Hello everyone! My inquiry question this semester is “What is the relationship between music and trauma?” I’ve already covered the direct relationships between music and trauma and how it has helped survivors of trauma with their healing journeys, so today I’m going to be looking at how music helps all humans, and what it means to different people!
Lyrics:
The most common reason that humans tend to connect with music and songs is because of their lyrics (1). Hearing lyrics that explain what you’re feeling when you can’t find the words to explain it yourself can be very validating, and comforting (2). When humans feel stressed, sad, or anxious, a lot of us tend to listen to music to help us feel better (2). Another reason why lyrics in music are important to people is because we can interpret them however we want. We all understand songs and lyrics differently, which makes them feel more personal and special to us (3). Lyrics are a form of self expression, and understanding different lyrics can make us more in tune with our feelings (4). This is why when people refer to music being their “therapy”, there is actually a lot of truth to that statement! Music is also something that brings all humans together (1). Since music is universal, and found in almost every culture, it’s a crucial aspect for humanity, and our connections with different groups of people (1). Even when listening to music in different languages, you can translate the lyrics and find so much truth and validation in them (2). Music lyrics mean a lot of different things to different people, and that’s why we tend to gravitate towards songs with lyrics we find interesting, or special (4).
Psychological reasons:
Music can help every human because of the lyrics or melodies of a song, but there’s also scientific reasons why it helps. For example, listening to very high energy music or music you enjoy can give you a release of dopamine (5). For example, I have ADHD, which means my brain has a harder time creating dopamine (6). Listening to music helps give me dopamine in a healthy way, and that can lead to feeling happier, and even more productive (5). There are so many benefits to listening to music, and that is why so many people love it.
What does music mean to different people?
I asked this question to various family members and friends, and they all pretty much had the same answer. Music means everything to them. That’s what’s so beautiful about music, we all feel so deeply about it in different ways, but it still connects us all together (7). Music can be whatever we want it to be. It’s healing, and comforting, and it will never judge you (7). It can make you stronger, it can hold you together when you feel weak, and it will remind you that you aren’t alone (7). Music is how humans can relate themselves to the world, and it can also be an escape from the world (8). It explains things when words are failing, and helps you relate to others (8). Out of all the people I asked this question to, almost every one said that music was something they could connect deeply to, and it’s an escape for them. It’s amazing to think about how we all love different kinds of music, and they make us all feel different things, but all music lovers can understand other music lovers (9). It’s a wonderful feeling to feel understood, and music can give that to anyone.
Thank you for reading! (:
Sources:
(1) https://blog.oup.com/2016/03/music-definition-psychology/#:~:text=Music%20elicits%20physical%20responses%2C%20aiding,as%20a%20means%20of%20communication.
(2) https://stagemusiccenter.com/music-school-blog-winchester-acton-ma/music-is-the-ultimate-comfort-food-for-your-soul
(3) https://www.key-notes.com/blog/what-is-musical-interpretation#:~:text=Musical%20interpretation%20is%2C%20in%20a,scenes%3B%20in%20music%2C%20sections.
(4) https://www.nrgrecording.com/post/why-do-lyrics-matter
(5) https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/science-choice/202104/why-is-music-so-pleasurable#:~:text=Musical%20pleasure,-Listening%20to%20music&text=The%20experience%20of%20intensely%20pleasurable,sex%2C%20or%20rewards%20like%20money.
(6)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2626918/#:~:text=People%20with%20ADHD%20have%20at,and%20the%20regulation%20of%20attention.
(7) https://www.thealinemag.com/entertainment-socialmedia/why-do-we-connect-so-deeply-to-music
(8) http://www.clocksandcloudsmusic.com/general/what-does-music-mean-to-you#:~:text=%E2%80%9CMusic%20is%20how%20I%20relate,give%20you%20something%20to%20do.%E2%80%9D
(9) https://ksjs.org/2020/11/05/what-does-music-mean-to-you/
