Top 6 Relatable Playlists

A playlist is a list of recorded songs that can be set to play on a music device and will repeat when it is over in order to keep the music flowing. Playlists are essential especially if you’re like me and have over 11 days’ worth of music on your iTunes. Music stimulates just as many parts of our brains as drugs do. With that being said, the type of music you’re listening to can really affect mood.  I can’t risk setting my iPod to shuffle and then be trying to get ready to party and have Adele’s “Someone Like You” come on and have me start thinking about my ex, therefore ruining the vibe.  Conversely, I don’t want to be in crying mode and have LMFAO’s “Shots” start playing. That is why I made this list of extremely relatable playlists with a few song suggestions in case you’re ever in crisis and can’t decide what songs to play in your particular scenario. While they aren’t full-blown, the songs in each category should be enough to give you ideas:

1. Party – If you find yourself in a setting with a bunch of peers from different friend groups and there is a beer pong table set up, always stick to the throwback jams like “Holiday Inn” by Chingy or “Grillz” by Nelly.  If you have Pandora, put on “Hip Hop Road Trip” but if not, here a few songs that are essential:

-  “Work (Remix)” - A$AP Ferg

- “IDFWU” – Big Sean

- “Stay the Night” – Zedd feat. Hayley Williams

- “Party Up” - DMX

2. Walking to class – Strolling the breezeway  of any school is a pretty difficult task with all of the commotion going on between classes, if you want to just ease through and relax with the few minutes you have, listen to these:

- “Shuffle” – Bombay Bicycle Club

- “What Makes a Man” – City & Colour

- “I will possess your heart – Death cab for cutie

- “This Too Shall Pass” – OK GO

3. Mad at someone – As much as you may want to release your anger or frustration, don’t let violence be the answer. Just know music speaks when words or actions can’t and these artists feel your pain:

- “True Friends” – Bring Me the Horizon

- “Thermacare” – Chiodos

- “You be Tails, I’ll be Sonic” – A Day to Remember

- “Swords and Pens” – The Story so Far

4. Beach/Pool – We can’t all live in a tropical paradise where there is a island-themed municipal band playing while you relax, so just put these songs on the speakers and let them take you away:

- “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” – Bobby McFerrin

- “Get Up Stand Up” – Bob Marley

- “Lay Me Down” – The Dirty Heads

- “What I got” – Sublime 

5. Sad - Related to “mad at someone”; it’s about focusing emotion on being sad and empathizing with yourself to create a sort of catharsis. Any Adele or soft core Taylor Swift will probably do as well as:

- “How to Save a Life” – The Fray

- “Hurt” – Johnny Cash

- “Dust in the Wind” – Kansas

- “Slow it Down” – The Lumineers 

6. Focusing – As mentioned last week, the Mozart effect is when listening to classical music helps you study and concentrate so these gentle tracks should have that slight effect as well:

- “Threshold” – Turnover

- “Moon” – Chon

- “We Move Lightly” – Dustin O’Halloran

Psychology of Music

     There’s more to why humans enjoy music than just the melodic rhythms or harmonious beats. Several receptors inside our brain send signals that have us respond to unique musical qualities such as sound, tempo, and lyrics. Our brains interpret the music and decide what we like and what we don’t like facilitating bodily reactions and physical sensations. 

      Numerous parts of the brain are activated while listening to music. The motor cortex and the cerebellum are involved in movement while dancing or playing an instrument. The prefrontal cortex controls behavior, expression and decision making, therefore creating expectations of the music.  The nucleus accumbens and amygdala manage emotional reactions to music. The sensory cortex controls the physical feeling we feel playing instruments or dancing, while the auditory cortex listens to sounds and then distinguishes and evaluates the pitch. The hippocampus develops musical memories, experiences and perspectives. The right hemisphere is used when we hear songs with an assortment of sounds. The left hemisphere is triggered when learning music notes, scales and symbols. 

     Most people are introduced to music as a child which begins a process of “stimulation” at a young age. Neurologists and musicians have studied and discovered that music intensifies the areas of the brain stated above. Because they evoke mental and emotional triggers, music is related to increasing self-esteem. Music education inspires and influences young adolescents to focus in school which is why emphasis on music and arts is always so important. Children that learn to study music have advanced capabilities to learn foreign languages, read their native language, and have good mathematic skills.   Music also empowers children to articulate their thoughts, tolerate criticism, and betters their analytical thinking and problem solving abilities. Young music listeners are generally better teammates, more peaceful and helpful. 

 

Picture from: http://jonlieffmd.com/blog/music-training-and-neuroplasticity

     Music is a great and efficient way to decrease stress and uplift mood.  Since dopamine is released when listening to music, as time progresses, people become more happy and creative. The creative effects are motivated by the supply of alpha and theta waves in our brains. These waves are connected to thinking, knowledge and resting. It is crucial to listen to our favorite music to unlock these waves. While learning and reading, instrumental music is best. The Mozart effect is a scientific study that confirms classical music actually improves test taking skills because music helps us concentrate. The beneficial feelings of music have shown to reduce anxiety, encourage positivity, and help with forecasting and memorizing. It has become accepted to use music to aid in treating illnesses such as, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Tourette’s, and autism. Alzheimer’s sufferers can remember tunes a while after they’ve stopped identifying names and faces. 

     Music is involved a great deal with perception. When listening, attitudes and mindsets are developed and they could be either positive or negative. Certain rhythms are unconsciously associated with unpleasant reactions, such as the Michael Meyers theme song from “Halloween”. Lower bass and tenor notes are less uplifting than soprano and alto tones.  It is essential to listen to enjoyable music in order to access its advantages.