A recent report of classical music being used to reduce vandalism in an Auckland shopping centre, followed other such successful experiments from around the world.
In West Palm Beach Florida a free concert of Mozart, Bach and Beethoven is being played 24 hours a day on a blighted street corner and has proven successful in reducing crime.
Police say drug deals, shootings and thefts have dropped since the experiment began. There are fewer loiterers and statistics are surprising. Drug-related calls dropped to four from February through June, compared to 20 during the same period in the previous year, while calls for service were down to 83 from 119 the previous year. To read the article click this link.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2001/07/08/music.htm
A number of other bodies have tried similar experiments over the years. The idea was originally tested in Canada in the 1990s to clear yobbos away from supermarkets or metro systems.
“Within 18 months, robberies were cut by 33 per cent, assaults on staff by 25 per cent, and vandalism by 37 per cent as the voice of Pavarotti made troublemakers scarper.” Wrote reporter David Sandison.
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/mind-the-bach-classical-music-on-the-underground-800483.html
This reporter then discusses theories as to why the scheme works, surmising that it doesn't fit with antisocial youths' perception of cool; or that teenagers can hear high-frequency overtones that adults can't and that this upsets them.
For those of us who listen to Sound Therapy, perhaps we can think of a more humanity enhancing view. I suspect that the effect of the music is to ignite a flicker of the higher aspirations, reasoning and innate altruism of those listening. When these feelings can’t be accommodated by their habitual destructive behaviours and peer group negativity, they leave the area out of embarrassment.
After all, it has been proven in other experiements that Mozart does indeed enhance spatial reasoning skills because it activates numerous brain centres including the prefrontal cortex and superior temporal gyrus, the precuneus of the parietal lobe, with much interconnection of these various networks being activated. Surely all this added brain activity must impact our emotions, thoughts and human drives?
Find the best sresearch paper I have come across on the Mozart Effect by following this link, http://jrsm.rsmjournals.com/content/vol94/issue4/
and look for the article called “The Mozart Effect.”
