Music and the Brain. How your brain responds to music.Music and the Brain. Music can have the most diverse effects on our minds and bodies. It can sooth us, motivate us, lift us and even relieve the boredom of mundane tasks. It can vividly bring back the memory of that first date or special holiday. It is all around us and is an important part of our identity and culture. So just what is going on in our brains when we listen to a piece of music? To begin our exploration lets first look at how we hear.
How do we hear? Sound causes vibration in the air which then enters the brain through the ears. The sound hits a thin stretched membrane, the ear drum, causing it to vibrate. This vibration passes in turn to three small bones, the hammer anvil and stirrup. The sound vibration then reaches the cochlea which is composed of millions of hair like nerve endings. These nerve endings pick up the sound, transferring it on to the auditory nerve which in turn passes it to the temporal region of the brain and the cerebral cortex, interpreting the sound and creating meaning for us. How Music affects the Brain. Research on Music and the Brain has been greatly advanced through the use of MRI scans. These illuminate and highlight the areas of activity in the brain when music or sound is played. The findings show how the brain reacts to musical stimulus. Areas of the brain which process language, movement, emotion and memory all ‘light up’ in response to music’s melody, harmony, rhythm, interval and pitch. Musical vibration also stimulates a cocktail of hormones and neurotransmitters which can excite us, calm us, cheer us up or make us sad. As each of us are the product of our own unique life experiences, we will each interpret the same piece of music in our own way. Musical Genes. Could it be that we have a certain amount of musicality hardwired into our genes due to the process of evolution? Musical sounds may well have preceded language for our ancient ancestors. Indeed it may have been a necessary part of survival. The oldest part of our brain ‘The Limbic System,’ responsible for basic body functions and their regulation, also plays a major part in our emotional response to music. Music and the Mind. The Early Years. Infants in the womb are susceptible to music, the ear being the first organ to develop. From about eighteen weeks infants will actively listen to music. It has been shown that singing and playing music to your unborn child will greatly enhance musical development. Chose what you play them carefully though, discordant or dissonant sounds will cause them to squirm and turn away, whereas they will turn towards harmonious sound. Foetal heartbeats steady when an infant is exposed to classical music and the infant becomes quieter. Rock music agitates the foetus and heart rate increases along with more pronounced movement and kicking. Young children who learn to play a musical instrument have been found to perform better in other subject areas. They show greater dexterity, verbal ability and self disciplined. By playing alongside others social and co-operative skills are also increased. Music is an important part of our lives. It appeals to us on so many levels. Confucius puts it beautifully. “ Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without.”
|
