By Eva Sanders, Contributing Writer
Nearly everyone who’s ever listened to music knows the effects it can have on them. Depending on multiple circumstances, such as the type of music that’s being played, the events in one’s life at the time that the music is being played, and many other factors the effects produced can be positive or negative. Music is mostly thought to be therapeutic, since it is known to alleviate stressful feelings. Music can have a multitude of other effects depending on the circumstances at the time of listening. Exploring the effects that music has on the brain can encourage more people to reward themselves with listening to their favorite music.
Music is not only fun to listen to; on occasion, there are a multitude of benefits that come with the joyful hobby. Frequently listening to music is known to reduce anxiety, high blood pressure, improve emotional pain, and increase one’s memory.
When tested on Alzheimer’s patients in the later stages of the disease where patients are typically unresponsive, music revived them for up to 10 minutes after the listening period according to Johns Hopkins medicine.
These patients respond the best to music that they listened to in their childhood. Parts of their brains that have remained inactive suddenly start to work again temporarily, causing memories from their childhood to flood back.
Additionally, according to Caring Senior Service, patients with other chronic illnesses such as epilepsy and Parkinson’s diseases, can see long-term improvements in their condition due to the calming agents in music.
Music therapy has become such a powerful tool to treat epilepsy, that researchers at Epilepsy Society believe that it can prevent seizures entirely. The brains of people have shown more significant reactions to music, than those without epilepsy.
Music therapy is also popular among patients with Parkinson’s disease. Regularly singing helps preserve the function of breathing on one’s own, which is a privilege that almost all Parkinson’s patients will lose. Although simply using music therapy won’t completely cure any disease, it can dramatically improve the quality of patients’ lives.
While frequently listening to music can slightly improve physical health, it can dramatically improve mental health. Research shows that conditions such as depression and schizophrenia, can be effectively treated through the use of music therapy. The mood of a person with these conditions can affect the genre and type of music they’re listening to said Psychiatry Advisor.
Uplifting music is going to live up to its name. Sadder genres of music will have the opposite effect. Too much of anything can become problematic to one’s health, meaning it’s important to carefully select music while considering one’s tolerance for that type of music. College students are mature enough to know their emotional limits however, younger teens and children could potentially have issues with selecting the appropriate genre of music.
Since the majority of people are still self-isolating during this stage of the pandemic, music can assist them in feeling less alone during these scary times. Music often takes listeners into an alternative reality. Music is providing people with a reliable form of escapism during a global pandemic. Since music can be made remotely, the industry hasn’t had to slow down as much as other entertainment industries. People can guarantee that their favorite artist will be coming out with a new song or album, as they would in pre-Covid times. Since the Covid-19 pandemic doesn’t seem to be ending anytime soon, it’s important for listeners to have a sense of normalcy in these unpredictable times. College students can especially struggle, since many feel that the typical college experience has been taken from them, for the past few semesters. Extroverted students will likely struggle the most, since they thrive off of social interaction. While social distancing is the ideal way of life as of right now, that doesn’t mean it’s not depressing. Adolescents who haven’t been able to socialize normally have become depressed, and in extreme cases they’ve begun to have thoughts of harming themselves. Music can pull these vulnerable people out of a dark place, which is the biggest benefit that one could ask for.
To conclude, music has more benefits than most people would ever think it has. Not only can it provide assistance with mental health but with physical health as well. The only difference is that music can most definitely cure loneliness however, it won’t cure Alzheimers, epilepsy, or Parkinson’s disease. Music therapy can bring Alzheimer’s patients one last opportunity to reminisce on their childhood favorites. Listening to certain tunes can prevent seizures, and music can slow the progression of Parkinson’s disease. Depression is one of many mental health disorders that can be treated through the use of music therapy. Simply listening to music won’t completely cure any medical condition, but it sure can help the process. The pandemic has completely flipped the world upside down. Almost all of the popular entertainment industries have suffered in some way. The music industry is no exception however, it has been able to stay afloat due to the abundance of remote locations, in which songs and albums can be recorded.
Songs can easily create a form of escapism for anyone struggling from the effects of the pandemic. Escapism through music is normal and healthy for people of all ages, especially during times like these. Artists haven’t slowed down in producing content during the pandemic, which can be very comforting for their loyal listeners. Maintaining some degree of normalcy, as hard is it can be, is essential for good mental and physical health. Music is more than just listening to a favorite song.
