Music As A Life Tool

Music as a Life Tool
Music is more than just pointless sound. It can have huge effects on the human
mind and body. Exploring the impacts of music can teach us a lot about our
own bodies, including our brains, and the ways they can benefit from
seemingly worthless influences. Some examples of beneficial effects, and the
ones this essay will discuss, include the betterment of mental skills and
abilities, comfort and managing emotions, as well as aiding cultural
understanding and appreciation.
Music can contribute greatly to the development of cognitive skills and other
mental abilities. It has been found that music activates almost every part of the
brain when engaged in active listening. Of course, the auditory cortex is
activated, but also regions of the brain involved in memory, and even the
motor system (this is why you might tap your foot to the rhythm of music). The
brain is sort of like a muscle, if you do not use it, it loses its strength. If you do
not regularly engage all parts of your brain, neurological pathways in your
brain will weaken. The reason for this is that the brain sees no reason to keep
pathways not being used strong. However, if you keep your brain occupied,
such as by listening to music, it will strengthen all of the networks and
pathways being used. The only other activity that can engage the brain in the
same way as music does, is social activities. This means if you listen to music
while being social, you are getting full use of your mind. Thus, the reason music
has a beneficial effect on psychological abilities is that music literally
strengthens all parts of the brain, including the ones in charge of cognitive,
creative, memory, and problem solving skills.
Personally, I feel that music has helped me improve and strengthen my mental
skills. Since my childhood, I have been exposed to all sorts of music very often,
from Queen to Kraftwerk and almost everything in between. I have many,
many fond memories of dancing and singing with my family. To this day, if I
hear a song my dad would play a lot for us, I start remembering specific
moments from my past when that song was playing. I think that illustrates
how music influences and strengthens memory. My father used to bring a
speaker with him when he would walk with my stroller, and there was
virtually always some kind of music playing in the house (there still is, though
it is from my room now). Now, I believe my cognitive abilities are quite strong,
and this could largely be attributed to my early and frequent exposure to music
throughout my life. (It must not be ignored that I also attended a private school
with a program that may have positively impacted my mind as well).
Feelings and emotions can be profoundly influenced by music. Depending on

the type of music, it can help bring forth feelings of happiness, calm, or
melancholy. Some believe this is somewhat related to evolutionary biology.
Early mammals depended largely on their hearing for defense. Attentiveness to
sounds around them allowed them to place potential threats and predators.
The present-day experience of listening to music may be linked to this. The
brain sifts through all the different sounds that enter through your ears to your
temporal lobe, and identifies them as familiar or unfamiliar. The soundscape of
listening to music is incredibly complex (depending on the piece of music), and
the brain ends up interpreting it all as a very deep experience. The impression
of music activates and influences the autonomic nervous system, which is the
network that controls automatic actions like breathing and heart rate. The tone
or mood of the music also has an effect on the ANS. This is the reason our
heart rate might rise when we hear scary or intense music. Other than the
purely musical aspect, most songs nowadays have lyrics and vocals. The
qualities of the vocals in a song can also play a great role in how you perceive
the emotional values of what you are hearing. If the vocals are quiet and
vulnerable, this might give a feeling of sadness or fragility. However, if the
vocals can be characterized as strong or joyful, this can affect your emotions
positively. Additionally, lyrics add another layer of emotion and meaning to a
song. If the lyrics of a piece of music resonate with you, the emotional
ramifications can be amplified. Although it is great to use music to improve
your mood, allowing yourself to feel negative and complex emotions through
music can also be very rewarding. It can allow you to process and avoid
repressing your emotions.
In regards to my own experiences, I think music has impacted my emotional

well being quite a bit recently. I had some struggles in regards to my mental
health, but I have improved positively recently. This might be correlated to the
increased amount of time I spend listening to music (along with other things).
At this point, I have music on for over five hours a day. I started appreciating
music and listening more actively. I get daily happiness from music, and feel
this has made me appreciate the small things in life more, improving my
mental health and emotional well being. It also has the effect of allowing me to
take a break and just think about the music I hear, instead of stressing or
worrying about other things.
In conclusion, music has great attributes and benefits, beyond just sounding
nice. It can affect your brain in major ways, helping it maintain its strength and
abilities. Music can also influence and amplify your emotions and feelings,
allowing you to properly feel your emotions.
Sorry this task is incomplete…
Sources:
https://www.mobiliseonline.co.uk/post/the-power-of-music#:~:text=It%20can
%20improve%20our%20mood,people%20find%20music%20therapy%20benefi
cial.
https://www.harmonyandhealing.org/how-music-helps-people-heal/#musicasa
sourceofcomfort
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/why-is-music-good-for-the-brain-20201
00721062#:~:text=Music%20activates%20just%20about%20all%20of%20the%
20brain&text=The%20parts%20of%20the%20brain,music%20activates%20the
%20motor%20system.

Music As A Life Tool

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Music As A Life Tool

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Music as a Life Tool

Feelings and emotions can be profoundly influenced by music. Depending on

In regards to my own experiences, I think music has impacted my emotional

Sorry this task is incomplete…

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