A stereo system emits vibrations that travel through the air and enter the ear canal. These vibrations tickle the eardrum and are transmitted into an electrical signal that travels through the auditory nerve to the brainstem, where it is reassembled into what we perceive as music.
Johns Hopkins researchers had dozens of jazz artists and rappers improvise music while undergoing fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) to observe and see which areas of their brains were activated.
Music is structural, mathematical, and architectural. It is based on the relationships between one note and the next. We may not be aware of it, but our brain has to do a lot of calculations to understand it.
Listening to music when stressed can lift your mood and help you relax. This is the conclusion of researchers from the University of Vienna.
To date, studies on the issue have been cross-sectional or retrospective, which may lead to unintended biases in conclusions. Anecdotal evidence also suggests that music is an effective stress reliever. In the new study, scientists sought to find more concrete evidence of the mental health benefits of listening to music.
They create a smartphone app and enlist volunteers to use it. The platform allowed 711 adult participants to record their mood and music listening habits five times a day for a week. During each inquiry, each volunteer selects a current stress level from a menu.
They also assess their current mood in the same way. All volunteers lived either in Austria or Italy. The researchers conducted the study in the early days of the pandemic, when people were told to stay in their homes and businesses were closed.
Stress levels are lowered when one listens to relaxing or upbeat music. The researchers note that previous research has shown that upbeat music can activate parts of the brain associated with mood regulation.
They found that the impact of listening to music over a period of time can affect a person’s memories. Those volunteers who listened to more upbeat music during the pandemic reported feeling less anxious. The researchers conclude that clinicians working with stressed clients may find it helpful to suggest that they listen to upbeat music.