Infographic:
"THE PSYCHOLOGY of MUSIC"
There's more to why we like music than just a catchy beat or an easy karaoke tune.
Dozens of receptors in our brain respond to different musical aspects,
like tone, rhythm, and lyrics - determining the qualities we personally like & dislike.
Don't let music just go in one ear and out the other -
learn how to interpret your brain's response to music,
the benefits of listening to it & the importance of music education.
HOW DOES MUSIC ENTER THE BRAIN?
- Music originates as vibrations, which from sound waves as they propagate through the air
- The outer ear "catches" the sound waves & direct them into the ear canal, where they meet the eardrum before passing into the middle ear
- Three tiny bones in the middle ear amplify the sound waves before they enter the inner ear
- Inside the inner ear, sound waves enter the fluid-filled cochlea
- The movement of the fluid stimulates tiny nerve cells which convert sound waves into electrical impulses
- The auditory nerve transmits the electrical impulses to the brain, where they will be interpreted as sound
PARTS OF THE BRAIN AFFECTED BY MUSIC
Music involves more parts of the brain than any other function that people perform.
- TONALITY: prefrontal cortex, cerebellum & temporal lobe
- LYRICS: wernicke's area, broca's area, visual cortex & motor cortex
- RHYTHM: left frontal cortex, left parietal cortex & right cerebellum
OTHER EFFECTS OF MUSIC ON THE BRAIN
- over time, listening to music can improve: language skills, creativity & happiness
- healing powers of music: decrease anxiety, speed healing, increase optimism & decrease pain
- music is know to help heal some neurological disorders: Alzheimer, Parkinson, Tourettes & Autism
SUPER MIND MUSIC
Specific brainwave rhythms are associated with specific emotional & cognitive outcomes.
Matching music with brain wave to induce a particular response or state of mind.
- GAMMA WAVES (30-34-100+ Hz): the brain's optimal frequency & brain function associated with increased compassion, greater awareness of reality & increased mental abilities. Found in every part of the brain, serve as binding mechanism between all parts of the brain.
- BETTA WAVES (12-30 Hz) - low beta waves correlated with concentration & alertness. Lack of low beta activity associated with disorders, such as: ADD, addiction, OCD & anxiety disorders. High beta waves correlated with stress, anxiety & flight reactions.
- ALPHA WAVES (8-12 Hz): occur during relaxation & daydreams. An effortless consciousness occurs when watching some television. Serotonin release occurs at an Alpha frequency of 10 Hz.
- THETA WAVES (4-8 Hz): occur when the conscious mind is disengaged, like REM sleep, deep meditation & hypnosis. The planet earth resonates at a Theta frequency of 7,83 Hz.
- DELTA WAVES (0-4 Hz): the slowest brain activity. Occur during deep dreamless sleep, observed predominantly in newborns & infants. Rarely occur in adults.
THE IMPORTANCE OF MUSIC TO EDUCATION
- Students taking course in music performance and music appreciation scored higher on the SAT than student who didn't. (Math & Verbal)
- Music students receive more academic honors & awards than non-music students
- Music majors comprise the highest percentage of accepted medical students
- Music training is far better than computer instruction in improving children's abstract reasoning skills
- With music instruction in school, teachers found that students were less aggressive
- The psychology of music makes it clear how profoundly important music education to the success of individuals
Source: University of Florida