Music can be an incredibly powerful force that has the ability to move us emotionally. Music plays an integral role in social activities, religious ceremonies, rites of passage ceremonies and celebrations alike.
Researchers have proposed hundreds of potential functions for music. While many approaches and theories make evolutionary claims, most research converges on four basic dimensions.
It Lifts the Spirits
Music can be an incredible mood enhancer that lifts spirits. No matter if it’s studying that is getting hard or simply enjoying yourself – listening to some tunes you enjoy can help lift your spirits and lift your mood.
Music can help bring back happier times, soothing sadness or anxiety and encouraging optimism when facing challenges. Studies have also proven its ability to alleviate physical ailments; studies show patients having surgery or MRI scans were more comfortable when listening to relaxing music before their procedure or scans.
Music can serve to raise charitable donations and global consciousness; pop anthems like “We Are the World” champion a global peace agenda. Additionally, music serves to celebrate religious ceremonies as well as serve as an accompaniment for theatre performances or silent and synchronized film viewing.
It’s a Feel-Good Mood-Booster
Music can have a dramatic impact on our emotions. It can increase dopamine levels – an neurotransmitter associated with feelings of pleasure – as well as serotonin levels which regulate sleep cycles, appetite and digestion as well as learning and memory processes.
Music also releases oxytocin, the so-called love hormone, making you feel connected and positive about yourself and reducing cortisol, which is known as the stress hormone.
Music can help improve mental health and make us happier – it doesn’t matter whether it be rock music, aggressive rap or any other genre – as long as it makes you happy and puts you in an upbeat state of mind. So whether that means rock songs, aggressive rap or any other style – just do what makes you happy!
It’s a Feel-Good Mood-Suppressor
Music can be defined as an artform which expresses emotions through sound through its manipulation, including notes and scales arranged into chords or melodies that communicate a meaning through harmony and rhythm. Furthermore, music involves altering sound intensity, timbre and musical form for maximum impact.
Music can evoke many different feelings; studies have demonstrated that, after happiness, sadness is the second-most-common response to music. Studies also show that people often turn to self-identifying sad music in order to cope with negative experiences or feelings.
Reasons behind music’s appeal remain largely elusive; however, one theory suggests it may validate emotions by offering consolation and acceptance-based coping. Furthermore, music could act as a mood enhancer, distraction tool, re-appraisal tool, and reflection aid – these may all serve as motivations. Alternatively, other theories suggest music transcends physical and psychological barriers with its powerful universal language of sounds.
It’s a Feel-Good Mood-Enhancer
Dopamine, our feel-good chemical, is released when listening to music we enjoy and when receiving tangible rewards such as candy or winning money; it can even be released by less tangible experiences such as falling in love.
Music tastes are deeply personal, often reflecting our cultural, personal experiences, memories and associations. Because each song gives different emotions to its listeners, Berkley offers a fantastic interactive music map which shows which tunes will cause certain responses in our minds.
Even if you don’t consider yourself to be musical, making or listening to music can have profound effects on both mood and memory, leading to improved concentration and memory retention. That is why some doctors prescribe musical therapy as part of treatment for depression, anxiety and other mood disorders – it has even been found effective at helping regain lost memories and create neural connections! According to research published in World Journal of Psychiatry.