Different pieces of music can often have an effect on how we feel emotionally, whether it makes us feel happier or sad.
With this idea in mind, and using an innovative combination of music psychology and leading-edge audio engineering, a study is looking in more detail at how music conveys emotion.
The research, carried out by Glasgow Caledonian University and supported by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), is looking into the use of music-based therapies to tackle conditions like depression.
The researchers hope that the study could help to treat symptoms and even lead to doctors putting music on prescription that is tailored to suit the needs of an individual.
Dr Don Knox, the project leader, said, ‘The impact of a piece of music on a person goes so much further than thinking that a fast tempo can lift a mood and a slow one can bring it down. Music expresses emotion as a result of many factors.’
By Lauren King
