Music, Mood, Memory and the Mind
Music means a lot to me and today I felt that I should share why I think music is important in everyone's life. Here's presenting a research essay on the effect of music on mood, memory and the mind.
Music, Mood, Memory and the Mind
Music is a very
important part of human life. Philosophers may define music in the sound of a
baby’s cry or the shrill sound of a woodpecker, yet that does not limit this
exceptional form of art. The definition of music is subject to different
interpretations. The common man associates music with entertainment whereas
scientists associate music with phenomena. These phenomena rang from the Mozart
Effect, which emphasizes how listening to Mozart’s music before performing a
task can enhance problem-solving abilities, to ‘Musical Skin Orgasms’ which
involves the occurrence of horripilation on hearing certain kinds of music.
These varied understandings of such a fine form of art bring up the conclusion
that the effect of music is as limited as an individual may restrict it to be
yet as infinite as one can possibly imagine.
Neurologist
Oliver Sacks claims that “Music evokes emotion, and emotion can bring with it
memory… it brings back the feeling of life when nothing else can.” (“The
Powerful Effects of Music”) Sacks’ assertions clearly define music itself since
music is a great way to exercise one’s mind and body while regulating human
dispositions. His statement incorporates three main aspects of musical
influence: mood, memory and the mind. The foremost effect of music is its
refined ability to direct emotions and thoughts in a pre-conceived manner, and
control frames of mind and temperaments. Another common influence of music is
manifested as a link between memories and certain kinds of songs or lyrics.
Music is a powerful connection between memories and experiences which makes it
exceptionally useful in the retrieval of lost memories or revelation of events
that the subconscious mind would otherwise suppress. The multifold influence of
music on physiological and psychological functions has emphasized the
versatility in its use as a form of therapy, especially in the fields of mental
health and well-being. Music has positively impacted stress, sleep, memory and
cognitive performance in the various studies conducted in this field. Music can thus influence mood, memory and mental
health and has a therapeutic effect.
Music and mood have
a close connection. Listening to some cheerful music can motivate positivity
and uplift emotions and thoughts. On the other hand, melancholic tunes could
tune down a person’s emotions and bring about negativity and pessimism. Music
can act as a powerful tool to regulate and determine moods and temperaments of
individuals. According to a research conducted at the Centre for
Interdisciplinary Music Research at the universities of Jyväskylä and Aalto in
Finland and Aarhus University in Denmark, “analysis showed that anxiety and
neuroticism were higher in people who tended to listen to sad or aggressive
music to express negative feelings” (Wood, Janice) .This indicates that the
type of music, its rhythm, connotations and tone - all contribute to the effect
it has on a listener. The reason behind this effect can be attributed to the
fact that music stimulates the release of hormones that control emotional
responses. Joyful tunes stimulate endorphins like dopamine – the feel-good
hormone, which uplift a person’s moods and creates an atmosphere of pleasure.
However, sadder tunes stimulate oxytocin and prolactin, making people want to
hear more of such unhappy songs and appreciate their melancholy. In addition,
different parts of the brain are responsible for analyzing various elements of
music such as pitch, timbre, tone, rhythm and so on. The interpretation of
music heard can further change the effect that music can have on an
individual’s disposition. In happiness, a person relates more with upbeat and
funky music than with softer, gentler melodies. Such beats increase the release
of dopamine and make an individual feel enthusiastic and excited. However, when
people feel stressed they may rely on softer, sadder tunes. Perhaps, by
listening to songs based on subjects like loss of hope or heartbreaks that may
have undoubtedly occurred in the individual’s life at some point; they intend
to find empathy for themselves and their situations. Often
these lyrics show them a reflection of themselves and their circumstances. Through
music, people may intend to find temporary solace to the problems in reality.
The impact of
music is very personal and individualistic. One kind of music may appeal to one
person and create a certain effect, but may be disliked by another person. Every
person hence has a different equation with music. “Music is primal,” says neuro-radiologist
Jonathan Burdette, M.D., of Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in North
Carolina, “it affects all of us, but in very personal, unique ways. Your
interaction with music is different than mine, but it’s still powerful.”(Nauert,
Rick) Consequently, the impression of a particular kind of music differs for
every individual. This makes music a very controversial tool to use in therapy.
Nonetheless, elaborate research has suggested that music can reveal hidden
emotions and passions and deal with depression and stress.
The connection
between music and memory has always been a subject of debate and curiosity for
scientists. A vast amount of research supports that music cannot only heal lost
memory, but also help individuals reconnect with suppressed experiences. A
study, conducted by Signy Sheldon and Julia Donahue of McGill University in
Canada, examined personal memory retrieval of participants after listening to
unknown music pieces. The results from this study concluded that “if (a person)
listen(s) to happy or peaceful music, (they) recall positive memories, whereas
if (they) listen to emotionally scary or sad music, (they) recall largely
negative memories from (their) past.” (Springer) Other research in this field
has depicted that “in many patients with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease,
memories related to music can far outlast other memories, and listening to
music can stimulate the recollection of autobiographical memories and enhance
verbal memory, as well.” (“Does Music Affect Memory?”) Studies in United States
and Japan suggest that music has the capacity to not just retrieve old memories
but also create new ones. Several clinical case studies have also supported the
positive effect of music on memory. The science behind this effect explains that
this connection occurs becausse “the upper medial pre-frontal cortex, which is
also responsible for supporting and retrieving long-term memories, acts as a
“hub” that links together music, emotions, and memories.” (Reich, Megan)
The connection
between music and memory is commonly recognized in real life as well. Teachers
or parents often advise students to memorize difficult concepts by connecting
them to some kind of a tune or song. This common knowledge derives from
universally acknowledged principles regarding the ease of recalling lyrics of
songs in comparison to that of test. The rhythm and tone help stimulate parts
of the brain responsible for memory retention. Music also has a profound effect
on personal memories. Certain songs can drive a person back to certain
experiences and incidents in life or remind him/her of people that may no
longer be a part of his/her life.
The special
connection between music and memory increasingly emphasizes the connection of
music and the brain. The physical responses initiated by music all derive from
the influence music has on the brain, and its subsequent processing. This makes
music very instrumental in mental health and wellbeing. “Emotion regulation is
an essential component to mental health, according to scientists.” (Wood,
Janice) and one of the best ways of regulating emotions is using music to
create shifts in thoughts and feelings. Neuro-radiologist Jonathan Burdette
believes that “if (someone is) trying to restore neuroplasticity in the brain,
to re-establish some of the connections that were there before the injury, music
can be a big help, and (he would) like to see it used more widely in this
country,” (Nauert, Rick).
The different
parts of the brain involved in the interpretation of music have other important
functions too. Using specific genres of music to stimulate these areas with an
intention to treat them can prove to be effective. For example, the medial upper
prefrontal cortex, which acts as a link between music, feelings and memories, also
happens to be one of the last areas of the brain to atrophy from Alzheimer’s
(Reich, Megan). Such a correlation in functions makes music an important
element in therapy for such patients.
Music has also
seen to be useful in correcting sleeping patterns and dealing with insomnia. Music
can be motivating and inspiring, and help improve cognitive performance, as
seen in students who focus better when they have silent music playing in the
background. Music is a great-reliever of
stress and this is easily noticeable in everyday life. Hearing one’s favorite
song for even five minutes after a long, tiring day is often enough to ease
anxiety and fatigue. This is one of the reasons why music is used as a form of
therapy in various fields. Music Therapy “can be a profound tool for healing
through using the process of making and listening to music, providing people
with a powerful channel for communication and expression.” (Reich, Megan) Music
can help people recover from a range of physical, social, emotional or
psychological issues.
The official website
of the Music and Memory Foundation, Musicandmemory.org, is an excellent
resource to witness music therapy at work in nursing homes (Fabiny, Anne). The
2014 award-winning documentary film, Alive
Inside is about filmmaker Dan Cohen’s journey as a social worker promoting
the use of music as a form of therapy for dementia patients.
The most obvious
effects of music and the most commonly used implementations of its unique
abilities is its usage as a tool to change moods and supplement feelings. This
makes people underestimate music to be a form of art that only holds the purpose
to entertain and amuse people, but the truth is that music has several entrenched
effects on the mind and body. While music will always be a motivating factor on
our bad days, it has a potential far persuasive than simply being a form of
encouragement. The bond between music and memory is also inimitably intimate,
which facilitates a very customized experience from every single individual.
One song can evoke a trail of memories and experiences that differ from person
to person, and that is what makes music so very unique and powerful.
Music has the
power to influence mood, memory and mental health, and, hence, has a
therapeutic effect. Music and mental health work in unison to achieve
individualistic experiences and overall cognitive improvement. Music has very
unique capacities in terms of its ability to influence different aspects of a
persona and create unique equations with every person. This innovative aspect
makes it a crucial form of treatment in music therapy. Its multifaceted
abilities that promote mental wellbeing are efficiently put to use through
therapy and music deserves acknowledgment from a wider audience for serving
such a strong purpose. The effect of music transcends physical, psychological
or social barriers and provokes the deepest elements of human personas. Music
holds tremendous potential in its use as a therapy and promises a better future
for not just dementia and Alzheimer’s patients, but for the global population
as a whole.
Fabiny, Anne. “Music can boost memory and mood”, Harvard Women's Health Watch, February
2015, https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/music-can-boost-memory-and-mood
Nauert, Rick, “This Is Your Brain On Music”, PsychCentral, 17 April 2017, https://psychcentral.com/news/2017/04/17/this-is-your-brain-on-music/119216.html
Reich, Megan, “Music and the Brain: Music and
Memory”, AllClassical, January 10
2018, https://www.allclassical.org/music-and-the-brain-music-and-memory/
Springer. "Happy notes, happy memories: Study
notes how musical cues trigger different autobiographical memories", ScienceDaily, 28 February 2017, www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/02/170228131027.htm
Wood, Janice, “Study Shows How Music Is Used To
Regulate Emotion & Mood”, PsychCentral,
25 October 2017, https://psychcentral.com/news/2015/10/25/study-shows-how-music-is-used-to-regulate-emotion-mood/93886.html?li_source=LI&li_medium=popular17
“Does Music Affect Memory? Music Therapy Is One of
the Best Activities for Dementia Patient”, University
Health News, January 18 2019, https://universityhealthnews.com/daily/memory/does-music-affect-memory-music-therapy-is-one-of-the-best-activities-for-dementia-patients/
“The Powerful Effects of Music on Memory”, True Sense, April 11 2018, https://mytrusense.com/2018/04/11/the-powerful-effects-of-music-on-memory/
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