UWRIT 1103 Genre

Project
Aaron Thomas

How Does Music Affect the Brain

Figure: 1. Parts of the brain affected by music Source: http://goodmusicbrighterchildren.com/?feed=rss2&tag=children

The Affects of Music

https://www.youtube.com/

watch?v=SePL2w5f6dE

Why Is Music Special?

Music

is the only stimuli that affects all parts of the

brain
It

influences our mood, creativity, emotions, and

personality

Music

affects 7.124 billion people (99.99% of the

worlds population)

Visualizing Music
Magnetic

resonance imaging (MRI) allows us to see

what parts of the brain are being affected by music

Figure: 2. The brain at rest vs. stimulated Source: https://rainbowjeans.wordpress.com/2015/05/19/music/

The Music Phenomena

When

music is played our heartbeat, breath, and brain

waves all try to match the beat of the music.

The

only creatures with this ability are human beings

and songbirds.

This

phenomena was the subject of a British study in

2009.

The Music Phenomena

In

this study 12 men were asked to listen to 3 songs (a

normal version, a sped up version, and a slowed down
version) while pedaling on a cycling machine.

While

listening to the slowed down version of the song

the men saw a decrease in their performance which
caused an unhappy mood

When

the men listened to the sped up version of the

song, their performance increased and thus more jovial.

The Positive Affects of

Music
Music

is capable of recovering memories

Playing

an instrument increases reading and math skills

Listening

to Mozart briefly improves ones IQ

Different

genres of music release different chemicals in

the brain

The Negative Affects of

Music
Sounds

over 95 decibels impairs the way someone acts

It causes increased:

Aggression
Substance Abuse
Suicide
Sexual

Behavior

Music vs. Emotion

Song

Emotion

Hello by Adele

Sad/Heartbreaking

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v
=YQHsXMglC9A

Jumpman by Drake

Pumped Up/Excited

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiM5ARaexPE

Rocky Theme Song

Motivational/Nostalgic

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I33u_EHLI3w

Cant Feel My Face by The

Weeknd

Sensual/Love

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEI4qSrkPAs

Friday by Rebecca Black

Irritated/Disgusted

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfVsfOSbJY0

The Pink Panther Theme

Sneaky/Curious

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhHwnrlZRus

Thriller by Michael Jackson

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOnqjkJTMaA

Happy/Nostalgic

Citations

Adele - Hello. Perf. Adele. YouTube, 2015. Film.

Ball, Philip. "Misterioso: All In the Mind." The Music Instinct How Music Works And Why We Can't Do Without
It. New York: Oxford UP, n.d. 241-43. Print.

Friday - Rebecca Black - Official Music Video. Perf. Rebecca Black. YouTube, 2011. Film.

Hicks, George. "How Playing Music Affects The Developing Brain." Examined Existence. CommonHealth, 17
July 2014. Web. 17 Nov. 2015.

How Music Affects Your Brain. Perf. Anthony Carboni. YouTube. Discovery News, 2 Mar. 2013. Web. 17 Nov.
2015.

Jumpman. Perf. Drake and Future. YouTube, 2015. Film.

Lemonick, Michael D. "Music on the Brain." TIME. Time Inc, 28 May 2000. Web. 17 Nov. 2015.

Michael Jackson - Thriller. Perf. Michael Jackson. YouTube, 2009. Film.

Pink Panther Theme Song. YouTube, 2007. Film.

"Population, Total." The World Bank. Web. 8 Dec. 2015.

Reynolds, Gretchen. "Phys Ed: Does Music Make You Exercise Harder?" The New York Times. Arthur Ochs
Sulzberger, Jr., 25 Aug. 2010. Web. 17 Nov. 2015.

Rocky Balboa - Theme Song (HD). Perf. Sylvester Stallone. YouTube, 2013. Film.

The Scientific Power of Music. Dir. Mitchell Moffit and Gregory Brown. Perf. Mitchell Moffit. YouTube, 2012.
Film.

The Weeknd - Can't Feel My Face. Perf. The Weeknd. YouTube, 2015. Film.