People are emotional as a species. We have a wide range of emotions that can go from happy one minute to sad and melancholy to angry in the space of a few seconds. Music is the same way and has sounds that can seem cheery, as well as angry. Because of these coincidences music has the ability to express emotion as well as change the emotion of the listener.

Have you ever been sad and turned to music? Or maybe you have been angry and/or frustrated when you turned to music. Your mood (or current emotional state) can greatly influence your choice of music you want to listen to. For instance, when you’re sad or melancholy, you might play something that is soft, slow and possibly a little mournful. Whereas, when you are angry you might play something that is loud and has a fast temp. The choice of music you play will complement how you feel at that current moment.

In the same way that our emotions can determine what we listen to, music can change how we feel. In your normal day to day activities, you might hear a piece of music and it can affect your mood. Hearing a slow, sorrowful song might make you feel a little sad, and when you hear a fast, upbeat song you might feel energized and ready to take on anything.

Because music and emotions are so closely linked, it is no surprise that music has been used in so many different places for its emotional benefits. It is used in places such as hospitals and nursing homes because the right kind of music has been known to help the healing process as well as soothe the visitors or relatives of patients. It is also used in advertising because having a popular song as background can make an advertising slogan more memorable, therefore the marketing of the product is increased.

The use of different chords and keys and their combinations can help to determine how a piece of music sounds and therefore what emotion it will be linked to. The descriptive words used to describe emotions and music tends to complement one another. If a song is soft, it can reach out to your sad emotions, whereas if a song is loud, it can reach out to your angry, frustrated emotions.

Since people are so emotional and tend to be run by emotions and music can play to emotions and bring out certain emotions, it is no wonder that we turn to music in practically every aspect of our lives.

Memphis blues music has a very rich and interesting history that is packed with many of the biggest names in American music. Created in the 1920s and 1930s, Memphis blues music was created by musicians that lived in the area, like Furry Lewis, Frank Stokes, John Estes and Memphis Minnie. At first, it was only popular in vaudeville and medicine shows, but soon it quickly grew to capture the interest of the entire nation.

Memphis blues music really got its start on Beale Street, the place where the nightlife and culture of Memphis was (and still is). There have been several books written, dedicated only to Memphis blues music and Beale Street, including Goin Back to Memphis by James L. Dickerson, which came out in the year 2000.

Memphis blues music gained a lot of popularity very fast, largely in part to its unique sound. Because many of the musicians were poor and could not afford to buy traditional instruments, they were forced to improvise using household items that were previously not known for their sound producing capabilities. For example, washboards, kazoos and Jews harps were all prevalent in early Memphis blues music.

Quite possibly the most unique and frequently used odd instruments found in Memphis blues music is the jug. To replace the sound that an expensive bass guitar would make, people would blow into various sized jugs to create a deep and hollow sound. Of course, some of the people in Memphis blues music were able to get their hands on traditional instruments such as violins, banjos and mandolins.

Memphis blues music never really featured any electric instruments until after World War II, when Memphis blues music musicians slowly started buying and using them. Memphis blues music also started to transform itself as new musicians came onto the Memphis scene. This is because many African Americans started to migrate away from impoverished rural areas in search of cities and good jobs. Among those making the trek to Memphis were Willie Nix, Ike Turner, Howlin Wolf and B.B. King.

Still, Memphis blues music remained confined to the area of Memphis. That is, until Sun Records took an interest in Memphis blues music and started signing local artists as fast as they could. Eventually, Memphis blues music would go on to influence rock and roll, modern jazz and rhythm and blues music, and has been cited by several famous musicians in their songs.