Judging by the title of this article, one would think I am talking about the classic musical from the seventies with Julie Andrews. Not quite. the article really is about getting into the depth of why music makes us feel the way we do. Music is everything. To me, at least, I can’t imagine a world without music.
- What is Music?
- What classifies music?
- What’s the difference between pleasant sound and just noise?
Is it all just in mind, or does music make us feel something physically too? Read ahead to find out.
What Defines Music
Music is subjective, and what one likes another may not. Music is a compilation of sounds put together to create an almost perfect resonance of rhythms, tunes, pitches and vibrations, which we find pleasant. It can be anything from tapping on the glass to clapping, humming from birds to the sound of rain.
If these rhythms, vibrations and tunes are imbalanced or not in a specific order, it creates noise. That’s why we dislike the sound of alarms, car horns, fireworks and more.
Impact on the Mind
Everything affects our minds. Whether it’s the most insignificant, everything we ever do will have some impact on how we perceive things, no matter how small. So without a doubt, sound affects us.
When we hear music, whether it’s our favourite song by our favourite band or artist, it depends on how it sounds and how it is lyrics, the tune, what it conveys, the mood, everything. A sad song will naturally make us feel emotional or low, and a happy song will make us feel bubbly and cheerful. A rock or metal song will make us feel energised and confident, and so on.
Many experiments have been conducted to test this theory, and many conclusions have been formed. It’s proven to lower anxiety levels, depression levels, stress and overall mental instability.
Music is even used as a form of therapy in medicine in many cases. For patients with disorders, adolescents, older people and as a form of communication, for having its own positive impacts on each.
Here’s a minor psychology 101 – Neuromusicology is the term used to describe the relation between the nervous system and the ways people interact with music. Since music enters our body through our auditory receptors, we perceive music in groups of tones and try to identify the relationship between the sounds.
Musicians, in particular, perceive music much differently than those who do not have an aptitude for it. In other cases, music helps with retaining memory, attention, motivation and critical thinking skills.
It’s meditative, improves your overall mood by releasing serotonin and stimulates oxytocin, the feel-good hormone, and dopamine.
Impact on the Body and Society
What affects the mind affects the body since a lot of what goes on in and around us is often linked to how we perceive it.
Music has improved cardiovascular activities and gives you better workouts with less fatigue, depending on the kind you listen too.
There is a constant stigma around the kind of music people listen to, particularly younger people.
Those that listen to classical music such as Mozart, Beethoven and more portray higher IQs and concentration. Those who listen to hip hop portray more creativity and motor functioning, although some negative connotations are also associated with rap.
Those who listen to music or hard rock song are more emotionally confident and outgoing despite many saying it makes one aggressive and rebellious.
At the end of the day, what we listen to is entirely our choice. The way we react to it is an individual experience, besides the basic similarities we all show biologically.
