Sad Music is Cathartic?
Personally, I believe that certain sad music/sad songs are able to bring about a cathartic release to people who listen to them. At least that is true for me.
An article on wellness.pittsburghsymphony.org states that sad music could help listeners to regulate their emotions in a productive manner. This is because when they listen to sad music, they’re actually processing, rather than ignoring, sadness through music. And as a result, they experience catharsis and improvements in mood.
According to the author of Healing at the Speed of Sound, music psychology researcher Patrick Hunter has found that sad music often provides cathartic release, allowing people to work toward equilibrium at their own pace.
Why Do People Like Sad Music?
What is it about sad music that seems to appeal to some (if not many) of us?
Blogs.unimelb.edu.au states that “several studies conducted by music psychologists suggest that people who are high in empathy are more likely to enjoy sad music.”
An article on exploringyourmind.com states that music “leads to emotional catharsis”, helping you break free from complex feelings and emotions”. An article on another website, scienceabc.com states that listening to sad music “is believed to facilitate catharsis from negative emotions.”
Because sad music has an apparent ability to bring about a cathartic release of negative emotions, this explains why some people simply like sad music.
Is Sad Music Effective for People with Depression?
Does sad music help people with depression? Or will listening to sad music make depression worse for some people? Well, according to theverge.com, research suggests that people who’re suffering from depression do feel better after listening to sad music. I can’t speak for other people; but for me personally, listening to certain sad music/sad songs is cathartic and therefore helps me to feel better, especially when I’m feeling depressed.
The Appeal of Sad Music to Me?
As I’ve mentioned above, certain sad music is really able to provide some kind of cathartic release for me. And so in that sense, certain sad music does appeal to me. If you know that you’ve some deep-rooted emotional issues that need to be released in order to experience wholeness, you might want to consider listening to sad music that appeals to you.
Sad Music
If you like sad music, you could check out my latest music video here: Wish. And please check back for the next music video, which is also a piece of sad music. Thanks!:)
Cheers,
Annie Chan
(P/s: Please subscribe to my YouTube channel here: Annie’s Music Everywhere. Thanks!:)
