Music and Harm. An Emerging Trend?

Even though I’m living in the beauty of the remote Appalachian Mountains, the great thing about the internet is that I’m digitally connected. I read many sources.  Recently, a different take on the intentional use of music and sound came across my screen.

I normally consider soundwork to be grounded in the positive applications of music and vibration, be it music or sound for health and healing, enhanced productivity, focus, etc. However, once in a while, I’m reminded of the flip side of the coin.

To that end, I came across a few items recently that I’d like to share:

1. The first was a press release regarding the availability of Sound-Based Drone Disabling products from a MA-based company, Fractal Antenna Systems. “By emitting sonic, ultrasonic, and/or subsonic waves at a drone,” the release states, “thereby inducing vibrations that will lead to flight failure.” The press release concluded, “FRACTAL deploys high-performance antennas for aerospace, IoT, medical, public safety, telecom, and government/military applications, among others.”

   

   This is definitely not your cousin’s sound table!
   

2. I received notice from the International Association of Music & Medicine (IAMM), one of my favorite Soundwork organizations, about an upcoming digital conversation (Tuesday, 4/29), entitled Music and Harm.

   

   
   

   They say… “This event will explore music as a double-edged sword. Whilst attention and development is poured into evidencing the benefit of music for health and wellbeing, there has been relatively scarce attention paid to how music causes harm, in both clinical contexts and in terms of the occupational health of music therapists and musicians working in healthcare contexts.”

   
   

   Google AI Overview

   Wanting to dig a little further, I did an AI search on the topic of Music and Harm:

   
   

   “While music generally has positive effects, it can also be harmful, particularly when it comes to individual emotional responses and potential for harm.

   
   

   Excessive listening can lead to hearing loss, while certain music can trigger or worsen negative emotions like rumination and anxiety.

   
   

   Additionally, music can be a source of distress for some individuals due to personal associations or the content of the music.

   
   

   Google provides a more detailed look at how music can be harmful in the following areas:

   1. Noise-induced hearing loss.

   2. Emotional and psychological distress, including rumination, triggering trauma, maladaptive coping.

   3. Physical harm, including injuries from playing instruments, injuries from music-based interventions.

   4. Negative effects on workplace productivity, including the concept of music misfit – how in workplaces, background music that doesn't match individual preferences can lead to mental fatigue, decreased focus, and reduced productivity.

   5. Harmful music content, including negative lyrics, escapism and avoidance.

   

   What I find to be most interesting in AI searches – aside from the profound difference in answers based on depth of questions – is the breadth of focus, the defining of the subject parameters. In this instance, the initial AI sweep on the topic of “Music and Harm” was limited to essentially 20th century downsides and did not go into what are the concerns now that we are firmly ensconced in the 21st century, e.g., there was nothing based on the treasure trove of spotless NIH research conducted 2017-2024, about the effects of music within hospital settings. Perhaps this information is not widely available due to government budgetary cut-backs.

   
   

   History of Music and Harm

   Music has been weaponized in various ways throughout history. Examples include psychological warfare, torture and interrogation, propaganda and manipulation, cultural suppression, incitement to violence, or social control.

   Whether the goal is distress, control, domination, or incitement, it is important in this new 21st century world to remember that music – or we could reframe this in a much larger context as perceptual stimuli – has been effectively used throughout history for social control. The fact that this discussion is coming to the surface is indicative that we have moved into a time, spanning the globe, where sensory information is being harnessed to accomplish the goals of the day.

   
   

   I must admit to a certain level of naivete… In my lifetime, music and creative arts in general have been used with positive inclinations to inspire and bring hope. We live in different times now. I believe awareness of the power of our tools is very important.

   
   

   Addendum

   
   

   This excerpt is from an Opinion article in The NY Times 5/2/25 by the adult children of Leonard Bernstein, entitled, "Our Dad, Leonard Bernstein, Would Want His Music Played at the Kennedy Center”

   
   

   Our father’s “...notes invoke the courage to be ourselves, to express ourselves — and to be what Americans have always aspired to be: free."

   
   

   “It’s the artists of the world, the feelers and thinkers, who will ultimately save us; who can articulate, educate, defy, insist, sing and shout the big dreams.” - Leonard Bernstein

© Joshua Leeds. All rights reserved.