The Soundtrack of your Life: Beneficial Effects of Music

 
 
Photo by Eric Nopanen on Unsplash

Photo by Eric Nopanen on Unsplash

 
 

Music is all around. It is our everyday companion, although we may not always be aware of its presence. In the morning, we wake up to the alarm which might be a song played on the radio or a tune on our smartphone device. Some of us are singing under the shower. On our way to work, we sing along to the latest hits on the radio while driving the car. Using public transportation, we move our heads or toes to the rhythm of the song we are listening to via earphones. Supermarkets and bars often play music in the background, usually intentionally attuned to its customers. In our leisure time, we are actively engaged in music, for example, playing an instrument, singing in a choir or in a karaoke bar, dancing, listening to activating music while engaging in physical exercise, or visiting a concert. Maybe not all of us are blessed with musical talents. However, all of us are natural born music listeners. As babies, we got comfort by listening to our parents’ gentle humming when they lull and rock us to sleep. Later in life, we continue to intentionally listening to music. In short, music plays an essential part in our lives and culture, and for our identity.

 

Music is Good for Your Mind, Body and Soul

There is ample evidence that music listening has beneficial effect on our health and well-being, for example:

  • Mood and arousal regulation (e.g., to induce and heighten emotional states and arousal),

  • Stress reduction (e.g., distraction, relaxation),

  • Pain management (e.g., reduced opiate intake after surgery if listening to music),

  • Improved cognition and concentration (e.g., ambient instrumental music is supposed to facilitate the listener to focus and concentrate while studying), or

  • Social bonding and interaction (e.g., audience of a concert).

According to researchers, the beneficial effect of music is mediated by underlying physiological processes in our body. Literally, music reaches our ears, it is processed in our brain and exerts its effects on the whole body (e.g., cardiac activity, stress hormones, and immune mediators).

 

Music is a Personal Experience

However, the beneficial effects of music are found to be influenced by various factors, suggesting a music-person-situation interaction.

Obviously, music characteristics play an important role whether and how music affects us, for example:

  • Rhythm,

  • Timbre,

  • Spectral flux, and

  • Valence.

Person-specific characteristics of the listener shapes how they experience music:

  • Music preferences,

  • Familiarity and autobiographical memories,

  • Musical training and expertise,

  • Personality traits (e.g., extraverts prefer upbeat and energetic music),

  • (Mental) health status,

  • Cognitive style of music listening (empathizer vs. systemizer, i.e. emotional or analytical music listener),

  • Habitual mood regulation strategies, and

  • Personal importance of music.

Situational factors determine how the listener is prone to the effects of music in a specific situation:

  • Control over music selection (self-selected vs. selected by others),

  • Reason for listening (e.g., relaxation, activation, distraction, against boredom, against loneliness),

  • Presence of others, and

  • Initial mood.

 

Summary and Conclusion

In summary, music provides a valuable but often underestimated tool for our well-being and (mental) health. So please give music a try and find out for yourself whether and how you may benefit from music. You are the person who knows best what is good for you, whether and how you may implement music in your life. Put your headphones on and listen to your favorite song. Refresh your guitar skills on your dusty guitar. You may practice your mindfulness skills by acknowledging the beauty of the city noise or the voice of nature (e.g., birds, wind in the trees, or waves on the beach).

Even in tough times like these, with the current pandemic (COVID-19) is restraining our daily life, music is still able to bring joy to our lives and unite people. Artists give free concerts on social media. Citizens in Italy made the news by legendary balcony concerts and thus, set an example of human connection and social support in times of social distancing.

How does music makes your life better? What is the soundtrack of your life?

References

Chanda, M. L., & Levitin, D. J. (2013). The neurochemistry of music. Trends in cognitive sciences, 17(4), 179-193. doi: 10.1016/j.tics.2013.02.007

Yehuda, N. (2011). Music and stress. Journal of Adult Development, 18(2), 85-94. doi: 10.1007/s10804-010-9117-4

Kreutz, G., Schubert, E., & Mitchell, L. A. (2008). Cognitive styles of music listening. Music perception: An interdisciplinary journal, 26(1), 57-73. doi: 10.1525/mp.2008.26.1.57

Schäfer, T., & Mehlhorn, C. (2017). Can personality traits predict musical style preferences? A meta-analysis. Personality and Individual Differences, 116, 265-273.doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2017.04.061

Wuttke-Linnemann, A., Feneberg, A., & Nater, U. M. (2019). Music and Health. in M. Gellman (Hrsg.), Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine New York: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4614-6439-6_101901-1

 
 
 
guest blogNadja ConaghanmusicComment