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.