How do specific types of music impact drug use?

     Music plays a big role in our lives. It wakes us up in the morning and gives us a push during the day. It brings people together, it gives us the feelings we didn’t know existed. It can make your day and give you exactly what you need. Though it is worth mentioning that the hard work and dedication it takes to make good music sometimes can be too many musicians can handle which is why they use drugs or alcohol to get through. Legends of music have made our lives better simply just make the records worth listening. However, talent and hard work is not always enough for an artist to make a great piece, especially in certain types of music. As an admirer of Jazz music, I can say that we may not have had these many great musicians and their legendary records we do today if it wasn’t partly for drugs. All musicians have experimented with drugs at some point in their lives, though some have quit and some have become addicts. Drugs seem to be a big problem for musicians, some musicians cannot even perform without being high or drunk. Of course, drugs do not make you a musical genius nor does it give you special powers, but it simply opens you up with more creative thoughts and open-mindedness. Although the experience and the “trip” depends on the type of drug they take. 

Problems that drugs create

      Gary Bartz in his interview talks about his experience with drug abuse and being an addict. He claims that if you are a musician it is hard to avoid drugs, especially when the majority of the people in the music industry do drugs. “It looked easy you know, it looked like there weren’t any problems that people say but of course there were problems.” This is what was going through Gary’s mind when he was the first time taking drugs. The biggest problem people face with drugs is the very little knowledge they have about them. Knowing that drugs are very bad for us and understanding that it does a lot of damage to our brains as well as our bodies sometimes is not enough for someone not to use. Drug abuse can cause long-term brain damage as well as organ failures (4). despite all of the negative effects people still continue to take them. “The only positive that might come out of that (using drugs) is that it slows everything down, so when you’re performing you see everything and hear everything” (6). Our decisions come from either our logical thinking or from feelings. With drugs, there is no logical thinking, no rational decisions because it annihilates all of that. When we are faced with a challenge we respond, we respond in many different ways and drugs are one way to do it. Many people do not know how to solve their problems nor are they able to talk to somebody about them. Many people are depressed or have anxiety, which is why some people turn to drugs for an answer.  Depressed people are more at risk for drug use and addiction than others. 

     “…With those diagnosed with a mood disorder being twice as likely to abuse substances than a person without a mood disorder” (10). Nobody ever knows for sure the reaction for any drug, especially when pure drugs are very rare. Mixing and mistaking drugs are very common in nightclubs, therefore it is even more dangerous to take unknown drugs. “No one can tell whether a pill or liquid is what someone claims. Nor can anyone predict just how dangerous any drug may be” (8).  If we try to understand why drugs are so common, it is important to know that different people take it for different reasons, there is no one particular answer to that question because drugs affect each individual differently. There are many different types of drugs, which is the reason why people take different drugs at different occasions. The kind of drug people take depends on the type of environment they are in and what kind of music they are listening to or playing. Rave music differs from all the other music genres. Rave music which is techno, involves electronic sounds rather than musical instruments and the second main difference is that vocals on rave tracks are provided via sampling rather than people singing live. Rave musicians are mostly DJs rather than singers.

 

Club Drugs

     Love and passion for dancing start with good music and certain types of music have certain types of effects on people. Drugs are a big deal for musicians because it helps them with creativity, anxiety, and performance. Drugs also became a necessity for ravers who use it to keep their energy level up as well as to experiment with the drug. 

     There are four broad drug types: Entactogens which stimulate feelings of empathy and interconnectedness; the next are stimulants that raise levels of physiological activity, depressants, and sedatives which slow down physiological activity and hallucinogens which cause changes in perception and thought. The club drugs include ecstasy, ketamine, methamphetamine, GHB, LSD and generally known Rohypnol. “These substances typically are used to alter consciousness and perception and to elevate users’ energy levels for the purposes of enhancing their experience” (2). All of these drugs are different from one another, some are more dangerous than others and some last longer than others but most importantly they differ in the experience.

Raves, Festivals & Importance of Music Genre

     Raves are all-night dance parties attended by large numbers of youth, sometimes exceeds thousands depends on the event. The rave scene, which is international in scope, is distinguished by underground venues, hypnotic electronic music and the liberal use of drugs such as ecstasy, GHB (gamma-hydroxybutyrate) and ketamine. Epidemiological studies have shown that ravers have more experience with illegal drugs than other groups of young people who go out (11). Respondents who used illegal drugs were also 2.5 times more likely to report that they prefer dance music (11).  Many young people nowadays aspire to be connected with each other. Many of them would do anything to fit in or not be left out, therefore they do things they regret later on. However, this problem also exists in the older generation, especially with musicians. Bartz is considered one of the great jazzists of his generation and drugs have played an influential role in his life as well as in his career. “I probably wouldn’t have gotten to know many of the great musicians if I hadn’t been doing that…which is no reason to do that, but it was more like a community where you wouldn’t hang with the guys who weren’t doing it” (6). It is clear that there were two types of people in the World: One who took drugs, and the others who didn’t so you had to stick with the people on your side.

      “Respondents who used illegal drugs were 2.5 times more likely to report that they prefer dance music”(5). Most people go to clubs for a similar reason which is to have fun, to enjoy the music and most importantly to dance. Despite having the same motivations, they all have different experiences. As of today, techno is taking over the youth. Love for techno music has existed since the early 90s but it has never been more popular as it is today.  “..Music festivals have seen an influx of electronic music. Electronic dance music (EDM) helped to generate global revenues of almost $6.2 billion in 2014 alone, with much of that figure reportedly coming from festivals and clubs” (1). 

     Some of the most popular music festivals are Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC), Ultra Music Festival, Tomorrowland, and Coachella. Though the passion for raving increases, rave culture still remains as an underground and can be considered as taboo in some societies. The outside view of techno clubs can be very different from the view of a raver. Ravers say that drugs help bring people together through techno. “They both provide an identity and a sense of connection between people. “Music and drugs can bring together people in a political way, too, as the response to attempts to close down illegal raves showed” (2).  “The New York Times states that about one-third of people with depression have an alcohol problem as well. And statistics provided by the University of Utah show that 27 percent of people who have the major depressive disorder have a drug addiction as well.”(3).

Interview

     I have interviewed one of my friends whose name is Anna Geradze and she is one of the biggest ravers I have ever met. Her passion for electronic music has impacted her life for the better or for the worse. She thinks that music has a big part to play in drug use but she does not necessarily think that it is the only reason why people take drugs ”Of course, what kind of music you listen to in clubs impacts your experience with drugs. It is hard to explain why techno has a special place in my heart. It is all about little details in techno, those details make everything so special.” She has traveled around the world and she has been in one of the best clubs in the world. “Drugs can make you feel invincible and more alive than ever; it is the difference between listening to music and feeling like being part of it.” 

     “Berghain can be considered the most popular techno club in the world which has developed a reputation as the clubbing Mecca. “As one of the luckiest people who had had a chance to rave in one of the greatest clubs in the World, Berghain changed my raving experience in a way I can never explain into words”(Anna). She explained why and how she first got into electronic music, talked about why it was so special and different from other genres of music. “I can say that I have found myself in techno and raving is something I can never give up,” I asked if her passion for rave was because of techno music or it was all because of drugs. “If you take drugs, It has to be the right place at the right time. I do not take drugs outside of clubs because if I do then I know that it will ruin my experiences on the raves. Specific drugs can make the experience unforgettable and extraordinary, although it can do the opposite as well.” It is all about balance in her opinion, “the line” which should not be crossed under any circumstances. 

Treatment and Prevention

     Millions of people suffer from drug and alcohol abuse every day, it is a problem that has existed for centuries. Though the problem has existed since the creation of drugs and alcohol, society still has not figured out a way to solve the problem completely. The hardest part of addiction is its control of your body, control of your thoughts and your life. So when is enough? ”It seems that when people have solid reasons to stop using drugs, they do” (9). Though the rehabs are crucial for addicts to get sober, they quit due to things such as marriage, parenthood, legal reasons, or financial issues (9). There were approximately 5.1 million people ages 18 to 25 who had faced substance abuse in 2017 (10). Even if you have an environment where addicts would be rehabilitated, that does not necessarily guarantee the result. It is also not guaranteed that people who need help would be treated because not many people seek out help when needed. In 2017, over 20.7 million people age 12 and older needed treatment for substance abuse, however only 19% of them received treatment (10).  Music plays an instrumental role in a person’s choice of drugs as well as being an inspiration for some. Nonetheless, it could not be the only leading factor of drug abuse, since almost all of us listen to music. American Addiction Center studies have found that one’s environment is responsible for about 40-60% of a person’s risk of addiction. 

    There are a growing number of cities across Europe, Australia and Canada where “Harm reduction endeavors” offer safe injection stations where drug users can access to clean needles and use drugs under the health professionals’ supervision (3).  Festivals and clubs make a lot of money on events, a lot of that money is made from alcohol and drug use. Therefore, many event planners even promote the use of drugs in hopes of more attendees.. “Some people use drugs to intensify the experience, keep partying, or simply experiment.” Some festivals last for a couple of days which makes it hard for attendees to keep their energy levels up without any help. I cannot say positively that listening to certain types of music promotes drug use or whether taking drugs makes an individual more likely to listen to certain types of music, but there certainly is a correlation and interaction with each other. Drugs play a significant role in making music and music plays the same role in the use of drugs.

 

Work Cited

1. Brande, Lauren. “Drug Use at Music Festivals.” Recovery.org, 7 Dec. 2018, www.recovery.org/addiction/music-festivals/.
2. “Club Drugs.” Gale Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, Gale, 2017. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, https://go-gale-com.ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/ps/i.do?p=OVIC&u=cuny_ccny&id=GALE|PC3010999204&v=2.1&it=r&sid=OVIC&asid=9b079ba6.%20Accessed%2031%20Oct.%202019.
3. Close, Laura, et al. “The Connection between Depression and Substance Abuse.” Recovery First Treatment Center, American Addiction Centers, 11 Feb. 2019, https://www.recoveryfirst.org/co-occuring-disorders/depression-and-substance-abuse/
4. “Drug Abuse.” Gale Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, Gale, 2019. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, https://go-gale-com.ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/ps/i.do?p=OVIC&u=cuny_ccny&id=GALE%7CPC3021900054&v=2.1&it=r&sid=OVIC&asid=9704ea80.+Accessed+31+Oct.+2019.

 

1. Forsyth, Alasdair J. M., et al. “Musical Preference as an Indicator of Adolescent Drug Use.” Wiley Online Library, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd (10.1111), 24 Jan. 2006, https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1360-0443.1997.tb02850.x?casa_token=TaYszDghuHsAAAAA:zAT98pmIl0kya-CjH-HbZkMcqskn5eW0jvpkk3TPj-3j0zWAJMK91HFYhzD3MRVZt9Y4Wk-yf8-y
2. “Gary Bartz Talks About Drug Use Among Jazz Greats.” Performance by Gary Bartz, Gary Bartz Talks About Drug Use Among Jazz Greats, YouTube, 28 Sept. 2013, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KL1pbN9Gj0&t=206s
3. Geradze, Anna. “Techno’s Impact on My Life.” 20 Oct. 2019.
4. Kowalski, Kathiann M. “Club drugs: nothing to rave about. (Cover Story).” Current Health 2, a Weekly Reader publication, Feb. 2002, p. 6+. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, https://go-gale-com.ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/ps/i.do?p=OVIC&u=cuny_ccny&id=GALE%7CA83519899&v=2.1&it=r&sid=OVIC&asid=67ec46b2
5. Mangel, Josh. “Why Are So Many Musicians Drug Addicts?” Thought Catalog, 23 June 2015, https://thoughtcatalog.com/josh-mangel/2015/06/why-are-so-many-musicians-drug-addicts/
6. Thomas, Scot. “Addiction Statistics: Drug & Substance Abuse Statistics.” American Addiction Centers, 17 Oct. 2019, https://americanaddictioncenters.org/rehab-guide/addiction-statistics
7. Van Havere, Tina, et al. “Drug Use and Nightlife: More than Just Dance Music.” Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy, BioMed Central, 27 July 2011, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3160361/