Do you often find yourself vibing to upbeat Bollywood tracks, or do you lean more toward melancholic melodies? Maybe rock music is more your style? Interestingly, the type of music you listen to can have a significant impact on your thinking process and how your brain functions.
The movie “The Wizard of Oz” is a good example where music powerfully shapes our thinking and emotional response. The iconic song “Over the Rainbow” sets a tone of longing and aspiration, influencing us to think about dreams and escaping hardship.
But the question raise that why does music affects our emotions so adversely? What is it about the tones and timbres when organized in a certain manner, can make us joyous or sad.
Our chordal roots
Patrick Whelan suggests that part of our response to music is rooted in evolutionary biology. Early mammals, likely active at night, depended heavily on acute hearing and smell for survival, making them intensely focused and alert to their environment. Whelan argues that our modern engagement with live music is a remnant of this ancient adaptation.
In a concert setting, Whelan explains, “there’s an incredible complex sound signature all around you.” The brain must filter through the multitude of ambient sounds in a performance space, engaging a more primal form of listening than what we use in everyday conversation.
These sound cues-much like the warning signals of an approaching predator-are processed by the temporal lobe, which analyzes the sound environment, recognizes and categorizes different sounds as familiar or unfamiliar. The temporal lobe is central to music processing, determining aspects like pitch and volume, and is crucial for identifying and interpreting complex auditory information.
The emotional and motivational significance of these sounds-their salience-affects the autonomic nervous system (ANS), which regulates involuntary functions such as heart rate and breathing. The emotional tone, or valence, of the music also shapes ANS responses. This explains why suspenseful music, like the theme from Jaws, can quicken our pulse, or why unfamiliar or intense genres like experimental music or heavy metal might cause discomfort if we’re not accustomed to them.
In summary, our deep-rooted, physiological reaction to music is a product of both evolutionary history and the brain’s sophisticated sound-processing systems, with the temporal lobe playing a central role in transforming acoustic signals into emotional and physical responses.
But how does music affect the brain exactly?
For people with Alzheimer’s Disease, music helps relieve depression, anxiety, and aggressiveness. Parents soothe overtired and overwrought babies to sleep with a well-chosen lullaby.
Researchers in 2013 found that playing the right type of music can help patients manage their pain better. It helps them relax and create a sense of personal well-being. The effect of music on the brain and the human condition is profound. Dr. Julia Jones, Neuroscientist and Author shared how science behind how music alters our brain function.
Dr Julia Jones: “When we listen to music our brain activity often synchronises to it. So, the style and tempo of music can alter our brainwave activity and the levels of neuro-chemicals that play a role in our behaviour and mood.
Music seek to impact mood, stress levels, or sleep
Dr Julia Jones says, “The effect of the rhythmic breathing on the autonomic nervous system response results in heightened activation of the parasympathetic nervous system. This results in dampening the ‘fight or flight’ response and the associated stress chemicals. This breathing practice benefits calming mood, lowering stress levels, and priming our brain ready for sleep.”
What happens when music gets to your brain?
Listening to your favorite music activates the brain’s reward system, prompting the release of dopamine-a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and satisfaction. This process highlights the powerful connection between music and the brain, as we’re quite literally rewarded for engaging with songs we enjoy.
When a catchy beat makes you want to dance, your basal ganglia-the brain’s rhythm detector-springs into action. Next, your premotor cortex plans your movements, telling your body when to make that next dance step, while your cerebellum ensures your motions are smooth and coordinated.
If a song stirs your emotions, your limbic system gets involved, especially the amygdala, which processes emotional responses to music. An upbeat, energetic track might spark joy, while a slow, somber melody could evoke feelings of sadness.
Your hippocampus, sometimes called your “music memory,” stores associations between songs and your past experiences. That’s why hearing a familiar tune can instantly transport you back to a specific moment in your life, bringing back vivid memories and emotions.
Music can also influence your ability to concentrate. For high-energy activities like working out, fast-paced songs can boost your motivation and energy levels. On the other hand, if you’re tackling tasks that require focus and patience, slower and calmer music may help you concentrate, enhance problem-solving skills, and even improve memory.
In short, music engages multiple areas of the brain, shaping our emotions, movements, memories, and even our ability to focus.
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