We live in a society where it is inevitable to have both physical and mental problems caused by various source of stress. Recent scientific researches on music have been gradually discovering how music can affect human body and mind positively. However, researches specifically concentrated on adolescents have not been conducted enough. Moreover, there has never been a study done on musical effects upon bullying or school refusal, which are one of the main concerns that school education is currently facing. In this research, it has studied what effect music class at school in Japan can have on students using empathy and biochemical - especially hormones - as its parameter.
Music teachers conducted 2 types of lessons: music listening and choir singing for 30 students (14 males and 16 females) at public junior-high school. Before and after the lesson, "The Reading the Mind in the Eyes" test (RME) was taken and hormonal change - Cortisol, Testosterone, Estradiol - were checked. Aside from the lessons, the students took a survey on musical activity and a Japanese STAIC-II. In STAIC-II, only the trait anxiety was examined. As a result, regardless of their gender, preference of lesson types, age or points gained in RME, all subjects' Cortisol level had decreased significantly. There were not such remarkable level changes in Testosterone or Estradiol, though the Testosterone level had a tendency to rise in both types of lesson. The RME result taken before the lesson was biphasic when compared to its reference values. Thus 2 groups were created depending on the points gained before the lesson: lower marks and higher marks, and each group were analyzed. After the lesson, the higher mark group's points decreased and lower group's increased, however, the change was not significant.
The significant decrease in Cortisol level suggests that music class can lower students' stress level. It also implies that this effect is irrespective of students' preference in neither music nor content of music lesson. While it has been discussed whether to abolish music lessons at school, this study shows an importance of the lessons for students as it can help them to decrease their stress level. This, we believe, is a starting point to reconsider the value of music lessons as school education and to reevaluate the possibility that music lessons can have in near future.