The ubiquity of music in everyday life, and the corresponding diversification of musical behaviour are the reasons why there it is an increased interest in studying the music psychology in the last 20 years. [Hargreaves, 2002]. The meaningful information that is shared through any form of communication may also be shared in a form of organised sounds that represents the music [Thaut, M, 2008]. I find it fascinating what a big influence music has in my everyday life. There are various philosophical questions regarding music. Does music represent humanity? How can music express emotions? How is music perceived emotionally by the listener?
Claire L. Evans, a musician and a writer, brings us to our attention, at the STRP festival, that in science fiction music is shown as the universal language of communication, and it is a way to quantify and transmit the emotional and cultural impact of life. Can music be produced in a way that does not represent a human culture? What musical segment can one send in space to represent the various cultural backgrounds present on Earth? Does music influence the emotional side of non-human, even animals? Which instruments should be used to create abstract music?
Video set. Conference for the curious - Claire L. Evans - The sound of post-human music
When we listen to music various parts of our brain are triggered. The auditory cortex perceives and analyses the sounds in the first stages of listening to sounds. The motor cortex and the cerebellum are working to create the movement in dancing, for foot tapping, and playing an instrument. The sensory cortex provides tactile feedback from playing an instrument and dancing. The visual cortex is triggered for reading the musical notes, for looking at a performer's movements in dancing. The hippocampus is responsible for the memory for music, for the musical experiences and for the context in which music is provided. The prefrontal cortex processes expectations for the musical play. The nucleus accumbens and the amygdala create the emotional reaction to the music. The corpus callosum connects the left and the right hemispheres of the brain.
Various studies showed interesting facts about the effect that music has on us. An individual, after listening to a piece of music charged with either positive or negative emotions, perceives a neutral face as either happy, after a positive piece of music, or sad, after a negative piece. A moderate intensity level for the ambient music may improve creativity. Our music choices may predict parts of our personality, like extraversion, self esteem, hard-working, the emotional stability. Music is a significant distraction while in traffic. Cyclists who listen to music require 7% less oxygen than the people who cycle in silence for the same route. Classical music may improve visual attention.
Music can stimulate complex processes in the brain and the progress achieved with the patient may be then transferred to non-musical methods for therapy. Rhythmic activities that involve the movement of the body proved to facilitate the early recovery for patients suffering from with stroke, for patients with the Parkinson's disease, cerebral palsy and with traumatic brain injury. The recovery of speech functions is also done quicker through music. Music may help rebuild the damaged brain pathways or even build new ones to restore the normal functionality of the human body.
References:
Thaut M. (2008) “Rhythm, Music, and the Brain: Scientific Foundations and Clinical Applications”
Hargreaves D.J., MacDonald R., and Miell D.E. (2005) “Musical communication”
