ARTICLE

Listen Up: Music Affects Longevity

Music as therapy

For thousands of years, music has been used in medicine. Ancient Greek philosophers
believed that music had healing effects on the body and soul. Singing and chanting have
been a part of Native American healing ceremonies for millennia. In the Ottoman Empire,
mental illnesses were often treated with music. A more formal approach to music therapy
began after World War II when the positive effect of music on emotionally disturbed
veterans was observed.

Live longer with soothing tunes

In the past few decades, research has found that slow, soothing music is generally
beneficial to one's health, whereas fast, jarring music is not. Listening to calming music
enhances cognitive functions such as memory, concentration, and reasoning skills; even
better, it boosts the immune system, lowers blood pressure, relaxes muscle tension,
regulates stress hormones, elevates mood, and increases endurance. Classical music
and meditation music were found to have the most benefit on health. On the other hand,
irritating sound can cause stress, with all its negative consequences for your health. The
composers that have been suggested to most effectively improve the quality of life are
Bach, Mozart and Italian composers, such as Vivaldi and Scarlatti. Not convinced?
Consider this: Classical musicians -- orchestra conductors, in particular -- are among the
longest-lived professionals.
Play music to boost your brain

When you learn new things, you give your brain a workout; why not learn a new
instrument? Studies have found that students who take music lessons have increased IQ
levels, even showing improvement in nonmusical abilities. Also, when you play a wind
instrument, such as the saxophone, flute, trumpet, trombone, clarinet -- even a
pennywhistle, you get the added benefit of improving your lung capacity. Music is for all
ages! There is increasing evidence that regular mental and physical exercise maximizes
overall health and functioning in older adults; for aging individuals who are prevented by
disability from participating in active physical exercise, music bridges the gap -- providing
the significant benefits of both mental and physical stimulation to even frail older adults.
Whether enjoying the social experience of singing in a choir or reflecting on a musical
recording, music can serve as an effective healing art for older adults.

Healing sounds bring balance

If your home or office is consistently overrun by disturbing sounds, such as traffic and
construction, consider counteracting the noise with a subtle sound source. Try an indoor
fountain with bubbling water to calm your nerves. Wind chimes made from natural
materials, like bamboo or seashells also provide peace. For some, even the sound of a
grandfather clock brings serenity. Find your personal tranquilizing sound, and make it the
background to your day. You can also use music to soothe yourself to sleep. Our bodies
run on biological rhythms and function best with consistent routines; sleep is no
exception, and forming healthy rituals before bedtime can help you fall asleep and sleep
more soundly. Playing tranquil music an hour before sleep is just one way to induce an
automatic sleep response. Some other helpful techniques include journaling, meditating,
and drinking a cup of soothing herbal tea before bed. A specially blended tea for sleep
and calm is tea. I hope this article inspires you to get healing benefits from music! I invite
you to visit often and share your own personal health and longevity tips with me.

May you live long, live strong, and live happy!

--Dr. Mao
Name : Shazana Binti Sukri

Group : PPISMP RBT 1

QUESTIONS

1. What the benefits from listening calming music?

Listening to calming music enhances cognitive functions such as memory, concentration,

and reasoning skills; even better, it boosts the immune system, lowers blood pressure,
relaxes muscle tension, regulates stress hormones, elevates mood, and increases
endurance.

2. When a more formal music therapy was began?

A more formal approach to music therapy began after World War II when the positive
effect of music on emotionally disturbed veterans was observed.

3. Where is the suitable place to calm your nerves?

The suitable place to calm nerve is indoor fountain with bubbling water.

4. Which part of sentence that shows music is good to older adult ?

There is increasing evidence that regular mental and physical exercise maximizes overall
health and functioning in older adults; for aging individuals who are prevented by disability
from participating in active physical exercise, music bridges the gap and providing the
significant benefits of both mental and physical stimulation to even frail older adults.
 5. How the soothe music can improve your sleep?

The soothe music improve our sleep when bodies run on biological rhythms and function
best with consistent routines; sleep is no exception, and forming healthy rituals before
bedtime can help you fall asleep and sleep more soundly.

6. Is it true that music can serve as an effective healing art for older adults? Give your
reason.

It is true because providing the significant benefits of both mental and physical stimulation
to older adults.

7. It true that drink herbal tea before sleep can hazardous our health?

False because drinking herbal tea before sleep can make us calming.

8. Give examples of instruments that can give benefits to our health and explain
what the benefits.

The instruments that can give benefits to our health are wind instrument, such as the
saxophone, flute, trumpet, trombone, and clarinet. That’s instruments can help improving
our lungs capacity.