Music, Your Personality, and Therapy

Being a native New Orleanian, I love music! I recently read the music we listen to gives a glimpse into our personality. We use music as a way to connect with others and express ourselves. While I enjoy music from all genres, I find my mood plays a big part in what type of music I listen to each day. I have recently been a huge fan of Soul Music. When I listen to soul, blues, and jazz I am transported. I feel a sense of peace, calmness, and relaxation take over my body. I noticed this same response when I was introduced to the Tibetan Singing Bowl. The singing bowl was used at the start and end of morning meetings. I found the sound/vibration of the bowl had a calming and stress relieving effect on my body. It is a fantastic way to begin meetings, meditations, and yoga sessions.

Interested in trying it out, there are several music/sound therapy classes in the Pittsburgh area utilizing the singing bowl for music therapy and healing. Awareness and Wellness Center in Shadyside offers Sound Healing. Their website claims “Sound healing synchronizes brain waves to achieve profound states of relaxation, helping to restore the normal vibratory frequencies of the cells in our bodies”

So, what does your music preference say about you? Very Well Mind posted an article titled "Music Preferences and Your Personality, What Your Music Taste Says About You" by Kendra Cherry MSEd. Below is a clip taken from this online article which links personality to music preference:

This research study also had participants take the Big 5 Personality Test. If you are interested in taking the Big 5 Personality Test the following websites offer free Big 5 Personality Tests: Truity and Open Source Psychometric Project.

In the end no matter what your preference in music, music can be healing.