The Great Game

I have heard of classical music being used for the same purposes in subway stations and in shopping malls, but never in a mom and pop store.

Also, this is the only piece that I have seen that talks about its effectiveness.

Jax

A FAMILY has hit upon a bizarre, but effective, way to deal with rowdy teenagers - blast them with medieval music.

The Nedahl family had reported rowdy teenagers hanging around their shop so often they were on first-name terms with local bobbies.

Gangs of loud-mouthed youths swilled beer while they shouted abuse at the small general store's staff and customers.

But in a moment of inspiration, Rod Nedahl stumbled across a musical idea to shoo the gangs away and end more than a decade of torment. Since he started playing medieval religious music out of the shop, troublemakers have vanished from the pavement on Treorchy High Street, in the Rhondda Valley.

For the past six months Mr Nedahl, 62, has played a Gregorian chant on a continuous loop every evening. Teenagers who once plagued the shop find the music so annoying they have abandoned the area in search of another drinking spot. (Link)

And a little history of gregorian chant from the same article

Jax

GREGORIAN chant is also called plainsong and is a form of unaccompanied singing which takes its name from Pope St Gregory the Great.

Plainsong's tonality is based on modes, rather than major and minor keys.

It does not have strict time signatures as became standard after the Renaissance.

This can make it unusual to modern ears.

Traditionally chant would be sung only by men. It was originally the music sung by an all-male clergy during Mass.

As harmony began to develop in the Middle Ages and into the Renaissance younger boys and castrati would sing the high parts.

# posted by Jacob @ 3/26/2005 12:59:00 p.m.