Why Criminals Are Afraid of Classical Music

American Thinker ^ | 07/30/2014 | Enza Ferreri

[SeekAndFind]

Many young people, especially the anti-social, dislike classical music so much that it can be played to discourage them from intimidating, harassing and robbing.

This experiment has been successful over many years in countless locations.

The earliest occurrence was in the mid-1980s, when Canadian outlets of 7-Eleven played easy listening and classical music to disperse teenagers loitering outside. After that, companies from McDonald's to Co-op, transport authorities, housing estates and shopping malls around the world have employed this method.

In the UK, the first to do so was the Tyne-and-Wear Metro system in 1997, following Montreal’s underground system in Canada.

Other British transport providers, including the much bigger London Underground, imitated the scheme. The most effective deterrents were anything sung by Pavarotti or written by Mozart.

Across the pond, whether at New York's Port Authority Bus Terminal, La Guardia, Newark International and John F. Kennedy International airports, and Pennsylvania Station; at Portland, Oregon, light-rail stations; in Seattle's parking lots; or in Anchorage, Alaska, Town Square, classical music has helped even against crimes like drug dealing.

Same in Australia and New Zealand. In Queensland, it reduced vandalism and graffiti.

The evidence seems plentiful. Why, then?

The simplest explanations, in the time-honored scientific tradition of Occam's razor, should be considered first.

Teenagers, especially those with uneducated ears, don't like classical music, and they think it's not "cool" to be seen by their peers listening to it.

Still other explanations are in the nature of classical music itself. Much of it conveys a sense of order, symmetry and beauty, that conflicts with the disorder and ugliness in the minds of hooligans.

[RedStateRocker]

Beat me to it :-)

[Nevadan]

Very interesting. I can't even guesstimate the number of times I have been sitting at a stop light and have been forced to hear the hostile sounds of rap music from another car waiting for the light to change. Inevitably, the driver has his windows rolled down and his music turned up to 11, his antisocial proclivities on audio display. I have yet to experience the same obnoxious behavior from someone listening to classical or even pop music. It is further interesting the number of movies that Hollywood produces these days that feature rap music in their soundtracks. There is definitely a relationship there between Hollywood's antisocial mentality that goes beyond simply telling a story.

[wally_bert]

Will try to remember that.

[stormer]

Excellent idea, comrade. Or perhaps something a little more inspiring...

[luvbach1]

That’s why they like rap crap which really isn’t even music.

[RayChuang88]

Actually, putting on what we call easy listening music works just as effectively. Small wonder why I'm a big fan of Mantovani. :-)

[P.O.E.]

Why do vampires fear holy water?

[molson209]

Why Criminals Are Afraid of Classical Music

would it work at the next Obama speech ?

[cuban leaf]

Except when they're up for a bit of the old ultra-violence. Then they probably like to listen to Beethoven's Ninth... ---------------------------------

Naw. We weeded that out.

[P.O.E.]

Koyaanisqatsi

[huldah1776]

Israel should blast classical into Gaza.

[cuban leaf]

heavy guitar riffs played by musicians who studied classical techniques.

---

Like, say Yngwie Malmsteen -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrLCteQlkUY

[all the best]

Classical music is an expression of order, intelligence, beauty, civilization. Today’s cRAP music is the exact opposite. Ugliness, disorder, violence.

[huldah1776]

There videos showing how listening to music uses multiple areas of the brain. Those with aphasia (left brain stroke) can sometimes learn to sing/speak depending on damage.

[Bigg Red]

Excellent analysis.

[huldah1776]

Retailers use power music to make you shop. Drives me nuts, but I hate to shop.

[mjp]

the nature of classical music itself. Much of it conveys a sense of order, symmetry and beauty, that conflicts with the disorder and ugliness in the minds of hooligans.

hatred of the good for being the good is a symptom of evil

[Veto!]

the nature of classical music itself. Much of it conveys a sense of order, symmetry and beauty, that conflicts with the disorder and ugliness in the minds of hooligans.

Yes, it does. Contrast that with the totally unmusical disordered vague junk being played now…sometimes in stores. I find it so annoying I have to leave, but apparently it helps sell things. Our new neighborhood Target plays it…perhaps to keep customers wandering around the store aimlessly, picking up stuff they didn't plan to buy.

[lefty-lie-spy]

I got into music with blues and rock and heavy metal as a kid of about nine years old. About 15 years old I learned how close the metal riffs echoed classical music, and did some more reading on my favorite guitarists. As all my friends also know, classical music is just as awesome as heavy metal and blues. I listen to it all, every day.

[Dilbert San Diego]

They use power music to induce you to shop? Really?

Well, their musical choices are counter productive for this shopper.