As a population we tend to undermine the impact music has on each of our lives. Music is everywhere you go. Walking through your favorite store, there’s music playing. Studying at school, there’s probably music playing. Attending a concert, there’s definitely music playing. It is all around us, and the effect it has on our beings should be acknowledged.
Looking through a scientific lens, music can fluctuate a person’s mood. It enhances a person’s emotions in the way each melody or beat plays. Music triggers the release of dopamine, the “feel-good” neurotransmitter, which can send sensations of happiness and pleasure. The limbic system which pertains to brain structure and activity, controls the behavioral and emotional responses that motivate us in several social circumstances. This system comes to life when our ears hear music.
Even when we cannot recognize the pattern of the beat or melody our moods can still be affected in a positive way. According to research conducted by Pfizer, it states that “Science has documented numerous instances of people who suffered brain injuries and lost their ability to distinguish melodies but retained the ability to recognize the emotion conveyed by music.” Meaning that even individuals who have sustained damage to the frontal lobe could still enjoy the rush of dopamine within music since the area remained unaffected from most instances of damage. Therefore, the tendency for music to stay consistent in expanding a person’s mood is very likely.
To mention, music can also be used as a great conversation starter. It tends to boost social connections between people and create a true sense of community. Music has an innate ability to connect people through different music programs, choir groups, or even platforms such as Apple Music or Spotify. A Marco Island Academy Senior, Lauren Riley, shares “On Spotify you can connect with your friends to see some of their favorite songs or genres, that you can then share with others and listen to. This gives insight to a sense of identity within a person and you can see the kind of things they tend to enjoy listening to.”
Socially, these connections uplift an individual’s mental health and play a huge role in bonding people together. With music, you can easily bond with those who have a similar music taste as you which produces a sense of utter togetherness. If you connect with people through music it helps mood levels be relaxed and slow breathing habits with a more calmer heartbeat.
Music can also help with memory perception. There is a common overlap between verbal stimuli in conversation and musical stimuli in music which helps produce a working memory. Listening to music tends to help brain cells to process information more efficiently and can enhance adaptation to one’s environment in regards to hearing music. If you’re studying due to a test in school, sometimes you might be listening to music, and it actually helps you remember content at a successful rate.
With that being said, music is strongly believed to assist many dementia patients who experience some memory loss. Memory loss takes a severe toll on a person’s ability to recall past or present events. According to research provided by Levine Music, it states “Remarkably, music therapy has emerged as a valuable tool to prompt recall among these individuals. Researchers have discovered that dementia patients often retain musical memory, even when other forms of memory are significantly impaired.” This insinuates that music therapy, used for dementia or even Alzheimer patients, has helped tremendously in memory recovery.
Music can truly affect an individual in several different ways as we consider the scientific elements that go into the making of each melody. Whether that be by increasing memory perception, mood, or emotions, music can positively affect an individual’s body and mind.
