Soundtrack to Life

For millennia, humanity has utilized music to soothe our souls and alleviate sorrow. Lullabies and songs for meaningful occasions like birthdays, graduations, and weddings are sung around the world by parents to their children. We use tunes to lift our spirits, motivate us to work out, and get us through tough situations we'd rather avoid. 

Music's intrinsic value as a means of communication extends to people who have suffered severe cognitive impairment. Some patients with Alzheimer's disease who are otherwise nearly silent will start singing and talking when they hear songs from their youth. Even while everyday tasks may be difficult for them to coordinate, former dancers' bodies move instinctively to familiar music. Music for humans is not just a sequence of pleasant sounds— it affects our brains much more deeply than we realize. When we hear our favorite tunes, we activate the same areas of the brain as, for example, when we eat a delicious meal or talk about love. It also explains why some songs give us goosebumps, increased heart rate, or tears.  

Pitch, timbre, rhythm, dynamics, and more make music complicated. The brain has to combine successive sounds into a coherent musical sense to decode music. The brain processes of knitting individual sounds into a song are similar to those of reading, which involves first recognizing letters and sounds and then interpreting sentences and paragraphs. Scientists believe working memory for musical and spoken catalysts overlaps. 

Have you ever considered why sad music makes you feel a little under the weather? And why is melancholy music our getaway when we're sad? Denying that music affects mood is useless. Music boosts cerebral blood flow to emotional centers. The limbic system, which controls memory and emotions, "lights up" when we hear music. When you get used to a tune, your body may release dopamine after hearing the first few notes.  

Some experts believe that music's influence on the body is partly due to sound waves being vibrations. Vibroacoustic therapy vibrates the body using low-frequency sound. Seven studies have indicated that vibroacoustic therapy improves motor function in cerebral palsy patients. Scientists may need years to understand music's brain effects. Thankfully, we can enjoy music's advantages without fully comprehending the science behind them. 

Amidst emotions and happy memories, we have to remember ourselves in the present. Music is an inevitable part of our lives, so why not boost the experience for ourselves? Did you know that creating playlists may improve your mood, giving more structure to the tidal wave of feelings? Knowing how the brain and music interact reveals a simple yet powerful method to improve your daily life. Create playlists to relax with soothing music or energize with exciting beats. By curating your musical experience, you tap into the brain symphony that can elevate your moods, alleviate stress, and guide your life. Let your chosen music help you unwind the next time you need an extra push.