Recalling "The Day Music Died"
Suggested lead: Some people might still look upon February 3rd as the anniversary of "the day the music died," but specialists in the field say music is still alive and well. Tom Britt has more.
In Don McLean's 1971 song "American Pie," he laments "the day the music died." This is in remembrance of February 3rd, 1959 -- the date when rock n' roll pioneers Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and J.P. Richardson ("The Big Bopper") died in a plane crash in Iowa. Duke University Medical Center music therapist Cheryl Benze says it may be poetic and nostalgic to remember the passing of the musicians that way, but thankfully, the world is in no danger of losing its music.
"here will always be music so long as there is a beating heart, because that's the ultimate in rhythm. That's the first rhythm that we know of and it's the last thing to go when a person passes away. So there will always be the rhythm of the beating heart."
Benze says much of our preference in music is shaped through association. Whether it's jazz, classical, country, rock, rap, blues or hip-hop, the music typically evokes memories and emotions from our experiences. That, she says, is often why we prefer certain types of music and react negatively to other types. I'm Tom Britt.
Benze says even if we try to deny it or fight it, music does influence our emotions.
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"In my work as a music therapist for 18 years, I may have had two or three people who said they didn't enjoy music, and still I was able to use music to help them as a patient even when they didn't exactly know it. Everybody responds to music at some level."