Ainslie O’Connor O’Connor 1

Professor Spicer

Human nature

25 February 2024

How Does Music Affect Health

Music in any form, listening, passing, music-making, impacts how our brains not only

process things, but how we engage with others. Music can affect personality, quality of life, how

we react to situations, and health, both mental and physical. Music is tightly linked to better

mental health. Without music, we could not function as a society. Without music the world dies.

Since the brain is divided into four different lobes, which are responsible for different

functions, the occipital lobe, frontal lobe, temporal lobe, and parietal lobe, all four parts of the

brain react when listening to music. As quite a large amount of humans are empaths, listening to

upbeat, cheerful music, will make us more likely to be in a happier, less stressful, depressive

mood. Though, each genre of music affects your brain differently. For example, classical music

is proven to help you focus. A tempo of 60 bpm increases the efficiency of your brain processing

information. It promotes calmness and tranquility. Rock music can increase positive emotions

and feelings, reduce stress, improve productivity, and regulate mood. Pop music is shown to

uplift us and help us exercise more efficiently. Rhythmic drumming is best for meditation. Jazz

music aids in destressing and heals us emotionally. Metal music gives us a strong sense of self

and a strong sense of identity. Any upbeat music can increase our immune system, which is very

interesting.

According to an experiment done on two Swedish twins, being exposed to music, in all

forms, proved to show a better emotional competence than other people who did not listen to

music. There had been over 46 studies that also proved this to be true. The people who
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Human nature

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participated in these studies were better equipped for managing emotions, more positive self

view, being able to problem solve stronger, and communicating with others in a healthier way

(Wesseldijk, 2019). Another study among 1000 Australian adults, people who engaged in

listening to music were shown to facilitate superior health as opposed to the adults who did not

engage in listening to music. This study, unlike the others, had no association with well-being

caused by music forms such as playing music or the composing of music (Wang, 2022). As

children, we become very familiar with certain sounds, smells, etc. Those sounds and smells

stick with us throughout our lives. They have a positive effect on our well-being as well as

mental health. These sounds bring back good memories, which increase the serotonin that travels

to our brains. Experiments similar to this are called ‘Experimental Studies’. This particular

experiment is called ‘Music Therapy’ which requires a licensed music therapist to be present. A

music therapy study of 251 children with social/emotional issues, showed the extremely positive

effects music had on their communication skills. Psychiatric Music Therapy is only performed

by professionals in mental hospitals, mental health centers, private practices, general hospitals,

rehabilitation centers, and special education (Queen’s University, 2014).

Active music-making, music listening, and any passing music engagement has been

shown to activate our dopaminergic pathways in which the same pathway is activated in the use

of illicit substances. There have been similar intervention studies with people who have ADHD.

The results proved a decrease in inattention, decrease of negative mood, and increased reading

comprehension. University students are much more susceptible to mental illness. This is because

of their age, life events, stress, and amount of workload they have. More stressors that could
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trigger or cause mental health issues for college students are financial concerns, academic

success or failure, roommate/partner disputes, family concerns, career issues, and the future.

More than 1 in 3 students have multiple symptoms of depression and other severe mental

illnesses. Nearly 1 in 10 students have considered attempting suicide. However, the thought

crosses everyone's minds. Even if you mistakenly think you are happy. In a university survey,

94% of the university counseling faculty reported an increase in the number of students who

have exhibited ‘psychological problems’. Five years prior to the study, an 89% increase in

students who had anxiety disorders (Eleftheriades, 2020). A survey done by the US Organisation

National Alliance of Mental Illness, reported 64% of students who left school before graduation,

left due to a ‘mental health related reason’ (Hrala, 2022). Stress is not a small concern. It can

cause many other medical issues such as ulcers, high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, and

diabetes.

In recent research, it was found that blood flows more easily when music is played. It also

reduces heart rate, lowers blood pressure, decreases stress levels, and increases serotonin and

endorphin levels, elevates mood, boosts the production of dopamine, and oxytocin, the chemical

which fosters the ability and drive to communicate and connect with others. Although there is no

cure for Alzheimer's disease or dementia, through music therapy, symptoms are lessened. Music

has been found to slow cognitive decrease, helping these patients remember more from their

lives. If the patient is irritated or upset, it will calm them, improve their mood, and increase

communication in them. Autobiographical memories are the long term memories which are

personally experienced. One component is Episodic autobiographical memories, which are

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Professor Spicer

Human nature

25 February 2024

closely tied to the memories that refer to spatial and temporal contexts. Another component is

emotion. Emotional memories are more simple to recall as they provoke such strong feelings,

which are harder to forget, rather than memories without an emotional reaction.

Alzheimer’s patients are able to learn new songs and react emotionally to music. Among

these patients, caretakers began to implement music therapy into their routine with their patients.

They found that it improved mood, reduced depressive symptoms and anxiety, ability to recall

autobiographical memories, speech ability, and cognition (Matziorinis, 2022). The temporal lobe,

which is primarily responsible for managing your emotions and storing and retrieving

information is incredibly important as that is the part of the brain affected by Alzheimer’s. More

specifically, the hippocampus. The hippocampus is an area of the brain that lies within the

temporal lobe. It has a key role in memory and learning. It is highly susceptible to damage from

neurological and psychiatric disorders.

The earliest reference to music therapy dates back to 1789. However the first recorded

musical therapy ‘session’ and systematic experiments were conducted in the 1800s. All art fills

the human need for physiological and psychological patterns, form, sensory stimulation, and

sensory elaboration. Music makes the world around us more tolerable. Music has a way of

making us feel in control. In almost all cultures, music is very important. Most use it for

constructive purposes. Music promotes psychological closeness which allows the relationship to

develop within yourself without words. It is shown that music dissipates the feeling of being

lonely or alone. The words and melodies distract our active minds from the harsh reality outside
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of our headphones. The majority of people listen to music in their downtime. People listen to

music while driving, exercising, walking to class, doing homework, etc. Music has no rules,

which allows the greatest amount of self expression. There is a genre of music for anyone.

In 2020, a study was done that concluded that working out with music improves your

mood, which helps your body exercise more efficiently, and cuts down on your awareness of

exertion. It also leads to longer workouts (Reid Health). Research has shown that music and

exercise have been extremely beneficial since 1911. Investigator Leonard Ayres found that

cyclists went faster while listening to music rather than pedaling in silence. Since this research

psychologists conducted over 100 studies on how music changes people’s physical exertion

performance (Ayres, 2013).

In culture, music plays an important role in connectivity and life. At many cultural

festivals, the music being played has a deep significance to the community. At these festivals,

there is typically dancing, music, food, and many more significant cultural roles. These sounds

and patterns help people form opinions on their culture. It is a time to connect with others who

could possibly teach you something you did not know about your culture. Music can help teach a

child about their heritage, foster language development, or present new values. Educating

children about different cultures promotes socialization, tolerance, and openness. A stronger

sense of community leads to more socialization, which is greatly beneficial for people's health. It

helps in reducing signs of anxiety and depression, higher self-esteem, a more profound sense of

empathy, and more cooperative, trusting friendships (Services, Department of Health & Human,

2021). One simple way for people to begin friendships, is a shared interest in the same music.
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This makes the foundation of the relationship as music is such a vulnerable tool, and is easily

bonded over. These characteristics can lead to an appreciation of diversity and assist in

establishing new relationships. It is a way to visualize life and instigate deep memories

suppressed inside of the mind. Although music is incredibly beneficial for all living things, there

are cases of exposing violent, aggressive music to children that can lead to a life full of trouble

and struggle. For example, when children are exposed to music with violent lyrics, they are

linked to emotional and behavioral issues, including, but not limited to; aggression, substance

abuse, risky sexual behavior, and suicide (Pratt, 2024). These words will cultivate a strong

feeling of hostility within these young, impressionable children. Pratt uses the song “Kim” by

Eminem, as an example of harmful and violent lyrics. Some lyrics include the following, “You

and your husband have a fight, one of you tries to grab a knife; And during the struggle he

accidentally gets his Adam's apple sliced (No!); And while this is going on, his son just woke up;

And he walks in, she panics, and he gets his throat cut; (Oh my God!) So now they both dead;

And you slash your own throat; So now it's double homicide and suicide with no note”. These

lyrics are incredibly chilling, and would be more traumatic to a young child hearing the anger,

hostile, and disturbing words, portrayed as if this is normal behavior. Having these types of lyrics

embedded into a child's brain, is incredibly dangerous and risky behavior. On the other hand,

children who listened to classical music such as Mozart or Beethoven showed an increase in

creativity, listening skills, improved brain function, stimulated brain development, and had a

soothing effect on their brains and attitude. Music has been proved to activate multiple areas of

the brain. The Circuit part of the brain helps us to comprehend how others feel, what they are
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feeling, and to predict how they might behave, this is called ‘theory of mind’, which is directly

linked to the human sense called ‘empathy’. Empathy gives us the ability to understand and feel

what others are feeling.

Much like humans, plants enjoy the sound of music as well. Interestingly, different plants

prefer different genres of music. For example, roses react most positively to violin music. For

most plants, classical and jazz music were shown to increase growth, while more aggressive,

harsh, rock music was shown to induce stress, which in turn, stumped growth and the vitality of

the plant decreased significantly. These results are quite possibly due to the fact that the

vibrations of harsh music are too intense and stimulate cells an excessive amount. Plants prefer

gentle, soothing music, which stimulates the cells enough to make them grow faster (Nursery,

Pistils, 2023). This just goes to show how important music is in the world. It affects nature, it

affects everything around us. Where would we be without it?

Without music, we could not function as a society. Without music the world dies. We

need these sounds and patterns to have a sense of familiarity and comfort. They help us

communicate with others, which is a necessity to connect with people different from ourselves.

Through music, we heal what has damaged us in the past. One of the greatest things about music

is that there are so many different and unique genres that appeal to such a wide range of people

all while being interconnected and influenced by the other genres. Music is such a powerful tool

and far too many people do not take the time to listen and truly appreciate the art. Music heals us

in a way that nothing else can.

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Professor Spicer

Human nature

25 February 2024

Work Cited

Gustavson, Daniel E., et al. “Mental Health and Music Engagement: Review, Framework, and

Guidelines for Future Studies.” Translational Psychiatry, vol. 11, no. 1, June 2021,

doi:10.1038/s41398-021-01483-8.

“Keep Your Brain Young With Music.” Johns Hopkins Medicine, 13 Apr. 2022,

www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/keep-your-brain-young-with-

music.

Nursery, Pistils. “Should You Sing to Your Plants? Here’s What the Science Says.” Pistils

Nursery, 20 Jan. 2023,

pistilsnursery.com/blogs/journal/music-and-plant-growth-heres-what-the-science-says.

Covington, Holly. “Therapeutic Music for Patients With Psychiatric Disorders.” Holistic Nursing

Practice, vol. 15, no. 2, Jan. 2001, pp. 59–69, doi:10.1097/00004650-200101000-00009.

MA;, Wesseldijk LW;Ullén F;Mosing. “The Effects of Playing Music on Mental Health

Outcomes.” Scientific Reports, U.S. National Library of Medicine,

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31471550/.

Wang, Feng, et al. “Impact of Music Education on Mental Health of Higher Education Students:

Moderating Role of Emotional Intelligence.” Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 13, June 2022,

https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.938090.
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Queen's University, Belfast. "Music therapy reduces depression in children, adolescents."

ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 23 October 2014.

<www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/10/141023091841.htm>.

Eleftheriades, Renee, et al. “The Challenges and Mental Health Issues of Academic Trainees.”

F1000Research, vol. 9, no. 104, Feb. 2020, p. 104,

https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.21066.1.

Hrala, Josh. “How Mental Health Is Impacting Student Retention.” Www.nsls.org, 19 Apr. 2022,

www.nsls.org/blog/how-mental-health-is-impacting-student-retention.

“Blog | 5 Benefits of Listening to Music When You Exercise.” Reid Health,

www.reidhealth.org/blog/music-and-exercise-5-benefits-of-listening-to-music-when-you-

exercise#:~:text=Because%20music%20elevates%20mood%20it.

Jabr, Ferris. “Let’s Get Physical: The Psychology of Effective Workout Music.” Scientific

American, 20 Mar. 2013,

www.scientificamerican.com/article/psychology-workout-music/.

Matziorinis, Anna Maria, and Stefan Koelsch. “The Promise of Music Therapy for Alzheimer’s

Disease: A Review.” Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, vol. 1516, no. 1, July

2022, https://doi.org/10.1111/nyas.14864.

“Improving Mental Health through Music.” Glendale Library, Arts & Culture,

www.eglendalelac.org/wellness-wednesday/improving-mental-health-through-music#:~:t

ext=Classical%20music%20is%20a%20winner. Accessed 17 Mar. 2024.

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Services, Department of Health & Human. “Strong Relationships, Strong Health.”

Www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au, 2021,

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text=The%20benefits%20of%20social%20connections.

“The Benefits of Listening to Classical Music for Young Children.” Alpha Discovery Kids, 7

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Pratt, Joseph. “The Impact of Violent Music Lyrics on Kids.” Gabb, 8 Feb. 2024,

gabb.com/blog/violent-musics-impact-on-youth/#:~:text=Researchers%20have%20sugge

sted%20that%20exposure.

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an-Brain/27-03-2019-168501/.

Bryant, Gregory. “Animal signals and emotion in music: coordinating affect across groups”

Frontiers, 24 Dec. 2013,

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00990/full