It has long been obvious that music affects people profoundly.  What is new, though, is that research is being conducted to determine the effects of music on the brain.  Through this research much has been learned about the effects of music on brain function.
It has been shown over and over again that one of the strongest effects of music on the brain is in the area of memory.  Students of foreign languages were shown to be able to learn hundreds of vocabulary items in one day when listening to appropriate music.  What is more, they remembered the words over time at a level of 92% retention.  This feat was accomplished with the use of baroque classical music.  The tempo was the most successful at a steady rate of 60 beats per minute.  At this tempo, people seemed to remember the most.  This was one of the interesting effects of music on the brain.

Music and Testing

In one study, data was analyzed as to the benefits of listening to music of different genres (classical or jazz) and tempos.  Results did not differ that much from one type of music to the next. However, when the tempo was changed from learning time to testing time, the test results suffered.  It seems that people recall information much better when music is played at the same speed as when they originally learned it.

There was a study conducted to test the effects of music on the brains of college students.  This study looked at the effects of listening to Mozart before taking an IQ test.  Among three groups, one listening to relaxation tapes and one listening to nothing, the group listening to Mozart had the highest average score.

Music and Brain Disease

Alzheimer’s patients have also been shown to benefit mentally from listening to music. Listening to music triggered certain memories to be recalled that had been otherwise forgotten.  Parkinson’s patients also benefitted from the effects of music on the brain.  Motor skills seemed to improve when some patients were better able to walk while music was being played.

Negative Effects

Not all the effects of music on the brain are positive however.  Some types of music can cause the brain to lose it’s symmetry between it’s right and left halves, or hemispheres.  We’ve all experienced this, when trying to concentrate on a task while loud or otherwise disruptive music is being played.  Ask any teacher and they’ll tell you that this can lead to learning disabilities and behavior disruptions in children. It can likewise generate diminished work capabilities in adults.

The types of music that cause these effects on the brain are mostly agressive forms of music such as heavy rock or rap.  The specific type of beat may be at fault.  It could also be attributed to the fact that too much repetition leads to feelings of anger and hostility.

To achieve positive effects of music on the brain, music must have certain attributes.  It needs to be fairly complex to involve more of the brain in the activity and keep the person interested.  New and different music is another factor that keeps the brain active and not bored.

http://www.brainhealthandpuzzles.com/effects_music_brain.html

Do you know someone with Parkinson’s disease?  If so, you really should learn about how powerful music therapy can be with your loved one.  Are you doubtful?  Read this exciting study that was published recently about music therapy with Parkinson’s disease:

Active music therapy in Parkinson’s disease: an integrative method for motor and emotional rehabilitation.

Research published earlier this year showed that listening to music releases the
neurotransmitter dopamine in the brain and sends pleasure signals to the rest of
the body. Now findings recently published in NeuroImage offer
additional insights into how music affects our neural circuits.

In the study
Finnish researchers recorded the brain responses of
individuals who were listening to a piece of modern Argentinian tango using
functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) technology. Afterwards, they used
computer algorithms to analyze the musical content of the tango and illustrate
how its rhythmic, tonal and timbral components evolved over time. They then
compared the brain responses and the musical features. Medical News Today reports:

The researchers found that music listening recruits not only the auditory
areas of the brain, but also employs large-scale neural networks. For instance,
they discovered that the processing of musical pulse recruits motor areas in the
brain, supporting the idea that music and movement are closely intertwined.
Limbic areas of the brain, known to be associated with emotions, were found to
be involved in rhythm and tonality processing. Processing of timbre was
associated with activations in the so-called default mode network, which is
assumed to be associated with mind-wandering and creativity.

Similarly, a past
Stanford study showed music engages the areas of the brain involved with paying
attention, making predictions and updating the event in memory. The findings
also suggest that music can help the brain organize incoming information.

Published by Stanford University School of Medicine.  article by Lia Steakley

Everyone knows the horrible story of the shooting of Senator Gabrielle Giffords.  At the time of the shooting, her doctors were not sure she would even survive, much less recover.  Today, she is a shining star of what modern medicine can accomplish…with a little help from the field of music therapy!

“The most famous recent music therapy patient is U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona, shot through the left side of her brain 10 months ago during a public appearance in Tucson. Her therapists have used music to help her learn to walk and speak again, as well as give her an emotional boost along her stunningly difficult path. USA Todayreports that music therapy is increasingly being used to treat a wide range of problems, from brain injury to aging to cystic fibrosis.”   (Phoenix Business Journal, 11/29/11)

Everyone knows that music makes then feel good.  Generally music makes you feel better than you did before you started listening.  Music often creates good feelings that are so irresistable to me and I have to jump up and start dancing!  Seriously!  My dog looks at me with the most puzzled look!

I’ve always wanted to know exactly what music does to my brain and my mind and body.  Here is a delightful and interesting excerpt from an article online: Music appears to be processed in the right hemisphere of the brain. The way we experience music also affects our nervous system.

There are different neurons that respond according to what kind of music is playing. Music can effect hormones, encourage the production of cortisol, testosterone, and oxytocin. Music can even trigger a release of endorphins.

Beyond the biology and the actual responses of your body, there are definite responses of the mind as well. You’re aware of how you feel when you listen to music, but how do you know that it’s actually having any sort of effect on you? There is scientific evidence of the way it can affect your mind! It’s clearly more than just a suspicion — it’s fact!

The most famous experiment related to this is probably the one that was performed at the University of California at Irvine. College students were assigned to three different groups. The first group listened to Mozart’s sonata for Two Pianos in D Major. The second group listened to a relaxation tape. The third group listened to nothing at all.

After listening, they took a Stanford-Beinet reasoning test. The results were clear — those who had listened to Mozart had improved scores!

Many musical therapy experts recommend making music a part of your daily life, because its effects can improve with time. There is evidence that, over time, your language skills, creativity, happiness, and more, can improve with regular musical therapy.

The evidence is also stacked up strongly in favor of music’s healing power! A positive link has been found for those suffering from things like autism, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Tourette’s.

There are neuroscientists who are working to discover exactly why music has healing powers. After all, it’s pretty amazing that it can stimulate certain areas of the brain, speed healing, and decrease anxiety and increase optimism.

There are different components to music that can have an effect. Pitch, harmony, frequency, melody, and rhythm all effect the brain in different ways. We know that some of the brain locations are involved in helping to heal and soothe the body as well.

The brain can be taught and stimulated to perform better — and it seems that music is the perfect vehicle to do that.

http://evolutionezine.com/how-does-music-affect-our-body-and-brain-plus-listen-to-super-mind-music-for-free/

Dr. Daniel Levitan, author of “This is Your Brain on Music” helps us to understand how the brain processes music…fascinating, I think!

I just saw this on the “Today Show” and wanted to share it with my readers. What a wonderful program this is in New York City. I’m sure it could be replicated elsewhere!

For centuries, the beauty, power and personal relevance of music has made it a wonderful instrument for the rehabilitation of individuals with disabilities.

By definition, Daniel’s Music Foundation is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization that provides free musical instruction to all individuals with disabilities in the NYC area. But we are much more than just a foundation we are a community that opens doors to acceptance, respect, confidence and overall well being.

The relationship we build with our members over time goes well beyond simply music. Through our On-Site, Off-Site and Outreach Programs we create the opportunity for our members to put the skills they learn into practice, in a real life setting. We have found that our programs have been extremely beneficial when we serve our members, but magic happens when our members serve others.

 The Hollywood actor famously underwent open-heart surgery early last year, when one of his valves was replaced with that of a pig. Although Robin has recovered now, the star admits the experience hugely changed him as a person, putting him far more in touch with his feelings.

“Oh, God, you find yourself getting emotional. It breaks through your barrier, you’ve literally cracked the armour. And you’ve got no choice, it literally breaks you open. And you feel really mortal,” he told British newspaper The Guardian.

Since he first found fame in the 70s, Robin has enjoyed a long acting career and is considered one of the most hardworking stars in the movie industry. He has appeared in movies such as Mrs. Doubtfire, Dead Poets’ Society and The Fisher King.

But since experiencing ill health last year, 59-year-old Robin says he wants to take his professional life far more slowly. He regrets making so many movies during the 90s, although he doesn’t pinpoint any particular films.

Robin accepted so many roles because he was worried his fans would forget him, and he fears this made him take parts he perhaps didn’t value artistically.

“In one two-year period I made eight movies. At one point the joke was that there’s a movie out without you in it. You have this idea that you’d better keep working otherwise people will forget. And that was dangerous. And then you realise, no, actually if you take a break people might be more interested in you. Now, after the heart surgery, I’ll take it slow,” he explained.