Dialogic Journals (Article One)

“The Effects of Music on Student Psychology”  By Sharon Lee
I hope that this article talks about how students in general are affected by music. I am looking for something that specifies the effect on African-American students and how this plays a role in their actual lives.
“Adolescents naturally seem to use music to monitor and manipulate mood, motivation, and task completion, but understanding the effects of music could enable them to make appropriate decisions concerning musical choices.” (1)	This quote is going to set a basis of why they listen to music and how it affects their actions and their decision-making.
“Also important are the effects of music we do not choose, but are subjected to through our environment choices such as restaurants and stores.” (1)	This tells me about how music in our surroundings may not be controllable to us but can have some effect on our minds.
“In a culture where music is constantly playing all around us, it is important for parents, students, and teachers to understand how music may help or hinder us in the completion of our tasks.” (2)	This quote is getting me somewhere; it talks about our culture and music but it doesn’t specify which culture. But it does tell me about actions in result of music.
“Can it help students study more effectively, or does it distract from the completion of homework?” (2)	This starts to get into what I am inquiring about. It gets into the effects of stereotypes about music affecting African American education.
“An alternate theory suggests that music may simply help people focus their attention and ignore noise or other novel distractions in the environment.” (3)	Music is not always a distraction to people as most stereotypes suggests.
“In a 1991 article, Giles states that “Intervention programs for children at risk could use music to help them, build their self-esteem, and help them deal with their emotional problems.” (3)	These “children at risk” could be referring to African American children in school or outside of school. Music may be a release for them.
“Two-thirds of the students said they listened to or performed music for personal enjoyment, expression, and to release or control negative emotions. They agreed that relating to the lyrics, whether writing, singing, or listening, let them know they were not alone, and helped them cope with difficult times in their lives.”(4)	Not all music that the students listen to affect them negatively as some stereotypes suggest. Some music provides a release for students who are going through personal experiences.
“Clearly, some musically inclined adolescents understand the power of music based on their own experiences, but various types of music can have different effects on how people function in certain situations.”(4)	I agree with this quote as a whole because certain types of music can trigger different emotions which can cause various reactions in a student. It may be good or bad, it all depends on the person.