When a person listens to music, almost all areas of the brain are activated: for example, the auditory cortex, areas responsible for emotions, movement and memory. This helps keep the brain active and strengthens a variety of neural networks, including those involved in learning, cognition and positive emotion processing.
Favorite music helps fight stress
However, fast music can also positively affect the psychological state. Australian researchers asked 400 first-year students about how they deal with stress during a pandemic and quarantine and how effective this strategy is. It turned out that music is the most popular way to relax and cheer yourself up, and it is also quite effective.
At the same time, the researchers concluded that there is no universal playlist for dealing with stress: in order to feel better, it is more important to listen to music that you like. Students admitted that they were helped by a variety of music: from the tracks of Kanye West and Billy Eilish to the compositions of Claude Debussy and Richard Wagner.
Musicians are more likely to be in a state of “flow”
Music lessons can bring even greater benefits to the psyche. In a water study, the psychological state of 70 people was studied: half of them were musicians, the author was not involved in music.
Solace in Hard Times: Making Music and the Effects of Stress, Flow, and Life Satisfaction Among Musicians and Non-Musicians—Research Gate
All participants were asked to rate how much stress they experienced over the past month, how often and for how long they were in a state of flow—when work inspires and brings pleasure. In addition, they were asked how satisfied they were with their lives.
It turned out that musicians experience less stress and feel more satisfied with life. Apparently, this is the result of the fact that they are more often in a state of flow: during the performance of musical works, people concentrate on their activities to the maximum and experience inspiration. A rare office worker can boast of such emotions at work.
Similar results were found in a study of 346 brass band musicians. Participants in this study reported good mental and physical well-being, and also emphasized that being able to play music with others helps them strengthen social bonds and feel supported by colleagues.
Mental well-being is not the only plus of music lessons. A meta-analysis including 29 studies found that musicians often have better memories. Scientists suggest that this may be due to the peculiarities of learning to play musical instruments. At first, this requires great effort and attention: it is necessary to memorize the sounds, the notes by which they are indicated, as well as the movements necessary for the performance of a piece of music. However, with modern times and thanks to practice, memorizing new melodies – along with other information – is becoming easier.
Music helps you be more productive
Pleasant music improves productivity: it evokes positive emotions, and people work better when they are in high spirits. At least that was the case for IT professionals who were invited to participate in an experiment by scientists from the University of Windsor in Canada.
For five weeks they worked in silence, listening to the music they chose. In parallel, they filled out questionnaires on the mood and results of the work: whether they managed to complete their tasks on time or, conversely, completed them longer than expected. It turned out that the respondents without music were more likely to be in a bad mood and less likely to finish their work on time. During the auto-periods, when participants listened to their playlists, their mood improved and they worked most efficiently.
Music not only lifts your spirits, but also helps you focus. This was told to American scientists by 130 developers who switched to a remote format due to the pandemic. The survey showed that IT professionals felt more productive and creative if they worked while listening to music. They also said that music helps us not to be distracted by our work, which makes it difficult to focus on work. So, if you have a noisy road under your windows or your neighbors are starting repairs, you will know what to do.
Employees from other fields work more effectively with the music. This is evidenced by the results of the British experiment in 1940. Then the factories began to turn on musical radio broadcasts and, according to some managers, labor productivity increased by 12.5-15%.
But any music is equally useful for work. Researchers in Taiwan have studied how different tracks—with and without class—affect attention. It turned out that music with lyrics makes people more distracted, so it’s better to include instrumental compositions when working.
Music can ease the pain
Pythagoras said that music can be used to restore the harmony of the mind, soul and body. Modern researchers find confirmation of his idea.
One of the largest meta-analyses looked at 97 studies on the effect of music on pain. It turned out that pleasant music on average reduces the intensity of pain by 1.13 points on a scale of 10. In addition, a decrease in heart rate, blood pressure and respiratory rate while listening to music indicates that the person is calming down.
The influence of music on pain: a meta-analysis – PubMed
There are several hypotheses why music has an analgesic effect. As American scientists explain, during pain sensations, electro-chemical signals are transmitted from the damaged area to the spinal cord, and then to the brain – there the signals are processed by several areas at once. Pleasant, melodious music—for example, Strauss’ waltz “The Beautiful Blue Danube”—can prevent transmission of pain signals from the spinal cord to the brain.
This is probably due to dopamine: this neurotransmitter is released when something pleasant happens in dreams, such as listening to a pleasant melody. Auto-non-melodic modern music has the opposite effect – hence the pain intensifies.
According to another hypothesis, music simply distracts a person: if you do not concentrate on painful sensations, they become slightly less intense. In a water study, participants were given electric shocks, with half of them being asked to simultaneously find errors in the performance of music, and the other to listen passively. Those who were busy looking for bugs rated their pain levels lower.
Effects of listening to music on response to painful stimuli – PubMed
In addition, researchers believe that personality traits may influence how effectively music reduces pain. People with lower anxiety and better attention management skills will feel a stronger effect.
Music can have a beneficial effect on pregnant women and their children
Music may form a bond between pregnant women and their unborn children, as well as calm expectant mothers. This conclusion was made by scientists from Germany. Since previous studies have shown that music helps to relax and relieve stress, they have suggested that listening to songs and singing will have a beneficial effect on the well-being of mother and child.
Effects of music and singing during pregnancy on maternal well-being and mother-infant bonding: a randomized controlled trial – PubMed
German researchers asked 172 women seven months pregnant to take part in an experiment. The participants were divided into three groups.
The first group was given discs with music by Mozart, Vivaldi and other classical composers. Participants had to listen to classical music at home for at least 10-15 minutes a day until the time of the birth of the child. The second group was asked to learn some lullabies and nursery rhymes and sing them to their unborn child also for 10-15 minutes daily. The third group received no special instructions from the investigators.
Before the start of the experiment, the participants measured the level of cortisol and oxytocin, the “attachment hormone”. Women also told how often they experience anxiety, stress and negative emotions. The measurements were repeated after delivery.
The results showed that music and singing had a positive effect on the emotional state of pregnant women: their cortisol levels were lower than in the control group, and their oxytocin levels were higher. But, of course, further research is required to confirm the beneficial effects of pregnant music. So far, there is not enough data to say for sure.
Music May Improve Spatial Thinking
In 1993, a study by American psychologists was published, which showed that within 10-15 minutes after listening to Mozart, people do better on spatial reasoning tests. Thanks to the American media, a modest scientific work turned into a sensation: in a couple of years, the idea was fixed in the mass consciousness that the music of this composer increases the level of IQ in general – this was called the “Mozart effect”.
Music and Spatial Thinking – PubMed
The idea turned out to be very tenacious: even five years later, the governor of the US state of Georgia offered to allocate $ 100,000 from the budget to give each newborn a disc with classical music. True, the idea was not supported, and further research did not confirm the significant influence of sonatas on intelligence.
New Se Zhe The likelihood that music improves cognition remains. Another study of 8,000 high school students compared the effects of Mozart and Blur on intelligence. This time it turned out that it was Blur that briefly—for 10-15 minutes—improves spatial thinking.
Music Listening and Cognitive Ability in 10- and 11-Year-Old Children: The Blur Effect – PubMed
In another experiment, students were given Mozart and a short audio story by Stephen King to listen to. King was more efficient.
Researchers believe that the effect may not be associated with the melodies themselves, emotions. When listening to your favorite music and an exciting story, the mood improves, a person feels a surge of energy. This leads to a short-term increase in concentration. But more research is needed to speak for sure.
More evidence can be found on the positive effects of music-making on cognitive abilities. Moreover, regardless of age: playing musical instruments and singing are good for the brain of both children and the elderly.