Hamilton Spectator
A McMaster University professor is exploring how music by celebrity bands such as U2 plays a role in influencing health and promoting social activism.
"Some celebrities such as Bono are becoming de facto new public intellectuals, among the few people who seem able to effectively deliver messages and challenge large audiences," said Gavin Andrews, chair of the Health, Aging and Society department.
"Attempts to create healing places in and around music have always been part of musical composition and consumption, whether it be music by Mozart or by a rock band such as U2. In this sense, the music does not have to openly mention health, but well-being can result from its consumption."
A study published in the journal Health & Place analyzes how the music and statements of Bono and his band, U2, can help both "personal and population-wide health and well-being."
Researchers decided to base their work on U2 because of its combination of commercial success, dedication to causes, and widespread political and social influence.
Andrews' work is part of a larger study with researchers in British Columbia, South Carolina and New Zealand looking at a wide range of topics including music therapy, specific genres of music such as reggae and punk, and such bands as The Smiths and Oasis.
"The origins of musical concerns for social issues and causes can be traced to gospel music and jazz of the 1930s and 1940s," the study says, noting that these concerns re-emerged in the emotional rallying cries of artists such as Bob Dylan and John Lennon.
Today, the terrain has shifted to more concrete results, such as raising cash or generating public concern for an issue.
"Musicians have become powerful socio-political actors who are able to initiate awareness of health inequalities, exert direct influence through fundraising and forms of boycott, and directly influence the funding for health-related initiatives."
An example is Live Aid, the inaugural concert of hope, organized by activist musician and producer Bob Geldof. It was held simultaneously in London and Philadelphia, and linked to billions by satellite in 1985 to raise funds for the famine in Ethiopia.
The report also says the sharing of physical space at concert venues can promote health.
"The emotional resonance experienced by groups of people in a live performance can initiate a collective sense of healing, particularly if the music engages with significant historical events," the study says, citing concerts held after 9/11 in New York.
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