Four Levels Of Musical Regulation, Another Perspective.

Continuing on from last week’s blog where I looked at how music impacts us emotionally.

This week explores another theory called the ‘Four Levels of Musically Evoked Emotion’... well, that’s what I call it anyway. These four levels consist of goals, tactics, strategy and mechanism which are all used to describe how we use music to manage our emotions. The overall theory provides a nuanced understanding of the processes involved when we employ music as a tool for self-soothing, ranging from overarching intentions to specific physical and cognitive (thoughts) responses. 

The first level, goals, refers to the outcomes or emotional states we may seek to achieve through our music listening. These goals are broadly categorised into hedonic (enhancing positive emotions or reducing negative ones) and utilitarian (supporting functional or task-related needs, basically doing stuff). For example, a person may listen to upbeat music to improve their mood (hedonic) or classical music to improve focus while studying (utilitarian). Goals represent the 'why' behind musical engagement, aligning with our emotional or practical needs and what we want to achieve.

Tactics (level 2) are the specific methods, factors or activities undertaken to achieve these goals. In the context of musical or emotional regulation, tactics might include choosing a particular genre, adjusting the volume, or curating playlists. For example, if we feel stressed, we might employ the tactic of listening to relaxing instrumental music to unwind. These are immediate, action-oriented decisions based on our understanding of how music affects our emotions. Tactics almost bridge the gap between bigger goals and the practical application of music. These tactics will be unique to all of us as one size does not fit all!

Strategies (level 3) represent the overarching plans that organise and guide our use of music over time to meet our specific goals. These are broader and more macro than tactics and involve patterns of behaviour. For instance, if you are one of those people who frequently listen to energetic music during workouts, you have effectively adopted a long-term strategy for maintaining your motivation. Strategies reflect an individual's learned understanding of how music can consistently support their emotional or functional objectives. These strategies require deliberate effort and often evolve through experience. For me, I always use certain pieces of music to get me up in the morning…..

Finally, mechanisms (level 4) refers to the underlying psychological and physiological processes by which music achieves its regulatory or soothing effects. Mechanisms include cognitive, affective, and physiological responses to music. Examples include how a particular rhythm might synchronise with our heartbeat to induce calmness, or how lyrics evoke personal memories, leading to emotional catharsis. Mechanisms operate at a subconscious level, enabling music to influence emotions even without active engagement.

These frameworks can feel a bit ambiguous and rather complex for something that seems quite simple on the surface. As you can see, loads of these concepts overlap with last week’s blog so hold them lightly. Perhaps you engage with some of these through your own music listening? 

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Adam Ficek hosts a monthly show 'Tonic Music' on Totally Wired Radio, where he talks to various guests about music and mental health. You can listen again to any of the previous show on the Tonic Music Mixcloud page.