Introduction
For centuries, music has been life, accompanying man through good and bad, evolving over the years from beats to symphonies. It has been translating our souls’ deepest desires, our minds’ complicated thoughts, and hearts’ intricate emotions. Humans have always resorted to music as an escape from reality to soothe their aching souls. But what is the truth behind such joy that seeps into our minds once we listen to music? This question is what will be discussed in the following paper; the psychology of music.
How our Brain Perceives Music
As we all know, music, or any other sound in general, enters through our ear as sound waves which are then converted into electrical impulses that can be interpreted by the brain. This process takes place in three stages involving the pinna, ossicles, and cochlea (parts of our outer, middle, and inner ear respectively).
Stage 1: The pinna channels the sound waves down the ear canal to the eardrum which in response to those incoming sound waves, vibrates.
Stage 2: The ossicles, three tiny bones in the middle ear, amplify the vibrations and send them to the cochlea, a spiral-shaped organ which is full of fluid and lined with thousands of minuscule hair cells called stereocilia.
Stage 3: The vibrations trigger the fluid in the cochlea to move causing the stereocilia to shift up and down. In turn, this activates the nerve cells connected to the hair cells to release neurotransmitters; thus, generating an electrical signal which reaches the brain through the auditory nerve.
As the signal reaches the brain, it is processed and identified as sounds. It is important to note that distinct frequencies of sound waves cause distinct stereocilia in the cochlea to move which is why we can distinguish different pitches. Moreover, the intensity of the sound wave; in other words, how much the pinna and ossicles vibrate due to the sound wave, determines the capacity of the sound we perceive.
How our Brain Responds to Music
There are various sections of our brain that are stimulated when the sound signal reaches the brain, but each area responds distinctly based on how the brain classifies the auditory signal. Some of the areas stimulated when we listen to music are explained below:
The Temporal Lobe
It assists in several roles, one of which is language comprehension. This is important when listening to music since as our brain’s language center; it is able to help us understand the lyrics of the song we’re listening to. There are also two other sub-regions of the temporal lobe that aid in the process of listening to music which are:
The amygdala also takes a part in the activation of the fight-or-flight instinct of the brain, where it processes the sounds we hear and determines our emotional response towards them, that’s why music can activate those emotional signals. For example, when we listen to calming music we feel a sense of tranquility, whereas when we listen to music such as that of horror movies we feel a sense of fear.
The Frontal Lobe
The frontal lobe is responsible for voluntary movement, expressive language as well as the management of advanced executive functions which are a collection of cognitive skills such as thinking, planning, reasoning, and organizing as well as self-monitoring and controlling one's responses. The relation of music and the frontal lobe rests in how one’s interests and opinions about music and specifically one’s tastes in genres and songs, branch from the activities of the frontal lobe.
The Cerebellum
The cerebellum plays an essential role when listening to music. For instance, it maintains balance and coordinates movement by timing muscle actions and sending signals to the body to move. Therefore, the cerebellum in performers who dance to a certain song is usually what allows them to move in time with the music. Additionally, the cerebellum teaches the body movements that entail practice; thus, playing an instrument is entirely dependent on this specific part of the brain.
Moreover, the cerebellum manages muscle memory, that’s why Alzheimer’s patients who previously played instruments were still capable of doing that even after losing their memory.
The Hippocampus
The hippocampus is mainly responsible for the formation of memories besides aiding in the process of learning and storing of information. Not to mention that it is also part of the brain’s limbic system which is involved in the regulation of emotional responses to certain things; this can be tied to memories linked with related triggers.
It is important to note that studies found that the repetitive nature of music triggers short-term memory while simultaneously building long-term memories. That’s the reason behind why people are capable of remembering a song they listened to on the radio a day before, but can also recall the outfit they wore that day and who else was in the car when they heard that song around 30 years later.
How Music Affects Emotions, Health, and Development
For centuries, music has been life, accompanying man through good and bad, evolving over the years from beats to symphonies. It has been translating our souls’ deepest desires, our minds’ complicated thoughts, and hearts’ intricate emotions. Humans have always resorted to music as an escape from reality to soothe their aching souls. But what is the truth behind such joy that seeps into our minds once we listen to music? This question is what will be discussed in the following paper; the psychology of music.
How our Brain Perceives Music
As we all know, music, or any other sound in general, enters through our ear as sound waves which are then converted into electrical impulses that can be interpreted by the brain. This process takes place in three stages involving the pinna, ossicles, and cochlea (parts of our outer, middle, and inner ear respectively).
Stage 1: The pinna channels the sound waves down the ear canal to the eardrum which in response to those incoming sound waves, vibrates.
Stage 2: The ossicles, three tiny bones in the middle ear, amplify the vibrations and send them to the cochlea, a spiral-shaped organ which is full of fluid and lined with thousands of minuscule hair cells called stereocilia.
Stage 3: The vibrations trigger the fluid in the cochlea to move causing the stereocilia to shift up and down. In turn, this activates the nerve cells connected to the hair cells to release neurotransmitters; thus, generating an electrical signal which reaches the brain through the auditory nerve.
As the signal reaches the brain, it is processed and identified as sounds. It is important to note that distinct frequencies of sound waves cause distinct stereocilia in the cochlea to move which is why we can distinguish different pitches. Moreover, the intensity of the sound wave; in other words, how much the pinna and ossicles vibrate due to the sound wave, determines the capacity of the sound we perceive.
There are various sections of our brain that are stimulated when the sound signal reaches the brain, but each area responds distinctly based on how the brain classifies the auditory signal. Some of the areas stimulated when we listen to music are explained below:
The Temporal Lobe
It assists in several roles, one of which is language comprehension. This is important when listening to music since as our brain’s language center; it is able to help us understand the lyrics of the song we’re listening to. There are also two other sub-regions of the temporal lobe that aid in the process of listening to music which are:
- Wernicke's area
- Broca's area
Wernicke’s Area
It is an essential component of the brain that is responsible for the comprehension of speech sounds. For instance, when listening to music, it analyzes and comprehends what we hear, turning the words of a song into specific phrases and stories. Broca’s Area
It is a crucial component of an intricate speech network which devises a plan for speaking and passes it along to the motor cortex that is responsible of controlling the movements of the mouth. When listening to music, it aids us in forming our own words so we can sing alongside the music or converse with others regarding what we are listening to.The Amygdala
The amygdala, another fundamental part of the temporal lobe, is responsible for emotional processing, managing both negative and positive emotions especially anxiety and fear. The amygdala also contributes in the management of autonomic and endocrine functions as well as decision-making and the adaptation of inborn and motivational behaviors to alterations in one’s setting. The amygdala is a paired structure, meaning each person has two, one on each side of his brain. The amygdala also takes a part in the activation of the fight-or-flight instinct of the brain, where it processes the sounds we hear and determines our emotional response towards them, that’s why music can activate those emotional signals. For example, when we listen to calming music we feel a sense of tranquility, whereas when we listen to music such as that of horror movies we feel a sense of fear.
The frontal lobe is responsible for voluntary movement, expressive language as well as the management of advanced executive functions which are a collection of cognitive skills such as thinking, planning, reasoning, and organizing as well as self-monitoring and controlling one's responses. The relation of music and the frontal lobe rests in how one’s interests and opinions about music and specifically one’s tastes in genres and songs, branch from the activities of the frontal lobe.
The cerebellum plays an essential role when listening to music. For instance, it maintains balance and coordinates movement by timing muscle actions and sending signals to the body to move. Therefore, the cerebellum in performers who dance to a certain song is usually what allows them to move in time with the music. Additionally, the cerebellum teaches the body movements that entail practice; thus, playing an instrument is entirely dependent on this specific part of the brain.
Moreover, the cerebellum manages muscle memory, that’s why Alzheimer’s patients who previously played instruments were still capable of doing that even after losing their memory.
The hippocampus is mainly responsible for the formation of memories besides aiding in the process of learning and storing of information. Not to mention that it is also part of the brain’s limbic system which is involved in the regulation of emotional responses to certain things; this can be tied to memories linked with related triggers.
It is important to note that studies found that the repetitive nature of music triggers short-term memory while simultaneously building long-term memories. That’s the reason behind why people are capable of remembering a song they listened to on the radio a day before, but can also recall the outfit they wore that day and who else was in the car when they heard that song around 30 years later.
As the melodies of music enter our brains, one of the first things that occur is the activation of the orbitofrontal cortex that releases dopamine, a neurotransmitter that is responsible for feelings of pleasure, satisfaction and motivation. That is why listening to music is tied with feelings of happiness and pleasure.
Moreover, research has revealed that listening to music enhances one’s health by boosting antibodies and cells that defend our body against bacteria. Not to mention that music has also proven to treat various diseases and conditions such as depression and even Parkinson's disease.
Finally, learning to play an instrument significantly increases the gray matter volume, which consists of neuronal cell bodies and their dendrites, in certain areas of the brain which often leads to improvement in brain functions like auditory processing, learning, and memory.
Moreover, research has revealed that listening to music enhances one’s health by boosting antibodies and cells that defend our body against bacteria. Not to mention that music has also proven to treat various diseases and conditions such as depression and even Parkinson's disease.
Finally, learning to play an instrument significantly increases the gray matter volume, which consists of neuronal cell bodies and their dendrites, in certain areas of the brain which often leads to improvement in brain functions like auditory processing, learning, and memory.
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