How Does Music Affect Our Brain
How Exactly Do We Appreciate This Wonderful Art Form
Did you know that it was about hundreds and thousands of years ago, that the human species came to realize that EVERYTHING we touched makes a certain noise? Then, we found out that certain noises, in specific patterns, sounded well together. With that, well, we developed music for what it is now - Both a complex art form and a beautiful way of self-expression.
Humans have been making music for centuries, with our first instruments being leaves, sticks, and rocks that make weird sounds. (just like I mentioned above). In fact, the oldest instrument that has been found is a bone flute, dated to be made about 40,000 years ago.
Ever since then we have evolved to entire orchestras playing symphonies with more than 50 sounds at the same time to achieve a specific harmony. We have all gotten goosebumps when listening to something we really like or had our mood change entirely because of a song. But how do these physiological responses happen, and what’s the exact effect music has on the human brain?
Let’s Find Out!
The Brainatomy Of Music
It turns out that music has a lot of effects on every part of the brain regardless of its size. Listening and making music can have an impact on the brain parts that are as big as the frontal lobe and as small as the amygdala, with each one being affected differently.
So let’s have a look!
The Frontal Lobe
The frontal lobe is the largest and most recently evolved part of the brain.
This part of the brain is involved in many different processes, including but not limited to problem-solving, decision-making, judgment, and impulse control.
This part is essential for humans, and by listening to music, we can enhance its overall functions.
The Temporal Lobe
You know that feeling when you are listening to an entirely new song, and suddenly you think to yourself, “Damn, I really understand this guy!”
Well, the temporal lobe is where this sense of understanding happens.
Generally speaking, the left side is responsible for the words while the right is for the musical notes.
Pretty cool, huh?
The Occipital Lobe
The Occipital Lobe is the part of your brain in charge of interpreting what you see. This part of the brain plays a vital role in interacting with our environment because vision is often our dominant sense, especially for tasks requiring complex coordination or fine motor skills.
Though this part of our brain is usually responsible for visual understanding, the above-said may explain why the occipital love is active in professional musicians, suggesting that they picture music more than regular listeners.
The Cerebellum
Our Motor functions are stored in the cerebellum! Isn’t it quite intriguing to know that we store our all knowledge regarding playing an instrument! This is what people refer to as “muscle memory”. When you ask someone how they played that complex lick, and their response is, “I don’t know, man, ask my fingers!” What's even more fascinating is that even people with Alzheimer's can play the instruments they've learned as children.
Nucleus Accumbens
The is the part of the brain that plays a vital role in reward-seeking behavior. Some call it the "pleasure center" of the brain because it helps control how much pleasure or joy people derive from eating, drinking, sex, and other activities, including music! And let’s be honest - we've all heard that music is a drug.
Well, the truth is - music is a drug! And this part of our brain processes substances such as dopamine - a neurotransmitter - released when listening to or making music.
The Amygdala
The amygdala is the part of the brain that regulates your fear and stress response. When something scares you, it activates the amygdala, determining your fight or flight response.
The amygdala is known to be more active in highly anxious people than those who are not, but also… People who really enjoy music! Though it is responsible for fear, this part of the brain can also be activated with music - this is how we get goosebumps when listening to specific music.
Interesting, eh?
So Far, You’ve Learned.
Alright! that’s some pretty awesome information so far, right? These six areas of the brain are most impacted by music - It does not matter if we create or just listen to it.
Regardless, there are other areas of the brain that, too, enjoy some benefits from the fine composition of well-chosen notes, such as:
The hippocampus - The seat of neurogenesis and memory creation!
The Hypothalamus - The control center of bodily functions (yeah, this is a part of the reason why music can make you calm)
Corpus Callosum - This enables the connection between the left and right sides of the brain, thus being one of the reasons why music unlocks creativity!
Besides the activation and stimulation of certain parts of the brain, though, some other things are going on behind the scenes.
Let’s have a look!
Chemicals And Reactions
Many studies about music have proved that listening to it, and producing it brings positive results. It turns out that music can both make precise structures inside the brain more complex and at the same time relax your body.
Mere listening to music reduces your cortisol levels (the primary stress hormone) and boosts dopamine production (happy hormones, anyone?). Music also affects oxytocin, a hormone, and a neurotransmitter, released when forming trustworthy bonds between people. Going to a music lesson is also good for your body as it boosts blood flow and encourages brain plasticity.
All in all, certainly, music has not just one benefit for the overall wellbeing of our species! Let’s all send gratitude to our first ancestors that decided to bang a stick against a rock, rhythmically.
Final Notes
We have strived to achieve great technical and artistic heights in music because it’s both demanding and complex (working with the logical way of thinking) and emotional and expressive (helping our creativity output). The way that the brains of musicians and listeners differ proves that music does indeed have a physical effect and can optimize our brain functions in more than one way.
Keeping that in mind, we strongly recommend you play your favorite tracks and enjoy the genius behind them while also knowing that you’re doing something good for yourself.
So go ahead, listen to your favorite artist, focus on the present moment with them in your headphones, and keep your brain healthy!