Music and The Brain

From the tribal, ritual songs of the ethnic groups to the ever changing trends of the
21st century, music has been a by product of our evolution through the centuries,
shifting and evolving along with us like a stalker that refuses to leave. It rides with the
events of today, accompanying us throughout our lives, whether in the background or
the highlight of our day, it’s no wonder organizations were created to protect and
support musicians to “let the music play” all the time. It has inspired ideas, spoke out
on controversies like racism, sexism, homophobia, and has encouraged generations of
people throughout time. It has connected continents and people spread throughout the
world and transcends above language barriers. It has even withstand the test of time
and opposition and will continue to do so. But have we ever wondered what goes on in
the brain whenever we pull up our favorite album?

The left brain right brain theory, Left being logical and the Right being Creativity, but
new studies have shown that yes we do have two distinct cerebral hemispheres but we
don’t really favor one side over the other, especially in music. Studies like the one done
by professors in the University of Central Florida, Wired magazine’s episode of Tech
effects and researchers from John Hopkins University in Baltimore have shown that the
entire brain is engaged when your favorite song comes up. Nostalgia kicks in,
memories and emotions come pouring out, your start clapping your hands or swaying
to the music, even the heart tries to keep up with the rhythm. Memories come flowing
in because of the Hippocampus, the organ in charge of processing and keeping
memories, as it starts piecing together familiar sounds or patterns in a song; Emotions
and chills signal that the Amygdala is at work, an almond-shaped collection of cells
found on each side of your brain that triggers emotions; And after getting to the climax
of a song, the Nucleus Accumbens produces dopamine to reward your patience, the
feel-good neurotransmitter of the body. The whole brain joins in on the fun, whether it
be listening or playing.

Once we move out of the inside of the brain, it is a different story altogether. Studies
have shown that music can motivate people in workouts and eat slower thanks to the
tempo given; Has enabled people to speak again and recover from depression via
music therapy; And has helped improved productivity in the work force. Just don’t play
Whitney Houston’s “ I wanna dance with somebody ” or Michael Jackson’s “ Smooth
Criminal”. Music was, in the past, taught along side Mathematics, Philosophy, and
Literature because people saw the benefits that came with it like creativity, better
problem solving and improved memory. Yet, it is taught as a supplementary subject in
schools, even sometimes mocked as a job with no pay unless you really standout. We
don’t really know how we can affect one’s life through our passions if we are not even
encouraged or pushed to do so. But if something was to come out of this article it
would be that music will be around for as long as humankind will be, even if it appears
to disappear or slow down. And i quote from Ian Malcom from the Jurassic park “ Life
finds a way’.