Iris Chang

When talking about stress, we know that everybody has a varying amount of stress. For example, people often feel stressed from their job, schoolwork, or relationship in the society. In my case, I am an international student at UNC. Because my English still needs improvement, I have to take some ESL classes. Meanwhile, I am taking some graduate classes. That means (that) I need to handle a lot of homework and find time to practice the piano as well. Furthermore, when I am studying with my American classmates, I usually worry about how to communicate with them easily. All of these are sources of pressure. Therefore, I need some effective methods to reduce or release my pressure.

My major is piano performance. Actually, the musical field which I am working in can provide me many ways to release my stress, and it does work. First of all, listening to music is a great method to relax my tension. In fact, it is magical that music has strong power. To illustrate, if I feel depressed or tired, I will listen to soft music with slow tempo. Classical music may be a good choice. However, if I choose sorrowful songs to listen to, I might feel more deeply sad. On the other hand, when I am excited or cheerful, I will listen to the music with strong rhythms and fast tempo. Popular music may be a good choice because the accent and the speed can strengthen my joyful feeling. When I am reading or doing homework that requires much concentration, I won’t listen to noisy music like heavy metal or songs which have lyrics because this music will break my attention. Listening to my favorite music can help me to release emotions, but I had better use proper music to listen to.

The second method to reduce stress for me is playing the piano. When I am playing the piano, I can focus on the music which I have created. Every time when I play the music, I don’t have time to think or worry about something that may bother me. When I am practicing the piano, I have to keep my mind in the music and use my ear to modify the melody or adjust the pedal flexibly and slightly. Furthermore, the process of practicing the piano is a challenge; if I can use different and effective ways to play the piano easier, I will create a beautiful melody and then feel satisfied.

The last method to reduce stress for me is watching a movie. Movies are an art that combines music and drama. When I am watching a movie, I am easily attracted to the story of the movie. Because the sound track enhances the plot of a movie, I can enjoy feelings of comfort and being at ease.

In conclusion, music provides great methods to comfort my emotions and release my pressure. The most important reason is that the vibration of music influences human blood pressure and brain state. In the medical field, music therapy is a kind of remedy; therefore, I believe music has a great ability to reduce stress.