Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Sarah Boyd
Dr. Pereira
LBST 1105-H71
9 October 2018
Music plays a vital role in the lives of citizens from countries all over the world. It has
been an important part of traditions in various cultures and has become a universal language in
which all people can understand. Music also has a special ability to impact and connect listeners
who would not be able to relate otherwise. Music is not only enhancing the way we associate
with others, but it also benefits the individual. Science is now able to prove that there is a
psychological benefit to hearing music. Listening to music allows the brain to release chemicals
which help to improve the emotional well-being of the listener. The dispersion of dopamine,
serotonin, and oxytocin allows the listener to feel happier and less stressed. Johann Strauss’
composition, On the Beautiful Blue Danube, as well as classical music in general, has a strong
ability to affect the brain of the listener. Listening to pieces of classical music increases
In order to be able to understand how music affects the brain and impacts the listeners, it
is first important to learn some basics of how the brain functions. Psychoacoustics is the branch
of studying the way the human brain perceives sound. Due to the rise in interest on the subject
and enhanced technology, neuromusicology has recently been introduced to scientists. This is
considered to be the specific study of the way music impacts the brain. Scientists in the field of
neuromusicology have been able to discover the beneficial effects of listening to music through
research conducted with functional magnetic resonance imaging, commonly referred to as fMRI.
Boyd 2
During an fMRI, scientists are able to watch a change in blood flow and brain activity in real
time. In order to find the effect music has on the brain, participants volunteer to have an MRI
while listening to various types of music. The neuroscientists are then able to watch the way the
brain reacts to the sounds. The research has shown that music is one of the few things that has
the ability to activate all parts of the brain. Because the sounds within music are constantly
changing, there is no defined path that music follows as it enters the brain. Instead, it bounces
around hitting multiple sections which enables a larger effect on the listener (Lightner). Once the
music hits the amygdala, the listener begins to feel emotions. The amygdala is a tiny place
located within the core of the brain that controls our feelings. Connections are then made
between the amygdala and the cerebellum, another emotional control center located at the lower
back section of the brain, and the result from these links is the release of chemicals in the brain.
As complicated of a process as this seems, it happens in only a matter of seconds. Shortly after
hearing music, neurotransmitters release chemicals such as dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin
from the brain which all improve the mood of the listener.
rush of dopamine throughout the brain causes a large amount of pleasure. Listening to music
activates these dopamine rushes which is the reason we enjoy listening to our favorite songs. The
increase in dopamine allows for the listener to feel calm and peaceful. Serotonin is another
important chemical in the brain that is released while listening to music. Serotonin is the
neurotransmitter responsible for happiness. With a lack of serotonin, people begin to feel
depressed. However, listening to music increase the amount of serotonin in the brain, which then
helps to alleviate symptoms of depression and increase happiness. The final chemical released
while listening to music is oxytocin. Oxytocin is sometimes referred to as the “trust molecule” or
Boyd 3
“cuddle hormone” since it helps us to develop a trusting bond between others (Goldstein). The
increase in oxytocin within the brain inhibits listeners to feel more of a connection with others
around them (Alban). The release of these three chemicals throughout the brain benefits the
improve productivity in all aspects of life. The increased amount of serotonin, dopamine, and
oxytocin swarming around the brain has many mental and physical benefits. Music can help you
relax and concentrate, make you happier, lower your stress levels, as well as motivate and
empower you. Through good and bad moods, there are always songs to listen to. Dr. Patrick
Alban and Deane Alban, masterminds behind Be Brain Fit, wrote, “[music] can help you get in
touch with your emotions to help you heal” (Alban). No matter where you are in life, music is
always there to be listened to and even rewards your brain for the time spent listening.
Of course, all types of music can benefit the listener, but classical music has been known
to have the strongest effect. This genre of music is able to do all of the things previously
mentioned as well as a few extra. Research has shown that classical music has the ability to
“increase mental alertness” through the help of increased concentration, better memory, and
lower anxiety levels (PsycholoGenie). Shauna Joseph from Plymouth State University wrote an
article about how music affects the brain for The Odyssey. When discussing the psychological
Classical music has been proven to improve mood and lower stress. If you are feeling
anxious, sad, or out of control, taking a few minutes to stop for a little while and listen to
music has helped to control those emotions. Studies have found that it has the same
Boyd 4
within your brain that help with symptoms of stress and depression. (Joseph)
The structures in the brain are able to respond to music from the classical period in a more
positive way than any other form of music. In addition to all of this, classical music has been
shown to slow down breathing and lower blood pressure. This genre of music has a stronger
effect than most when it comes to impacting the physical and emotional well-being of the
listener.
Classical composer, Johann Strauss of Austria, is the composer of the most famous waltz
in history. Strauss wrote On the Beautiful Blue Danube during the 1860’s and the piece had its
debut in Vienna in 1867. The title of his work was inspired by a poem written by Karl Isidor
Beck where each stanza ended with ‘By the Danube, beautiful blue Danube’. Strauss’ musical
composition, along with most other classical pieces, is a perfect example of how classical music
has a psychological benefit for the listener. The complexity of his waltz and other classical music
lights up the brain. As the music enters, a surplus of serotonin, oxytocin, and dopamine are let
out. As a result, the listener begins to feel happier, more relaxed, and less stressed.
While at the Youth Orchestra, the students performed On the Beautiful Blue Danube by
Johann Strauss. While listening to this classical piece, I was able to experience the enhanced
mood from the rush of chemicals released. The increased amount of serotonin and dopamine in
my brain helped me to feel very content and calm. The oxytocin helped me form a closer bond
with my classmates that would have never occurred otherwise. Listening to music truly allows
for the release of neurotransmitters in your brain which do improve your mood.
Music has almost become a universal language amongst people worldwide. It has the
ability to bring people together and benefit the well-being of the listeners. Through the release of
Boyd 5
dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin in the brain, the mood of the listener will improve greatly.
Listeners can expect to become happier, less stressed, and more relaxed. Although all types of
music have this ability, classical music is known for its tremendous tendencies to do so. Classical
composer, Johann Strauss and his piece, On the Beautiful Blue Danube perfectly illustrates the
Works Cited
Alban, Deane, and Patrick Alban. “How Music Affects the Brain.” Be Brain Fit, Be Brain Fit, 28
Barnes, Tom. “Here's What Happens Inside Your Brain When You Listen to Music, in 3 Mind-
what-happens-inside-your-brain-when-you-hear-a-song#.YMehfaJYh.
2014, www.biography.com/people/johann-strauss-9496950.
Classic FM Contributors. “The Story Behind The Blue Danube.” Classic FM, Classic FM, 2018,
www.classicfm.com/composers/strauss-ii/guides/story-behind-blue-danube/.
Department of Radiology. “What Is FMRI?” What Is FMRI? - Center for Functional MRI - UC
fmri.ucsd.edu/Research/whatisfmri.html.
Goldstein, Barry. “Music and the Brain: The Fascinating Ways That Music Affects Your Mood
www.consciouslifestylemag.com/music-and-the-brain-affects-mood/.
“How Music Genres Affect the Brain.” Itssaraglows, Itssaraglows, 16 May 2016,
itssaraglows.wordpress.com/2016/05/16/how-music-genres-affect-the-brain/.
Joseph, Shauna K. “Music And The Brain: How Does Music Affect The Brain?” The Odyssey
how-does-music-affect-the-brain.
Boyd 7
Lightner, Allison C. “Science in Our World: Certainty and Controversy.” SiOWfa15 Science in
sites.psu.edu/siowfa15/2015/09/04/how-does-music-affect-your-brain/.
listening-to-classical-music-z15.
Nkonki, Siphiwo. “Brain Areas and Their Functions.” Health24, Aug. 2011,
www.health24.com/Mental-Health/Brain/Anatomy-of-the-brain/Brain-areas-and-their-
functions-20120721.
Audiovisual Terms, Richard W. Kroon, McFarland, 1st edition, 2014. Credo Reference,
https://go.openathens.net/redirector/uncc.edu?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsearch.credoreferen
ce.com%2Fcontent%2Fentry%2Fmcfav%2Fpsychoacoustics%2F0%3FinstitutionId%3D
PsycholoGenie Staff. “Effects of Music on the Mind You May Not Have Heard Of.”
mind-brain
“The Powerful Effect of Music On the Brain.” The Tabernacle Choir At Temple Square, The
www.thetabernaclechoir.org/articles/the-powerful-effect-of-music-on-the-brain.html.
Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. "Music has powerful (and visible) effects on the brain."
<www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/04/170412181341.htm>.