries from different societies. The fashion we wear doesn't mean everyone is open enough to accept it. In simple way to put it, the older generation prefers the young generations to wear more conservative while the younger generation would prefer wearing something that's more out going and it represents themselves. It creates a boundary between old and younger generation just because of the fashion society. Another example is some people wearing formal suit, like business men etc doesn't mix well with people who wear like the hip hop culture. It's not that they don't like those people, is just that they find it difficult to accept those kind of fashion.

I feel that fashion is a type of tool that can bring people with the same fashion taste together but distancing the people who doesn't have the same flavor. It is up to designers to create something that can bring different society together and unite as one, even if it's through fashion. It could be challenging but beneficial to the society.



Research:

aboutreligion (n/a) Islamic clothing requirements. Available at: http://islam.about.com/od/dress/p/clothing_reqs.htm (Accessed 19 June 2016).

BergFashionLibrary (n/a) The psychology of dress. Available at: http://www.bergfashionlibrary.com/page/The$0020Social$0020Psychology$0020of$0020Dress/the-social-psychology-of-dress . (Accessed 20 June 2016).


Biography:
SpringerLink (2014) Dress, body and self: research in the social psychology of dress. Available at: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40691-014-0020-7 (Accessed 20 June 2016).

The Fashion Culture

There are a lot of things that influence how fashion is today. In this post, I will be talking about how culture affects fashion today.

Indeed fashion is a never ending change, so is our culture. There are people like musicians, celebrities and the media could affect how we wear and how fashion is created. People, especially the young generation would try their best to look like their favorite icon and that's one of the ways how fashion culture start to change and expand.

Pop culture is created with a mixture of different elements from varieties of cultures. The Korean fashion culture has been brought up by Korean celebrities and the trend has never went down but up. It has already influenced many citizens not just Malaysia but a lot of people in the whole Asia. This example shows how culture and trend helps fashion grow in a very fast paste. Another example is Korean celebrity, G-Dragon, has slowly taking over the Fashion world with his popularity of being a member in a famous Korean pop groud called, G-Dragon. Fashion culture are influenced by people's likes and what they want to see. The Korean celebrities just know what young generation likes do they?

The fashion culture can also be affected by the surroundings. When there's a trend of dance going on around the neighborhood, the hip-hop fashion culture will soon rise but not in a very big area. Some T-Shirt that are normally sold in small sized clothes have varieties of typography on it but little do people know that it's also one of the hip-hop fashion culture, graffiti. Some fashion culture is around us but we never take notice of it because it have such a big variety.

The fashion culture can only be world wide or being called a "trend" can only happen when people are able to accept that culture. The culture can only be accepted when people recognize and find it comfortable.

For me, fashion culture has always been changing and a huge influence by many aspects. Different places, city or even country have their own fashion culture. Personally I feel that the fashion culture is what reflects the society they live in because fashion culture is influenced by trend, and trend is influenced by the society.


Research:

Fibre2fashion (n/a) Does Culture of Any Region Affect Its Fashion Trend. Available at: http://www.fibre2fashion.com/industry-article/6189/does-culture?page=1 (16 June 2016).

Into the Fashion (2010) Cultural Influences on Trend Forecasting. Available at: http://www.intothefashion.com/2010/01/cultural-influences-on-trend.html (Acessed 15 June 2016).

Post Magazine (2015) Fuelled by fashion, the Korean wave i taking the world by storm. Available at: http://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1870798/fuelled-fashion-korean-wave-taking-world-storm (Accessed 15 June 2016).

The Sunday News (2015) Does pop culture influence fashion? Available at: http://www.sundaynews.co.zw/does-pop-culture-influence-fashion/ (16 June 2016).

Fashion and Art

Some people see fashion is a trend, some see it as something colorful but there are people out there that view fashion as a form of art. The fashion world is where designers are allowed to let their creativity and imagination apply onto fashion itself until it can reach an extend where the clothes will look like it came out from a fantasy world. Fashion is making the designer's art into a physical form bringing it into our world.

Art is the idea, feeling and imagination generated by the artist themselves. Many fashion designers clothing line are influenced by art itself as well especially in high culture. Designers would take high culture art, such as sculptures, fine art or contemporary art as ideas and inspiration in creating their new product. By looking at these kind of art, it can help the designer to stimulate new and greater ideas into their imagination thus creating creative fashion even making it into a fashion line according to a certain theme of art. 

In order for fashion designers to have their idea and imagination properly portrayed, the usage of fabric, materials or colors are carefully choose according to their art theme. For example, some designers would use famous fine art painting for their dress design and some were even on the fashion runway.

I find it amazing how things from centuries ago, let alone paintings, can influenced the modern day in their fashion trend. Art has truly been an inspiration for designers in creating something even better and greater.

Reference:

ArtRepublic (2013) When Fashion Meets Fine Art. Available at: http://www.artrepublic.com/articles/417-when-fashion-meets-fine-art.html/ (Accessed 15 June 2016).

Boundless (n/a) What does art mean? Available at: https://www.boundless.com/art-history/textbooks/boundless-art-history-textbook/thinking-and-talking-about-art-1/what-is-art-38/what-does-art-mean-243-5704/ (Accessed 15 June 2016).

Into the Fashion (2010) Cultural Influences On Trend Forecasting. Available at: http://www.intothefashion.com/2010/01/cultural-influences-on-trend.html (Accessed 15 June 2016).

What does Fashion stand for?

Fashion fashion fashion! Fashion is influenced by all the music videos we stream online, books, TV shows or celebrities. In short, it's affected by trend which makes fashion is always changing and changing.

What exactly is fashion and what does it actually stand for? There are many international designers out there who have different views and perspectives about the meaning of fashion for them. Everyone have different experience with different things that's why it's hard to pin point down the actual meaning of fashion.

Even though we can't really say what is the true meaning of fashion, but there are some statements about the definition of it that almost all of us can relate to. Fashion is what defines who we are. What you wear is how you're branding and introducing yourself as to other people. You are telling someone a little about you, it's like a language and you're communicating with other people by how you wear. For example, if you're wearing colorful today, people can feel that you're in a cheerful mood. If you're a person who wears darker colors or black, it gives an impression of you're a cool and moody person.

Fashion is also about communication. By how you present with what you wear is how people are going to recognize you with their first impression. Makeup, accessories does come into making a first decision about you but fashion does play a big role. For example, if you're wearing casual you're more of an easy going person or wearing formal gives people an impression that you're a business man.

All in all, fashion is about you being comfortable with yourself and what you're wearing. It's not about trying to fit into the society, trying your best to impress but being able to be who you are with your own way. That's the best confidence one can wear with fashion.


Reference:

PBS NewsHour (1999) What is Fashion? Available at:  http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/1999/10/what-is-fashion/ (Accessed 10 June 2016).

TriplePundit (2014) Wear What You Stand For: Uniting Humanity Through Fashion. Available at: http://www.triplepundit.com/special/sustainable-fashion-2014/wear-stand-uniting-humanity-fashion/# (Accessed 10 June 2016).



Biography:

MailOnline (2014) You are what you DRESS: Clothing has significance effect on self-esteem and confidence, claims expert. Available at: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2644076/You-DRESS-Clothing-significant-effect-self-esteem-confidence-claims-expert.html (Accessed 11 June 2016).

OXFAM (2013) What does fashion mean to you? Available at: http://www.oxfam.org.uk/fashion-blog/2013/07/what-does-fashion-mean-to-you (Accessed 10 June 2016).

Personal Thoughts before Research

When I was young, fashion, in my point of view are clothes, accessories and anything that dresses you up which makes you look pretty. As I grew older and starts to understand things more, fashion has a much deeper meaning to me. Fashion is a way of expressing your personality in a physical way. It also shows your personal statement and brand to others. For example, everyone notice that most of the time Steve Jobs wears black white Mark Zuckerberg mostly wears dark blue. It was noticed by the public until it became like a personal trade mark of their fashion.

The way you dress yourself in formal or an informal way also gives a different impression. When you wear something formal or professional, it shows you might be a business man, a working adult or an intellectual person. Informal and casual wear gives the easy going vibe, approachable and friendly feeling. Different style of wearing clothes also gives out a different mood you're feeling every day. If you wear super colorful on that day it shows that you're in a good mood. Maybe if you wear blue, it gives a mood that you're in a more relax mood today. 

Fashion also helps us to tell which country we're from. Every citizen in every country have their own way of wearing clothes as well. It also shows different cultures or races as the same time. For example, muslims have their own fashion or let's say the hip hop culture has their own sense of fashion as well. 

Not only does it shows who you are, fashion also serves different functions. For example, thicker kind of clothing helps to keep you warm. Thinner clothing helps you keep you cool from the hot weather. Some fashion are also inspired by nature or animals. Like animal pattern printed clothing or camouflage clothing for the military. 

While music, to me personally is something that comes with a meaning, a song that speaks your mind or tells a story. Some song has a deeper meaning to it and it only touches a certain type of audience that can relate to. For example, broken pieces by The Script is dedicated to those that lost their loved ones. People that hasn't been through the experience of losing someone won't feel as much as those who has. 

Music also helps to control the mood or emotion. Some people couldn't concentrate while they study but playing a relaxing song helps them to keep focus. Another example is some games that people are playing, white playing a more hyped up song, happy song drives them to enjoy even more. 

The type of music can also determine the personality of the person. People who likes faster paste music are more likely to be hyperactive, lives a fast paste of life style. While people who likes a slower paste music are more likely to be more relax and takes things easily. The beat of the music can also control the moving paste of a person. Like how people in the gym prefers listening to songs that has a faster beat to it so it keeps them moving while training. 

When it comes to having fashion and music working together, it gives out a stronger meaning and personality. The example I could think of that fashion and music working together is fashion runways. Fashion runways uses a specific genre of song for a specific type of fashion for their runways. For example, a dress and angelic runway would use a softer and sweet song. 

I will do more research and reading to help me understand more on how fashion and music can come and work together and see what they are capable of. 

Topic Chosen

I'm given 6 topics to choose from to write an essay for my assignment.

1. Analyse in depth a design related issue that has courted major controversy in both professional and public domains. Evaluate if the negative accusations of the media artefact are merited.

2. Who are some Malaysian cultural icons that have found success at an international level? Did nationality and/or local culture contribute to their achievements?

3. Examine and discuss how communications technology or multilingualism was used in the narrative of a highly acclaimed movie.

4. Fashion and music go hand in hand. Explore this concept and consider its implications for designers of your field.

5. Select a cultural artefact or practice that has been adapted across different countries. Identify and discuss the essential features and those that have been differentiated.

6. Evaluate the impact of crowdsourcing of the democratization of a media related activity or tool has on creative professionals of that field.


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I have decided to choose topic number 4 because fashion and music has been my interest and part of my forte for quite some time. I have a rough basic understanding about fashion and music so I would find it easier for me to do this topic. Not only that, I would really love to do more in depth research about fashion and music, especially to see how these two genre can become a harmony.

In the next post, I would talk about how I personally feel about fashion and music without any research. I will also post some questions that I wish they could be answered throughout the research I will be doing.

Media Cultures

It's my year 2 semester 1 and here I'm presenting my post about media culture studies. I hope to do a lot better this year and really improve in most of my subjects. Now, I'm currently in class, dropping down notes and hopefully to be able to post more topics and share new knowledge to everyone. Writing was never my forte but I hope one day it will be.

Thus, WELCOME. To Media Cultures blog posts.