We sing how we feel

Posted at 9:17 AM on August 4, 2009 by Alison Young (1 Comments)
Filed under: Fun finds, In the media, Musical philosophy

Playing one of the most tender songs by Schubert this morning with words that celebrate music itself, I happened to glance at the New York Times and noticed an article in the Health section: Does a Nation's Mood Lurk in Its Songs and Blogs?

New research from the University of Vermont argues that studying lyrics give us clues as to a nation's well-being.

For Americans, analyzing the lyrics from pop-culture might give us a different result than from the classical world. Think Barber's "Knoxville: Summer of 1915" or Charles Ives "He is There!" or Old American Songs arranged by Aaron Colpand; all filled with optimism, wonder and a little humor.

Comments (1)

I am a classical composer at the University of Wyoming and I just finished a set of Art Songs, "Haddayr Blogs," with a Minneapolis writer's blog posts as the text -- topics range from a healthy love of spinach to using a wheelchair. The posts/lyrics are so relevant and revealing of contemporary life - and for me, very moving. Thanks for this link.

-Anne Guzzo

Posted by Anne Guzzo | August 13, 2009 9:30 AM