FINGER ON THE PULSE: If Pearl Jam...
FINGER ON THE PULSE: If Pearl Jam fans are feeling frustrated and angry, it might not be just because of the band’s aborted tour plans. A new study claims that the Seattle band’s music--selected to represent rock in a research project--itself increases feelings of anger and tension in listeners.
Pearl Jam fared the worst as compared to Mozart, New Age artist Enya and a series of pieces “scientifically” created to relieve stress. The study was conducted by the Institute of HeartMath, the organization that produces the stress-relieving music through the Planetary Productions label.
Not surprisingly, it was that “designer music”--from an album titled “Speed of Balance”--that came out the best, with 70 out of 100 test subjects reporting an increase in the feeling of inner peace and mental clarity. With Pearl Jam, 85 of the subjects felt a decrease in the feeling of peace.
But researchers should note that informal mosh pit surveys reveal that 85% of all Pearl Jam fans like feeling tense and angry.
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