“Fur Elise” is for the dogs; metal, not so much

Is heavy metal music bad for dogs? Photo by Flickr user Diamond Geyser.

Apparently, Colorado State University professor Lori Kogan felt it was time to find out what kind of music dogs prefer.

Sex Pistols or Debbie Harry? Elvis or the Beatles? Bo Diddley or Miles Davis? Actually, they didn’t listen to any of these — but they did listen to classical and heavy metal.

And, after four months and lots of listens, it’s hard to say whether this was the predictable outcome or not, but it seems the 117 shelter dogs in the study reacted more positively to classical than to metal:

Classical songs ultimately won out, proving so powerful in reducing stress that they even trumped the effect of “psychoacoustic” music designed especially to soothe animals.

Heavy metal, by contrast, appeared to amplify dogs’ anxiety, and was linked with less sleep, more barking and increased shaking.

On the classical side, the dogs listened to Beethoven’s “Fur Elise” and “Moonlight Sonata,” Strauss’ “Blue Danube Waltz,” and Bach’s “Air on a G String.” On the metal side, they heard Motorhead’s “Ace of Spades,” Slayer’s “Angel of Death,” and Judas Priest’s “Turbo Lover.”

Kogan measured three variables: how much time the dogs spent sleeping while the music was playing, how much time they spent shaking and how much time they were silent.

Dogs slept slightly more during the classical music — 3.7 to 6 percent of the time, compared with .8 to 1.2 percent during heavy metal songs. And they were slightly quieter while listening to classical — silent 88.4 to 95.1 percent of the time, compared with 88.6 to 93.5 while the metal was playing. But the differences in shaking were striking: dogs shook 0.8 to 2.3 percent of the time during the classical songs, but 37.8 percent of the time during “Ace of Spades,” 49.9 percent of the time during “Turbo Lover,” and 71.2 percent of the time during “Angel of Death.” Yikes. I’m guessing they weren’t just headbanging.

This isn’t wholly unlike last year’s informal study on heavy metal’s effect on sharks (spoiler: the sharks liked it). The good thing about the dog study is that Kogan doesn’t try to take her results and extrapolate them to other species. On the downside, while it’s clear that the dogs in her study were made more anxious by the heavy metal they heard, it’s not entirely clear why.

I wonder whether there are sounds native to heavy metal (and to these three songs in particular) that are, to dogs, alert/alarm sounds that would make them more anxious, just because of what their DNA tells them might signal danger. Or, I wonder whether these sounds do cause mammals to become more keyed up, but for some humans that has the counterintuitive effect of relaxing them (just as some are relaxed by stimulants).

In any case, Kogan’s takeaway is that shelter dogs — who already lead stressful lives — could benefit from hearing classical music, and probably shouldn’t be played much or any metal.

What do you think? What kinds of music do your dogs like most? Do any of them like a little Sabbath and Slayer?

Meet Bob Larson: former rocker, practicing exorcist, schoolgirl trainer, evangelist and “occult expert”

Meet Bob Larson, exorcist and “occult expert.”

You may not have heard of Bob Larson yet, but Bob Larson is trying to change that.

A former musician, Larson turned Christian in the 1960s and has been a champion of anti-occult causes ever since. He authored a series of books on the presumed perils of rock and roll and heavy metal music, including such titles as “Rock & Roll: The Devil’s Diversion, “Hippies, Hindus, and Rock & Roll,” “Rock, Practical Help for Those Who Listen to the Words and Don’t like What They Hear,” and “Larson’s Book of Rock,” the latter focused on heavy metal.

He has since gone on to become a radio evangelist with his own show, “Talk Back,” in which (among other things) he told perfectly happy kids that they were going to Hell. He openly debated Church of Satan founder Anton LaVey’s daughter, Zeena LaVey.

In his most recent incarnation, he’s now an exorcist. He trains schoolgirls to perform exorcisms. He has his own “exorcism channel” on YouTube. And he served as a consultant on the new exorcism thriller “The Devil Inside.”

In a bizarre interview with Movieweb.com, Larson styles himself as a serious exorcist — but also talks about his belief that Heath Ledger somehow became possessed while portraying the Joker in the film “Batman Begins.” (Instead of a simpler explanation — such as Larson was unnerved by Ledger’s convincing performance as a deranged comic-book monster.) Then he goes on to assure the interviewer that he really can tell the difference between a possessed person and an actor faking it.

In 1993, Cornerstone magazine debunked Larson’s ministry, revealing how he played up fears related to the Satanic Panic and used his radio show to manipulate people into giving him money.

There are many holes in Larson’s story, but the one most pertinent to our mission here at Backward Messages is that he styles himself as an “occult expert” and is providing people with information under that guise. Bob Larson is an “occult expert” in the same way that late North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il was an expert on the culture of the Western world. Larson has not spent much time among occultists attempting to study them neutrally, nor (as far as I know) has he ever practiced the occult, or a minority faith, for himself. He’s an outsider — and an outsider with a bone to pick. It could be said that he’s an expert on the supposed evils of the occult — but that’s not the same thing.

Here’s a question for readers: What makes someone an “expert?” How do you decide whether you can trust someone who calls him- or herself an expert? Does Larson fit your definition?

Music heals. Even gothic doom metal.

The latest radio ad from Kaiser Permanente.

“There’s a reason you see so many people walking around with earphones. We love listening to music. And, aside from gothic doom metal, music makes us feel good. We bob our heads, tap our feet, play air guitar. We feel music in our bodies, our minds, and souls. Studies show that music can actually reduce depression and anxiety. It can calm us down and even offer relief from chronic pain. That’s some pretty powerful medicine. So here’s a sonic prescription from Kaiser Permanente: listen to music daily. Twice daily. Three times daily, or just as needed. Explore new music. Expand your playlist. Sing along at the traffic light with foolish abandon. Because not only can music rock your world, it can make you happier and healthier. We’re Kaiser Permanente and we want you to live well, listen well, and thrive.”

So goes one of the most recent ads from healthcare company Kaiser Permanente. It’s great to hear anybody encouraging the use of music as a form of medicine. After all, studies have suggested that when we listen to music, we get an endorphin boost and it’s good for our cardiovascular systems.

Of course, while it’s tongue-in-cheek, the ad is wrong on one count: gothic doom metal, or any heavy metal, is just as good for you as other music, if it’s the music you love most. (In fact, in the cardiovascular study above, people were asked specifically to listen to their favorite music after a two-week break from it. Their responses were remarkable.) It’s a shame that they would call out a genre that many people love.

Tom Phillips, songwriter from doom-metal band While Heaven Wept, responded to the ad:

“First and foremost, I truly think it is a shame that ANY form of music is ever branded with a negative connotation; it wasn’t lost on me that this was a misguided attempt at humor on the part of Kaiser Permanente, but the reality is this is the kind of mentality that results in music ultimately being blamed for violence and tragedy.

Further, a healthcare organization should recognize the value of music as a constructive outlet in dealing with tribulations and negativity. … The bottom line is any form of music can be helpful, healing, and inspiring perhaps even more so than the most advanced medicine in many cases. I personally would not be here today if it weren’t for Doom Metal.”

Enter Dr. Brian Primack, with the University of Pittsburgh, who found in a recent study that teens who listen to lots of music tend to suffer from depression. More specifically, depression was more common among teens who a) listened to lots of popular music (not gothic doom metal!) and b) chose music over other forms of enrichment, such as books. (The bookworms had the lowest rates of depression.)

“At this point, it is not clear whether depressed people begin to listen to more music to escape, or whether listening to large amounts of music can lead to depression, or both. Either way, these findings may help clinicians and parents recognize links between media and depression,” Dr. Primack said.

I think, especially given the other research, it’s much more likely that depressed teens are using music to self-medicate. Maybe they’re even listening to some gothic doom metal.

What kinds of music make you feel the best? What’s the must surprising music you’ve turned to for healing?

Now taking your questions!

When I started Backward Messages, it was with the goal of debunking misconceptions about the most controversial teen media. But I also planned to take questions and offer advice to parents who are concerned about their kids’ media or spiritual interests.

Starting now, I’m taking questions. If you’re worried about your kids’ taste in music, video games, spirituality, or other media influences, or you just want more context for what they’re exploring and why, send inquiries to me at backwardmessages AT gmail DOT com.