speech on benefits of music

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The power of music: how it can benefit health

“I think music in itself is healing,” American musician Billy Joel once said. “It’s an explosive expression of humanity. It’s something we are all touched by. No matter what culture we’re from, everyone loves music.” Most of us would wholeheartedly agree with this statement, and it is this universal bond with music that has led researchers across the globe to investigate its therapeutic potential.

We can all think of at least one song that, when we hear it, triggers an emotional response. It might be a song that accompanied the first dance at your wedding, for example, or a song that reminds you of a difficult break-up or the loss of a loved one.

“We have a such a deep connection to music because it is ‘hardwired’ in our brains and bodies,” Barbara Else, senior advisor of policy and research at the American Music Therapy Association told Medical News Today . “The elements of music – rhythm, melody, etc. – are echoed in our physiology , functioning and being.”

Given the deep connection we have with music, it is perhaps unsurprising that numerous studies have shown it can benefit our mental health . A 2011 study by researchers from McGill University in Canada found that listening to music increases the amount of dopamine produced in the brain – a mood-enhancing chemical, making it a feasible treatment for depression .

And earlier this year, MNT reported on a study published in The Lancet Psychiatry that suggested listening to hip-hop music – particularly that from Kendrick Lamar – may help individuals to understand mental health disorders .

But increasingly, researchers are finding that the health benefits of music may go beyond mental health, and as a result, some health experts are calling for music therapy to be more widely incorporated into health care settings.

In this Spotlight, we take a closer look at some of the potential health benefits of music and look at whether, for some conditions, music could be used to improve – or even replace – current treatment strategies.

Reducing pain and anxiety

Bob Marley once sang: “One good thing about music, when it hits you feel no pain.” According to some studies, this statement may ring true.

Earlier this year, MNT reported on a study led by Brunel University in the UK that suggested music may reduce pain and anxiety for patients who have undergone surgery.

By analyzing 72 randomized controlled trials involving more than 7,000 patients who received surgery, researchers found those who were played music after their procedure reported feeling less pain and anxiety than those who did not listen to music, and they were also less likely to need pain medication.

This effect was even stronger for patients who got to choose the music they listened to. Talking to MNT , study leader Dr. Catharine Meads said:

“ If music was a drug, it would be marketable. […] Music is a noninvasive, safe, cheap intervention that should be available to everyone undergoing surgery.”

This study is just one of many hailing music for its effects against pain. In March 2014, researchers from Denmark found music may be beneficial for patients with fibromyalgia – a disorder that causes muscle and joint pain and fatigue .

Listening to calm, relaxing, self-chosen music “reduced pain and increased functional mobility significantly” among 22 patients with fibromyalgia , according to the investigators.

But why does music appear to ease pain? While the exact mechanisms remain unclear, many researchers believe one reason is because listening to music triggers the release of opioids in the brain, the body’s natural pain relievers.

Dr. Daniel Levitin, of McGill University in Canada, and colleagues talk about this theory in a 2013 review, citing research that found people experienced less pleasure from listening to their favorite song when given Naltrexone – a drug that blocks opioid signals – suggesting music induces the release of opioids to ease pain.

An effective stress reliever

When feeling stressed, you may find listening to your favorite music makes you feel better – and there are numerous studies that support this effect.

A study reported by MNT last month, for example, found that infants remained calmer for longer when they were played music rather than spoken to – even when speech involved baby talk.

The study researchers, including Prof. Isabelle Peretz of the Center for Research on Brain, Music and Language at the University of Montreal in Canada, suggested the repetitive pattern of the music the infants listened to reduced distress, possibly by promoting “entrainment” – the ability of the body’s internal rhythms to synchronize with external rhythms, pulses or beats.

Another study conducted in 2013 found that not only did listening to music help reduce pain and anxiety for children at the UK’s Great Ormond Street Hospital, it helped reduce stress – independent of social factors .

According to some researchers, music may help alleviate stress by lowering the body’s cortisol levels – the hormone released in response to stress.

The review by Dr. Levitin and colleagues, however, suggests this stress-relieving effect is dependent on what type of music one listens to, with relaxing music found most likely to lower cortisol levels.

Another mechanism by which music may alleviate stress is the effect it has on brainstem-mediated measures, according to Dr. Levitin and colleagues, such as pulse , heart rate, blood pressure and body temperature; again, the effect is dependent on the type of music listened to.

“Stimulating music produces increases in cardiovascular measures, whereas relaxing music produces decreases,” they explain. “[…] These effects are largely mediated by tempo: slow music and musical pauses are associated with a decrease in heart rate, respiration and blood pressure, and faster music with increases in these parameters.”

Music’s effect on heart rate and its potential as a stress reliever has led a number of researchers to believe music may also be effective for treating heart conditions.

Earlier this year, MNT reported on a study presented at the British Cardiology Society Conference in Manchester, UK, in which researchers from the UK’s University of Oxford found repeated musical phrases may help control heart rate and reduce blood pressure – though they noted more research is required in this area.

Music and memory

Certain songs have the ability to remind us of certain periods or events in our lives – some that make us smile, and some we would rather forget.

With this in mind, researchers are increasingly investigating whether music may aid memory recall.

In 2013, a study published in the journal Memory & Cognition enrolled 60 adults who were learning Hungarian. The adults were randomized to one of three learning tasks: speaking unfamiliar Hungarian phrases, speaking the same phrases in a rhythmic fashion or singing the phrases.

When asked to recall the phrases, the researchers found participants who sang the phrases had much higher recall accuracy than the other two groups. “These results suggest that a ‘listen-and-sing’ learning method can facilitate verbatim memory for spoken foreign language phrases,” say the authors.

Evidence from such studies has led researchers to suggest music may help memory recall for people with cognitive disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease .

A study published in the journal Gerontologist last year assessed the effect of music on memory recall in individuals with early-stage dementia .

For the research, 89 people with dementia and their caregivers were randomly assigned to either a 10-week singing coaching group, a 10-week music listening coaching group or usual care.

The results revealed that both the singing and music listening groups not only had better mood and overall well-being that the usual care group, but they demonstrated better episodic memory on cognitive assessments . The singing group also showed better working memory than the usual care group.

“Regular musical leisure activities can have long-term cognitive, emotional, and social benefits in mild/moderate dementia and could therefore be utilized in dementia care and rehabilitation,” the authors concluded.

Helping recover brain injury, treat seizures

Increasingly, research is indicating that music can help aid recovery from brain injury – such as that from stroke .

A 2008 study conducted by researchers from the University of Helsinki in Finland found that stroke patients who listened to music for around 2 hours daily had better verbal memory and attention and a more positive mood than those who listened to an audio book or nothing at all.

What is more, studies have shown that music may aid speech recovery following stroke. One study conducted in 2013 by researchers from Korea, for example, found that stroke patients who developed communication problems after stroke demonstrated improved language ability following 1 month of neurologic music therapy .

Commenting on the possible benefits of music therapy for stroke patients, Barbara Else told MNT :

“ While the neuroscience and research findings around the various music therapy interventions employed to support speech, language, and communication are rapidly growing and evolving, this is an exciting area. When combined with our colleagues’ working with these patients in related disciplines, we often see good results. Many open questions remain but the work is very encouraging.”

It has also been suggested that music may help treat epilepsy – a brain disorder characterized by the occurrence of seizures. Reported by MNT in August, a study found the brains of patients with epilepsy show different responses to music than the brains of those without the condition.

Conducted by Christine Charyton, of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, and colleagues, the study found the brains of people with epilepsy showed greater synchronization in response to music – a “surprising” finding.

“Persons with epilepsy synchronize before a seizure. However, in our study, patients with epilepsy synchronized to the music without having a seizure,” Charyton told us.

These results, Charyton said, could lead to a novel treatment strategy for epilepsy. “Persons with epilepsy may use the music to relax; stress causes seizures to occur,” she explained. “By listening to the music, many patients reported that they felt relaxed.”

Music therapy should be utilized more in health care settings

Based on the substantial evidence that music offers numerous health benefits, many experts are calling for greater utilization of music therapy within health care settings.

“Music therapists are poised and ready to assess, deliver and document music therapy treatment but also to consult with our colleagues (physicians, nurses, physiotherapists physical, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, etc.) to support the patient as part of the interdisciplinary team and care of the patient,” Else told MNT .

In addition, Else believes that music therapy could offer an alternative treatment option for some conditions – such as tension headaches .

“A more complicated case example I can think of, although more rare, is for certain persons who experience seizure activity associated with music and auditory exposures – often high-frequency sounds and rhythmic intensity,” she said.

“Customized music therapy interventions to cope with the offending acoustic exposures can support stabilization of the patient’s symptoms and may, in turn, result in a medication reduction or taper,” she continued.

Based on the research to date, there is certainly evidence that we have much more than just an emotional connection with music. So the next time you put on your favorite track, have a little dance around safe in the knowledge that you are likely to be reaping some health benefits.

• Anxiety / Stress
• Neurology / Neuroscience
• Pain / Anesthetics
• Complementary Medicine / Alternative Medicine

How we reviewed this article:

• American Music Therapy Association, , accessed 19 November 2015. http://www.musictherapy.org/about/musictherapy/
• American Psychological Association, , accessed 19 November 2015. http://www.apa.org/monitor/2013/11/music.aspx
• Cognitive, emotional, and social benefits of regular musical activities in early dementia: randomized controlled study, P. Rantanen et al., Gerontologist , doi: 10.1093/geront/gnt100, published online August 2014, . http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24009169
• Huffington Post , , accessed 19 November 2015. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/02/music-and-health-rock-on_n_6573132.html
• , Eduardo A. Garza-Villarreal et al., Frontiers in Psychology , doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00090, published online February 2014. http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00090/full
• Science Daily , , published February 2008. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080219203554.htm
• Science Nordic , , accessed 19 November 2015. http://sciencenordic.com/music-can-relieve-chronic-pain
• Singing can facilitate foreign language learning, Katie Overy et al., Memory & Cognition , published January 2014, . http://link.springer.com/article/10.3758%2Fs13421-013-0342-5
• , Daniel J. Levitin et al., Trends in Cognitive Sciences , doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2013.02.007, published April 2013. http://daniellevitin.com/levitinlab/articles/2013-TICS_1180.pdf
• The therapeutic effect of neurologic music therapy and speech language therapy in post-stroke aphasic patients, Sung-Kyun Kim et al., Annals of Rehabilitative Medicine , doi:10.5535/arm.2013.37.4.556, published online August 2013, . http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3764351/
• Wellbeing and hospitalized children: Can music help?, David J. Hargreaves et al., Psychology of Music , doi: 10.1177/0305735613499781, published online August 2013, . http://pom.sagepub.com/content/early/2013/08/22/0305735613499781.abstract

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Speech on Music

Speech on Music for Students in English

Music is quite vital in our daily life, it gives a background to different moods, different moments of life. Music helps the soul to rejuvenate, to find the purpose, this music somehow aligns with the soul and hence we feel so connected to the music. It brings joy and happiness to the life of a person. 

Beethoven, a dominant music figure, has rightly said music has the ability to change the world. Music helps us soothe both physically and mentally. Music is the best ailment, according to physicians.

Good Morning to one and all present here on such an auspicious occasion.

Today, June 21 we are celebrating World Music Day to upright the different forms of music and tunes which uplift our earbuds and soothe our soul. 

Just imagine, how would our life be without music? In my view, it would be a life without harmony, without a purified soul. Music is a pleasant flow of melody in the air, which changes with rhythm and with a systematic playing method. This is the skill or art which a musician qualifies in himself and this gives a soothing and cheerful musical performance for an audience.

Music is considered one of the greatest boons of God for all living creatures.  Music helps the sounds to get classified into a rhythm, which helps us to learn and practice music. Also, we can enjoy the harmony and the pleasant rhythm that is made by the musical sounds. The styles of music have changed in recent years drastically. To say there are six eras of musical history - Middle Ages, Renaissance, Classical, Baroque, Romantic music, and the current one in the twentieth century. Music is a common form of entertainment for everybody.

The dictionary meaning of music is a form of art of sound, that explains the ideas and emotions via the elements of rhythm, harmony, and melody. Music soothes our brain and nerves, it helps us to feel relaxed and also refreshed, this soothes our bodies and mind. It removes the anxiety and the stress level from our everyday life. Also, great physicians prescribe music dosage for our ears to heal better from the pain, music is excellent medicine. It is proven that women who are carrying children in their womb are given music therapy from the everyday rush and pain, this soothes their minds.  Music takes us into the world of melody which helps us in forgetting disturbing memories or thoughts.

Music revives the old memories. Music therapy is often considered a great way to solve bigger problems, stress-related issues, our emotions in our daily life. Music also helps the brain to function quickly and effectively and this allows calmness in our daily life schedule. Music helps doctors and psychologists treat their patients well. It helps to calm the patient’s state of brain and their behavior, it soothes the nerves and stabilizes the heartbeat of the patient. Music also helps those patients to recover from brain injuries. Music is a great way to activate our brain cells in different ways. This helps in healing the damaged areas which allows the people to regain their speech and their physical movement. Thus, music can take out people from stressful situations.

I want to end this speech by thanking God for such a gift, music. While if you have the skill to create music you surely have a gift to cherish forever. Also, I would love to thank those talented musicians, who with their beautiful melodies, supported my low times also helped me to celebrate in my good times.

2 Min Speech on Music

Once the famous Shakespeare said, “If music is the food of love, play on, give me excess of it; that surfeiting, the appetite may sicken, and so die.”

Good Morning Everyone present.

Today on this great occasion of World Music Day, I would love to enumerate the importance of music. Music is a quite pleasurable sound that is combined with melodies, and this helps to soothe the ear. A musician is such a person who knows music.

Music is of various styles. This is said that all sounds got the music. Starting from the sound of the waterfall, the sound of the ocean waves, or the simply flowing of the river have got harmony in themselves.

Music can heal a person emotionally and also mentally. Music serves as a form of meditation to quieten the mind. Music cures emotional disorders like anxiety, depression, and also lack of sleep called insomnia.

Music conveys many such emotions to the people. The power of music is inevitable. Without music, life would be very dull and boring, but with the music, even your bad times will sound perfect, as now you can align your emotions well, this, in turn, will help us to deal with bad times. 

For me, music uplifts the soul, energizes me. While I derail from the purpose music pulls me back on track. The word ‘music’ is as lovely as it serves. In the concluding part I would like to say, let the world heal with the melodies of music and let your life flow with the rhythmic cords of music.

10 Lines on Music

For any culture, music captures an essential part. 

Our country is known for its rich musical culture and diversity. 

India has different types of music, and here people have different music tastes.  

The northern part of India is famous for Hindustani music, while the southern part of India is famous for  Carnatic music.

Music can be of 2 types- Vocal music and instrumental music.

Gives us peace of mind. 

Music is played on every occasion. 

Music helps in the treatment of the patients.

To connect with the supreme being, the best way is through the help of music.

Without music, life would be lifeless.

FAQs on Speech on Music

1. How is World Music Day Celebrated?

World Music Day takes place on the 21st of June to honor all the musicians. Around 120 countries celebrate World Music Day by organizing free public concerts in various other public places. In 1982, there was a  music festival that took place in France called Fête de la Musique which later on was called World Music Day. This day honors budding and seasoned artists and allows them to showcase their accomplishments through their music. It also celebrates equality of opportunities in the world of music.

2. When was Renaissance Music Got Alive?

During the Renaissance time, Renaissance Music was written in European Countries. It saw the growth of new instruments, classical music as well as a burst of new ideas related to harmony, rhythm and music notation. During the 15th and 16th centuries, there was a rise in instrumental dances and the introduction of a wide range of classical music and different genres which also comprised masses, motets, madrigals, chansons, etc. By the 20th century, early musical ensembles came into form as Renaissance Music.

3. What are the Various Styles of Music in India?

Classical, Folk, Baul, Bhajan, Rabindra Sangeet are the different music styles in India. In India, there are two different forms of music. One is Carnatic Music which is associated with South India and the other is Hindustani Music which is played in North India. Carnatic Music is called Karnāṭaka saṃgīta and the lyrics of such songs are mainly devotional and dedicated to Hindu deities. The main features include raga and taal which are mandatory to be understood. Hindustani Music has four forms: Dhrupad, Khyal (or Khayal), Tarana, and the semi-classical Thumri.

4. What is the difference between Medieval and Renaissance music?

Unlike medieval music which comprised only vocals, Renaissance music included both instruments and vocals. The main instruments would be harps, flute, violin, etc. Medieval music was monophonic which in the later ages transformed into polyphonic. Renaissance music largely contained buoyant melodies. The Medieval period saw the beginning of music and by the time it reached the Renaissance era, the musical era was already developed to an extent with many music composers in existence like William Byrd and Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina.

5. Is Indian classical music difficult to learn?

Indian classical music sounds too complicated for easy listening. Although it is not difficult to learn, mastering the music forms, both Carnatic and Hindustani, is an uphill task. Unlike Western music which has fixed notes, a note played by two classical music instruments may not sound the same. There are no set compositions or fixed scales. Instead, there are ragas that form the musical framework. Rather than learning the melodies, Indian classical music focuses more on improvisation and there are multiple techniques involved for emoting certain emotions.

Frontiers for Young Minds

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Music and Learning: Does Music Make You Smarter?

What is music and why do people think it is important for learning? Musical sounds fill our lives: from the music you share online to the songs playing in shops and restaurants, we are rarely far from music. Playing music gives the brain a multisensory “workout” that can strengthen memory, help us pay attention, and perhaps even improve reading ability. In this article, we highlight how various brain functions, including hearing, sight, movement, and social awareness, are impacted by music training. You do not have to be a Mozart to get the brain benefit of playing music, because music is so accessible and is more than just songs. Whenever you communicate without words (the way you say something instead of what you say) you are engaging in musical behavior. In this article, we explore research on learning and music to help us understand why music promotes brain development and how music can be a central part of our lives, in and out of the classroom.

Mind the Melody

What is music and why do people think it is important for learning? While people of every culture around the world make something that could be called music, not so many of them give it a name or think of it as separate from other activities, like dance or storytelling [ 1 ]. Because of this, we can only define music in a general way, as a form of communication through sound. Unlike speech, however, music is not generally considered semantic . This means that music does not use words to explain things. Think how difficult it would be to say something relatively simple like, “your left shoe is untied,” using only melody and rhythm . At the same time, music can convey profound emotions that would be difficult to describe in words. In addition to music being an art form, any form of communication is partly musical and can be said to have musicality . Think of the different ways that you might say “huh.” Each of those ways communicates something different. That is musicality. It is not a musical performance, but a musical aspect of communication. While not everyone is a master of the violin, everyone is a master of their own communication style.

At first, some scientists thought that the brain could benefit just by listening to music. They showed that people’s scores on IQ tests improved when they listened to classical music by Mozart [ 2 ]. This led people to believe that listening to music makes you smarter. But this was an oversimplification and an overstatement of the results. Subsequent studies showed that listening to music does not actually make you smarter, but rather raises your level of enjoyment and decreases your feelings of stress, which sometimes result in better focus and improved test scores. This means that, while music in your home or classroom would not automatically improve your performance, it could be useful to help you to focus on a new task or in situations when increased attention and decreased stress are necessary. Further, just listening to music may have a different, or perhaps smaller, effect than actually playing music. This is much the same as the way that playing sports will improve your physical condition more than simply watching sports. Therefore, the focusing power of music could be amplified by playing along.

Music for Brain Power

Just like your muscles, your brain gets stronger the more you exercise it. The process of changing the brain through our experiences is called neural plasticity , because the brain is easily shaped, like plastic. Scientists measure neural plasticity with special brain-imaging techniques, like magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or electroencephalogram (EEG), to find out exactly how playing music changes the way our brains work. Research with these machines, as well as studying the brains of people who have died, shows that auditory (hearing), visual (sight), and motor (movement) areas of the brain are specialized in expert musicians [ 3 ]. The specialization includes not only increased size of each brain area, but also the way each area functions. The science tells us that music is so much more than just a source of entertainment; it is an important part of our lifetime of learning. Here are some of the important things that happen in the brain when we play music (for review, see Zatorre [ 4 ]):

Auditory : The auditory system processes sound more effectively after musical training. People can detect smaller differences in frequency (the number of sound waves per second), making both speech and music easier to hear [ 5 ].

Motor : Brain areas that control instrument-related muscles and body parts (such as the fingers, the mouth, etc.) grow in size. More neurons in the brain are devoted to fine-tuning muscle movement in these areas.

Reading : Studies show that better musical ability is related to higher reading scores, suggesting a link between how well we hear speech and how well we can map speech sounds to letters.

Socio-emotional awareness : Playing music together can enhance socio-emotional awareness, which is the ability identify, manage, and express emotions constructively. A good example of this is that very young children are more likely to interact positively with people they play music with.

Making the Musical Connection

How can music change anything other than what you hear? The reason music can reach so many parts of the brain is that the auditory system is highly interconnected with other sensory areas [ 6 ] ( Figure 1 ). Think of your earliest school days and you will probably remember singing songs. Many of us still sing the alphabet song when trying to remember the position of a given letter. If you do not believe us, what letter is four letters after “M”? Now tell us you did not hear the alphabet song in your mind as you looked for the answer! Songs, with repetitive melodies and rhythms, help us memorize lists, stories, and even processes.

• Figure 1 - Other sensory areas of the brain provide input to the auditory (hearing, in blue) area.
• Multisensory areas, such as the pre-frontal cortex (cognition), motor cortex (movement), and complex auditory cortex are shown in gray and contain small boxes colored to show the senses they interact with. Strong connections to and from auditory and visual areas are considered to be two-way highways, because sensory information is shared between brain areas in both directions (dashed orange lines). Similarly, somatosensory (touch) areas are shown in green and also have two-way connections that share information. Adapted from Musacchia and Schoreder [ 6 ].

Figure 1 shows the pattern of connections between the main auditory area in the brain and the other areas of sensation and perception. When we learn to play music, our senses actively interact, including sight, touch, hearing, balance, movement, and proprioception (body awareness). There are two things that make music fairly unique in this process. First, when you play music, you are using all of your senses. For example, you feel the instrument in your hands, hear the sounds you play and see the notes on the music sheet. Since each different type of sensory information reaches your brain at a different time, your brain must work to synchronize all of this information. Second, when playing music, things happen at different speeds and time scales and must line up precisely. For example, a guitarist must know where s/he is on a beat, in a rhythm, in a melody, in a song, and in a concert, precisely lining up all of these things. While our understanding of how the brain keeps track of all these things remains unclear, it is likely that there are different timekeeping mechanisms (“clocks”) for different timescales (speeds). Some of our research is based on the idea that synchronization between these brain “clocks” could help us analyze other sounds streams like speech.

A Lifetime of Music

Music is also a way that we express our identities: the music we play, or even listen to, can be a way of telling the world, our peers, our parents, and our friends something about who we are. In cultures that do not use writing, singers often hold an important place in society, because they memorize important things like history and family relationships. While musical expression of identity is usually positive, there have been times when one group of people found another group’s music threatening, or even dangerous [ 7 ]. For example, in the late 1980s rap music artists were arrested for performances that authorities thought were hostile and disrespectful.

While you might think of singing a song or playing an instrument as a special activity that you do only at certain times, you should also notice that music and musical sounds fill our lives. Music is played on speakers and sometimes played live, and we can hear music in most public places, on buses, in elevators, and in restaurants. Many of us listen to music through our phones or in our cars as well. Our lives are truly full of music, and so our relationship to music can have a big effect on a lifetime of learning.

Semantic : ↑ Relating to meaning in language or logic.

Melody : ↑ A sequence of single notes that is musically satisfying.

Rhythm : ↑ A strong, regular, repeated pattern of movement or sound.

Musicality : ↑ Musical talent or sensitivity.

IQ Test : ↑ Intelligence quotient, a standard measure of an individual’s intelligence level based on psychological tests.

Neural Plasticity : ↑ The capacity of the nervous system to modify itself in response to experience or deprivation.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank those who assisted in the translation of the articles in this Collection to make them more accessible to kids outside English-speaking countries, and for the Jacobs Foundation for providing the funds necessary to translate the articles. For this article, we would especially like to thank Nienke van Atteveldt and Sabine Peters for the Dutch translation.

[1] ↑ Merriam, A. P., and Merriam, V. 1964. The Anthropology of Music . Evanston, IL: Northwestern University Press.

[2] ↑ Rauscher, F. H., Shaw, G. L., and Ky, K. N. 1995. Listening to Mozart enhances spatial-temporal reasoning: towards a neurophysiological basis. Neurosci. Lett . 185:44–7

[3] ↑ Schlaug, G. 2009. “Music, musicians, and brain plasticity,” in Oxford Handbook of Music Psychology , eds S. Hallam, I. Cross and M. Thaut (Oxford: Oxford University Press), 197–207.

[4] ↑ Zatorre, R. J. 2003. Music and the brain. Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci . 999:4–14. doi: 10.1196/annals.1284.001

[5] ↑ Musacchia, G., Sams, M., Skoe, E., and Kraus, N. 2007. Musicians have enhanced subcortical auditory and audiovisual processing of speech and music. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 104:15894–8. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0701498104

[6] ↑ Musacchia, G., and Schroeder, C. E. 2009. Neuronal mechanisms, response dynamics and perceptual functions of multisensory interactions in auditory cortex. Hear Res . 258:72–9. doi: 10.1016/j.heares.2009.06.018

[7] ↑ Binder, A. 1993. Constructing racial rhetoric: media depictions of harm in heavy metal and rap music. Am. Sociol. Rev. 58:753–67.

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How Music Primes the Brain for Learning

To reap the benefits of music on learning, kids need consistent and abundant musical practice, according to the latest cognitive research.

Ten years ago, musician Angélica Durrell began teaching a small group of Connecticut high school students how to play different percussion instruments, including the charango and toyos —musical instruments native to Central and South America, where many of the students had recently immigrated from. They learned to play Pachelbel’s Canon and then moved on to master “Will You Love Me Tomorrow,” the sixties doo-wop hit by The Shirelles, singing the lyrics in both English and Spanish.

Within a few years, the after-school music program—aimed at Latino students, many of whom were struggling academically—became renowned in the school district, recast from a “nice-to-have” extracurricular into a strategic tool for addressing some of the district’s persistent challenges. Durrell’s students, teachers and school leaders noticed, were attending school more consistently, their English was improving, and they seemed increasingly comfortable making friends.

Today, Durrell’s non-profit program Intempo serves more than 3,000 students each year in Stamford and Norwalk schools, underscoring music’s profound impact on learning from both a cognitive and a social and emotional learning (SEL) vantage point. “We went from approaching it from a music perspective,” Durrell says, “to approaching it from an immigrant inclusion, language acquisition, and grade-level reading-acquisition perspective.”

Consistent exposure to music, like learning to play a musical instrument, or taking voice lessons, strengthens a particular set of academic and social-emotional skills that are essential to learning. In ways that are unmatched by other pursuits, like athletics for instance, learning music powerfully reinforces language skills, builds and improves reading ability, and strengthens memory and attention, according to the latest research on the cognitive neuroscience of music.

Experts are hoping this body of evidence might alter the current state of music education in schools—which is extremely uneven and, in some places, downright nonexistent. In a 2014 survey from Americans for the Arts, a nonprofit advocacy organization, teachers reported that 1.3 million elementary students didn’t have music classes in their schools, and nearly 4 million didn’t have a visual arts class. More recently, data from the 2016 National Assessment of Educational Progress showed improvements in some areas, though arts participation and access varied greatly by region . For example, while 68 percent of eighth-graders had music class in 2016, students in the Northeast were twice as likely to attend music class compared with students in the South and the West, where only one-third of students had access to music classes.

Now, following months of pandemic-related learning disruptions, organizations that track arts education like the federally-funded Arts Education Partnership say it’s difficult to even get a handle on who’s learning music at school.

The Cognitive Benefits of Music

The key to understanding music’s advantages, researchers say, lies in how the brain processes sound, the raw material of music, language, and—perhaps counterintuitively—learning to read. The sounds that come in through our ears travel along an anatomically complex “auditory pathway” that’s deeply connected to parts of the brain that determine how humans move, how we think and speak, what we know, and what we pay attention to. “The hearing brain is vast,” explains neuroscientist Nina Kraus, author of the new book  Of Sound Mind , in an interview with Edutopia . “People think of the hearing brain as being a silo within the brain. In fact, our hearing engages our cognitive, sensory, motor, and reward systems. That’s huge. From an evolutionary perspective, being able to make sense of sound is ancient and has engaged all these different perspectives.”

What makes music learning so powerful is how it engages all those different systems in a single activity. To play the violin, for example, a student needs to coordinate their motor, cognitive, and sensory systems to be able to put their fingers on the correct strings and move the bow at the right time; to read musical notes on a sheet of music and know what sounds they represent; and to hear if the pitches and rhythms are correct and coordinating with other players at the right time. Then there’s how the sound of music makes the student feel, which lights up the brain’s reward system. Engaging all these different systems makes learning how to play music one of the richest and deepest brain activities that humans perform. “Teachers resoundingly tell me that children who play music also do better in school,” Kraus writes. Young musicians also tend to have stronger language and reading skills than non-musicians because their brains have spent more time actively “engaging with sound.”

The type of instrument doesn’t matter: flute, violin, accordion, piano, voice—even abundant exposure to music can make an impact. “What is important is that engaging with sound changes and strengthens how the brain responds to sound,” Kraus says.

Music as Academic Strength Training

At Durban Avenue School in Sussex County, New Jersey, music teacher Shawna Longo calls out a particular rhythm, and then her kindergarteners play it on their Boomwhackers , tuned percussion tubes that come in different sizes and colors to symbolize different pitches. “Now only the red ones! Do ‘I like pepperoni pizza,’” she calls out, and the children play ta-ta-tee-tee-tee-tee-ta-ta. “They can only play when I hold up their color,” she says. “They have to learn when to wait, and when to play.”

The ability to keep a steady beat and anticipate the next beat, research has shown , are reliable indicators that a child is ready to learn to read. But keeping rhythm isn’t the only musical skill that paves the way for language development and reading, notes education researcher Anita Collins in her new book, The Music Advantage .

Learning to read music—decoding musical notation and connecting it to sounds—activates the same “phonological loop” in the brain as when kids learn to read words, deepening sound-word connections. Collins describes the process in her book:

• The eye sees a symbol on the page, whether it’s an eighth note D or a letter t at the start of a word

• The brain hears the sound, pulling it from the memory of music and speech sounds all brains possess

• The brain instructs the body to make that sound, whether it’s hands playing an instrument or the mouth shaped to make the t sound

• The brain listens to be sure the correct sound was made, and then makes adjustments

(From page 54 of The Music Advantage )

Processing sound strengthens the same areas of the brain that are responsible for learning language and learning to read—and while neuroscientists are still teasing out the how and the why, Collins writes that the latest research indicates that “music and reading may well be complementary learning activities,” with music functioning as a robust tool to improve language learning.

The Sound of Social Cohesion

When Covid-19 lockdowns first spread across the globe in March 2020, multiple videos showed people in Italy singing together from their balconies. At a time of extreme stress and isolation, Italians turned to music to connect with their neighbors.

Music and song are among the most basic ways humans have connected with one another for thousands of years. “Music lives in the oldest part of our brain,” Collins tells  Edutopia . “Music and song are at least as old as language and the spoken word.”

In a landmark 2018 study , researchers from the University of Toronto found that an adult singing and moving to a musical beat with a one-year-old child in tow increased social cohesion: the child was more likely to help when the adult later “accidentally” dropped an item. The study has been replicated many times, Collins writes, and shows how music taps into a primal bond that may encourage prosocial behavior like empathy and helping—the very behaviors that adults want children to develop as they grow, and behaviors schools strive to teach using the tenets of social and emotional learning.

When students belt out the school song at basketball games, or sing the clean-up song in kindergarten, it’s a potent practice for strengthening basic human social bonds. “Singing is a very powerful tool to make children feel in community,” says Kelly Green, vice president of education at Kindermusik, which creates research-based music curriculum for early childhood learners. “It’s deep SEL.”

Like Italy’s balcony singers during lockdown, social singing and music-making might be especially helpful to students now, when loneliness, anxiety, and depression are skyrocketing among young people. But Green says that kids in school sing a lot less than they used to. We tend to think “that learning music is only to develop as a musician,” Collins remarks. “People don’t feel confident to sing anymore. The fear that sits under ‘I can’t sing, I’m not musical’ is incredibly deep. When I start singing with students, they often realize singing is just a practiced skill. All these things start happening. They feel this sense of euphoria.”

Kids Benefit From Deep and Consistent Engagement

Facing limited budgets, increased academic expectations and testing , and a music teacher shortage , some schools and districts are increasingly looking to nonprofit organizations and community partners for help. Groups like Save the Music Foundation provide grants for schools to purchase student instruments and provide teacher training. The Harmony Project brings intensive music training and support to underserved students in the Los Angeles area. The Soulsville Charter School, a music-influenced middle and high school in Memphis, Tennessee, taps into the birthplace of American soul music and legendary Stax Records with the support of the Soulsville Foundation .

“You have to be willing to say, ‘We can’t do this alone,’” says Tamu Lucero, superintendent of Stamford Public Schools, where Durrell’s Intempo program is now a critical component of the district’s new-arrivals program. Even though Stamford schools already offered regular music programming, Lucero says, “we were willing to be open to the idea of how we could use an outside partner to enrich the learning environment for students.”

Researchers will continue to untangle some of the reasons behind why music learning is so beneficial to students—but know enough to conclude that listening to music or writing a song for a class project only begins to scratch the surface. To get maximal brain benefits, students should actively engage with music by learning to play an instrument or studying voice, preferably in a group setting. The evidence is strong enough to recommend music education as a discrete class for all kids—and across the grade levels—as a critically important investment.

Or as Nina Kraus states, “Music should be a part of every child’s education. Period.”

How music affects us

Music is a fundamental aspect of humanity -- so exactly how does it impact us? These talks offer a wonderful look at our fascinating relationship with the music we make.

Between music and medicine

Inventing instruments that unlock new music

The violin, and my dark night of the soul

The transformative power of classical music

How to truly listen

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Music and emotion through time

How architecture helped music evolve

Hidden music rituals around the world

Speech on Importance Of Music

Music is not just a collection of sounds, but a universal language that speaks to your soul. It’s a powerful tool, capable of stirring emotions and evoking memories. In the second paragraph, let’s explore why music holds such a significant place in our lives.

1-minute Speech on Importance Of Music

Ladies and gentlemen, let’s talk about something that touches every heart – music. Music is a world language. It doesn’t matter if you’re young or old, rich or poor, music speaks to everyone.

Firstly, music brings joy. Ever felt down and a song comes on the radio that just lifts your spirits? That’s the magic of music. It has the power to change our mood, to make us feel happy, calm, or excited.

Secondly, music helps us express our feelings. Sometimes, words just aren’t enough. A melody can say what words can’t. It helps us share love, sadness, hope, and all the things we feel inside.

Music also connects us. Have you ever bonded with someone because you like the same song or band? Music brings people together, creating friendships and building communities.

Plus, music helps us learn. Think about the alphabet song. You learned your ABCs with music, right? It’s a tool that makes learning fun and easy.

Lastly, music is a form of art that sparks creativity. When you listen to a song, it can inspire you to create something beautiful. It’s like a paintbrush for your imagination.

To sum it up, music is a true friend. It brings joy, helps us express feelings, connects us with others, aids in learning, and sparks creativity. Life without music would be like a sky without stars – dark and dull. So, let’s keep the music playing and let it light up our world. Thank you.

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• Essay on Importance Of Music

2-minute Speech on Importance Of Music

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, we gather today to explore a topic close to our hearts – the importance of music.

Music is a language that everyone can understand. It doesn’t matter if you speak English, French, Spanish, or any other language. When you listen to music, it speaks directly to your heart. It’s like a universal key that opens every heart, no matter where you come from. You don’t need to know the words of a song to feel its emotion, its rhythm, its message. That’s the power of music.

Let’s think about our feelings for a moment. Have you ever felt so happy that you just wanted to dance? Or so sad that you needed a quiet song to accompany your tears? Music is there for us in these times. It can lift us up when we’re down, help us celebrate when we’re joyful, and give voice to the feelings we can’t express ourselves. It’s like a friend who understands us without needing any words.

Now, let’s consider learning and growth. Did you know that music can help us learn better? Studies show that music can improve memory and focus. When you learn a song, you remember its words and tunes. This helps your brain practice keeping information. So, next time you’re trying to remember something, try turning it into a song! Plus, playing an instrument can teach you discipline, patience, and the joy of creating something beautiful with your own hands.

Let’s not forget about unity and peace. When people gather to listen to music, they forget their differences. They sway to the same rhythm, sing the same words, feel the same emotions. In that moment, they are one. Music brings people together like nothing else can. It reminds us of our shared humanity, our shared capacity to feel and express, our shared love for beauty and harmony.

In conclusion, music is much more than just sounds arranged in a pleasing way. It’s a language, a friend, a teacher, a peace-maker. It’s an essential part of being human. So, let’s celebrate music, let’s cherish it, and let’s ensure that it continues to play its magical role in our lives.

Thank you for your attention.

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Thoughtful and insightful quotes about the power of music as therapy and the ways in which it is good for all of us to open up about mental-health concerns.

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Musicians as prominent as Adele, Kendrick Lamar , Taylor Swift and Bruce Springsteen have spoken publicly about mental health issues such as depression and anxiety, and all can attest to the power of music to help with such problems.

Numerous scientific and psychological studies have shown that music can lift our moods, combat depression, improve blood flow in ways similar to statins, lower levels of stress-related hormones such as cortisol, and ease pain. Music can improve the outcomes for patients after surgery. A recent study reported in Nature Neuroscience even demonstrated that levels of the feel-good chemical dopamine in the brain rose by up to nine percent when people listened to music they enjoyed.

Though the idea of music as a balm is nothing new – more than 400 years ago, William Shakespeare said that “music can raze out the written troubles of the brain” – people are turning to music as a way to deal with the stresses of modern digital-driven life. Matt Haig, the author of the inspirational book Reasons To Stay Alive , recently set some of the words of his book to music on an album made with former Razorlight drummer Andy Burrows.

‘Bitch’: The Story Behind Meredith Brooks’ Feminist Anthem

In his book, Haig says that the way to escape time is music, and that sentiment would echo with the acclaimed composer, pianist and producer Max Richter. The West German-born Brit guest-curated the Peaceful Music playlist, co-created between Universal Music Group and Apple Music, precisely to help people find “a useful place to rest” amid the frenzy of modern life.

Below are 15 inspirational and thoughtful quotes about the power of music as therapy and the ways in which it is good for all of us to open up about mental health concerns.

Listen to the Peaceful Music playlist exclusively on Apple Music .

“Music has healing power. It has the ability to take people out of themselves for a few hours.” Elton John , who says we should never be afraid of saying three simple words: “I need help.”

“The idea of music having a use goes back centuries. The beginnings of written-down music was the liturgy, and obviously that has a connection with the idea of a meditative state and all of that. So music can really be useful in that way.” Max Richter, guest curator of the Peaceful Music playlist

“Music doesn’t get in. Music is already in. Music simply uncovers what is there, makes you feel emotions that you didn’t necessarily know you had inside you, and runs around waking them all up. A rebirth of sorts.” Author Matt Haig, in How to Stop Time

“I think any time I’ve ever got down or ever felt low the one thing that picks me up from that is writing a song about it. At least you’ve got a positive experience out of a bad experience.” Singer Ed Sheeran

“Music should be an essential part of every analysis.” Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung (1875-1961)

“Analysis did me a lot of good. I think that self-confrontation is a good thing, whether you do it by yourself in solitude, or whether you do it in the presence of another person.” Joni Mitchell , from her autobiography In Her Own Words

“When music is needed, it’s really there and it serves a purpose.” Composer Jóhann Jóhannsson, whose music, including “Flight From The City,” is featured on the Peaceful Music playlist

“Music can lift us out of depression or move us to tears – it is a remedy, a tonic, orange juice for the ear. But for many of my neurological patients, music is even more – it can provide access, even when no medication can, to movement, to speech, to life. For them, music is not a luxury, but a necessity.” Oliver Sacks, best-selling author and professor of neurology at NYU School Of Medicine

“Music is life itself.” Louis Armstrong , jazz trumpeter (1901-1971)

“One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.” Bob Marley (1945-1981)

“Each time you play music, it becomes new. This is one way I’ve been thinking about memory and the present, past and future times all fitting together. I called it an exquisite moment. It’s an exquisite moment because the audience and the situation of performing allows us, requires us, to think of that moment. Very often we go through life without thinking about that moment. We talk about mindfulness but we’re not very mindful, most of us.” Composer Philip Glass, whose composition “Echorus” is included in the Peaceful Music playlist

“Mental illness is not something that you have to live with for the rest of your life. It is not something that will stop you being part of the workforce. But you do have to talk to people about it and you do have to get help. And you can recover.” Adam Clayton, bassist with U2

“I suffer from a mental illness. I suffer from PTSD. I’ve never told anyone that before, so here we are. But the kindness that’s shown to me by doctors as well as my family, and my friends, it’s really saved my life.” Lady Gaga , talking in 2016 about the mental effects of a sexual assault she suffered as a teenager

“We are the generation that’s watched several other generations of musicians turn to drugs and turn to excess and coping mechanisms that have destroyed them. And there are so many high-profile people recently who’ve taken their own lives. We have a responsibility to talk about mental health and to remove the stigma.” Singer James Blake, talking in July 2018

“Music does a lot of things for a lot of people. It’s transporting, for sure. It can take you right back, years back, to the very moment certain things happened in your life. It’s uplifting, it’s encouraging, it’s strengthening.” The late, great singer Aretha Franklin

In the UK, Samaritans can be contacted free on 116 123. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14.

Sophiyaa Jeyanthan

June 27, 2022 at 7:14 pm

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August 20, 2022 at 1:10 am

Thank you for sharing this article this is very help full indeed. Music has direct connection to your soul and health, if there is a good relaxing music then it can improve your improves mental performance and reduces mental stress or event can improve your nervous system, . Enjoy a beautiful music to relax your mind and soul after a hectic day at work or end a long busy day with a good night sleep. and recharge a new energy.

I would recommend to watch or listen the relaxing video here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Clz4WNihNQU

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10 Positive Benefits of Listening to Music

Isn’t it amazing how listening to a specific song can bring back some memories and would make you feel so alive, calm, or energetic? Human is naturally gifted to determine the distinction between noise and music. The brain has various passageways for refining various sections of music counting in the pitch, tempo, rhythm, and melody. Upbeat music may heighten blood pressure, heart rate, as well as breathing. Slower music, on the other hand, appears to create the contrary result of upbeat music.

Although the impact of music on people is not completely understood, scientific studies have demonstrated that listening to a piece of music that you like will make the brain produce a chemical known as dopamine – a chemical that creates a pleasant effect on the mood. Music has the ability to make us feel extreme emotions like sadness, happiness, or fear. Based on the study of some researchers, music can have an influence on improving well-being and health.

The Origin of Music

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There are plenty of theories that discuss where and when the music started. Certain historiographers think that music occurred even before the occurrence of humans. They have classified music into 6 eras. Every era is categorized by the modification in the style of music. These alterations have patterned the music we are fond of listening to now.

The very first era was the middle ages. This period symbolizes the start of the musical notations and polyphony. Polyphonic music and monophonic music were the two major kinds of music that were famous during that era. The next era developed a new kind of music known as organum. The next era was the Renaissance, wherein the holy music started to spread in different schools. It is also in this era that instrumental music and dance music were being performed hugely. 

English madrigal also began to prosper during the late period of renaissance. After this, the Baroque age came. This period is characterized by various experiments done on music. Opera and instrumental music began to develop during this age. Classical age followed. The kind of music converted into basic melodies from the extreme ornamental music during the baroque age. Music that was composed during this era is called the Viennese style. Then came the Romantic age. During this period, the composers of music included very intimate emotions in their composition.

The composers began to utter their emotions through music. Now came the 20th-century music. This period is characterized by various improvements and modifications which were done in music. New kinds of music were composed. Technologies were also formulated, which improved music quality.

Understanding the Role of Music in our Life

Music is the ultimate creation formulated by a human. Creativity in the genuine and absolute form is the actual meaning of music. A lot of people have already realized the importance of music in their lives as it is a common method of conveying their feelings and also their emotions.

Some people treat music as a means to get away from the pain and struggles in life. If provides relief and lets you lower the stress you currently experience. Music is an effective therapy that works to make you feel calm, and when in a moment of joy, it will grant you the feeling of being cheerful.

Moreover, it improves the mind and develops self-confidence. Music delivers a more significant role in your life than merely being an origin of entertainment. Yes, you can be entertained by music, but there are plenty of reasons why you should adore music even more!

Why Music is Important?

Music is a lot more than how it is defined. Music occurs in everything that surrounds us. It can be seen in any part of the world. It guides people so they would be able to find themselves. It helps people overcome difficult moments. Music grants us a path to better express ourselves and displays our emotion deep inside that we do not normally allow people to see. The world recognizes the importance of music, and here are the common reasons why:

1. It is a method of expression

Music provides people a means to express their true personality through various patterns. Whether it be a singer, instrumentalist, or rapper, sharing music with others, being in a band along with other people, you can the real you through music.

Nowadays, a lot of people conceal their true personalities because they want to suit the preference of others because some individuals are scared that they will be rejected by the people that surround them if they show their real them. They simply keep themselves away from the crowd. Music is important since it provides people a means to reveal themselves.

2. It is a method of conversing how we feel

Music assists people in communicating their deepest feeling and emotion when they simply cannot find the right words to say. There are times in our lives that uttering our feeling to other people is simply difficult to do. However, with music, people can find the right words by either listening to various songs or composing songs. Music is important, knowing that it helps us use the right words to represent what we want to say.

3. It brings people together

Music can amazingly bring people together in various ways. Whether through similar preference in music, or the enthusiasm to get something new and unfamiliar, or even doing music with other people. A lot of people prefer similar styles or genres of music that are already obsolete. Being a member of a band or choir is another approach that utilizes music to bring people together. Music is important, knowing that people are brought together because of it.

4. It is present in everything

Music is present in any part of the world, and music associates with everything too. Music has been written in history ever since. It is also present in mathematics and science in various ways. Without the presence of music, life can be dull and boring. Music is most appreciated because it is felt everywhere.

Benefits of Listening to Music

Although more evaluations are yet to confirm the probable benefits of music towards health, certain studies imply that listening to music can do positive benefits:

1. Music develops happiness

This may appear obvious; however, the unrefined chemical reasoning is quite amazing to ponder upon. If you are in a stage wherein you badly need something that will boost you emotionally; you should know that it only requires around 15 minutes to listen to your favorite music to acquire a natural high. The brain produces dopamine, a kind of neurotransmitter which directs to improve feelings of excitement, happiness, and joy, once you listen to a piece of music that you are fond of.

2. Music lowers stress while improving the general health

Music develops an immediate effect on the hormones. Listening to your favorite music will trigger the lowering of the hormone cortisol, neutralizing the impacts of chronic stress. Around 60 percent of the entire diseases and illnesses are triggered by stress. Thus, reduced levels of stress would imply better chances of welfare.

Listening to music that is relaxing to the ear has been seen to lower anxiety and stress among healthy people and also to people who are going through medical procedures.

A study even demonstrated a result from a group of people that play different percussion instruments while singing. Their immune systems were boosted compared to those that were quietly listening. Although both groups showed favorable effects brought by music, the group of people who were playing instruments while singing exhibited better effects.

For ultimate benefits on a tiring day, play some music and sing together with the rhythm!

3. Music enhances sleep

Roughly over 30 percent of Americans are suffering from a condition called insomnia. A study has demonstrated that listening to a piece of music that is relaxing and classical one hour before going to sleep essentially enhances sleep, as contrasted to listening to a specific audiobook or merely doing nothing. Knowing that music can immediately affect our hormones, it can help if you play some wonderful music before lying in bed if you are longing to have a good sleep.

4. Music enhances exercise

Have you ever questioned why most people in the gym are playing music while they are exercising? Was there a time that you also wondered why they play the same kind of music? This behavior is being explained with the fact that music helps them do more exercises and for an extensive period of time. Studies imply that music will enhance physical stimulation, improve mental invigoration, improve general performance, and improve aerobic exercise.

There are several means of how music affects a person why exercising. As you may already know, music can make you feel calm; hence, you will be more at ease in executing a similar thing for an extensive period of time. Additionally, it grants you the encouragement to do a longer exercise.

The conclusion with exercising and music is that they are components that should always be linked to one another. Doing exercise without getting a piece of music to listen to will not be as effective if you choose to listen to music.

5. Music lowers depression

Music creates an immediate impact on the hormones. In fact, music can be treated as a kind of natural depressant because some tunes trigger the production of dopamine and serotonin in the brain, which directs to enhance emotions of happiness and welfare. It also produces norepinephrine – a kind of hormone that enforces a euphoric feeling.

Over 350 million people all over the world are suffering from depression, and 90 percent of these people also suffer from insomnia. The corresponding study discovered that manifestations of depression only lowered in people that listened to relaxing or classical music before lying in bed.

More studies also exhibited that some types of music can be helpful to people who have depressive manifestations. Amusingly, while relaxing and classical music improves positive moods, heavy metal can bring down people even more.

6. Music enhances the memory

Music is an efficient tool for improving memorizing skills. We all have experienced that we can easily familiarize a song and quite faster compared to familiarizing the syllabus. The reason behind is that the mind loves music. Thus, whatever the mind enjoys, it retains. This can be associated with the idea that whenever we have a great time of our life, that particular moment stays in mind forever and become a cherished memory. Hence, you should enjoy whatever you should learn.

Studies have demonstrated that the constant elements of melody and rhythm facilitate the brains to form a sequence that improves the memory. Listening to your favorite music will help you recall and adapt information more effectively, according to researchers. Although it relies on the degree to which music you like and whether you will play a musical instrument or not.

 A study has demonstrated that musicians learned more effectively with neutral kind of music, however, tested better along with the music which they liked. While non-musicians learned more effectively with positive type of music, however, tested better with a piece of neutral music. Hence, the level of performance differs between memory and learning for musicians and those that are not.

7. Music improves verbal intelligence

A study has demonstrated that 90 percent of children aging 4 to 6 had essentially improved their verbal intelligence after taking only a month of music lessons, where they know about melody, pitch, rhythm, and voice. The output implies that training on music does a “transfer effect” which improve the ability of the children in comprehending words, and more impressively, explaining their meaning.

More studies showed the same outputs among adult women who are musically trained and children that surpassed a group with no training on music on verbal memory tests.

8. Music improves IQ as well as academic performances

Research implies that taking lessons on music determine in advance high IQ scores and academic performances among young children. This observation has been concluded after surveying children aging 6 years old who either took vocal or keyboard lessons for 36 weeks. The outputs displayed that they had essentially improved their IQ and regulated their results on educational tests during that time compared to children who took other activities that are not related to music. The group with singing activities displayed the biggest improvement.

9. Music improves the mood during driving

Anyone will agree that music helps us get a better mood as well as help us focus better if driving. Based on a study conducted in the Netherlands, music may positively benefit the mood during driving and wherefore direct to safer driving habits compared to if you are not listening to any music at all.

10. Music improves performance on running

Runners who engage in music and listen to either slow or fast motivation music finished the first 800 meters faster compared to those who chose to listen to calm music or not listen to any music at all. If you have the hobby of running, listening to a piece of music will improve your capability.

Other than the obvious objective of entertainment, music plays an important part in the lives of people. Music is an essential part of our lives, and that fact will never change no matter what happens. Even the elders have felt the importance of music during their young ages and up to their recent years.

Music has been present for the longest time. After learning the benefits of listening to music, you would agree that music offers numerous advantages to the mood and health of people. You would want to maximize the power of music by enjoying its benefits.

Music develops the brain as well as the aptitudes related to it. It is particularly beneficial in improving the skills of young children as well as in teaching them. Music therapy works effectively in treating serious and certain chronic illnesses. It is then recommended that you listen to music every day. Moreover, the kind of music you choose to listen to may have particularly positive benefits. This means that each kind of music can do a distinct effect on the health and emotion of a person.

Although music is widely appreciated because of its benefits, there are some considerations that people need to weigh when listening to music. People should be cautious about the kind of music they will choose to listen to. For instance, there are certain songs that contain vulgar language or offensive words that must not be exposed to the children.

Else ways, these words might retain in the mind of the children, which is obviously not ideal for them. Parents, in particular, should take the responsibility of choosing appropriate music so their children will not be influenced by unpleasant and disrespectful words. Nevertheless, overall, music poses positive benefits to all people and must be made a daily habit. You can still enjoy the advantages of music while choosing appropriate music.

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Benefits Of Music Essay

Music can take the form of many things. It can be a form of art, pleasure or entertainment. Music can also be a form of medicine that can benefit mind and body. Music can positively affect your health and physical development. Music is a complex activity that involves the use of your entire brain. Music may have several positive benefits for the brain . Be wary though, not all kinds of music may positively affect your health. Some kinds of music may be a form of distraction for you. Classical music, most of the time, can positively affect people. Music can be a source of pain relief. When you listen to music, the body releases endorphins to reduce the pain. Relaxing music can slow down your heartbeat. It can also help with your breathing. …show more content…

Baroque music, which has a rate of 60 beats per minute, activates the left and right parts of the brain. The left part of the brain is being used to retain the information while the right part of the brain is activated by the music. This action will help the brain retain the information. Actions that involve using the whole brain will improve the brain’s ability to retain information. Music can improve one’s performance in athletic activities. Music can motivate you to move more and make exercise feel more fun. People who participate in physical fitness programs with music integration will further improve their performance in physical activities. There are several reasons that explain why music can help improve your physical performance. Music can reduce the amount of fatigue that you feel. Music can also help increase your alertness and attentiveness while exercising. Music can help you relax while exercising and music can also improve your muscle coordination. Music can encourage people to work more productively. Some kinds of music can help reduce the amount of fatigue caused by work. It can also help reduce the amount of anxiety and stress that you feel while working. Music can make your work more enjoyable. Music can encourage you to work harder and more efficiently when doing repetitive tasks. Music can also improve your concentration while

Summary Of The Book 'If I Ever Get Out Of Here'

I do believe that music clears my mind and makes me happy no matter what emotion I have before I listen. It has a certain superpower that can change someone from sad to happy or from depressed to proud in a few minutes if you listen to the right songs or genre. I know that just turning on a song that someone likes can make their day. Music has enough power to get someone to get up and dance and that is special. It can power athletes, singers, actors, doctors, teachers, and anyone.

Music In A Long Way Gone

Music can bring the brightest of joys that keeps us moving through our dull and boring lives. An example of this joy is Ishmael Beah’s life as a boy soldier in his book A Long Way Gone. As he tells you his story, he tells of his dance group with his friends, the times he heard music in the middle of war, and how music saved him from the madness that brewed within him. Music has the unique ability to create peace in a person’s life despite the difficulties surrounding them, and to bring a constant reminder of who they are as a person.

Why We Should Be Able To Listen To Music In School

During my research I found an article called,“The Effects of Music on Student’s work” by Rudy Miller. Rudy Miller states “Soothing music or classical music can help a student focus.” The author also exclaimed that, “British studies claim that listening to Mozart for 10 minutes produced a “Mozart Effect” where test-takers I.Q scores went up 8 or 9 points.” The writer of the article also announced, “After the 30-day course, the average retention rate per student was 92%.” Miller argues that “listening to music is good for the brain.

Personal Narrative: Country Music

I use my music to realize what I can do. It reminds me that I am still human, what kind of human doesn’t like to listen to music, it just lets me now I am doing good for myself, and I need to male sure I still have myself in check in reality, and to keeping being me. I also listen to music when I am working out to keep

College Admissions Essay: How Music Changed My Life

Knowing how to sing is a blessing that may come naturally to some people, but to others it requires practice and effort to learn how to properly develop this gift. Having seen many live performances and having a dad who could sing was an inspiration for me to develop such a talent. Music has always been my passion, and I knew that singing would give me another exciting opportunity to enjoy the feeling performance creates. I did not have a natural voice from a young age so learning to sing was challenging and pushed me beyond my orchestral limits--emotionally and physically--but with the strong desire I had and the toil I was willing to endure when learning this art, I persevered to becoming a singer.

Music: The Causes And Effects Of Rap Music

Music has been an object of miracle, amazement, and even fear since the start of its presence. It has been used as a tool to shape culture and society through history. Music and its people influencing the lives and activities of society. Is this a good thing? Most would say yes.

The Negative Effects Of Music On Child Development

Since, music is considerable as the useful tool and it makes things seems easier for people just by listening to it while concentrating or working on things. It is obvious that music is the best tool in relieving from stress and one study shows that music improves the performance of people at their work or children in school more effectively compared to their performance without music. Music does not just relaxing people but there are many benefits on the development of children with their brain, behavior, intellectual and cognitive that leads children to grow further than they could without music (Silberg, n.d.). This topic was interesting to work and conduct researches on because

Disadvantages Of Music Therapy

Music therapists play repetitive songs for the patients. The songs can vary from classical music (which is known to improve memory) to the patient’s favorite song. They can also play music that is associated with big events that took place in the patient’s life; this will enhance memories and it may be easier for the patient to sing or hum along and react to the music since they are already familiar with it. “A study by Johnson JK showed a significant improvement in the spatial-temporal task on the AD twin after listening to a piece of a piano sonata of Mozart in 1998” ( Johnson

Listening To Music Helps You Concentrate And Focus Essay

The music is beneficial because it will keep the other parts of your brain busy while you are concentrating which will prevent you from drifting off and losing concentration. Music has also been found to engage the area of the brain involved with paying attention. Listening to music through earphones also prevents background noises from distracting which is another reason why people listen to music while trying to focus on something. Listening to music also lowers feelings of tension and anxiety which helps you to calm down which will result in you being able to concentrate better.(Cho, 2014) Music can also be used if you setting time break so for every

Argumentative Essay On Music Therapy

It helps to prevent increased amounts of suicide, which is because of raised quantities of self-harm, throughout America and the world. Also, for those who struggle with addiction involving drugs find comfort and help with this form of Psychotherapy. This therapy brings back the forgotten memories that were once lost to certain mental disorders including Alzheimer’s and Dementia. Music provides an escape from the stressed mind and brings a positive light to the patient’s life. Physical complications are fixed from the mental portion, and medicine has improved tremendously from the efforts brought by music.

Music Informative Speech Essay

III. Finally, music offers many advantages to those who listen. A. Medically, certain music can help significantly in healing the mind and the body. 1. Music therapists are professionals trained to use music and/or musical instruments to promote overall health and well-being in their patients (“Positive & Negative…,” 2017).

How Music Affects The Brain Essay

It really has an impact on just about everyone. So how does music affect everyone in its own way? In a scientific point of view researchers have wondered about the possible therapeutic and mood boosting benefits that music has on someone. All types of music affects people.

How Has Music Changed My Life Essay

Music has always been a part of my life. In definition, it is “vocal or instrumental sounds combined in such a way as to produce beauty of form, harmony, and expression of emotion.” Ever since I was a young child, I have loved music. The strong, steady beats, the entrancing melodies, and the lyrics that vary between heartwarming and heart-wrenching have always had an unexplainable effect on my life. Music seems to have the ability to change certain aspects of my world.

Persuasive Speech: Music Heals

Therefore, I am standing here to hopefully persuade all of you regarding the benefits of music that you could experience in your life. Basically, there are many benefits of listening to music but today, I am going to focus only three significant reasons of how music can be a healer in our life. First and foremost, it may seem typical but music really can make you happy. Besides, music also can enhance your performance during a workout. Last but not least, music can be a factor to improve sleep quality.

Benefits Of Listening To Music Essay

Mainly, listening to music has the ability to boost up a person’s mood instantaneously, affecting a person inner mind where different negative thoughts feed on a person’s abhorrence. For an example, listening to music while driving can positively rock mood instantly. In addition, listening to music can have a largely effect on a person’s minds and a person’s body. Later, listening to music also reduces stress, anxiety and depression that lead a person becoming calm and soothing. Some experts said music really does help people lead to a better mood and get in touch with their feelings.

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The Impact of Music on Speech Therapy

For many decades, music has been an important part of daily care for children with speech impediments and hearing-impaired children. There have been a lot of studies that examine the role of music in people’s general health as well as an effective intervention when it comes to speech and language problems. It only makes sense that for children and adults who suffer from speech issues, music should be considered as part of their intervention. 

Music, Speech, Language

Language and music are connected at a very basic level. Both require higher brain function and it also involves cognitive skills such as attention, memory, and categorization. Grammar and music also make use of structures that follow a specific order in order to make sense and appreciated it.

Also, music and speech have a similar pitch. Musical sequences follow a specific interval and speech also uses frequencies when it comes to intonation, as is the case when people ask a question, make a statement, or make an exclamation. This characteristic of speech is called contour and it is one that even infants are able to detect.

Therapeutic benefits of music

Besides language, music has a lot of therapeutic benefits. It has been proven that auditory stimulation can improve listening skills, even for people who are hard of hearing. It can also help to improve how the brain processes information which can boost skills in areas like behavior and coordination.

  A study done in 2011 explored how music impacts social skills, another aspect of communication. Half of all the participants in the study exhibited signs of improved communication and problem-solving skills, as well as their ability to work well in groups and in interacting with other people.

  There is also compelling evidence that the type of music used for therapy has an enormous impact on the outcome. In a study that was one to explore the difference in brain function between musicians and non-musicians, it stated that brain function was significantly increased when the participants listened to classical music as opposed to rock music.

Music and speech

It is also revealed that there is a close relationship between music and speech. A study was done in 2013 in which six experts who are trained professionals in music theory were asked to determine the key in a sample music score. The timescales in the samples were restricted to closely match with speech processing. It was observed that the processing used in decoding speech is also used when it comes to music.

Music for speech-language therapy

There are a lot of ways music can be used in speech therapy. One way is through simple auditory stimulation. As previously mentioned, it can expand the brain’s ability to process information which can be beneficial in areas such as behavior, skill, sensory integration, and coordination. Therefore, clients who listen to music may improve their speaking skills as well as their ability to focus. Auditory stimulation can even be done through virtual speech therapy sessions.

  For adults with speech problems due to stroke, many patients have found benefit from Melodic Intonation Therapy. This is a type of therapy that is often used in cases where the brain is damaged. The theory is rooted in the practice that using the intact hemisphere of the brain will slowly help recover speech skills that have been lost in the damaged part of the brain. For example, if a patient loses their ability to speak because the left side of the brain has been damaged, MIT can be used in order to find new ways to communicate.

  The therapy uses words and phrases supplemented by melodies to make speaking closely resemble that of speaking. This type of therapy also takes advantage of a person’s ability to sing which helps them improve their ability to speak.

  For children, there are different ways that therapists can use music in their treatment sessions with children. The goal is to help with their language development, improve their speech production, and aid in their overall communication skills. In a study done in 2011, it was concluded that children showed significant improvement in their social skills, problem-solving, and how they interact with peers when music was incorporated in their SLPs.

Post Author: Eliza Brooks

Eliza  Brooks loves to write about personality development, mental and physical disabilities, and ways to overcome them effectively. She is currently working with Verboso, which offers online speech therapy for children to improve their speaking skills.

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The Role of Music in Speech Therapy

For more than 50 years, music has been an integral element of routine care for children with speech impediments and hearing impairments. A great deal of research has been done that examines the role of music in an individual’s general health, as well as how music can be an effective intervention when it comes to speech and language challenges. So, it would only make sense that for both children and adults who struggle with communication issues, music should be considered an important part of their intervention and therapy plan.

Speech therapists use a wide variety of approaches, methods, and activities in their sessions, and each treatment plan is unique and focuses on the specific goals, needs, and strengths of each individual. If you think your child might benefit from speech therapy, you can learn more by scheduling your free introductory call today!

The Connection Between Music and Communication

Language and music are very closely connected at a fundamental level, as both require greater brain function and also involve cognitive skills, including attention, memory, and categorization. Music and grammar also use structures that must follow a particular order to make sense and appreciate it.

In addition, music and speech require a similar pitch. Musical sequences typically follow specific intervals, and speech also requires various frequencies when it comes to intonation, such as when a question is asked or a statement or exclamation is made. This element of speech is often referred to as ‘contour,’ and it is one that even young babies can detect.

How Does Music Therapy Help Communication Skills?

Music can have many benefits when it comes to improving communication skills. Both speech and singing require the coordination of the same mechanisms within the body. In order to speak or sing effectively, the following processes must function:

Respiration – Breathing Resonance – How airflow is shaped through the nasal and oral cavities Phonation – Initiating sound Articulation – Using the teeth and tongue to produce specific speech sounds Fluency – The ability to produce speech sounds easily and smoothly

By using a variety of interventions that involve singing as well as instrument play, music therapy can help to strengthen these processes to improve overall communication skills. If you want to learn more about the role of music in speech therapy, schedule your free introductory call today!

Can Music Facilitate Speech Recovery and Ease Pain?

The use of music in therapy is an evidence-based practice that uses music to address the cognitive, physical, emotional, and social needs of individuals of all ages. It is beneficial in various settings, such as hospitals and hospices. Music therapy has been proven to be helpful in reducing pain levels, promoting relaxation, improving communication skills, and providing comfort during challenging times.

One way music in therapy can be effective at reducing pain is through the use of rhythmical breathing exercises. These exercises involve focusing on a rhythm while taking slow, deep breaths, promoting relaxation of the body and mind. This type of approach has been shown to lower the heart rate and blood pressure, as well as decrease anxiety levels, all of which can lead to a reduction in overall pain levels.

An additional benefit of music in therapeutic settings is its ability to promote relaxation by providing a pleasant distraction from stressful feelings or thoughts.

Listening to relaxing music and creating a sense of peace and tranquility allows for more effective coping methods when dealing with challenging emotions or situations. In addition, some studies have suggested that specific types of musical interventions can have an analgesic effect because of their ability to activate the release of endorphins in the brain, which function as natural pain relievers.

How Does Music Help with Speech Therapy?

There are so many ways that music can be a beneficial part of speech therapy. The simplest way is through basic auditory stimulation. Music can expand the ability of the brain to process information. This can be beneficial in areas including behavior, skill development, sensory integration, and general coordination. Therefore, individuals who routinely listen to music can improve their speaking abilities as well as their capacity for focus. Auditory stimulation can work just as well during virtual speech therapy sessions as in-person ones.

Adults with speech problems caused by stroke or other forms of traumatic brain injury may benefit from Melodic Intonation Therapy. This is a form of therapy that is often used in situations in which the brain is damaged. This practice is rooted in the theory that using the unaffected hemisphere of the brain will help to gradually recover speech skills that have been lost in the damaged part of the brain. For instance, if an individual loses their ability to speak due to damage to the left side of the brain, MIT can be used to establish new ways to communicate. This type of therapy uses words and phrases that are supplemented by melodies, making the process of speaking closely resemble that of singing. MIT also takes advantage of the individual’s ability to sing, which in turn helps them improve their ability to speak.

For children, there are many different ways that speech therapists use music in their treatment sessions. The goal of using music in speech therapy is to help promote their language development, improve and ease their speech production, and support their overall communication skills. A recent study showed that children displayed significant improvement in their problem-solving skills, social skills, and how they interacted with others when music was a part of their speech therapy treatment plans.

Speech therapy can benefit individuals of all ages with a wide range of skills and challenges. If you would like to learn more about virtual speech therapy, get started by scheduling your free introductory call today!

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How music lessons can improve language skills

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Many studies have shown that musical training can enhance language skills. However, it was unknown whether music lessons improve general cognitive ability, leading to better language proficiency, or if the effect of music is more specific to language processing.

A new study from MIT has found that piano lessons have a very specific effect on kindergartners’ ability to distinguish different pitches, which translates into an improvement in discriminating between spoken words. However, the piano lessons did not appear to confer any benefit for overall cognitive ability, as measured by IQ, attention span, and working memory.

“The children didn’t differ in the more broad cognitive measures, but they did show some improvements in word discrimination, particularly for consonants. The piano group showed the best improvement there,” says Robert Desimone, director of MIT’s McGovern Institute for Brain Research and the senior author of the paper.

The study, performed in Beijing, suggests that musical training is at least as beneficial in improving language skills, and possibly more beneficial, than offering children extra reading lessons. The school where the study was performed has continued to offer piano lessons to students, and the researchers hope their findings could encourage other schools to keep or enhance their music offerings.

Yun Nan, an associate professor at Beijing Normal University, is the lead author of the study, which appears in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences the week of June 25.

Other authors include Li Liu, Hua Shu, and Qi Dong, all of Beijing Normal University; Eveline Geiser, a former MIT research scientist; Chen-Chen Gong, an MIT research associate; and John Gabrieli, the Grover M. Hermann Professor in Health Sciences and Technology, a professor of brain and cognitive sciences, and a member of MIT’s McGovern Institute for Brain Research.

Benefits of music

Previous studies have shown that on average, musicians perform better than nonmusicians on tasks such as reading comprehension, distinguishing speech from background noise, and rapid auditory processing. However, most of these studies have been done by asking people about their past musical training. The MIT researchers wanted to perform a more controlled study in which they could randomly assign children to receive music lessons or not, and then measure the effects.

They decided to perform the study at a school in Beijing, along with researchers from the IDG/McGovern Institute at Beijing Normal University, in part because education officials there were interested in studying the value of music education versus additional reading instruction.

“If children who received music training did as well or better than children who received additional academic instruction, that could a justification for why schools might want to continue to fund music,” Desimone says.

The 74 children participating in the study were divided into three groups: one that received 45-minute piano lessons three times a week; one that received extra reading instruction for the same period of time; and one that received neither intervention. All children were 4 or 5 years old and spoke Mandarin as their native language.

After six months, the researchers tested the children on their ability to discriminate words based on differences in vowels, consonants, or tone (many Mandarin words differ only in tone). Better word discrimination usually corresponds with better phonological awareness — the awareness of the sound structure of words, which is a key component of learning to read.

Children who had piano lessons showed a significant advantage over children in the extra reading group in discriminating between words that differ by one consonant. Children in both the piano group and extra reading group performed better than children who received neither intervention when it came to discriminating words based on vowel differences.

The researchers also used electroencephalography (EEG) to measure brain activity and found that children in the piano group had stronger responses than the other children when they listened to a series of tones of different pitch. This suggest that a greater sensitivity to pitch differences is what helped the children who took piano lessons to better distinguish different words, Desimone says.

“That’s a big thing for kids in learning language: being able to hear the differences between words,” he says. “They really did benefit from that.”

In tests of IQ, attention, and working memory, the researchers did not find any significant differences among the three groups of children, suggesting that the piano lessons did not confer any improvement on overall cognitive function. 

Aniruddh Patel, a professor of psychology at Tufts University, says the findings also address the important question of whether purely instrumental musical training can enhance speech processing.

“This study answers the question in the affirmative, with an elegant design that directly compares the effect of music and language instruction on young children. The work specifically relates behavioral improvements in speech perception to the neural impact of musical training, which has both theoretical and real-world significance,” says Patel, who was not involved in the research.

Educational payoff

Desimone says he hopes the findings will help to convince education officials who are considering abandoning music classes in schools not to do so.

“There are positive benefits to piano education in young kids, and it looks like for recognizing differences between sounds including speech sounds, it’s better than extra reading. That means schools could invest in music and there will be generalization to speech sounds,” Desimone says. “It’s not worse than giving extra reading to the kids, which is probably what many schools are tempted to do — get rid of the arts education and just have more reading.”

Desimone now hopes to delve further into the neurological changes caused by music training. One way to do that is to perform EEG tests before and after a single intense music lesson to see how the brain’s activity has been altered.

The research was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Commission, the Interdiscipline Research Funds of Beijing Normal University, and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities.

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In a new study from researchers at MIT’s McGovern Institute, “the authors pinpoint a specific way that piano lessons can help young children enhance their language processing skills,” writes Jamie Ducharme for TIME . “There’s evidence that early exposure to piano practice enhances the processing of sounds that extend not only from music, but also into language,” says Prof. John Gabrieli.

A new study by MIT researchers shows that music lessons can help develop a child’s language skills by improving their ability to differentiate between different pitches, reports Kashmira Gander for Newsweek . The researchers concluded that, “musical training helps to improve language skills, and could even be more beneficial than giving children additional reading lessons.”

A new study co-authored by MIT researchers uncovers evidence that music lessons can help improve a child’s language skills, according to Xinhua . The researchers found that, “musical training is at least as beneficial in improving language skills, and possibly more beneficial, than offering children extra reading lessons.”

Scientific American

Prof. Robert Desimone speaks with Christopher Intagliata of Scientific American about his new research that shows how piano lessons can help improve a child’s language skills. Desimone and his colleagues found that, “piano lessons can heighten the brain's response to changes in pitch. And kids who got piano lessons were also better at telling apart two similar-sounding Mandarin words.” 

ABC News reporter Denise Powell highlights a new study by MIT researchers that shows that music education could help a child’s language skills. Powell explains that, “the results of this study give a boost to the idea of music training in kindergarten students as a method of enhancing the way brain cells and neurons process and respond to pitch.”

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