Criminal Behavior Deterred by Playing Classical Music: Madeline’s Monthly Article & Musical Tips Blog for March 2015
This month our blog/article and radio show shares how classical music deters crime.
Dr. Madeline Frank’s Musical One Minute Radio Show for March 2015: How does playing Classical & Baroque music deter crime?
https://www.madelinefrankviola.com/one-minute-radio-show-2015/
Our blog features deterring crime through classical music.
What is one method that has been so very effective in stopping crime? What’s the key to unlocking the potential of today’s youth?
Enza Ferreri wrote “Why criminals are afraid of Classical Music” that 7- Eleven stores in Canada, companies such as McDonald’s, shopping malls, transport authorities, and Co-ops around the world are playing “classical music to drive away teenagers who were loitering outside their stores.”
Jessica Duchen in her article “Mind the Bach: Classical Music on the Underground” said, “TfL did a survey of 700 commuters, “they overwhelmingly agreed that hearing classical music made them feel happy, less stressed and relaxed”.
Ms. Duchen also said in London,“Classical music has been part of Vauxhall station’s way of life for some time now, … to reduce crime and antisocial behavior by piping such music through stations has been so effective that it has been extended to ..locations across the network.”
I taught classes in a “Summer Intervention Program” for students, with potential who had made bad choices. I asked these 80 middle school and high school students the following question:
“How does listening to Rap music make you feel?”
A teacher in the classes stood up and said, “Tell her the truth!”
Then the students in the class said, “It made me angry!”
“It stresses me out!” “It made me unhappy!”
Some students had a lack of interest or concern and said, “I don’t care!”
During the classes I played excerpts on my viola from classical music and ask them, “Have you heard this piece before?
For example: When I played “The Lone Ranger Theme from the William Tell Overture” by Rossini, members of the class raised their hands and said, “They had heard this piece while watching cartoons.”
After they responded, I would then ask them, “Did you like the music?” The responses depended on whether they had heard the piece before.
“All the students liked Rossini’s “Lone Ranger theme”.
Each piece selected was played before re-telling the story of Alicia Keys, Dr. Condoleezza Rice, Louie Armstrong, and others, who are such excellent role models for the students. The classical piece that I played was a favorite of each.
By the time the classes ended the students were smiling and getting ready to take their first step forward. Each student was full of hope for their future, armed with a Mozart or Bach CD, and a tool kit including my “Ten Secrets to Make Middle School and High School Students Smarter”. I asked each of the students to circle number 10 which said, “Dr. Frank asks her children to remember one thing “If I take this action will it make me proud?”
Student Homework after “Summer Intervention Program”:
Students were to put on their CDs in the background while doing their homework, while relaxing, working, or exercising for 30 minutes.
What does listening to classical music do for students?
The classical music relaxes its listeners, calms them down, and helps them to concentrate and think clearly by organizing and exercising their brains with this complex mathematical rhythm.
What does listening to violent Rap and Hip-hop music do to young people?
Because of the relentless beat and offending lyrics of Rap and Hip hop music young people become angry, stressed out, unhappy and no longer think clearly. This is when they get into trouble.
Evidence on listening to violent Rap music:
Harry Smith reported on Friday, Jan 18, 2008, on CBS’ The Early Show the first documented evidence of a young women, Stacy Gayle, 25, from Alberta, Canada having had as many “as 10 grand mal seizures a day” triggered by listening to rap music. She began listening to this violent Rap music when she was 21. The medication to prevent her seizures could not control them.
The seizures “became so bad she had to quit her job at a bank” . She finally realized the rap music she was listening to was triggering the seizures on July 2006, . The doctors at first “did not believe that a rap song could induce an attack so Gayle proved it. At the Comprehensive Epilepsy Center at Long Island Jewish Medical Center, Stacy had a video EEG” that showed she had “three seizures” triggered by listening to the rap song by Sean Paul “on her iPod”.
Medical Evidence:
Dr. Louis B. Cady, Psychiatrist and former concert pianist states: “Heavy metal rock music, the even more potent acid rock, and gangsta rap have insidious and devastating effect on the minds of young people. Most people don’t realize that youngster’s brains are growing and developing until they are at least twenty-one years old.”
“When kids and teens subject themselves to a constant “mental diet” of suggestions that sex, drugs, and criminal activities are not only acceptable but even desirable, they are actually accomplishing a sort of “self- brainwashing” where they begin to feel that even thoughts and feelings expressed in the lyrics of the music which they might initially not consciously believe begin to become the accepted way of thinking.”
Contrast this to classical music, which relaxes its listeners, calms them down, and helps them to think clearly by organizing and exercising their brains with this complex mathematical rhythm.
What are the three benefits of playing classical music to deter crime at your business?
1) Classical music relaxes its listeners, calms them down, helps them to think clearly, and concentrate better. Psychologist Dr. Raymond Macdonald of Glasgow’s Caledonian University says, “When you look at brain scans of people listening to complex music the whole brain lights up like a Christmas tree.”
2) Dr. Oliver Sacks, Professor of Clinical Neurology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, author of “Awakenings”, says classical music “has the power to organize” the brain.
3) Just as we do exercise for the body, classical music with its complex rhythms, mathematics, exercises the brain. The more complex the rhythm the better it is. Dr. Mike Lowis of Saga Health News says “In order to activate both sides of the brain, music needs to be complex.”
So if you are having criminal behavior outside your store try playing classical music to deter it and if you want to heal faster, concentrate better put on your classical music too!
March is “Music in Our Schools Month” so inspire, encourage, and motivate your students by putting Mozart Symphonies and Baroque music on in the background of your classroom to improve your students concentration and discipline.
For scientific evidence, medical evidence, test results, and true stories of the world’s scientists, medical doctors, and mathematicians who have studied and played musical instruments since they were children read “The Secret of Teaching Science & Math Through Music” by Madeline Frank, Ph.D. is now available in book form, and newly updated as an e-book on Kindle, Nook, or iBook:
- com(Kindle)
- Barnes and Noble(Nook)
https://www.madelinefrankviola.com/the-secret-of-teaching-science-and-math-through-music/
“Musical Notes On Math” by Dr. Madeline Frank teaches your child fractions and decimals, the fun way, through the rhythm of music, Winner of the Parent To Parent Adding Wisdom Award is now available in book form, newly updated as an e-book on Kindle, Nook, or iBook.
- com(Kindle)
- Barnes and Noble(Nook)
Tips on how to use “Musical Notes On Math”
https://www.madelinefrankviola.com/musical-notes-on-math/
Madeline’s Midnight Melodies- Music From around the World” . This CD complements her books with a blend of dance music, gigues, tangos, ballet and favorites including “Danny Boy”, Puccini’s “O Mio Babbino Caro”, Debussy’s “Claire De Lune” and others. “Madeline’s Midnight Melodies” is music to relax by and to move by for music therapy. For your cd of ”Madeline’s Midnight Melodies” click below:
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/mfrankviola
Dr. Madeline Frank’s book “Leadership on a Shoestring Budget” is now available through amazon.com. Click on the following Amazon.com link to order your copy of “Leadership On A Shoestring Budget” is available as an e-book on Kindle or in book form.
Click on the following link:
Wishing you and your family a happy Purim and a happy St. Patrick’s Day! Your Non-Invasive Medicine Music Expert, Madeline
For over 25 years, Dr. Madeline Frank has helped children and adults overcome problems through music. Dr. Frank, a strings teacher, college professor, researcher, speaker and concert artist has found a scientific link between studying and/or listening to musical instruments and academic and societal success. Madeline Frank earned her Bachelor and Master’s degree from the Juilliard School of Music. Her education has included scholarships at the Juilliard School, Indiana University, and the University of Cincinnati and she has a violin performance diploma from the North Carolina School of the Arts. (C) 2015 Madeline Frank.