Music Psychology | Music and Teens, Children| Music in Education

The Association for Youth, Children and Natural Psychology operates as a 501 c(3) non-profit, and is a New Jersey non-profit corporation. The Association for Youth, Children and Natural Psychology operates as a 501 c(3) non-profit, and is a New Jersey non-profit corporation.

Misogyny and the Emcee: Sex, Race and Hip Hop, by Ewuare X. Osayande

At a time when the outcry is minimal and the voices are tragically few, Ewuare Osayande's Misogyny & the Emcee takes no prisoners and cuts straight to the chase on challenging all forms of inter and intra-racial violence perpetuated against Black women and girls.

Osayande's critically needed message is a constant reminder that if Black people, most especially Black men, do not address sexism with the same vigilance that we (need to) address racism, our (non-monolithic) communities will never ever be whole or safe. In response to Abbey Lincoln's timeless essay, Who Will Revere The Black Woman?, Osayande's powerful book of essays very loudly and clearly say, I will! Aishah Shahidah Simmons, Producer, Writer, Director, NO! The Rape Documentary --AfroLez Productions

Murda', Misogyny, and Mayhem: Hip-Hop and the Culture of Abnormality in the Urban Community, by Zoe Spencer

Murda', Misogyny, and Mayhem: Hip-Hop and the Culture of Abnormality in the Urban Community is a sociological work that utilizes a historical materialist perspective to expose the harmful effects of hip hop as a regulated industry, music, and culture.

Stereotypical images that were used to justify enslavement, influences the culture of abnormality in the African American (urban) community, and promotes the prison industrial complex, are a part of the hip hop music scene. Spencer thoroughly dissects the nature and purpose of the media as an industry designed to manipulate public perception of African Americans in the urban community. This careful analysis allows the reader to examine the relationship between the presentation of hip hop and the prevalence of murder, misogyny, and mayhem in the urban community.

Music, Language, and the Brain, by Aniruddh D. Patel

Winner of the 2008 ASCAP Deems Taylor Award

In the first comprehensive study of the relationship between music and language from the standpoint of cognitive neuroscience, Aniruddh D. Patel challenges the widespread belief that music and language are processed independently. This volume provides the first synthesis, arguing that music and language share deep and critical connections, and that comparative research provides a powerful way to study the cognitive and neural mechanisms underlying these uniquely human abilities.

This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession, Daniel J. Levitin

From a top researcher into how our brains interpret music.

Women Composers of Classical Music: 369 Biographies Through the Mid-20th Century, by Mary F. Mcvicker

From the 1500s through the 1900s there were a surprising number of women composing classical music. Many were successful, finding venues for both publishing and performing their music; others found the social barriers for women impossible to overcome.

This book provides access to these composers, both well known and obscure. Arranged chronologically by era, each section is divided into countries. For each female composer within a country, a brief biographical sketch is provided, as well as a description of her body of work. This text also includes an extensive opera timeline of works by female composers.

Madonna As Postmodern Myth: How One Star's Self-Construction Rewrites Sex, Gender, Hollywood and the American Dream, by Georges-Claude Guilbert

Madonna has long been accepted as a pop culture icon, but this text postulates a greater cultural importance by analyzing her as a postmodern myth.

This work examines how Madonna methodically discovered and constructed herself (often rewriting her past), the nature and extent of her ambition and the means she used to reach her goals. It also details the way in which she organized her own cult (borrowing from the gay community), devised her artistic output, and cunningly targeted different audiences. It also studies the fundamental contradiction—virgin or vamp? saint or prostitute?—that fuels Madonna’s career and describes how Madonna reflects today’s society, its contradictions and its attitudes toward sexuality and religion.

Page updated: November 21, 2015

Music Psychology and Mental Health

Misogyny, Commercialization of Sex in Popular Music and Music Videos
It's Effect on Teenagers and Children

Li'L Wayne is the current king of the African American middle school and high school ipod.

The teenager that knows about music only from listening to or watching Beyonce, Chris Brown and Li'l Wayne, has a decidedly narrow focus on music, with narrow ideas.

Li'l Wayne's mysogynous lyrics become the ideology of 13 year old African America boys who refer to potential girlfriends as "ho's". It is the silent-to-the-public ipod drumbeat of many inner city public schools, both middle school and high school.

Emotions are catchy and young people who are not yet anchored in their lives or ideals, easily assimilate messages that they hear over and over. Violence in lyrics, including violence against women, contributes to aggression in young people, that can surface while they are still teens, or later when they enter into marital or other relationships.

The American Psychological Association (APA) refers to a study in the May (2012) issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (Vol. 84, No. 5), which indicates that "violent song lyrics increase negative emotions and thoughts that can lead to aggression."

Above: Rapper Li'l Wayne - July 23, 2007 - Photo: Ryan Dombal from New York, NY, USA

Li'l Wayne, with misogynous lyrics and aggressive rap, is the most popular rapper in Newark, NJ inner city public schools among African American middle school and high school students.

Nicki Minaj with lyrics of strong profanity and self-hatred, is the most popular female rapper among the corresponding female middle and H.S. students in Newark.

The term above in school, means that this is the most popular music that students listen to while they are actually in school, under the current policies, where headphones to smartphones and ipods are tolerated, if not officially condoned in and between classes, at breaks, during classes from substitute teachers, at recess, after classwork is done, of for some classes, during class, (especially if students can complete their work while listening to music at the same time). This is not all schools in Newark, but a significant percentage.

The music of some popular singers may at times convey a positive message, such as with Alicia Keys New York ballad, much of what is current and popular focuses on narrow topics such as the turmoil of relationships, revenge on has-been lovers, lust, and, in the case of some of the more popular rappers like Snoop Dog or Li'l Wayne, misogyny in its lyrics is the general rule, that is, the disrespect of women, referring them disdainfully as the "ho's" and "b's".

Alicia Keys presents some music with an upbeat and positive message in modern pop-soul ballad format.

There is some current, pop, R & B music with a positive non-sexual message such as some of the music of from Alicia Keys. However, most current R & B has drifted into either a sexual message to youth, lust, or emotions of hatred, anger, disrespect of women, or in some cases such as Nicki Menaj, popular with African American teenage girls, tinges of self-loathing, coupled with obscene lyrics.

Chris Brown is a soulful young African American singer who sings to the heart of teen girls. "I kissed Chris Brown," a thirteen year old girl boasted. She went on to describe her encounter with Chris Brown (imagined). "I'm Chris Brown's wife," said another young teen.

The sexuality of today's music scene is accentuated by the powerful imagery of music videos.
Alicia Keys - Photo: Jen Keys, 2002

Lady Gaga's videos are potent if sexual shock-effect, her Poker Face music video has hints of a modern Roman orgy. Miley Cyrus went from Snow White at 13 to the Wicked Witch at 18 in her current music video, a Michael Jackson Thriller-like sometimes sexy music video where bad is good.

Lady Gaga performing "Poker Face" on The Monster Ball Tour (revamped version). photo:Kiah Brasch, August 30, 2010

Parents who indulged their daughters in Miley Cyrus music through their tweens, have to take a step back as the teen star has come of age, and is dabbling her foot into the world of surly sexual commercial stunts like pole dancing and flirtatious lesbian half-kisses in music videos. The Climb or Cyrus's career has taken her way beyond Disney's boundaries.

Even as some of the tamer pop music stars whose message is not necessarily sexual, but might revolve around popular themes of romance or relationships such as Taylor Swift, carry videos that lead the young teen to their imaginative experimental first kisses.

Women are viewed as sex objects in the greater part of the hip hop world, from the lyrics to the music videos, and the most popular female artists such as Beyonce and Rihanna, spread their sexuality about for popular appeal, selling their sex for money, to create a stir, to capture the attention of their fans, to acquire new fans, increase their popularity, and sell albums.

Beyonce is both a pop music artist and part of the sexual commercialization scene sold to teenagers.
photo: Flickr photo by Hello hubbie! As one African American teen high school student put it, "Beyonce dances like that [sexually, provocatively] to be noticed". (This message of misogyny and the commercializing of sex through music videos - two distinct messages- were that was highlighted in class by a middle school health education teacher in Newark, NJ (2008), and earlier (concerning music videos) by a high school teacher (Freshman) in Carteret, NJ - 2006).

This attitude towards sex and women as portrayed in popular music is bound to have an affect on the thinking of teenagers and their attitude towards sex, who pick up on this sexual message of the commercial world and pop-culture. Some male teenagers develop the attitude that girls/women are there for their sexual gratification or experimentation. They get this message from the popular culture of music and television.

It is up to parents and educators to help teenagers and children to delineate between the fantasies, as portrayed through popular music, and the realities of relationships and what it takes to have a successful relationship.

Music and psychology: Music can be a positive force for good mental health, self-esteem and a child's and teen's personality development.

References for Music Psychology page:

1. Catterall, James S., Richard Chapleau, and John Iwanaga. "Involvement in the Arts and Human Development: General Involvement and Intensive Involvement in Music and Theater Arts." Los Angeles, CA: The Imagination Project at UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, 1999. NELS:88, National Education Longitudinal Survey)

2. Connors, Abigail, (August 2009). Listen! music matters - Seven surprising benefits of music education. NJ Family.

3. Hamman, D. L., Walker, L., (1993). Music Teachers as Role Models for African American Students.Journal of Research in Music Education, Vol. 41, No. 4, 303-314, (1993). DOI: 10.2307/3345506. https://jrm.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/41/4/303

4. Music Education Online. Children's Music Workshop. (Retrieved August 4, 2009). https://www.schoolmusictoday.com/advocacy/benefits.html

5. Ratliff, B., (June 3, 2008). Bo Diddley, Who Gave Rock and Roll His Beat, Dies at 79. New York Times.

6. Robertson, J., (1998). Natural Prozac. San Francisco: Harper SanFrancisco.

7. Violent song lyrics may lead to violent behavior. July 2003. American Psychological Association. Vol 34, No. 7.

Further Reading

Responsible Hip-Hop - Why one rapper rejects hate messages of L'il Wayne and gangsta rap. Article/Interview with rapper DEE1 - DR BOYCE WATKINS: WHY THIS RAPPER TURNED DOWN A DEAL FROM LIL WAYNE’S LABEL

Pages Related to Music Psychology

Music Psychology - Main page

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Music Therapy

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Teen Depression and Music - Pop music and teen depression link - Based on clinical study

Misogyny in Commercial/Pop and Rap Music

Teen idol Miley Cyrus

The Psychology of Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana and pop-music for girls

Beautiful Music Selections

We reviewed classical music CD's for babies and found this to be the best. Beautiful, relaxing, mentally stimulating music for babies and pregnant moms.

The gift of music - Acoustic pianos