Neurologist Oliver Sacks states that “music has a unique power to express inner states or feelings”, through the processes of singing, playing or listening to music our wellbeing and quality of life can be improved massively due to the effects that music has on our brain.

Music is a wonderful source of joy and comfort in both the past and modern day due to its astonishing impact on the brains activity. We can see that when listening to music almost all of our brain is engaged, most importantly lighting up the hippocampus and the amygdala.

What is the hippocampus and what is its role? The hippocampus is a key factor of the brain, responsible for memory and learning, both short-term and long-term, as well as being very important for emotional processing, including anxiety and avoidance behaviours. The hippocampus connects to the amygdala which is involved in emotional responses helping us to remember emotionally significant events. Along with this, the amygdala is also closely connected to the limbic system which is needed for controlling pleasure, motivation and reward.

As we listen to music that we find particularly moving or enjoyable, our limbic system releases dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter which tiggers the sensation of pleasure and happiness. A study performed by Blood et al. in 1999 shows that when we listen to music our left hemisphere is active which is related to positive emotional experiences. Therefore, how can we use this positive information relating to music for the good of all people in the world?

Many psychologists pose the idea of music therapy as a key way to stimulate the brain and its positive responses. A study from 2005 shows that rhythmic entrainment on motor function can actively facilitate the recovery of movement in patients with stroke, Parkinson’s disease, cerebral palsy and traumatic brain injuries. This shows the impact that music can have on not only our mental wellbeing and health but also our physical health, as a result of the stimulation music causes on the brain. Music can help all kinds of people such as epileptic people as it can reduce the frequency of seizures and can normalise electroencephalographic abnormalities. As well as the strength of the neuronal memory traces built through music as they are so deeply ingrained that they are less likely to be affected or erased by neurodegenerative influences such as Alzheimer’s.

This overall, shows the importance of music in modern day society in raising the wellbeing and quality of life of people all around the world.

By Esme K