Music and Your Brain

The Holistic Experience of Music. 

Music is believed to be holistic; involving and supporting not just the physical person, but the emotional, spiritual, and social person. Is this really true? Is it believable?


In an earlier article, I shared a powerful story of the healing power of music. I have had several comments about that touching story with many re-sharing it because it inspires. However, it is more than just a very good story; it has a true basis for it. Now, it’s time to get down to the facts behind the story… the how's and why’s.


listening to music can be enjoyable and if you play a musical instrument like I do, then being part of the music and enveloping yourself in the music can be an even more enjoyable and rewarding experience.


Some realize how certain pieces of music, that “favorite tune”; change your mood, get you motivated, and help you concentrate. Most don’t think much about it and are just happy to listen to their favorite tune. And many are quite skeptical that music has any benefit except in it being a hobby.


However, exciting discoveries in neuroscience indicate that music can make you smarter, happier, and more productive at all stages of life. Let’s take a closer look.


How the Theory Got Started


In the 1990s the theory of the Mozart Effect supposed that listening to the music of Mozart made you smarter. Parents began exposing their babies to Mozart’s music even before they were born, to give their brains a jump start.


However, new scientific and medical research indicates that there is nothing uniquely healthful about the music of Mozart but, taking music lessons as a child enhances brain function and structure.

The findings show that music lessons from a young age enhance the brain's capacity to change and grow. Children with musical training do better in language, reading, and math subjects and have better fine motor skills than children without music training. Kids who sing together reported higher contentment in all their classes, not only music.


How the Music Works?


It increases blood flow to the left hemisphere of a young child’s brain; which in turn increases brain function and results in being able to communicate better, smiling, and more intelligent brain responses.


In seniors, playing musical instruments and dancing has the positive effect of protecting them against memory loss and cognitive decline when compared to other brain exercises such as doing the crossword puzzle, or physical exercises like walking.


Do musicians have better brains? Interesting question. The truth is… The evidence from brain scans of professional musicians shows that their brains are different.


Their brains are noticeably more symmetrical and the areas of the brain responsible for motor control, auditory processing, and spatial coordination are larger. They also have a larger corpus callosum... the band of nerve fibers that enables the two hemispheres of the brain to communicate with each other.


Can Music Change Your Mood? Yes, it can! It reduces chronic stress by reducing the stress hormone Cortisol. Positive music can make you feel hopeful, powerful, and more in control of your life. Sad music can have the cathartic effect of getting in touch with your sad or troubled emotions and healing them.


Music helps you work better. Listening to music while you work can make you more productive; completing tasks more quickly and coming up with better ideas. It enhances your work performance.


Music boosts brain chemicals. We have already spoken of music reducing the stress hormone cortisol. let’s face it, a calmer you is a step in the right direction. Music enhances brain function by stimulating the formation of certain brain chemicals. The neurotransmitter dopamine is one of them. Listening to music increases this “motivation molecule”, an integral part of the body's pleasure-reward system.


Playing music with others or enjoying live music stimulates the brain hormone Oxytocin… known as the “trust molecule” and the “moral molecule” since it helps us bond with and trust others, having a positive effect on our relationships with others.



Music helps you learn. Music helps students excel in the following ways:


  • Improved language development

  • A small increase in IQ

  • Improved test scores

  • Increased brain connectivity

  • Increased spatial intelligence… the ability to visualize objects and rotate, transform, and manipulate them; helps students understand how things work or go together. This skill is critical in careers like architecture, engineering, math, and computer science.

Music Therapy Improves the Quality of Life by addressing a patient’s physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs.

There are measurable changes in certain neurotransmitters following music therapy, proving useful for treating people with autism, ADD, dementia, and Alzheimer’s; as well as those in need of pain management; those suffering emotional trauma, and a variety of mental disorders including depression.

The benefits?… Improved mood, concentration, and motivation, and decreased anxiety, anger, stress, and frustration.



The Amazing Way Music Therapy Is Helping Alzheimer’s Patients.

One of the most remarkable successes of music therapy is the impact it has on Alzheimer’s patients.

Alzheimer’s patients lose their ability to have interactive conversations with others and eventually stop speaking completely. However, music therapy has been very successful at getting through to patients where no other therapy has.

It appears that musical memories long outlast other kinds of memories and so, When hearing familiar music, patients often visibly “light up” and sing along. Caretakers and family members have reported that for patients, music therapy is the best part of the day.

However, music therapy does more than help patients remember. It helps relieve depression, anxiety, and agitation while improving brain function and overall quality of life.


The Conclusion of the Matter… 

Yes,  Music is holistic. It can improve cognitive performance; reduce stress; help you eat less; improve your memory; help you manage pain; help you sleep better; improve your motivation; improve your mood; reduce symptoms of depression and improve your endurance and performance.

So, don’t you think it’s time you let music, with its power to heal; influence your life? Start listening to music if you don’t already or better yet, learn the musical instrument that you never did but always wished you had.

Make it a conscious thought to have music in your day and watch it heal, motivate and strengthen you.


Extra Reading 

Music Training and Neuroplasticity (jonlieffmd.com)

A Verywell Report: Music Helped Most of Us Get Through the Pandemic (verywellmind.com)

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