Before I can even recall, music has been an instrumental part of my life.

When I was practically a baby, one of my favorite shows was Jack’s Big Music Show. It starred Jack, Mary, and Jack's dog Mel, and the three spent lots of time creating songs together in Jack's backyard clubhouse. While entertaining, the show was a great way to teach children simple elements of music such as tempo, pitch, and melody.

According to my mother, I was obsessed with it.

I suppose it makes sense, though, that my parents would introduce a show such as this to me. My father, before I was born, spent years touring in a band, and I remember him playing gigs occasionally throughout my childhood. I recall entering his bedroom and gazing in awe at the thousands of vinyls and DVDs he had displayed upon walking in. Posters overtook his walls of several 80's musicians.

My mother, while not a musician, shared a similar passion for music as he did. Her noticing a vinyl he owned (she was visiting his house with a mutual friend of theirs) is how they started talking!

Naturally, I shared in their mutual passion for music. My teenage years were scattered with an untold amount of concert escapades, from local shows to traveling out of state. Some of my best memories come from those nights: the adrenaline rush as the lights dimmed and the singer walked stage front.

Even before my teens, I lived and breathed music. My father downloaded music from his computer to burn onto CDs for me, so I could blare the tracks in his car.

While, of course, music was a source of enjoyment, it was at many times, much more.

Countless are the times I've been caught in moments of dismay or unrelenting anxiety, and a favorite album or a calming song has either dimmed the unwanted feelings, or erased them completely for a time. Untold are the amount of nights I have been in a dark state of mind, and music has been the key to unlocking a hope deep inside of me.

I cannot imagine how different my life would be without music.

Our Brains on Music

Photo by Milad Fakurian on Unsplash

Throughout the years, various studies have been done on this very topic: Does music have an impact on people? If so, is it positive? After researching the data, the science is clear.

According to Glendale Library,

"Music changes the brain. Researchers have found that listening to music triggers the release of several chemicals that play a role in brain function and mental health."

One crucial part of the brain music activates is our neocortex. The neocortex is in charge of our ability to learn, perceive, memorize, plan, execute ideas, and other important cognitive functions. Doctors at John Hopkins University recommend listening to music to stimulate our brains, and keep them "young."

Researchers at the University of Geneva seem to agree. A 2023 study they conducted suggested music can slow down cognitive decline in seniors, whether it's learning a new instrument, or actively listening to songs.

Music can also improve memory! In a study led by researcher and professor, Sara Bottiroli, participants were provided lists of words to read and later remember. It also tracked the speed in which individuals could perform easy processing tasks such as matching shapes to numbers. The results concluded that those who completed these tasks while listening to classical music succeeded in them more so than those who performed in white noise or silence.

This makes sense, for experts found that music containing a tempo of sixty beats per minute can induce alpha brainwaves. These brainwaves are associated with a relaxed state, absorbing information, alertness, creative thinking and problem solving abilities.

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Impact on Mental and Emotional State

Various neurological researchers have concluded that music triggers neurochemical releases. These have direct impacts on mental health and mood.

Dopamine is a prime example. This chemical is the messenger linked with motivation, pleasure, and reward. When you listen to music you enjoy, dopamine can be released, leading to a more positive frame of mind and emotional state.

Serotonin, which some scientists title the “feel good” chemical, can also be released. When one's serotonin levels are lower than average, this can lead to depression, lack of focus, anxiety and mood disorders. Music has been found to be a mechanism in which this chemical can be released. When serotonin is at normal levels, folks are typically happier, less anxious, focused, and emotionally stable.

Elaborating on anxiety and depression, researchers have demonstrated evidence suggesting that music can help those who are burdened by these conditions.

A research review from 2017 concluded that when listening to jazz music combined with classical, depressed patients experienced positive side effects, after music therapists proctored several listening sessions.

A 2020-2022 study by University College of London and Bloomberg Philanthropies suggested that engaging in activities such as reading, creating, or listening to music for thirty minutes a day lowers reports of depression and anxiety.

In multiple types of situations where individuals were plagued with anxiety, listening to music led to to calming effects for the participants, no matter how dire the situation. Studies were done on those in rehabilitation after a stroke, and patients in the intensive care unit or burdened with critical illnesses. Despite these difficult times, individuals still found solace in music.

Plus, according to WebMD, a number of studies noted when patients, who were undergoing surgery, listened to calm music, their blood pressure was lowered and their need for pain medication decreased. Other studies demonstrate that music lowers cortisol, the hormone which triggers stress.

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Even Physical Health?

Listening to music can somehow lead to physical health being improved? That sounds quite unrealistic. Yet, more than one researcher has asserted this claim.

Shanghai University researchers conducted a study which demonstrated that those who listen to relaxing music while engaging in repetitive tasks maintain muscle endurance and lower fatigue. Lessened fatigue was also found in a study of cancer patients who underwent music therapy, and an increased fatigue threshold was discovered for music therapy clients who engaged in demanding neuromuscular training.

According to a meta analysis conducted in 2016, of ninety seven studies, the general consensus was that alongside traditional methods to relieve chronic, procedural or acute pain, "music interventions" appeared to be effective in pain management as well.

A 2018 study by Eli Carlos Martiniano and Milana Drumond Ramos Santana even went so far as to suggest the following:

"Music can improve the efficiency of medical treatment when correctly associated with drug action, reducing risk factors involving deteriorating cardiac function."

Turn on the Playlist

Based on personal experience and more importantly the science, I propose that listening to beloved music is truly a net positive for the average person.

So, I'd suggest to turn on your favorite playlist, and let it play in the background as you do your homework, your laundry, or your shower. Even as I write this, I am taking my own advice.

You could be doing nothing at all. You could just be lying in bed on a bad day, whether it's due to the flu or simply exhaustion. Turn on your favorite album!

I hope it helps to cheer you up.