emotivate music
Intellectual Benefits of Music
Emotional Benefits of Music
Music can evoke great emotion in it's listener or player. The sound and motions stimulate the brain stem which is responsible for, among many things, your breathing and heart rate. This effect music has on our brains allows it to help control anxiety, depression, and even diseases like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. Synchronous brain activities alleviate stress while creating a sense of connectedness through self expression. Physiological sensations like the "chills" are the results of the intense emotion caused by music ranging from happy and calm to sad and nostalgic. The neuroscience behind music is what has brought scientists to believe music conveys emotional information by activating the mirror neuron system. This is what helps us understand others' emotions and can be reflected in us through sound and movement inducing stirring emotions.
Practical Benefits of Music
Playing an instrument exposes you to performance in front of an audience. This can reduce your stage fright and get you used to being up in front of a crowd. Along with musical skills also come endless job opportunities from individual gigs and playing with an orchestra/ensemble, to teaching. Developing a talent like music sets you apart from others, especially in college applications. Musical scholarships are offered from many colleges making it a highly rewarding skill to have.
Playing an instrument, listening to, and reading music requires the use of both sides of the brain. When listening to music, your frontal lobe is used along with many other sections of the brain. Reading music brings the visual cortex and temporal lobe into use as well. Finally, playing the instrument while doing both of these actions utilizes muscle memory stored in the hippocampus and motor cortex. This kind of activity gives musicians strong co-ordination skills and increased networks between the left and right brain not present in non-musicians. The thought process involved in using so many parts of the brain makes music a mental discipline benefitting cognitive functions in other areas as well. Reading and writing skills can benefit from the playing of music as well as auditory functions in recognizing small changes in pitch and tone. Musical education results in the resiliency and more reactive nature of human brains.