This is the second of our instructor-led online discussions for Mu 101 (Spring 2020). Refer to the handout you received the first day of class (click on this highlighted text to go to that page our class website) which describes the amount and kinds of contributions you’re expected to make to these online discussions (adding your own ideas, responding to others’ ideas, and asking questions that others can respond to) — these are all the same parameters of good conversation that happens offline, too!
The most effective comments in an online forum are short — think about how you skim past others’ comments if they’re more than a couple lines long instead of engaging closely with that person’s ideas! If everyone involved in these weekly conversations only posts a single long comment, it won’t be a conversation, and we won’t all benefit from opportunity to learn from each other. Rather than dropping in on the blog once during the week and adding a single long comment, think of this forum as an opportunity to have a conversation with your fellow classmates. A conversation, whether online or in person, involves back-and-forth contributions from everyone involved: adding something new based on your own experiences or ideas, asking questions, responding to the ideas of others. The best way to get the most out of this learning experience is to share your single best idea, give room for others to respond, and then build on each others’ contributions later in the week.
The reading time of this post is approximately 3 minutes, not including links to additional materials.
A very good place to start
We’re starting by thinking about thinking—how does music affect how people think?
Every activity, experience, and piece of information you come across in your life changes your brain. The brain is a system of neurons and synapses that constantly rewires itself to adapt to your life. The more often you do something (like recall a piece of information or perform an activity), the better your brain gets at accessing and doing it. This is why studying a little bit every day is effective: you’re reinforcing your brain’s ability to recall or associate bits of information. And, this is also why habits can be hard to break—you train your brain to do something by doing it over and over—and unlearning a habit requires both making totally new connections between different parts of your brain and also forgetting old ones.
There are a couple of good books on this subject if you want to keep reading:
- Gerald Edelman, Bright Air, Brilliant Fire: On the Matter of the Mind (1992) and Neural Darwinism (1987), which describe his theory of “neural Darwinism,” or the strengthening of different neural pathways in the brain over others through use and disuse
- Antonio Damasio, The Feeling of What Happens: Body and Emotion in the Making of Consciousness (1999), which describes his theory of “core consciousness” and people’s (including musicians) ability to consciously enter special mental states by training their brains to do so
- Judith Becker, Deep Listeners: Music, Emotion, and Trancing (2004), which applies Damasio’s and Edelman’s research to people who actively and deeply listen to music and tap into their core consciousness, leaving their personalities behind (there’s also the text of a lecture she gave on this subject available here)
So, what does this have to do with music?
Making music changes your brain in ways that other activities don’t. Learning to play a musical instrument can be a great benefit to the brain: its development, improved long-term memory, language skills, faster reaction times. A lot of research in this field specifically studies the effect of musical study on young children (and here and here), but the effects are true at all stages of life—it’s never too late!
Below is a short (5′) TedTalk that scratches the surface of this idea by showing the many mental processes and parts of the brain that are engaged when someone plays a musical instrument.
Singing affects the brain in fascinating ways, too!
Listening—the task of Mu 101
Special things happen to our brains—and our bodies!—when we listen to music, too.
“Physiology” (pronounced fizzy-all-oh-gee) is the study of how our bodies normally function: how our cells, biochemicals, and bodily systems all work together, react to the world around us, and keep us alive.
Physiology comes into play with music when we start thinking about how our bodies react to music: things happen when we like the sounds we’re hearing (our eyes dilate, our pulse changes, our body releases dopamine)—we have a physiological reaction to the music that’s involuntary, exciting, sometimes unexpected, and often enjoyable. Our bodies’ reactions help us understand if we want to hear something again (even if we don’t directly say to ourselves, “Wow, my cerebellum became quite active during that song; I’d better listen to it again!”) because we enjoy the way they feel, and we know that listening to music might be one of the only ways to feel those particular (enjoyable) feelings again.
Below is a link to a short (19′) video presentation given by musician/researcher Deanna Choi at TEDxQueensU in 2012 (Canada) that explains what happens to our bodies when we listen to music. You might be a person that learns more easily from reading than listening, or if you may be interested in reading another short, accessible introduction to the study of music and physiology, so I’m including a link to one here. There are hundreds of similar articles out there—this has been a popular topic of research for the last several decades.
Final thoughts
Engaging with the materials of this class (and every class you take!) will change who you are—by changing how you think and listen, reinforcing new neural pathways in your brain, and helping you acquire new skills that will give you something to build upon, a bundle of neurons ready to link to whatever skills and information you encounter in the future. What a way to start the semester!
-Dr. J.
Dr. Jones' Music Classes 
Good day everyone! I love this topic of the way music influences us, not only emotionally but physiologically as well. As a child I know most of us have been encouraged to play some type of musical instrument (for me it was piano) and we either ended up not liking it or loving it. It’s highly interesting however how much different the brain’s of those who play an musical instrument or sing is from those who don’t. If anything these articles and videos have only spiked my interest in music once again, to learn to play multiple musical instruments. What do you guys think? has anyone’s mind been blown like mine was?
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Hello all! I have to agree with you in this. For me music helps me relax and unwind. We live such hectic lives and music takes us away, even if for only 3 minutes, we are transported somewhere. I feel it when I close my eyes and listen to it. I forget that I am on the bus to work or to school. I loose myself in the music. I would love to take up piano lessons again. I took piano lessons around the age of 12, but could not continue. It would fulfill a childhood dream.
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Yo bro its never too late to continue learning something, and plus piano is a really good instrument to learn to play. Music really can take you to another universe, its truly amazing what music can do for a person. Its so hard to control myself from dancing on the bus when I am listening to some heat but somehow I manage lmaooo.
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BLOWN? like fireworks in my brain just going off at random when I saw this because it just reassured me of what I knew because I just went on a killing spree of finding innocent little articles that I can just kill time with and it was a FUN but not as fun as music is. ALSOOO I wasn’t encouraged to play an instrument but I received one when I was in a low place due to my disorder ANDDDD it helped. so if your ever feeling down or UPPPP go to your local guitar center and play awayyyyyyy because they let you.(not an ad)
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I definitely agree with the sentiment of wanting to play multiple musical instruments, imagine the car radio goes out and you’re just like let me pull out my guitar. It’s pretty far fetched I know just sounds cool in my head. I was interested to learn how much it effects us, maybe not mind blown but pretty close to it.
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Well, my mind wasn’t blown like yours was, but I found it similarly interesting that the brains of music practitioners and/or listeners was different from those not well acquainted with music. This is a useful fact that can be used to spread the art of music around – the fact that it actually changes your brain is a positive.
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Playing the piano is pretty cool, as a kid a was force to play the guitar but I was really good at it but it help with my focus. one of the things that Deanna Choi said that caught my attention was “the more you use the brain, the stronger and efficient it gets”, this goes for an everyday thing like when you are doing you craft, school work, and the things you do at home. The more you do it, the better you get.
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Hi Everyone!! I think this is a very interesting topic. It’s amazing how all parts of our brain interacts when music is being play, but especially for musicians (playing instruments) stimulating their brain at a higher level is mind blowing. As Widnie commented before I was also encourage to play an instrument and I played the guitar for one year or two when I was a kid but I never got very deep into it or music in general (Dr. J will disapprove this statement). However, after this article I’d love to try to play an instrument again. I think it would help me to improve concentration, discipline and relieves stress.
In “How music can be better for you than sex and chocolate” I loved the story of the musician’s grandma about responding to the violin while in a coma. That statement shows how powerful and stimulating music is and how great benefits there are in playing an instrument.
So, what everyone’s thinking? are we going to register to play an instrument this summer or what?
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haiii, I already play multiple instruments ANDD I’m not going to BOAST how different my good ol’ mind is because I’m just not. BUTT what I would do… is recommend you playing whatever instrument you like HELLL pick up some spoons and bang away at a table, or sing along to a karaoke version of a SONG. Its a START. enjoy the vibrations.Paula.
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Hi Paula ^_^ I kind of regret not taking a class to learn an instrument. I think it’d be cool if I were to know how to play the piano or guitar. I agree with you. I think learning to play an instrument definitely would improve on our concentration, discipline, and our ability to relieve stress. We out to learn or what? LOL
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Hey everyone I love this discussion on how music can affect your brain in many ways.For example if you listen to like heavy rock that music gets you excited gets your adrenaline going. But for me I know when I come home tired driving home I like to listen to chill/mellow music. For me I like hip hop/ R&B but it gets tiring listening to the same stuff over and over again so I have to switch it up sometimes. To Widnie and Paulas comment the only time I played an instrument was in elementary school where they taught you how to play a recorder but that’s as far as I got. I think if I find an instrument that I really like I think I would give it a go and try it out.
What about everyone else ?
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If i played an instrument i like would relate to this video but I don’t. But i agree about music in general my mood changes so fast to different kinds of songs
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I like your response because I feel the same way about instruments. That if I find an instrument that I really think i would like or be good at I would give it a try.
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ALL YOU NEED IS A PUSH to the wonderful world of MUSIC. its fun. right now were just vibration chambers taking in all the vibrations that certain songs have BUT we are vibrations SOO would it be fun to manipulate some vibrations hmm?? you’ll see what I mean when you finally pick up an “instrument”. you are not going to REGRET it. maybe. hmm. smell you later.
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Good afternoon evreyone, when I saw this topic i was very intrigued. As a kid I would listen to music so often that it became a part of my daily routine. With everything life was throwing at me, music became my escape from reality. However, it also helped me rember some of my greatest memories. I find it very interesting that a few instruments can have such an imapct on a person and their life. Something that i never payed much attention to was the physical imapct it could have aswell as the emotional impact.
While watching the second video “How music works: What happens to your brain when you sing”, I could not stop thinking about how much I love to sing. It may sound silly but I never associated my want to sing with my need to feel happy during hard times. It is easy to say that music is more than a bunch of instruments to many people and i enjoyed reading about this topic.
Much like Paula and Widnie this disscussion board has made me want to play an instrument.
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hi guys. yeah same here my parents would constantly put me in piano classes and the only thing I remember is the beginning of happy birthday.
In the clip “How music can be better for you than sex and chocolate?” she explained how when we constantly play our favorite tunes over and over its because the release of tension we experience. Which i can agree on because when we want to get away from our stress we usually turn to music to help us.
what are your thoughts on the video?
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Hi everyone, i love to sing. I use to to sing in a choir at church when i was 9. Singing use to make me feel relaxed and it made me think less. I overthink a lot when im not listening to music or singing. When i watched the video of what happens to your brain when you sing, your moods change and i can relate to this so much. And i never knew when you sing your brain is activate. I thought your brain is already activate. What are your thoughts on this video?
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I can definitely agree with you, music has a way of soothing me at my difficult times. I tend to overthink a lot also my thoughts on the video were invested but not shocking to know how music can do so many things.
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Hello all, I would have to say that I don’t really listen to the whole instruments but I find what people are saying about it really interesting. In the video, “How music works: what happens to your brain when you sing. The women the brain light up when listening to music. when we our self sings we activate your reward network. I think that a work to make you feel look about yourself or even about what your listening to. What are your thoughts on the videos? I would love to hear them. 🙂
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Hello everyone,
I agree with Nicholas I think is a matter of finding the right instrument for you. There are many choices and probably the ones we have tried in the past was not the right instruments. There should be a vocation instrument test before teaching you how to play lol What everyone thinks?
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HI everyone, I hope everyone is having an amazing week so far.
I think the topic of music affecting the brain is a very intersting one because with music moods and feelings can be alter in just minutes. I agree with widnie8625 because growing up I tried a couple of instruments, but couldn’t find one. Perhaps before I didn’t appreciated the instruments or instrumental music as I do now, Now I can say I have an insterest in trying the instrument I used to play before because I appreciate it now for the sounds and what it can be use for.
What do you guys think? Did you appreciate instruments while growing up? WHY???????
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Good evening, I’m tired and over the long week I’ve had. Let me start off with I always sing in the shower. Can’t nobody tell me I couldn’t sing. I’ve never played any instruments, reading and watching on how it can benefit the brain I really wish I would have. When thinking of music I think of a place of calmness and outlet where my emotions can be broadcasted. I think of how pregnant women place soothing music for the baby to listen to, and how it’s said listening to music can even enhance your development. Overall I feel music can just better you.
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Hope you’re enjoying your weekend and got some rest!
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I’m on the same boat as you bcelestain I wish can play an instrument too and yeah it does when my wife was pregnant she would always play clam and soothing music for my son and honestly, it helped so much with his development. Heck he’s six months now and already he wants to get up and walk and he can’t even craw yet.
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Hey! Same here, in elementary school I used to play the clarinet, I stopped unfortunately because I didn’t have the patience to practice. As I got older I’ve gained a better appreciation for instruments, and sometimes I regret not sticking to playing the clarinet! I think If I dedicated more time to it I would’ve played very well. I really would love,how to the play the piano one day!
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Hey everyone! This topic “Music and the brain” is very interesting. Music definitely effects us in many ways. A few examples, like when we are in the gym and trying to get a good workout in. Maybe it’s house, EDM, Hip-hop, or dance. Or when you’re driving, maybe your thing is classical to relax or Rock to jam out. Or maybe, when you come home from work/school you like to relax and listen to R&B. whatever your preference is, I’m sure we can agree we all have a certain attachment to our favorite genre of music.
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I totally agree on listening to different genres of music depending on the situation. For example, if I want to chill and study, I’ll listen to piano music or lo-fi hip hop (can’t escape the YouTube algorithm there). Other times I’ve got some metal/screamo music when I just want a little chaos to unwind from a long day. Then I also have some video game music that randomly shows up on my playlist while I’m walking to class and I can just imagine the section of the video game it’s from and kinda place myself as the main character in that scenario. Anybody else do that? It always makes my walks more interesting.
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Hi everyone!
I love this topic “Music and the brain”, I feel as though we all can relate in some way when it comes to music. Some of us use it for entertainment purposes while others, may refer to it as their form of ‘release’. Overall, I think everyone made valid claims and music really is life!
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I agree that music does speak to people in different ways and as a result may even change the way it affects each of our brains individually. Depending on the reason for listening to or playing music, the way it affects our thinking may vary greatly.
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Hey hey! This topic is really interesting and extremely complex because the brain is such a fascinating part of our bodies. In the Ted Talk about how playing an instrument benefits our brains, I found myself regretting that I never picked up an instrument and really learned to play it. It was also really interesting to learn that playing an instrument could actually increase the volume and activity in the corpus collosum of the brain. I got hit with such a wave of nostalgia when I read Nicholas and he mentioned learning to play the recorder in elementary school! Does anyone play an instrument?
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MY EXPERIMENT WORKED!
The cat is okay!
Firstly, good afternoon everyone. I hope that we have all had a productive week. I can certainly say that I did. After reading the articles and viewing the videos, I decided to conduct a little experiment. I understood most of what was expressed in the articles and videos, which triggered me to conduct said experiment. I wanted to know if listening to music in a chaotic work environment could help me be more productive and if so, what genre. I work for the No-fault department of a commercial vehicle insurance company, so every day is extremely busy. I started on Wednesday by listing to some modern pop which only added to the chaos by making me want to fist pump. I also involuntarily started beating on my keyboard as if they were drums which was not at all helpful in any shape or form in my work productivity. On Thursday I decided to listen to some hip hop. Now this type of music genre is one of my favorites so in no time I was singing along and bobbing my head to the beat. At one point I even forgot I was still at work. Indeed, it removed me from the chaos all around but it also removed me from my work so that was a no go. On Friday I decided to listen to some classical music. I was very doubtful about this choice from the start but decided to roll with it anyway. I started listening and at first, I had to turn up the volume but then I was suddenly removed from the chaos around me and sent back in time with my desktop. It felt as if Mozart was right next to me playing as I worked. Like he wanted me to finish my examining my bills. I was able to focus and get my work done with all the chaos around so it’s safe to say that this music genre worked for me in this type of environment. That afternoon as I was walking home, I saw a cat in the middle of the sidewalk. I stopped and we had a bit of a stare down (like in the wild west) but then he moved slightly to the side so that I may pass. As I walked on by, I nodded and said to him, “you’re okay”. Thanks for reading till the end
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lol so do you plan on listening to classical music while at work more often? or was this just a one-time thing
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Believe it or not, I’ve been listening to classical music since this course started lol. Just not at work but I just might start
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Yurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr naa but for real I am wild tired right now, Lmaoooo just came from work, but ya this article was not too shabby, I do agree with the message though. Music really is a vibe bro, like word to my MOTHER, you can dead be feeling any type of emotion when you listen to music but I guess it depends on what you like. When you’re angry or sad I guarantee you will always have time to listen to music, and I bet it will calm your emotions. And even if you don’t want to calm down there are all types of music that will get you mad hype. Y’all listen to Pop Smoke? Cuz bro just came out with a new album and its straight HEATTTTTTTTT!!!!!! Its called (Meet The Woo 2) go give it a listen see if you like it. Always keep an open mind when listening to music you never know what songs you might like. Yo tell me your favorite songs and why you like them and tell me you favorite artist too.
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Music can really impact you in a positive way so I totally agree with the message that the video gave about picking up an instrument. My dad always used to try to get me to play the drums in church on Sunday and I used to but I stopped because I wanted to play basketball so that’s what I did. Music was what made me better at the sport because it’s nothing like having a whole basketball court to yourself listening to your favorite motivational music . The music made me think of different moves that I could perfect and when I would play against competition the moves that I practiced while listening to the music would happen but when the move happened the song would play in my head as well . Music to me is like food to a human you can’t live that long without eating because if you do your going to die . Has anyone had music make help them to become better at any sports as well ?
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yeah I used to run track back in high school and i would always listen to music while I was warming up or before I ran a race and it always used to calm me down and get me in the right mood to run
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haiii, the musica and the ol’ think machine. Music, music, music look listen i have a disorder and making music and acting make those disorders work for me in my favorrr or against! its a dice roll sometimes or a flip of the coin. i play multiple instruments like blah blah blah. I knew of the effect it was having on my disorder and I loved it. my brain and nerves already feel like firecrackers popping in a metal box but music is like a person wearing a fire proximity suit who picks up the metal box and just carries it around and looks inside from time to time while traveling from place to place. what I’m trying to say is that music is so POWERFUL that it can help people with mental disorders or people who are on the spectrum. HELL it helps me all the time but due to my disorder it can also be destructive to me. a broader topic? MAYbe. :)(:
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Growing up I’ve always been surrounded by music, whether its the music my parents played, or the music I personally listened to, or even the music I’ve heard in church or out on the street. Either way, I’ve always had an interest in music, which is why I learned to play the trumpet. I think learning how to play an instrument (or multiple instruments) is very stimulating and has several psychological benefits. when I’m listening to music now, no matter the song, I always try to overanalyze all the different sounds and how the different instruments sound and listen to how they work together or bounce off and complement each other. in the video “how can music be better than sex or chocolate”, I agree with how she listed different things such as runners high, sex, eating cheesecake and listening to your favorite piece of music as a stimulant for many people.
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Hey guys! I found this discussion to be very interesting.Even though I don’t play an instrument, I do admire people who can play one and play it well!You could see the time and dedication they put into their craft. I’ve always wanted to learn how to play a intrusment, after watching the TedTalk videos it has motivated me even more so to learn how to play one, the fact that it improves your academic skills is pretty cool. I do love listening to music, I do notice when I listen to something I love, I feel so happy.If I was worried about something, I forget all about it in that moment, and think about things that make me feel good. So I totally agree with music being good for your mental health.
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I like this topic, I agree music influences most of the emotions we feel daily.
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Hey. For as long as I remember I’ve been surrounded with music and no I’m not proficient in any instrument although I wish I was. When my mother was still pregnant my parents decided they wanted to go to an Aerosmith concert and during that concert my mom felt me kick for the first time. So even in the womb we are still open to our sense of hearing and if our senses only become stronger as we grow a little older, its no surprise that music effects the way it does. With my father showing me indie rock throughout my life and my mother putting Latino music and me trying to dance it badly with her, music in its self is an instrumental part in most people’s life even if you don’t notice it. Experiencing your favorite artists playing your favorite songs even if through your headphones or live, creates a different feeling that I really can’t describe but the closest is definitely a sense of happiness and/or comfort for me. Imagine this, a movie with no soundtrack or score it loses a lot of its feeling such as suspense, joy, or sadness. Think of Michael Myers without the iconic Halloween theme, some people would probably still find it scary but it changes it to be more bland and loses a lot of the thriller and suspense that it had. Just by listening to certain songs you can hear the certain feeling the composer/artist is trying to convey. Meaning I definitely believe music can improve and affects your mental health. Halloween was the first one that came to mind for me but there’s definitely a ton more that would feel weird without its music, Tell me a movie you can’t imagine without a soundtrack or score.
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Hello everyone, please pardon what I think is going to be a lengthy response – because I am still trying to get used to the format and request of not commenting and addressing everything… Im really starting to love this concept! Being that I like the science, and the study of the human body, I am going to comment a bit on physiology of music in regards to the brain/neuron text Dr. Jones wrote. This little passage, though short really spoke to me because it is so true. It made me think of when I was younger, in elementary school and had music class and was “forced” to learn how to play the flute. I say forced because I originally wanted to play the clarinet but supplies were limited, so the flute it was. At first I hated the flute, I remember trying to blow in the hole of the instrument in every which way, at every angle, and I just could not get it to produce a sound. However, as stated the brain constantly rewires itself to adapt to your life and that the more often you do something, the better your brain gets at accessing and doing it. This was precisely my case – at first I couldn’t do it, but I went home and practiced and practiced, and each day – it got easier. I amazed myself that I was able to turn a simple action of me breathing air into music. It’s amazing to kind-of understand the ‘science’ behind it. Regardless, playing the flute, learning notes, and little songs gave me such a feeling that I can only describe as Euphoria and the science behind it is that it is the release of dopamine. I definitely can agree that I had a physiological reaction to playing the instrument and I can honestly now see that my music really does influence reactions in our body, and vice versa. This happens all the time, and is so normal/unconscious that I never took the time to articulate it and see that an actual science is behind it. This makes me want to play an instrument again…hmm Maybe.
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I think music changes the way people think by allowing them access to patterns they otherwise wouldn’t be exposed to through any other medium. Music seems to be enjoyed by most complex creatures – humans aren’t the only ones who can enjoy music (elephants and even cows seem to move themselves to “dance” to music that’s played to them), which seems to suggest that it speaks to something universal in living creatures as a whole.
I know personally that when I enjoy music, I find myself entranced and in a state of intense focus, such as when I’m whistling. Music is just that powerful.
Something we could all think about and ask ourselves is whether music has any roots in biology that makes it somewhat universal to different living creatures. But we might not find a true answer even if we perform experiments, as animals communicate differently from us human beings.
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I love that feeling when a song makes me go into intense focus. It’s like all the worries of my world have disappeared.
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Hello friends!
I do not know where I would be today without the world of music. Music plays a big influence in my life and to read about how it affects your brain in many different ways, only reinforces that statement. Whether its early in the morning, whether its during a workout at the gym or during a run, or whether you just need to put yourself in a certain mood/vibe, music has all of the power. Surprisingly, I was never pushed or forced to a class to learn an instrument by my parents. However, I was fortunate enough to be able to teach myself how to play the drums. I think the sense of rhythm and beat just came naturally to me and I was able to play for my church when I was in high school. Sometimes I would go to church early just so I can put in my ear phones and jam out to many different types of music so I can relieve my stress and just… vibe. You feel me? I haven’t played the drums since graduating high school… which was like about 10 years ago… and I miss playing so much. Sometimes I catch myself playing it in my head when I’m listening to a song and I’m able to figure out the beat. So yeah, when I listen to music, I tend to single out the beat of the drums and the snares and the hi-hats etc. If you guys know how to play an instrument, do you guys tend to single out that instrument in a song like I do? Because I do that all the time without me knowing it sometimes.
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Hey David, I can really related to you when you said when you listen to music and single out the instrument of the song but for me, it would be the vocals to see how the lyrics cohear the beats of the songs. Also, I know how you feel how music will make you go the extra mile when doing actives
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Hi David,I totally agree with you. Music makes a big impact on me and others as well. I do not know what I will do without music. Its a starting routine for me as soon as i wake up.Sometimes I even freak out when i leave my headphones at home.
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I’m seeing everyone talk about their musical background and it made me want to share a bit of mine haha. For as long as I can remember I’ve always loved music and you could say had a knack for playing it. According to a story my mom told me about my toddler years, when I was having a play date with my neighbor, I had apparently picked up a toy flute and played Twinkle Twinkle, without really learning how. From there, I always did enjoy music class, my mom enrolled me in piano lessons(that I stopped taking in the 7th grade), learned this Thai instrument called the “khim” near the beginning of middle school, learned the violin in middle school, and nowadays just really like picking up small handheld instruments like the kalimba. I also like singing a great deal. (I wouldn’t say I’m any good at playing or singing music though lol.) Maybe all this music playing I’ve done really did result in being told often that I have a good head on my shoulder.
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I would love to play the violin.. How was that experience for you ?
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Hey, how is everyone? I can agree with this music does influence a person’s state of mind. Heck even for me music affected me so much while I was growing up even to now. Listening to punk, rock, alternative, and edm would give me the pup I go the extra mile. Growing up I never had a chance to play an instrument and i regretted it so much now, but hearing people play would mood me so much. Even going out if I hear a song I enjoy I would do some small dance in the store, I know that all of us done that at some point in our lives. I just wanted to same no matter what music you listen to it affected you in your life.
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This is so true. It really depends on what kind of mood I’m in. My parents listened to a lot of classic rock and alternative so I enjoy a lot of alternative music. I grew up and rap is basically the new pop and I listen to a lot of those too but I always mix in a few throwbacks depending on my mood.
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Have you ever been to a EDM concert? Is it a go? Omg imagine all of the lights and the bass.
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Hello! I totally agree when it comes to music and the brain. Music helps me relax and keeps me in a calm collective place. When I listen to music sometimes I even lose my thought because I will just be listening and singing my life away. Getting into the groove with the music. I just put on my headphones and tune everyone out. Just let me and my music be.
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This is so me! I swear the best headphone for that are Beats. The bass and sound clarity is amazing.
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I agree with this article that when I listen to music, my brain will respond to the music. Whenever I hear music that resonates with me, I will feel sad or happy.If I like the song, my mood will feel happy. I’ll repeat the song.When I hear some music, it always reminds me of the past.
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Hey how are you guys! I feel late lol. I was so intrigued by the fact that music can move people even if they are disabled, elder, etc… I definitely agree with Jamilahe, I have a business with body slimming and I always have music on, It keeps me focused, Im tuned out of everything else and Im tuned into my clients.
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Wow it’s honestly incredible how complex our brain is and how it reacts to music. I didnt know how complex it is when music playing through your ears sends all these types of signals. It’s also crazy how your brain is actually capable of memorizing all of these things just be listening to it and also how its able to get stuck in your head.
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Right I agree. I can always memorize a song lyrics right away before my school work.
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Oh boy, the video “How playing an instrument benefits your brain,” got me thinking ” Mom, you know I was brat why didn`t you tie me up and ensure that I learned an instrument, or just throw all my game boys away.” Flashback again to when I was younger my mother thought that the piano would mold me into becoming an elegant, loving girl because I would follow my brother’s footsteps. Running in parks with other boys like I was mad, bruises and cuts became my badge. Dirt and mud became my everyday wear. Thus, she enrolled me in piano class. And that’s when my mom first took out the BROOM, the wooden broom for both me and my brother. Because I would not go, I didn’t want to learn piano, I was not interested, I didn’t bother to even attend the first class. I would cut class and accompany my brother to parks with his friends. My mom was mad, uff furious, but she didn’t force me to go back since I didn`t want too. And I regret now, I know music is fun but I`m a stubborn three minuter. I`ve been heated from the mind and soul about music during high school years but it never lasted such as guitar, piano class. I really wish time could tick back to when I have less stuff to handle, music could`ve gotten me smarter; quote on quote ” improves long-term memory (acing all those science classes), language skills (hola, como estas) , faster reaction time (0-100 real quick).
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The reason why grounding want to play the piano is because you were forced. It has to come to you naturally. You probably stayed with guitar because your liked the sound more.
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Didnt*
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I am a pretty slow learner and I tried playing the piano when I was younger but found it difficult to remember the notes and place my hands correctly. I enjoy listening to music so much more than I do trying to play it. I never found it easy through, to listen to music while studying or doing homework so the fact that it increases long term memory is surprising to me.
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Good afternoon everyone, growing up I always loved to listen to music in my free time, it just calmed me down, it was my meditation in life. I don’t know for y’all but listening to different types of genre for music puts me in different moods for example is I am just studying for my classes I will tend to listen to some light calm music, but if I am at the gym i will listen to some rock or rap. Even if I’m going to party i tend to listen to Spanish music even though i don’t even know a ounce of Spanish. In the video “what happens to our brain when we sing” It amazes me what our brains go through as the women said(Professor Sarah Wilson) “Singing is a natural therapy” Also everyone talking about the instruments they played, i played the Tenor Saxophone in high school,but wasn’t that great at it.
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It is incredible how one’s body and brain reacts to music. Many of the times, it depends on your mood and purpose. I mean when I listen to hard bop, I get very hyped. The music is just so intense, sadly it isn’t that popular now a days, showed it to my boyfriend and he looked at me weird. On the other hand, soul jazz is so soothing, I listen to it whenever I can’t sleep and most of the times, it works.
I think it’s quite impossible to not like music. My grandparents listen to music everyday. They always turn it on during dinner, it’s quite annoying cause they are old so they have to turn it quite loud but whatever. Music has been around for so long, just different genres over the years but still very well appreciated. Which I think it is because of how it makes people feel. It lightens the mood and it sometimes soothes one’s broken heart. WOW I sound very poetic, I swear I am not.
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Hello again everyone! so happy that you guys are discussing your past relationship with music, and just like me, reconsidering going back into playing musical instruments. quick question for you guys, if you had to pick a musical instrument to learn in DR. Jones’ Music class, what would it be? mine is piano and violin!
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Definitely violin
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Good evening everyone, hope all is well.
So I read a lot of your comments and was super excited when I saw that there are musicians in the class aswell as just music enthusiasts, super cool. I totally agreed with the videos aswell as the links about how music changes your brain. I felt like I already had a image of what that is due to how music makes me feel on a daily. Whether it’s dancing, singing, or playing my guitar or trumpet or making noises on the piano or synth…… mannn that stuff always gets me in a good mood. I’ve been super about my music since I was like 6 I use to dance in church talking about Jesus this and that for a minute which opened me up to so many doors. music to me is like a gateway drug. I need my fix of dopamine and I get it through the expression of music. But blah blah from then on I got into song writing and the use of instruments which have changed me in so many ways based on how you look at it. Dancing makes me go crazy I just lose it’s when my body just starts to bounce to the rhythm of the drum, singing relaxes me so much…. -my showers are concerts- and playing instruments gets my gears turning I can sit there for hours thinking of what’s next how to do this this and that and thinking of memories just to get something perfect. It’s kinda hard do to me being self taught by ear butttt that’s my take hope y’all enjoy my little piece also if y’all ever want to see my stupid dances or be friends Add my Instagram @stranger.mark
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Yes I love how you said ” I need my fix of dopamine ” …I sure do too
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Music changes how people think by literally rewiring how our brains work. Listening to music lights up many different parts of our brain while actually engaging in the discipline of playing an instrument. Music specifically engages the visual, auditory, and motor cortices in our brains and helps to connect them as well. This helps to strengthen those brain functions and apply it to other activities that engage our minds. Music connects these different parts of the brain as well as enlarging the corpus callosum, the part of the brain that connects the intuitive section of the brain with the creative section of the brain. All this helps a person’s brain by allowing them to be more creative, think more critically, as well as recall information and memories more easily.
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Music and the brain work together in a variety of ways that improves the functioning of the body along with behavior. Music gives me the opportunity to express certain feelings, it also creates dopamine in the brain a neurotransmitter that makes you feel happy. Learning how to play an instrument for example can help you with attaining auditory processing, learning, and memory. The very first instrument that i was very interested in were the drums and I couldn’t get enough of the sound that would come out of them. So it has me thinking through my experience with this beautiful frequency the nucleus accumbens and amygdala within my brain were having emotional reactions. Majority of the time when music is being played people are dancing and moving to the beat, the thump, the vibration that triggers the cerebellum.
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The hearing impaired go by the thump and vibration. I wonder if they receive the same feeling as we do. The vibration of a song can get me excited also.
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Hey classmates,
I love music so much!! The very thought of a world without music disturbs me. I can agree with Deanna choi music can be better than sex and cheesecake. The way a certain style of music can leave goosebumps on my arms and have my heart racing is exhilarating. Music lifts up our mood and released dopamine, which is good for our mental health. Learning that fact made me think like WOW more people should go to music therapy. Music therapy is used for many different issues, from stress relief to mental, emotional and behavioral problems. Another thing I found pretty cool was that learning an instrument can improve long-term memory, language skills, and faster reaction. Maybe we should start teaching people in nursing homes to lower the Alzheimer rate. I love that we can all enjoy and bond through music. Everybody deserves to be happy and have their mind stimulated on such an intensifying level. Music will do just that!
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Yo i forgot about the weekly blogs literally just hit me out nowhere that I gotta do it. But yo, of course music has an effect on the brain. It releases dopamine and all that. It can also help you get through so many things in life. Musical artists like Juice Wrld, Trippie Redd, and XXXTentacion helped me get through the biggest breakup of my life with my ex last year. They have relatable music and melancholy lyrics and instrumentals to vibe to. Anyways, musically I’ve been rapping since the 9th grade and had a passion for it, just chilling in the booth with the homies making beats and rapping. That’s where I’m at right now when it hit me theres a blog due. Bruh im on the producers laptop writing a blog. The younger me woulda said screw it, but it’s new times and the time to get a 4.0 in all my classes. esketit. peacee.
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R.I.P Juice wrld!!
He’s definitely the right one to help through a breakup.
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When people like the sounds they hear, their body releases dopamine. Learning to play an instrument can be a great benefit to the brain’s development. So, if someone learns how to play the guitar it will be a benefit to their brain’s development. When you sing you activate your reward network.
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