Music has been around for centuries, and when you think about it, even our speaking voices hold a certain pitch within them. The question is, why does music impact our brains so much?
Music causes our bodies to dance to a steady beat. A memory resurfaces while listening to a particular song, and our minds can slip into a calm, daydreaming state when we put on a pair of headphones.
With how often people choose to listen to music, there would have to be reasons why music produces certain emotions and feelings. According to Daniel J. Levitin, author of the book This Is Your Brain On Music, no part of the brain is not affected by music. “When music enters the brain and then gets shuttled off to different parts of the brain… there is music going on on both sides of the brain, in the front and the back.” As studied by Levitin, the brain is affected in every area of the mind by music.
How can you tell?
When listening to a particular song, if you get sort of “chills” or goosebumps, your brain interacts with the auditory and emotional regions. Those who have physical effects and can tie emotions to different songs have a heightened awareness of processing what they hear and how they feel.
Why does music make us happy?
Music can also release internal opioids, the same chemicals released when we feel good and ultimately feel joy. This also plays a role in people’s ability to associate certain moments with friends, family, and other memories with a specific song. Even if that song was in the background somewhere, your brain was listening to it whether you were aware of it entirely or not!
Next time you get in the car to drive by yourself or with friends, spend some time really listening to the music. Who knows, maybe your playlists will teach you more about yourself than you knew before!
Music can also help with energy, but if it isn’t enough check out our article Natural Ways to Increase your Energy!
