Argumentative Essay: Music Vs. The Brain

Music v. the Brain A famous quote by William Congreve reads, “Music hath charms to soothe a savage Breast, to soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak.” Congreve is trying to exude the idea that music has the power to do anything. Furthermore, music can impact the brain in a variety of different ways. Depending on the type of music an individual listens to, it can manipulate the brain to change his or her mood and improve cognitive skills. The various genres of music provide a large quantity of positive effects on the brain and act to help one function better in everyday life. The most popular genres of music include jazz, classical, heavy metal, rap, country, and pop, and each of these genres has a different effect on the brain and can be genuinely helpful. One way music can be helpful, is through the undertaking of making one less anxious. According to Erin Canty, jazz is a type of music that can make one more calm and relaxed from the brain down. Another genre that can make one more relaxed is classical music, as it can also deter or prevent crime. Classical can also improve spatial reasoning skills (Marvelous), which involves enhanced forms of logic and qualitative reasoning …show more content…
The formal name for this process is neuroplasticity, in which “nerve cells in the brain compensate for injury and disease and adjust their activities in response to new situations or to changes in their environment” (Goldstein). According to Jacob Masters, “Music therapy was first recognized as an aid to soldiers who attained brain injuries after returning from World War II.” Music was used to manipulate the brain, in order to help a patient who was struggling after the war. It also helped postwar patients who were dealing with depression overcome it. Therapists used upbeat music as it “naturally lifts the patient’s spirits and redirects their focus from their tragedy to happier thoughts”