Listening to your favorite artist’s new album or hearing them live in concert can be an extremely moving moment. Some of us may get goosebumps or even cry when our favorite song comes on. When you’re feeling sad, listening to one of Spotify’s “Chill Vibes” playlists may make you cry but in a good way. I think we can all agree that music makes us feel things, but have you ever wondered why that is? Aside from the fact that Lorde’s voice is so hauntingly beautiful, why is it that I react so strongly to every song on her “Melodrama” album? The answer to why we feel such strong emotion in response to music can be found in our brains.
One reason why listening to music makes you feel so good is because listening to music increases the levels of dopamine in your brain. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter responsible for pleasure and emotional reactions. In simple terms, it is our brain’s reward center. Whenever we feel happy, it’s because dopamine is being released in our brain. Music can also help you out when you’re in a bad mood because listening to songs that describe your feelings can be cathartic. When you listen to sad music, you are allowing yourself to process your sadness and therefore release some of the pain that comes with those sad emotions.
I recently attended an Ed Sheehan concert at the TD Garden, and when Ed took the stage, I instantly started sobbing. I was so happy to see one of my favorite artists perform and to hear his voice live. I am usually a pretty reserved person, but at the concert, I didn’t hold back from belting out all the lyrics because I felt so connected with the entire stadium. We were all there because of a mutual love we shared for Ed. The reason why I felt so connected and emotional at that concert can be traced back to the hormone known as oxytocin, also known as the “love hormone.” When you’re surrounded by strangers at a concert, you may not know all of them but one thing you do know is that you share a common interest in the artist or music you’re listening to. That sense of unity is what fosters the release of oxytocin in your brain, and is one of the main reasons why you feel so elated during a live concert.
Besides making us feel good or being cathartic, music also has serious potential use in therapy. “Music therapists are trained to use music therapeutically to address their patients’ physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs” (BeBrainFit). Based on how music helps us deal with sadness, it is no surprise that music therapy is so effective in allowing patients to face their feelings. Music therapy is not a new idea. In fact, “the idea of music as a healing influence which could affect health and behavior is at least as old as the writings of Aristotle and Plato” (MusicTherapy). However, the profession began in the 20th century after World War I and II, when musicians traveled to hospitals around the country to play for veterans suffering from physical and emotional trauma. So, not only is listening to music relaxing, it can also provide serious health benefits.
Music is also extremely helpful in communicating with Alzheimer’s patients. People with severe Alzheimer’s disease have lost the ability to effectively communicate with even their closest family members. However, listening to music helps trigger an emotional response to events in the past that they may not remember distinctly, but can give them a sense of familiarity. “It seems that musical memories far outlast other kinds of memories” (BeBrainFit). This is a profound discovery that further highlights the benefits of music.
And get this — if you are a musician, your brain is physically different than those who do not play any instruments. Musicians have a larger “corpus callosum,” which is responsible for connecting the two hemispheres of the brain. The left side is known as the more ‘logical’ and ‘analytical’ side while the right side is known as more ‘artistic.’ As a musician it is fundamental to connect logic with art in order to play perfectly — so it is no surprise that this part of their brain is slightly larger than the average non-musician.
All in all, music has a pretty important purpose in our lives, and it’s more than just to make you feel good. It helps you release emotions you have been holding inside of yourself; it helps people with Alzheimer’s feel a slight sense of familiarity with their youth again; it even enlarges a part of your brain if you play an instrument. So, if you’re feeling stressed, anxious, happy, or sad, go put on your favorite album and take a few minutes to unwind.