Aggression & Music

On the 24th of October 2023, DP1 English group, taught by Joanna Zabczyk-Utri, was visited by two linguists: dr Kamila Miłkowska-Samul and dr Monika Konert-Panek from the University of Warsaw. They gave an interactive  presentation titled: Verbal aggression in an intercultural perspective. Causes, forms, ways to counteract. Aggression and music.

These were students’ impressions afterwards:

We discovered that at the core, the word aggression does not carry negative connotations. (Wiktoria).

Gerard invented a theory of a scapegoat, stating that a society chooses one person who is different in one way or another and makes him a target just to release the pent up frustration. (Pola).

We learned how anger can translate into music. (Tosia).

A distinction between the tune and lyrics was mentioned. (Franek).

I have never realized what a difference the beat in the music can make when you listen to it. (Marianka)

They presented us with many songs and used them as examples of violence in lyrics. Like Metallica, Queen and many others. Some were anti-royalist, others dealt with racial issues. (Hania).

The ladies were charismatic as well, which made the presentation easy to listen to. (Mai Vi).

It was a really interesting experience to find out more about the link between aggression and music, which are theoretically polar opposites.(Sophie).

A specific song might have an uplifting beat, the lyrics may not be as jolly.(Laura).

The best part was us answering questions on the online site. (Iga).

(text: Joanna Utri et al.; photo: unknown author)