Mind, body and soul-full music

Written By: Vasudha Sharma (1st year) Department of Applied Psychology

‘Music is the universal language of mankind.’ This quote by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, an eminent poet in the 19th century, captures the whole essence of the wonderful world of music - of it providing joy, hope and inspiration; a way to cope when we feel low and of it bringing people of all kinds closer together, regardless of the various barriers that differentiate them. Most people have grown up listening to some form of music - be it through lullabies, nursery rhymes, film songs or devotional songs. These songs and tunes stay with us as we grow older and discover newer music along the way. There are various genres of music ranging from Hindustani classical to Western classical, ghazals and qawwalis to pop and R&B music, indie, devotional and country music among others.

 Here are certain factors of music which affect the physical and psychological body and mood:

• Releases happy hormones: Listening to songs and music helps release the happy hormone, dopamine, which results in feelings of well-being. Music and songs provide solace, happiness, inspiration as well as a melancholy that lingers long after the song or musical piece is over. This source of comfort helps us cope and navigate through difficult situations. Active music-making positively affects neurotransmitters, such as dopamine and serotonin, that influence mood. Dopamine influences focus, concentration, memory, sleep, mood and motivation. Likewise, serotonin impacts mood, sleep patterns, anxiety and pain. Active music-making can involve singing, playing an instrument or creating music electronically. Making music, specifically singing in a group, helps us feel connected to other people because of the production of the hormone oxytocin. Singing synchronises breathing patterns to promote relaxation and reduce the hormone cortisol, ‘the stress hormone.’ Music can validate your current emotional state and influence your emotional destination. Music and emotions are personal, cultural and associated with prior experiences. A song will not give everybody the same feeling. That is the beauty of the diversity in music and preference across diverse cultures and time periods. Research attributes this phenomenon to the messages our cultures and experiences have assigned to sounds before listening to a song. 

•  Reviving the past: Has it ever occurred that you are listening to a song and some memories come rushing into your mind? This phenomenon is research-backed. The experience of music bringing back memories of events, people and places from our past is known as music-evoked autobiographical memory. Listening to familiar songs brings back memories, which help in strengthening those memories more. Therefore, revisiting the memory associated with a song actually helps us to retain that memory for a longer period of time. When things get tough, turning to your favourite songs can be an effective way to process and express complicated emotions. Music can provide a healthy outlet for emotional expression, allowing you to explore complex inner thoughts that you may not be able to put into words yourself. By listening to music that resonates with a particular emotion, you may gain a better understanding of your own feelings. The lyrics and melodies written by musicians may convey complexities that perfectly capture your underlying emotions. In addition, music is an excellent tool for forming social bonds and managing stress. Listening or performing music together with others helps us make connections and feel more supported during difficult times. 

• Source of inspiration: Music is also a provider of motivation and inspiration. Many a time, when people face tough and challenging times, they turn to music for hope. The powerful and inspiring lyrics in songs inspire people in different ways, providing them strength to overcome hurdles. An empowering anthem can really help in having a great run at the gym. The right song can pump us up before a big presentation. Even when it’s not amping us up, though, music is also a great source for creative ideas. It can get our mind working, allowing us to think more expansively. The right tunes can help us get through a chore or work tasks, be it dishes or working with spreadsheets. Sometimes all the motivation we need is a little sonic stimulation and just enough distraction to keep the task at hand fun. But being careful about mixing music and work is important too. A good playlist can motivate us, but the wrong tunes can actually become a legitimate distraction, which highlights the need for an appropriate balance.

•  Creating new bonds: Similar musical interests help bond with other people. In one study, researchers found that performing music—through singing, drumming, and dancing—all resulted in participants having higher pain thresholds (a proxy measure for increased endorphin release in the brain) in comparison to listening to music alone. In addition, the performance of music resulted in greater positive emotion, suggesting one pathway through which people feel closer to one another when playing music together is through endorphin release. Finding out that someone likes your favourite artist as much as you do can prompt you to like that person more. 

• Strengthening memory: Music can help retain essential information despite memory loss. Music memory is stored in the hippocampus, centrally located in the brain. Therefore, they are less likely to be negatively impacted by age or disease. In recent studies, they’ve found that people with dementia respond better to the music they grew up listening to. If you play someone’s favourite music, different parts of the brain light up. That means memories associated with music are emotional memories, which never fade out — even in Alzheimer’s patients.

• Playing instruments= Positive effect on development: Playing a musical instrument has a positive effect on emotional and cognitive development, by improving language and mathematical skills, among others. Neuropsychologists today claim that playing an instrument not only improves the area of memory related to music, but it also has a positive effect on memory in general.

• Improving sleep quality: Listening to music has also been proven to improve sleep quality. People across age groups report better sleep quality after listening to calming music. In one study, adults who listened to 45 minutes of music before going to sleep reported having better sleep quality beginning on the very first night. Using music can also decrease the time it takes to fall asleep. In a study of women with symptoms of insomnia, participants played a self-selected album when getting into bed for 10 consecutive nights. Before adding music to their evening routine it took participants from 27 to 68 minutes to fall asleep, after adding music it only took 6 to 13 minutes. In addition to facilitating quickly falling asleep and improving sleep quality, playing music before bed can improve sleep efficiency, which means more time that you are in bed is actually spent sleeping. Improved sleep efficiency equals more consistent rest and less waking up during the night. 

To sum it up, music is a complete mood booster and an effective medicine. We nowadays have applications on our devices such as the popular music platforms Spotify, JioSaavn etc. that have a huge audience due to the presence of a massive collection of songs of various genres, attracting people of all age-groups. Up until the 20th century, songs were played and heard on radios, and DVD and cassette players. Just listening to a few favourites, instantly boosts us up and enlivens us.

Music has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. It has been an indispensable element in our family gatherings, be it birthdays or anniversaries, and Sunday mornings. Being a college student in a different city, I miss having my family around. Along with calls with friends and family, I also turn to my friend of all seasons, music, which helps me stay and feel connected with my loved ones. As I sit back now and play my favourite songs, I hope this reminds you too to take a break, turn the volume up and lose yourself in the melodies of a favourite song.

References:

●      Di Nino, A. (2022, August 23). How playing music can improve your memory. Drumeo. https://www.drumeo.com/beat/play-music-to-improve-memory/

●      Hoffer, M., Avirett, J., Bocharski, K., Da Costa, J. (2022, February 12). How music affects your mind, mood and body. Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare. https://www.tmh.org/healthy-living/blogs/healthy-living/how-music-affects-your-mind-mood-and-body

●      Jakubwoski, K. (2023, March 11). Why does music bring back memories? What the science says. The Hindu. https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/why-does-music-bring-back-memories/article66603759.ece

●      Lagacé, M. (2022, March 7). 100 music quotes from the best musicians in the world. Wisdom quotes. https://wisdomquotes.com/music-quotes/

●      Lynn, Tina, Amanda. The power of music: How music can comfort, inspire and motivate. Petite 2 Queen. https://petite2queen.com/music-powerful/

●      Newsom, R., Rehman, Dr. A. (2023, November 8). Music and sleep. Sleep Foundation. https://www.sleepfoundation.org/noise-and-sleep/music

●      Victor, D. (2023, June 6). Music as a source of comfort in difficult times. Harmony and healing. https://www.harmonyandhealing.org/music-as-a-source-of-comfort-in-difficult-times/

Written By: Vasudha Sharma

Reviewed By:

Jaya Kumari (Content Team Coordinator| Editor-in-Chief)

Akshita Tanwar (Deputy Content Team Coordinator| Deputy Editor-in-Chief)

Khyati Wasson (Associate Editor)