AN

INVESTIGATORY

PROJECT

ON

By Darsh, Raja & Tejas.

 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

A project is an excellent opportunity for learning and self-

development. We consider ourselves fortunate and
privileged to have such wonderful mentors guide us through
the journey for the completion of the project.

Our heartfelt gratitude to our Teacher Guide, Mrs.

Priyavadini, for her patience and belief in us. Her exemplary
investment in the complete process, constant
encouragement and insightful feedback helped us achieve
our objective/s.

Our sincere thanks to Mrs. Anjali Bowen, Principal, Ryan

International School, who despite being extraordinarily busy
took time out to address us and guide us.

Lastly, we would like to thank our family members whose

support helped us to complete the project within the
deadline.
 INDEX

1. Material evidence

2. Transcript and case studies

3. Mental problems

4. Report

5. Musical Therapies

6. Reflection

7. Bibliography
 MATERIAL EVIDENCE

Research shows the benefits of music therapy for various mental

health condition, including depression, trauma, and Alzheimer. Music
acts as a medium for processing emotions, trauma, and grief—but
music can also be utilized as a regulating or calming agent for anxiety
or for dysregulation. Music is also helpful for the patients with
fibromyalgia. People given the opioid blocking drug Naltrexone
experienced less pleasure while listening to their favorite music,
suggesting that musical activates the release of pain relieving
opioids.

Listening to certain music can take your mind back decades in an

instant. A study was conducted on 89 people with dementia, where
the patient and the caretakers were randomly assigned either a 10
week music listening coaching group, a 10 week singing coaching
group or a regular care. The results showed that compared with
usual care, both singing and music listening improved mood,
orientation, and remote episodic memory and to a lesser extent, also
attention and executive function and general cognition. Singing also
enhanced short – term and working memory and caregiver well –
being, whereas music listening had a positive effect on the quality of
life.

Therefore, Music is said to enhance intelligence and focus, improve

mental health, and boost the immune system as well as self-esteem
and confidence. It can be used to relax, to boost and lift our mood, or
to improve concentration. Music can also be used to aid in insomnia,
helping to encourage and induce a deeper sleep. Many people have
expressed how music can quickly and effectively transport them to a
better time, place, or memory.
 TRANSCRIPT

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRE624795zU

0:21: Activates every known part of the Brain

1:22: FMRI test

2:03: Effects of Music on Brian

3:03: Playing Instruments and its Results

4:55: Physiological Response

6:58: Manifests Pleasure

8:03: Case study (Gabrielle Giffords)

9:12: Making music and its results

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZFFwy5fwYI

0:59: Evokes our Memories

1:31: Stimulate Emotions
1:44: Makes us feel Energize
2:15: Effects:-Biologically
2:39: Music is a Universal Human Skill!
4:03: Why Music is Important?
4:27: How does our Brain Responses to Music?
5:50: Power of Music:-Changes our prospective
7:44: How Music is processed in our Brain
11:54: Release of Dopamine
12:31: Release of Oxytocin
13:21: Curing Diseases and Disorders
14:12: Developing Social skills
 CASE STUDIES

1st:
Gabrielle Giffords, a former United States
representative; On 8 January, 2011 was shot.
Due to this accident, she was unable to
communicate and thus developed Aphasia. Left
side of her brain was affected. Neurologic
music therapy or NMT helped Gabrielle to
communicate again. In this therapy, patient is
made to listen music and sing it loud. During
this rhythm, pitch and volume are changed in
continuous intervals. Today Gabrielle Giffords is
a Congresswoman and can communicate with
an ease.
2nd:

Henry, an old man of nearly 72; Suffering from

a well-known disease, Alzheimer. In this
condition, memory loss, confusion with time or
place, difficulty completing easy tasks, etc. is
normal. To cure this, music plays a very vital
role. When Henry in the nursing house was
made to listen music, the expressions he made
were clear as crystals seeming like he was
feeling it. Henry started expressing, felt
energetic and confident. In this manner, Music
helps such patients cure psychological
problems and lead a happy and stable mental
life.
 MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS

Depression (major depressive disorder) is a common and serious

medical illness that negatively affects how you feel, the way you
think and how you act. Depression causes feelings of sadness and/or
a loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed. It can lead to a
variety of emotional and physical problems and can decrease your
ability to function at work and at home. Symptoms include feeling
sad or having a depressed mood, Loss of interest or pleasure in
activities once enjoyed, changes in appetite, Trouble sleeping or
sleeping excessively, Loss of energy or increased fatigue.

How music helps in cure of Depression?

Music has been associated with emotions. Listening to live music also
has been linked to a release of oxytocin, which is known as the love
or trust neurotransmitter. Oxytocin helps us bond with others and
socialize, which can be an important part of treating this disorder of
Depression. In fact, playing music is better than simply listening to it.

Autism (Autism Spectrum Disorder) refers to broad range of

conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive
behaviour etc. It impacts the nervous system and affects the overall
cognitive, emotional, social and physical health of the affected
individual. Symptoms include inappropriate social interaction, poor
eye contact, repetitive moments, learning disabilities, problem
paying attention etc.

How music helps in cure of Autism?

Music therapy is an ideal channel that helps such children to improve

their communication and interaction skills which are not developed
to normal levels otherwise. Music therapy basically gives an easier
avenue to such children to communicate. Children can use singing,
playing instruments, song writing, listening to songs and music to
make their communications skills better. Music therapies helps
individuals suffering from ASD identity and appropriately express
their emotions as it processed by both the hemispheres of brain and
can stimulate cognitive functioning in the right manner.

Alzheimer (Neurocognitive disorder) A progressive neurological

disease that destroys memory and other important mental functions.
Brain cell connections and the cells themselves degenerate and die,
eventually destroying memory and other important mental
functions. The early signs of the disease include forgetting recent
moments or conversations. As the disease progresses, a person with
Alzheimer’s disease will develop severe memory impairment,
confusion and difficulty to carry the simplest tasks.

How music helps in cure of Alzheimer?

Music interventions have been widely adopted as a potential non-

pharmacological therapy for patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD)
to treat cognitive and/or behavioural symptoms of the disease.
Music listening may act as a relaxation technique and therefore
provide a long-term impact for the patient, while active music
therapy may acts to engage participants through social interaction
and provide acute benefits. Music helps to activate the section of the
brain responsible for memory retention, this means music triggers
memories of past.
 REPORT

Music is one of the most universal ways of expression and

communication for humankind and is present in the everyday lives of
people of all ages and from all cultures around the world. The
potential for musical behaviour is a characteristic of all human
beings, its realization is shaped by the environment and the
experiences of individuals. Listening to music, singing, playing,
creating, whether individually and collectively, are common activities
for the vast majority of people. The earliest music instrument is The
Bone flute which is nearly 40,000 years ago
Music represents an enjoyable activity in and of itself, but its
influence goes beyond simple amusement. These activities not only
allow the expression of personal inner feelings, but also can bring
about many positive effects in those who engage in them. Learning
in and through music is something that can happen in the home with
family and friends, often non-sequentially and not necessarily
intentional, and where participation in music learning is voluntary,
rather than mandated has been proven an effective way of learning
with results.
Music hits different with different node and tone, sometimes it’s
peaceful but sometimes can be vulgar. It can be all seen using MRI
scan or ECG test. Thus, music is not same all the time. People react to
different music differently. Every time we listen to music, our brain
release a chemical called “Dopamine”. Dopamine can be released by
different parts or by the brain. This is the same chemical that is being
used to treat when someone’s high on drugs, thus brain’s reaction to
music is same as the that to drug. And therefore, it can be used to
treat medical conditions.
Music has an extraordinary capacity to evoke memories, to allow us
to remember things that have happened in the past. It has an
extraordinary power to stimulate our emotions and memories. Music
also affects us at a biological level, internally, affects the blood
pressure, heart rate, hormones; externally, gives us goose bumps or
spine tingling chills or can drive us to tears. Our sensitivity to pain is
also decreased when you're involved in group music - making
activities as our levels of stress hormone cortisol decreases.

Now, the question arises, How do you hear? Sound enters ears and
travels along your ear canal. It sets off a wave of vibrations from your
eardrum to the snail-shaped cochlea in your inner ear. These
vibrations stimulate sensory hair cells in your cochlea. This generates
a nerve impulse which travels along your cochlear nerve to your
brain. The temporal lobe processes the sound.

With that being said, let’s conceive the brain’s response to music.
We know Brain has two hemispheres, accordingly, Right hemisphere
of the brain activates when you hear melodies with a variety of pitch
and timbre, also lights up when people play music by ear. Left
hemisphere of the brain lights up when you learn to read music,
understand key signature and notation, and follow the sequence of
notes. Significantly, the brain is activated in the same area that is
involved in analytical and mathematical thinking.

So, Music is a social glue which clearly enhances our sense of mental
well-being. Music is also used in the treatment of certain
developmental disorders such as Autism. It is also used in
rehabilitation therapies to improve mood and motor performance in
patients who have suffered from a stroke or had a brain injury. Music
is an effective therapy that clearly should be widely used within the
medical community.
 Musical Therapies

◊ Singing: Singing has been proven an effective measure to

enhance emotional, social, and cognitive skiils.

◊ Playing Musical Instruments: Our technical skills are utilized to

play the instrument and affect the left side of the brain, while
the new creative ideas or improvisation flowing through us
affect the right side. In addition, we are tapping into the power
of our hearts by embedding the music with our emotion.

◊ Dancing on the Beat: Research indicates that specific musical

beats can affect your mood by inducing different brain wave
frequencies and can induce a deeply relaxed state.

◊ Brain Wave Entrainment: Another powerful way to have an

effect on the brain with music, sound, and vibration is through
brain wave entrainment.

◊ Song writing: Song writing is one of the most engaging thing, it

helps people think and relax.

◊ Relaxing and meditating to music.

 BIBLIOGRAPHY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZFFwy5fwYI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcFFwk40t1k

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRE624795zU

https://pulsetms.com/

https://www.neurogenbsi.com/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
 ACTION PLAN

We have always been attracted towards acts of enquiry, reason, and

effects posed by music within the society as a subject and the
influence it poses on the mental health in everyday life of the people.
The interest of ours has driven us towards choosing this topic for our
project. In the brink of time, we did our research, collected reliable
information and classified it in a simpler and easy to understand way
in this project during our school days. Our pursuits have helped us
sharpen our observation and analysis skills within and outside school.
After getting well equipped with information and the
perspective on the topic, we have scripted the report while
keeping in view everyone’s understanding of the subject,
problems caused and the solutions that are valid for the
argument.
 STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

We chose to go with this specific topic as am sure our dedication,

determination and quick learning quotient will help us tide the
challenges coming up during this project. We will prove our mettle in
all such situations through hard work and disciplined approach. Our
sociable nature makes us mingle with each other effortlessly and it will
be our endeavour to create a report as a memorandum of creating
value in the field of English and Music synergistically.
Certainly, influence of music over mental health is going to determine
the future growth potential of humankind in its respective sphere
making it a potential factor to affect lives.
With strong roots in research, love for the topic and indefatigable
spirit to develop an extraordinary report, we will become a vital
resource in demand with our work. Our synchronised work and
inclination towards bringing out an effective and efficient output will
surely give us an edge to complete the report effortlessly as a group.
We will leave no stone unturned to derive maximum benefit out of
this research work and apply it for filing an appropriate report with all
the field-based problems and solutions covered. Let us commit to give
our 100% to this project and convert it into one of the best works you
would have ever come across!