All around the world, people enjoy music. People listen to music for various different reasons, including enjoyment, relaxation, and religious reasons. Interestingly though, listening to music has many benefits, and can be used to improve the functions of the brain. The brain reacts to music in an assortment of different way, yet most of them are positive. Music has copious excellent effects on the brain, such as: increasing cognitive abilities, benefitting people psychologically, and helping people to learn new things. The brain is complex, constantly taking in information to better itself. In some ways, it is like the human equivalent of a computer, continually updating. There are many practices that are used to improve the brain, and music
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Why the brain works how it does is one of the biggest questions in science. They do know, however, things that the brain enjoys, like music. Music has soothing effects on the brain and can be used in many stressful scenarios. In a recent study in which patients were randomly assigned to either take anxiety drugs or listen to music, it was revealed that “the patients who listened to music had less anxiety and lower cortisol that people who took drugs” (Landau 1). Although drugs have been extremely successful, music make soon become a method of therapy for patients. This advancement would also mean that there would no longer be concerns about a patient being allergic to a therapeutic drug, as they could simply listen to music. Music could even take the place of pain relief drugs, as a study done by the University of Alberta “found that patients who listened to relaxing music while getting an IV inserted reported significantly less pain, and some demonstrated significantly less distress, compared with patients who did not listen to music” (Novotemy 1). Relaxing music, such as jazz and blues, can reduce the levels of the hormone cortisol, which controls stress levels, therefore making the patient more comfortable and relaxed. In some cases, it was even reported that the IV was easier to insert when the patients listened to music. Listening to music whilst getting an IV is not on beneficial to the patient, but …show more content…
There is good news for those learning a new language though, as “scientists recently found that when learning a new language, singing the phrases can help people learn the language better” (Gholipour 1). Learning a new language is a difficult feat, it requires hours of study and dedication. With music however, the long, grueling hours can be made enjoyable by singing along to music in the language, or by simply singing vocabulary words. Listening to music in another language creates a scenario similar to immersion, enabling the student to hear the language in its natural state. According to Nina Kraus, a brain researcher at Northwestern University, “benefits [of music training] transfer to speech, language, emotion, and general auditory processing” (Klemm 1). Music training involves nearly all of the brain’s major systems, and therefore strengthens them. The brain also begins to relate certain types of music to specific things, such as a language or emotion. Music also activates the reading comprehension area of the brain, as it can “create a highly focused learning state in which vocabulary and reading material is absorbed at a great rate” (Brewer 1). To understand music, one must be able to listen and read at a remarkable speed, and this training transfers to reading and vocabulary. Music tunes the brain’s learning systems to pick up information at a faster rate, enabling musicians
Why the brain works how it does is one of the biggest questions in science. They do know, however, things that the brain enjoys, like music. Music has soothing effects on the brain and can be used in many stressful scenarios. In a recent study in which patients were randomly assigned to either take anxiety drugs or listen to music, it was revealed that “the patients who listened to music had less anxiety and lower cortisol that people who took drugs” (Landau 1). Although drugs have been extremely successful, music make soon become a method of therapy for patients. This advancement would also mean that there would no longer be concerns about a patient being allergic to a therapeutic drug, as they could simply listen to music. Music could even take the place of pain relief drugs, as a study done by the University of Alberta “found that patients who listened to relaxing music while getting an IV inserted reported significantly less pain, and some demonstrated significantly less distress, compared with patients who did not listen to music” (Novotemy 1). Relaxing music, such as jazz and blues, can reduce the levels of the hormone cortisol, which controls stress levels, therefore making the patient more comfortable and relaxed. In some cases, it was even reported that the IV was easier to insert when the patients listened to music. Listening to music whilst getting an IV is not on beneficial to the patient, but …show more content…
There is good news for those learning a new language though, as “scientists recently found that when learning a new language, singing the phrases can help people learn the language better” (Gholipour 1). Learning a new language is a difficult feat, it requires hours of study and dedication. With music however, the long, grueling hours can be made enjoyable by singing along to music in the language, or by simply singing vocabulary words. Listening to music in another language creates a scenario similar to immersion, enabling the student to hear the language in its natural state. According to Nina Kraus, a brain researcher at Northwestern University, “benefits [of music training] transfer to speech, language, emotion, and general auditory processing” (Klemm 1). Music training involves nearly all of the brain’s major systems, and therefore strengthens them. The brain also begins to relate certain types of music to specific things, such as a language or emotion. Music also activates the reading comprehension area of the brain, as it can “create a highly focused learning state in which vocabulary and reading material is absorbed at a great rate” (Brewer 1). To understand music, one must be able to listen and read at a remarkable speed, and this training transfers to reading and vocabulary. Music tunes the brain’s learning systems to pick up information at a faster rate, enabling musicians