BS: Slow music stops street fighting

Subject: BS: Slow music stops street fighting
From: GUEST,JTT
Date: 29 Jan 04 - 10:35 PM

Moving this to a thread of its own, in case anyone who can help isn't reading the Indian City thread, where people have been so helpful.

Someone told me of an English (I think) city where there was a lot of street-fighting late at night. The lads would pour out of the dance venues pumped up after loud, fast music and lay into each other.

Some of the dance venues got together and agreed to try playing slow music for the last few sets, and the rate of violence dropped right down.

I'm looking for a reference - where was it? And is there any web reference to it?

Also looking for any similar stories, where positive and intelligent methods were used to solve a social problem. Thanks in advance, Catters.

Subject: RE: BS: Slow music stops street fighting
From: ddw
Date: 30 Jan 04 - 12:27 AM

I heard of one instance in which kids were hanging around in the parking lot of a convenience store, harassing customers and making nuisances of themselves, till the proprietor got the idea of playing classical music and opera over a small PA system.

Solved the problem almost immediately.

Sorry, can't remember specifics of where the incident occurred.

When The Yorkshire Tornado and I first moved into the house we're in now, they guy next door used to play Toronto Blue Jays games over the speakers around his pool every Saturday when YT wanted to spend quiet days working in her garden. One Saturday while I was out of town she took a boombox outside and played opera, Vera Lynn and brass bands all day at top volume. The guy next door NEVER put his ballgames on again.

Cheers,

david

Subject: RE: BS: Slow music stops street fighting
From: Kaleea
Date: 30 Jan 04 - 02:39 AM

A friend of mine was once telling me about how teens were loitering, cruising & causing problems outside their place of business. I told him that if he'd put a speaker out there with loud classic(al)/opera/etc. playing, they'd high-tail it out of there in no time. He did, & they did. Cops liked it so, they suggested it to all the businesses in the area & cleaned up that city.
    Turns out that there was a psych experiment a few years back where this was done & golly gee, can you believe it? Same results. All they had to do was ask any good Music Educator! How many gkkazillions of our Tax $$'s paid for that?!

Subject: RE: BS: Slow music stops street fighting
From: C-flat
Date: 30 Jan 04 - 02:57 AM

The problem of youths vandalising property and disturbing passengers at the Metro(local rail) stations in Newcastle upon Tyne was solved in the past few years by playing classical music through the public address system. Apparently, being seen listening to such stuff is beneath any self-respecting vandal.
Personally I'd go further and give them Des O'Connor full blast!

Subject: RE: BS: Slow music stops street fighting
From: GUEST,Strollin' Johnny
Date: 30 Jan 04 - 07:17 AM

When I was a Youth Worker in a (fairly) tough Youth Centre, we Workers noticed over a period of time that there was a correlation between the kids' behaviour and the volume and speed of the music being played over our sound-system. Loud Rock or House had them as high as kites and an6ything, from setting off fire extinguishers to window breaking and wholesale affray, was likely to happen. We moved the amplifier and deck to an area where the workers could control what was played and guess what - drastic improvement in their behaviour. Spookeeeee! :0)

Subject: RE: BS: Slow music stops street fighting
From: GUEST,JTT
Date: 30 Jan 04 - 07:54 AM

Kaleea and Strollin, where did these music calmings happen? And C-flat, do you by any chance have a web reference for the Newcastle upon Tyne experiment? If you'd be so kind, you could write me a note at jt, dot, thompson, at eircom, dot, net to tell me more.

Subject: RE: BS: Slow music stops street fighting
From: Little Hawk
Date: 30 Jan 04 - 11:32 AM

Yup. Everything carries an intrinsic vibration...audibly, in terms of color, in terms of texture, and so on. Certain vibrations emanate from certain levels of consciousness...and stimulate similar levels of consciousness in whoever is receiving the input. This is why it's incumbent upon the media and the world of the arts to offer a receptive public something to uplift them...rather than simply something which makes a lot of money fast.

This concept, however, is mostly lost on the marketing system. Because of that people are generally being brutalized by what is marketed in the mainstream...and they are being conditioned to increasingly brutal and primitive input. Not a good situation.

It's rather comparable to what happened in Rome as the society declined. They lacked electricity, but they made up for it with actual blood and gore spectacles for their increasingly jaded public.

Plants and animals also respond well to gentler music.

- LH

Subject: RE: BS: Slow music stops street fighting
From: C-flat
Date: 30 Jan 04 - 03:14 PM

GUEST JTT, I know I posted this story here in the last 18 months or so but as yet can't find it. I will keep looking and hopefully turn up something for you.
C-flat.

Subject: RE: BS: Slow music stops street fighting
From: Chief Chaos
Date: 30 Jan 04 - 06:23 PM

Thats half the reason they play muzak in stores. I've gone places where I knew right away that they couldn't stand certain political beliefs. They kept liberals away by playing Rush Bimbaugh all day.

Subject: RE: BS: Slow music stops street fighting
From: JennieG
Date: 31 Jan 04 - 12:44 AM

A local shopping mall had a problem with the local lads hanging around one particular entrance. It became so bad that the locals would avoid going anywhere near there - last time I passed I could hear classical music coming from the speakers near that staircase and I saw no sign of any young males at all.
Mind you, the said shopping mall had expanded a few years ago - added new shops all aimed at young people with money to spend - put in a McDonalds where there was none before - and this staircase entry led straight to this area!
Cheers
JennieG

Subject: RE: BS: Slow music stops street fighting
From: GUEST,JTT
Date: 31 Jan 04 - 02:47 AM

JennieG, local where, please?