For my final blog post, I decided to discuss how music can impact and affect our brains. To understand HOW and WHY music can impact a person’s life, I need to understand how it truly affects us physically. WHAT makes us like a certain song over another? Or feel a certain way while listening to a specific rhythm or tune?
Music can affect our brains in many ways and has the ability to take over our bodies (1). When you first listen to your favourite song or tune it triggers the “pleasure centre” of your brain which then releases dopamine into our bodies (1). Dopamine is a neurotransmitter which gives people a sense of pleasure, motivation and satisfaction. This is because music can trigger an emotional response in our brain which is combined with the release of dopamine to enhance our moods. Additionally, music also has a strong connection with our memory. When listening to a certain song or rhythm, we often remember different times in our lives (2). These songs trigger a part of our brain that is associated with our memory; which helps us recall parts of our life we might have forgotten. Because of this, music is also used to help dementia and Alzheimer’s patients. While also releasing dopamine into our bodies, music also triggers another part of our brain called our auditory cortex; the part of our brain which processes sounds. Along with this, our limbic system which is “responsible for [our] emotions and motor cortex, which controls movement” is also triggered (2). This is another reason why we feel emotionally attached to certain songs and music. When the brain makes a neurological connection, that connection stays with us. Music is something unique and special to people around the world which is why its physical and neurological connection with our bodies is so important for us to understand. Some people also think of listening to music as a “brain workout” (3). This is because of how it keeps your brain engaged, helps you recall memories and plays a huge role in our emotional response (3).
Links I used to help with my research;
- https://www.uagc.edu/blog/how-does-music-affect-your-brain
- https://www.livescience.com/how-does-music-affect-your-brain
- https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/keep-your-brain-young-with-music#:~:text=If%20you%20want%20to%20keep,%2C%20mental%20alertness%2C%20and%20memory.
