More connections between music and our perceptions…and wine. I read an article in Parade today about “Subliminal Advertising” – the author explains how the tempo of music played in a store has an impact on the length of time people spend shopping there. Probably true – for me, at least. The assumption is that a shopper who spends more time in a store is also more likely to buy something from that store, so a store owner may want to play music with a tempo slower than the human heartbeat. I think this is fascinating! I sure hope it doesn’t give music a bad reputation, but it does make you think. The article went on to say that shoppers bought more German wine on days when German music was being played, and bought more French wine while listening to French music. I’m afraid I would still choose the French wine most of the time, but if they’re playing slow, pretty music I might stick around to give all the wines a lot of consideration. I think it must work both ways – some music has an undesirable impact on our perceptions/behavior. I am reminded of how I was driven to avoid a certain store until they changed their light bulbs because the lights made such a loud buzz before they burned out. I couldn’t bear to be in there! This makes me wonder about making a lot of noise before dying…but that’s another topic.
Let's Stay Healthy Together
Yes! And just like retailers use music to influence our behaviors, we can use it intentionally on OURSELVES. In my time management workshops, I ask people to think about ways they can use music to shift their energy patterns — e.g., to help themselves work faster when doing a monotonous task, to pep themselves up during an afternoon slump, or to help themselves wind down at day’s end so they don’t have trouble getting to sleep. Music can also be a great motivator; I have a mixed CD of “morning music” I created for myself to start me off in a positive and productive mindset on days when I feel like I need a boost.