The Well-Tempered Ear

Classical music: Can playing classical music quiet rowdy or drunken customers? Some McDonald’s restaurants say it works

By Jacob Stockinger

Here is some short good news on the classic music front.

Some McDonald’s restaurants are using classical music to calm late-night customers who are rowdy or drunk and prone to fighting as they wait for their fast food.

The international phenomenon started in Glasgow, Scotland. Then it apparently spread to Stockport, Liverpool and Gloucester in the United Kingdom. Finally, it ended up at several restaurants in Australia.

Several news stories specifically mention the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (portrayed below as Ronald McDonald Mozart).

Here is a link to one of the stories, published in The New York Post:

http://nypost.com/2017/07/05/mcdonalds-is-fighting-drunk-customers-with-mozart-and-bach/

The Ear wonders if any McDonald’s restaurants in Madison or the surrounding area, or in the state of Wisconsin or even anywhere in the U.S. have tried the same strategy and had the same experience, which seems grounded in neuroscience and the effect of classical music on releasing dopamine and other stress-lessening hormones.

If you hear of any or know of any, let The Ear now.

But maybe there is also a downside. The news reminds The Ear of Muzak, the motto of which used to be, “Not just a melody but a management tool.”

Oh well. If it fosters peace, who cares what came first – the chicken or the Egg McMuffin?

What do you think about all this?

The Ear wants to hear.