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WHY DO LIFTS PLAY MUSIC?

How many times have you stepped into an elevator and been instantly lulled by the gentle music rolling out of the speakers? For many people, one of the main reasons they can step into a lift is thanks to how relaxed they’re made to feel once inside.

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How does this work? What is it about lift music that instantly makes a person with mild forms of lift anxiety feel relaxed?
 

 
Notes and Tones

When travelling to the third floor of a building, the last thing you want in a lift is a track to make you, or the people around you, dance. The entire idea of lift music is to help you relax and unwind. To accomplish this soft, soothing music is played, generally following the same lulling notes and non-aggressive tempo.

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One great and fool proof form of music is straight up instrumentals. Piano, violin and chimes all work to imbue a lift with soothing notes to set the mind at ease and calm any jittery nerves.
 

 
How Are Tracks Chosen?

The entire point of lift music is to act as a constant background to sooth, relax and help people slow down. A busy day means a hectic mind and stepping into an enclosed space can cause people to have anxiety attacks.

Lift music has been known to have a physiological effect on some people; the slower the music played, the more relaxed and slow people are. This is especially useful in shopping centres where you may want people to take their time looking around stores and shop windows.

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Music is chosen for its unobtrusive style, generally similar to that heard on radio stations such as Classic FM or smooth jazz stations. This is due to the lack of vocals interrupting in the melody. It’s also chosen for how easy it is to loop back to the beginning without seeming too obvious to the listener.
 

 
How Else Can Lifts Help People Relax?

There are a number of known ways for people to relax; music is the most obvious, as is lighting and colour. Stepping into a post-box red elevator is going to do very little in the way of relaxing; if anything it’ll make people more hyper-aware of their surroundings, of the way the floor shakes as the elevator moves and how the entire structure seems to sink as it reaches its designated floor.

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A cooler colour, such as light blue, yellow or cream can be far more relaxing to the eye. This, paired with space enhancing features such as mirrors and low lighting, can greatly reduce a person’s anxiety.
 

 
At Axess 2, we supply a range of access lifts for the home and workplace and, with our bespoke lifts, you can be sure to get the exact design you want to help reduce anxiety and help your passengers relax. For more information, contact us today on 01200 405 005. You can also find us on Google+FacebookTwitter and YouTube!