Music and the Brain Essays - 1320 Words

Music and the Brain In Macedonian hills, the music of Orpheus was said to possess certain magical qualities, having powers strong enough to alter the very behavior of people and animals. Among its abilities, the notes of Orpheus lyre were said to calm the guard-dog of Hades (1), to cause the evil Furies to cry, and to tame the deadly voices of the Sirens (2). Was this power simply a divine and magical gift with no other explanation, or can we explain more specifically the connections between music and behavior? Sound is an important input affecting the nervous system. The brain reacts to sound input because information signals are able to travel from the outside environment, across action potentials and through the neural†¦show more content†¦Specifically, music has been associated with healing abilities, and has been used for such purposes throughout history. Traditionally, the types of sound responsible for healing are characterized by distinct rhythms, and by specific emphasis on repetition that stems from those rhythms. The existence of repetitive beat seems to aid in the achievement of meditative state. Shamans are well known for their use of drum beats to access healing powers both within themselves and for the people they wish to treat (5). It has been suggested that in the meditative state—a state of extreme awareness and internal mental calmness—the two hemispheres of the brain become synchronized in brain wave production, rather than generating signals of varying frequencies and amplitudes. It would thus make sense that the repetitive nature of chant, and the underlying beat of music, is central in the unifying and rhythmic effect that such practices have on the brain. Specifically, we find the underlying repetitive drone, a constantly held baseline tone, in numerous types of spiritual chant, including the Hebrew, Byzantine, Arabic, Tibetan and Gregorian traditions. The Om sound is also an important tone in traditional chanting practice which calls upon repetition and harmonics for its restorative effects. A striking example relating rhythm, brain function, and health is found in a story which occurred forty years ago among a group of Benedictine monks inShow MoreRelatedMusic : Music And The Brain1928 Words   |  8 Pages Musical Preference People enjoy different types of music. Some enjoy classical selections such as Beethoven and Mozart, while others would prefer the rock and roll of The Beatles . Every person has their own taste in music. What defines an individual’s dislikes and likes in music are often overlooked. Musical preference has been proven to be connected to parts of the brain that are linked to age, personality and cultural identification as concluded from scientific experiments. Events in our livesRead MoreMusic : Music And Brain Development1112 Words   |  5 PagesMusic and Brain Development Brenen E. Dapkiewicz Music and Brain Development Start by speaking the ABC’s. Within that process I have a decent feeling they were vocalized in song form; more than likely it sounded like Twinkle Twinkle. A well known melody from birth. Hearing music everywhere, tuned into our favorite station on the radio, throughout stores in the mall, or even the drumming to the tempo of the car’s turn signal in front of ours. As individuals, we have developed over time the senseRead MoreMusic, Memories, And The Brain Essay844 Words   |  4 PagesWhen music plays as significant of a role in American society as it does today, many researchers focus their work on understanding the effects of music on the brain. In the podcast entitled Music, Memories, and the Brain, Steve Mencher interviews Dr. Petr Janata to find out more about how music is associated with human memories. Janata works in the psychology department at the University of California, in Davis, California. Janata’s research suggests that humans unintentionally store and create aRead MoreThe Effects Of Music On The Brain1443 Words   |  6 PagesThe human brain is said to be a very special and important organ in the human body, but what happens to it when it comes in contact with music. There are many studies on what music can do to the brain. There are negative and positive affects of music on the brain. The positive effects of music on the brain are numerous and expansive, with a heavy emphasis on focused concentration. Usually people can interpret faces based on how they feel, but with the help of music humans can see neutral faces differentlyRead MoreMusic Influences On The Brain1541 Words   |  7 PagesThe power of music is inevitable. It is a driving force that fuels society and can affect the emotions and thought processes of its listeners. The tones, rhythms, beats, and melodies of various musical genres has harvested Earth for years. From the Medieval Era to the Romantic Era and the 21th century, musical genres continue to evolve with time and leave everlasting impacts. Music possesses the ability to create a strong emotional and developmental influence on people, which in turn causes theirRead MoreMusic Effect On The Brain896 Words   |  4 PagesMusic affects the brain in many different ways. What would our world be like without music? Music has a direct path to our brain. It is a very big part of our daily lives. Everywhere a person goes, they hear music. Music affects chemicals in the brain that affect our emotions. Different types of music affect the brain differently. Music can be used in therapy to help a person with emotional problems. Music is even part of every country on earth. Humans are a musical species. Music has a majorRead MoreMusic And Its Effect On The Brain2402 Words   |  10 PagesMusic has a positive affect on mood and behavior through listening to lyrics of music, music therapy, and influence of music. Music has been around for many years, as far back as cavemen. Most Don t know but music has more of a purpose than just mere entertainment. Music is used in many cases as a therapy to help heal people. Music affects many different parts of the brain in a positive way. Music is also used to express pain and sorrow or other emotions and in many cases magnifies the feelingsRead MoreThe Effects Of Music On The Brain2152 Words   |  9 Pageswas conducted to see if certain types of music have different effects on the brain and to see if music has a positive or negative effect. To test the experiment three different types of music were played and the control was no music. Pop, rock and classical music was used. The results were that pop was the most beneficial and rock and class ical were the same. No music was the least beneficial. Introduction Many studies have proven that classical music improves your ability to solve arithmeticalRead MoreMusic s Effect On The Brain1027 Words   |  5 Pages4-21-15 Music’s Effect on the Brain The effect of music on the human brain may have much stronger powers than one might think. Music can directly improve brain functioning depending on the musical genre. Some studies show, music whether listening or playing, is able to improve the ability to process speech, evoke different emotions, stifle sound when concentrating, and help heal ill patients with cancer or memory disorders (Gholipour). Thats not all, also music can boost reaction time, bringRead MoreThe Effects Of Music On The Brain And Body1638 Words   |  7 PagesVarious studies have shown different effects of music on the brain and body. According to the results of a study published in Neuroscience Letters, listening to a piece of music interpreted as happy or sad can make a person perceive a neutral face as either happy or sad. PET scans have been performed on a variety of people, some scans focusing on a person’s brain activity while listening to a piece of music, and some scans focusing on a pers on’s brain activity while playing a musical instrument. In