Have you noticed your mood change when listening to music? Have you heard a song that brings you so many different emotions? Music has the amazing ability to evoke emotions in listeners. Music helps humans feel these deep emotions and connect with a story or theme. We connect most with songs we can relate to; sometimes, it’s the music we can create our own stories that resonate most with us. Music has a more profound connection than just evoking emotions; it is a significant component of neuropsychology and brain stimulation that causes these emotions. Music does more than make humans feel. It can rewrite your brain, releasing feel-good chemicals and improving your well-being.
The Neuropsychology of Music and Happiness
How Music Affects the Brain
Music nearly lights up the whole brain, including the hippocampus and amygdala. These areas activate our emotional responses through memory. Music also activates our limbic system, which is responsible for pleasure, reward, and motivation. It connects with the brain stem response, an evolutionary response to any sound that evokes arousal. The brain stem response to sound explains why music is pleasurable. For example, music is known to be intrinsically pleasurable to infants over speaking.
Dopamine is a chemical that is released when we experience something pleasurable and or beneficial. It is why we feel happy when we listen to music, this feel-good chemical releases into our brains. Anticipating a favorite part in a song, such as an iconic “drop” in EDM music, can trigger this response. The flooding of dopamine also helps create the memory or pattern of happiness when listening to a particular song. Our bodies crave dopamine, so the next time you listen to your favorite song, know that the release of dopamine has something to do with it!
Serotonin and Oxytocin are other chemicals that influence your response to music, helping with the feel-good emotions associated with music. Serotonin is responsible for mood regulation, so when listening to plantable music, lower levels of serotonin are released. Oxytocin is a chemical known for bonding and goes hand in hand with reproductive systems. However, Oxytocin is released when dancing and singing with family and friends, strengthening trust and connection.
Music and Memory
Music and memory intertwine due to the hippocampus. This relationship explains why specific songs can transport us back to a particular moment and evoke memories and emotions. For example, a song can bring you back to being with family as a child or a special moment with a significant other. Music is so powerful and strongly correlates with memory that even people with Alzheimer’s or dementia can retrieve memories through music. Music bypasses damaged neural pathways and taps into emotional memories.
The Role of Emotions
Different rhythms, beats, lyrics, and melodies influence the role emotions play when we listen to music. Music can amplify our emotions, from the excitement of a high-energy EDM track to the calm and relaxation induced by a soothing classical composition. This is why music can help with emotional regulation. If you are feeling stressed, you can play classical music and reach a relaxed state simply by listening to music. Do you need more motivation? Play some EDM music to give you a boost of energy. Music is a powerful tool that can enhance your happiness and overall well-being.
EDM Music: The Science of the Drop
Electronic Dance Music (EDM) is a genre with pulsating rhythms, hypnotic loops, and iconic “drops,” moments of musical intensity that create a wave of energy for the listener. EDM music’s key characteristics are respective beats, buildups, and the “drop.” For EDM fans, these elements aren’t just exhilarating; they stimulate the brain’s reward system to foster joy, excitement, and even euphoria. EDM music is generally listened to in social settings like music and dance festivals.
EDM’s emotional power lies in the “drop.” It is when there is a buildup of tension, a slow increase in tempo, escalating beats, and melodic suspense, culminating in a burst of sound, rhythm, and energy. The brain reacts to the drop like other pleasurable experiences, such as eating a favorite meal or achieving a goal. It is an example of when dopamine is released, and the brain’s reward system turns on. The music builds, creating a sense of excitement, and when the beat drops, the brain is flooded with dopamine. This is why EDM music is great when seeking motivation, whether during a workout or daily life.
Music for Development: From Pregnancy to Infancy
Music’s impact begins long before we choose what we like to listen to. Music influences cognitive, emotional, and physical development from the earliest stages of life, starting in the womb. Both classical music and more contemporary genres like EDM can foster growth, though their effects vary based on tempo, rhythm, and complexity.
Exposing unborn babies to music can stimulate prenatal brain development. This early exposure to music can also help the baby encode language and be overexposed to language and emotion. By 26 weeks, the fetus can respond to sounds, voices, and music. Classical music can have a calming and relaxing effect on the baby and the mother due to its gentle melodies and rhythms. This calming music promotes lower stress levels, which means less serotonin is being related. Keeping stress levels low during pregnancy is crucial for the baby and the mother, which supports a healthy environment for the baby to grow and go through the developmental stages.
Once born, infants continue to benefit from exposure to music. The beginning stages of life are critical periods of brain plasticity that foster cognitive, emotional, and social development. One notable approach to early childhood music education is the Suzuki Method, which emphasizes learning music as a natural language. Children develop skills in pattern recognition, auditory processing, and emotional regulation by introducing music in infancy.
Classical music may be preferred for these early stages of life, helping the baby develop the ability to visualize, problem-solve, and regulate emotions. However, EDM music mimics aspects of lullabies and nursery rhymes with repetitive beats and rhythms. Listening to EDM music can help develop a baby’s ability to hear patterns and sharpen their auditory processing and discrimination skills. Whether classical or modern music can be used as a powerful tool for development both in the womb and out. Choosing what type of music your child listens to can foster many developmental skills and sharpen the appropriate skills for that stage in life.
Music is much more than entertainment; it’s a deeply ingrained part of our humanity capable of shaping our emotions, memories, and even our development from the earliest stages of life. Music uniquely influences the brain and promotes happiness, whether it’s the electrifying rhythms of EDM or the calming melodies of classical compositions. So, the next time you play your favorite song, know that you’re not just enjoying a melody; you’re engaging your brain, enriching your emotions, and connecting with something genuinely universal. Whether dancing to an EDM drop or soaking in the beauty of classical music, music can make you happier, one beat at a time.
https://edm.com/features/5-mental-benefits-of-edm
https://www.classicfm.com/music-news/classical-music-babies-stimulating-study/ https://www.healing.thriveunburdened.org/blog/music-mood-nc6tx?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAmfq6BhAsEiwAX1jsZ9rWc7zBGSSKS9WnOsSGes9BrTY1nVb6x49JHcs7P570cvfGEbseihoC6zMQAvD_BwE
