Music: Art of Meaningful Sounds, Universal & Essential - Research Paper Example

Introduction

Music is an art entailing organization of meaningful sounds. Music is essential since it produces the beauty of form and expresses emotions. Music plays a very significant role in the cognitive and mental activities of individuals. Even though music entails various genres, its characters are universal, depending on preferential differences among individuals. Music is part of life. It is used in multiple functions for worship, entertainment, lessons, communication to convey information (Raglio et al. 2015). Even though the impact of music has not been keenly identified, music is very significant in problem-solving, and its therapeutic abilities are incredible. Music creates satisfaction, which fundamental in self-actualization, which is essential in boosting moods and relieving stress (Särkämö et al. 2018). Since the human brain functions to interpret the sounds generated from music into meaningful information, it's the only human organ to receive and understand sounds. Therefore, it is vital to highlight some of the essential effects of music on the human brain.

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Effects of Music

Music is a significant therapeutic agent to the human brain, and its effects are fundamental in memory, pain reduction, and reduction of stress. Furthermore, music is also believed to accelerate the healing process in brain injury. Neurogenesis is also another fundamental role played by music to the human brain (Raglio et al. 2015). It stimulates dopamine production, which is essential in the secretion of neurons, which are vital in the transmission of impulses. Researchers have observed that music in itself causes healing. For instance, a study done on fibromyalgia patients indicated that the pain was significantly relieved when they listened to their favorite songs (Raglio et al. 2015). When listening to music, the brain is triggered to release opioids, which are natural pain relievers of the body. It is also believed that music initiates memories. Therefore, memories can divert attention away from the pain, which is fundamental in recuperating.

Stress Reducer

Another critical effect of music on the human brain is reduced stress. Depending on the type of music one is listening to, music is known to lower the brain's cortisol levels. Cortisol hormone is released as a response to stress (Cheever et al. 2018). Therefore, decreasing the levels of cortisol in the brain is fundamental since it produces soothing effects. A study done in Alberta university indicated that patients who listened to soothing music when the IV was being inserted recorded less pain and distress than compared to patients who did not listen to music (Koelsch et al. 2015). Listening to faster music makes one alert and concentrates more; therefore, music significantly reduces stress by keeping one alert and focused on the music (Magee et al. 2017). Furthermore, playing musical instruments reduces stress since the mind is occupied with learning the new skill. Upbeat music is believed to increase optimism and positive attitude in individuals, and this essential in reducing stress.

Memory

Another significant role of music music is to enhance memory. Studies have indicated that listening to music could take someone to decades back instantly (Särkämö et al. 2018). Therefore, music is a memory booster. For instance, in lower grade learning activities, musical intonations are widely used in the teaching process to enhance children's memory (Cheever et al. 2018). More so, musical lyrics of songs are easily remembered than just mere non-musical words. A study conducted in dementia patients indicated that most patients would recall things associated with particular songs (Särkämö et al. 2018). More so, singing and listening to songs reportedly improved the mood and responsiveness of these patients. Mastering lyrical contents of particular songs is known to enhance the grasping abilities of individuals.

Furthermore, music effectively prevents particular conditions, such as seizures, stroke, and brain injury. A study conducted in 2008 showed that patients with epilepsy responded positively while listening to specific songs. Furthermore, many of the patients claimed to have had a soothing effecting (Magee et al. 2017). During the music synchronizing period, many patients did not have seizures. This indicated that music had positive results. The study also proved that stress causes seizures to occur, and this was significantly controlled by music. Since music is a significant stress reliever, stress-triggered seizures are eliminated.

Therapy

Another study conducted by Ohio University in 2008, suggested that stroke patients who initiate music therapy during the first days after the stroke showed significant improvement (Magee et al. 2017). In many stroke patients under music therapy, the verbal increase was observed only months after the stroke. Melodic intonation therapy was initiated in 1973 to help patients with talking difficulties originating from stroke and other brain conditions (Magee et al. 2017). The purpose of the therapy is to convert singing into speech. Since most of the patients were able to sing and maintain a rhythm, it was easy to use this musical concept to regain their eloquence. Even though some of them could not speak, but their utilization of artistic skills aided their communication.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the music encompasses all aspects of life. The music industry plays a very significant role in various therapeutic remedies. Since many people are likely to face depression due to lockdowns resulting from the COVID 19 pandemic, the music industry should be backed up to ensure access to musical content, which will help people fight depression and other stress-related vices. More so, music should be incorporated into psychiatric treatment since it plays a significant role in preventing and treating significant mental and brain conditions.

Works Cited

Cheever, Thomas, et al. "NIH/Kennedy center workshop on music and the brain: Finding harmony." Neuron 97.6 (2018): 1214-1218.

Koelsch, Stefan, and Lutz Jäncke. "Music and the heart." European heart journal 36.44 (2015): 3043-3049.

Magee, Wendy L., et al. "Music interventions for acquired brain injury." Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 1 (2017).

Raglio, Alfredo, et al. "Effects of music and music therapy on mood in neurological patients." World journal of psychiatry 5.1 (2015): 68.

Särkämö, Teppo, and Aleksi J. Sihvonen. "Golden oldies and silver brains: deficits, preservation, learning, and rehabilitation effects of music in ageing-related neurological disorders." Cortex 109 (2018): 104-123.