The Powers of Music: Feel, Heal & Connect

Music is the art of sounds, a combination of vocals and/or instruments that produce a beauty of form, harmony, and expression of emotions. Every genre of music has an impact on its listeners because it can bring people together, enhance their moods, and can even help people express their feelings by either listening to it or creating it.

Before the widespread access to recorded music on our mobile phones, people accessed different genres of music by attending live performances. Back then, the genre of music you would have access to also depended on your social class. For example, wealthy people attended live performances in operas and invitation-only events while the lower and middle class workers attended street performances. With the evolution of technology now, however, anyone can access anything whenever they like.

Irrelevant to the type of music you’re listening to, there are 3 powers that music has: FEEL, HEAL, and CONNECT.

Power #1: FEEL

Our auditory sense of music "lights up" the limbic system, which is involved in processing emotions and regulating memory. Furthermore, certain tracks can remain in our memory, and they can even evoke strong emotions in us such as happiness, sadness, or even the desire to dance to the beat.  Sounds, whether they come in the form of vocals or instruments, can be felt. We can always feel the emotion encapsulated within it. It's a common belief that lyrics hold more powerful emotions than the melody. Sad ones make you cry, joyful ones make you happy, calm ones make you relaxed,  and even deep ones make you think. 

Sometimes, music can also be a source of motivation. For example, an athlete can listen to music to motivate themselves while working out, or students can use it as a tool to get motivated while studying. However, it can also affect you negatively. It can bring back unwanted memories that can cause you pain. 

A person's experience of music is characterized by at least 12 major emotions: joy, beauty, relaxation, sadness, dreaminess, triumph, anxiety, scariness, annoyance, defiance, and feeling energized. 

Power #2: HEAL

Because music can help you express your feelings, it can also heal you. The form of art therapy the most researched by therapists and professionals is music therapy. Understanding the lyrics, actively listening to the beats, song-writing, and producing music are all essential parts of music therapy. Patients at hospitals have been shown to benefit greatly from music's positive impacts on their physical and emotional well-being. Research indicates that listening to music may lower stress levels, elevate emotions, boost vitality, lessen discomfort, and even accelerate the healing process after an illness or accident.

Balancing intense emotions is a difficult commitment, and therapy frequently assists people in managing their emotional problems and complex situations. Music therapy has become an extremely effective kind of treatment when a client is unable to express/understand their feelings.  

Power #3: CONNECT

Whether it’s a music band banding up to create their new hit single, or a group of friends attending a concert together, music has a way of bringing people together. Furthermore, people who listen to the same artists can often feel more connected to each other, and it can even enhance their relationships by linking certain memories to their favorite songs.

Music can also bring dancers together as well; for example, people can attend dancing classes and learn different dancing techniques depending on the type of music they’re listening to.

Sharing the same music selections with others can promote a feeling of community. In addition, music fosters empathy or a deeper comprehension of the thoughts and emotions of others.

FUN FACT:

A person with Alzheimer's may still be able to tap to the rhythm or sing along to childhood songs even in the later stages of the disease. According to studies, music can help with behavioral problems that are frequent in the later stages of the condition, and it can also lessen agitation.

In Conclusion

Music is the art of sounds that has a strong grip on its listeners. The power to feel, heal, and connect. People express their emotions by listening to or creating music. It is also one of the most used art therapies that helps people communicate and connect with each other.

Written by: Hajar Korachy

Edited by: Judy Khaled