The brain loves music. After all, we respond to music before we even learn to talk since our brain is naturally wired to recognize its universal patterns. When we listen to music it can evoke all kinds of memories and emotions. And there are its considerable health benefits, too.
How Music Works
We all have a favourite tune (or two) – the song with the beat that your body and brain find hard to resist every time you hear it. You know what I mean.
Well, there are some solid reasons why music makes us feel so good that have to do with things like melody, rhythm, harmony and bass.
A team of researchers at Montreal’s McGill University published more neurological insights in 2011. They confirmed that the brain’s dopamine – a feel-good chemical linked to rewarding behaviour – is released when listening to music.
That’s why the music experience ranks right up there with the pleasurable sensations of sex and eating.
In a later study they were able to show through the use of brain scans what music test subjects were tempted to buy. Their research identified the part of the brain that becomes active when you hear a song for the first time.
They could measure the degree of enjoyment their participants experienced by measuring the amount of activity in the identified area.
The Beatles - Ticket to Ride
Healthy Benefits of Music
It’s long been known, especially to music therapists, that music can relieve stress and heal the body. Music has been used to treat wide-ranging conditions like brain injury, emotional traumas, and hearing impairments. In addition, it’s used for pain control, palliative care, and neonatal care.
And music rates second only to our sense of smell in its ability to stimulate memory. Part of the important work music therapists do with dementia patients is help them recall earlier memories.
The Alzheimer Association of Ontario, for example, operates a program called The Music Project that donates iPods to people living with dementia to stimulate their brain.
A recent review of published scientific papers on how music works and health yielded some interesting results. McGill University researchers found that music benefits mental and physical health in four areas: mood management, stress reduction, boosted immune system, and social bonding. They discovered:
• Listening to music is more effective than prescription drugs in reducing anxiety prior to surgery.
• That music you hear in your dentist’s office isn’t just muzak. It can actually distract and calm you better than a sedative.
• Slower music is relaxing but familiar music is more relaxing.
• Seniors can boost their immune systems by participating in drumming circles. The drumming triggers chemical effects in the brain so that if the beat is slower, the result is a relaxed feeling. A quicker beat improves focus and alertness.
You know how restorative it is listening to calming music. My relaxation workshop participants experience that every time I play meditative soundscapes like the Liquid Mind Music series.
Liquid Mind - I Am Willing (Galilean Moons)
Tips for Listening to Music
Besides the health aspects of music, listening is equally important. To develop a greater awareness and appreciation of music, start with these three basic tips:
• Really listen. Make time during the week to sit down and spend time listening on purpose. For many of us, music serves as a background to what we’re doing at the time so the real power of a piece gets lost.
• Listen objectively. If you’re listening to unfamiliar music for the first time, open your ears and suspend your judgement. It may not be your cup of tea, but it’s a way of stretching your listening skills and music experience.
• Learn more about the music. Take some time to find out more about the style and history of the music you’re listening to, or read a biography of the artist. Context can tremendously enhance your understanding and enjoyment.
Here’s an inspiring video featuring Evelyn Glennie, the Scottish virtuoso percussionist, giving a TED Talk. Her presentation about how to listen is even more amazing - and instructive - because she's deaf.
TED Talk: How to Truly Listen
Music to Your Ears
When it comes to how music works to produce favourable health and wellness results, you could say that it's no one hit wonder!
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