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Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Can Some Music Harm the Brain?

One of my mentors, Dr. Joel Elkes, once said that just as music has the power to heal, it also has the power to harm. Last week I was in Miami, South Beach to be exact. Nearly every store and restaurant I walked past had electronic-sounding disco music blaring onto the street. Every coffee shop, every sidewalk cafe, every hotel poolside, everywhere! It was maddening for me because it was so horribly repetitive and tune-less. It was as though all of South Beach is in some kind of techno-trance and they seem to be oblivious of it! I found it actually painful and it kept me from enjoying the beauty of the palms, flowers, shrubs and Art Deco architecture. Wake up South Beach! This is not a good way to promote your beautiful little city!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

You can't say music is tuneless if people like it. You cant just assume that all techno is harmful. Everyone strongly dislikes some type of music. The world is advancing and it's the type of thing you will have to deal with or accept. However, I agree that there should be some quiet areas.