How Does Music Affect Us?
What Happens When You Listen to Music?
How does music affect us in the grand scheme of things? Music is intertwined with culture as far back as we can recall. The impact of music and lyrics goes far beyond mere entertainment, but not everyone truly understands just how deeply it influences us.
So what happens when you listen to music, and are not even aware of the effects? I’m going to explore some of these questions and dive into the intricate relationship between music and the human experience.
How Does Sound Affect Emotions?
Music can evoke powerful emotions, stimulate the mind, and even influence our mood. However, just as it has the power to manipulate for positive results, so does it for darker, less desirable outcomes.
The multisensory experience of listening to music engages various parts of our brains. Upon hearing a melody or particular rhythm, our auditory cortex processes the sound, and sends signals to the sections responsible for memory, emotion, and even motor function. This is how we associate particular sounds or songs with certain experiences, be it happy, melancholy, or truly horrendous.
Everyone has an intricate neural network, which is why music tantalises and elicits such a wide range of responses from different listeners. In other words, how we perceive a particular piece of music is coloured by our life experiences, desires and expectations, and even current situation.
How Does Music Affect the Brain?
Since one of the most profound effects of music is evoking emotions, different sounds and musical elements can trigger a variety of sensations. We can feel anything from joy and excitement to sadness and nostalgia. Music directly influences our mood by inducing the release of neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin, which can generate pleasure and a sense of well-being.
Fast-paced rhythms tend to energise a person. A slower tempo combined with melancholic harmonies can summon a sense of introspection or longing for a different time. Upbeat, cheerful melodies will uplift. Certain chord progressions have a nostalgic sound. Some songs bring up personal memories or even cultural associations.
Does Music Affect Intelligence?
While there appears to be a real correlation between music and our intelligence, the relationship is complex and multifaceted. The cognitive benefits of music education, suggests that learning to play an instrument or actively engaging with music can enhance overall intelligence and even academia.
It’s rather likely that the benefits of musical coaching will depend on the individual, the type of music, and also the level of engagement. Does a person simply listen and learn in a parrot-like fashion or is he or she fully engaged and embedded in the experience? Music affects brain function, and influences everything from memory to creativity, and in some cases even assist with developing certain problem-solving abilities.
I believe that you do not need a musical education to enjoy a great piece of music, but it definitely helps to listen actively. Tragically, many simply listen to music in a rather passive manner. Don’t let music be something that happens to you, but rather be an active part of the experience. What are you hearing? What are the different instruments you can identify? Even if only in isolating the different unique sounds, it turns listening to music into a wonderful adventure into an auditory world.
Why is Music Getting Simpler?
Why is it that music seems to be getting simpler in some respects? Is music getting less complex? The debate about whether music is getting better or worse has some critics arguing that it is becoming increasingly simplistic and formulaic. Some merely attribute this trend to factors such technology changes, shifts in pop music culture, and evolving global preferences.
Is the rise of digital production, streaming platforms, and drive for sales leading to a homogenisation of musical styles? This certainly appears to be the case with much of the music being produced lately. This over commercialisation of the music industry has given priority to catchy hooks and repetitive structures over complex, even orchestral compositions in the main stream.
Dumbing Down of Music
What might sound simplistic to one audiophile, might be rich and profound to another. What I am discussing is not the beauty of simplicity, but rather the deliberate dumbing down of music, and the masses at large. This is a prevailing theme in almost all walks of life, even with the ever limiting ‘smart devices’ for stupid people.
I know many people will say that they do not understand complex music and are not interested in learning either. I respect their right to turn down the offer to learn something new, but it’s not really their choice. They have been conditioned to buy in to a simplicity where they do not need to use their minds. The masses have been ‘told’ that they are too stupid to appreciate the nuance of music, and told to appreciate automatic nonsense with repetitive words, chords, and phrasing.
You don’t need to study Mozart to enjoy his compositions, just as you don’t have to be stupid to enjoy electronic music. You can do both; it’s allowed. Equally, pop music doesn’t have to be stupidly simple to be popular. Classical music also has its fair share of very dull repetitive scores.
I propose we move back to state where music is an activity, not just background noise. I feel that it’s being used to move people in certain directions that we should never agree to, and yet here we are. Perhaps the task is more about undoing the lifelong conditioning more than learning music theory.
