Thursday, 30 May 2013

How Music Affects Humans?

“One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.” ― Bob Marley
Music is the combination of vocal and instrumental sounds. Every single person has his or her own opinion about music. Different people have different taste and several kinds of music have many ways of leaving an impact on human brain. It can be relaxing, soothing, comforting, energizing and many more. Music relaxes human brain, helps in memorizing things, events knowledge, etc. and helps in expressing the feelings of humans to other humans.
Scientists have proved that there are various music theories about how music positively affects perceived pain. Music causes the body to release endorphins(a chemical naturally released in the brain to reduce pain and relax or energizes the brain). Music also works as a distractor and may give a person a sense of control.
Moreover, music boosts the immunity system of a human body. Scientists have also researched that a particular type of music can create a positive emotional change, which leads to secretion of immune-boosting hormones. So, it helps to reduce the factors responsible for illness. However, listening to music decreases levels of stress-related hormone “cortisol”. As a result, higher level of cortisol can lead to a decreased immune response.
Can music help a person to study? Arsalan Tehmoor, student of 10th grade at St.Jude’s High School, shared his experience and said “whenever I found any difficulty in sums of mathematics, listening to some good music stuff, mostly solved my problems”. Well there is a similar research in which it is shown that the right kind of music can help in relaxing the mind which enables a person to concentrate better. Likewise, music enhances a person’s intelligence, learning and IQ. It has the power to enhance certain kinds of brain functions like reading and literacy skills, mathematical abilities and emotional intelligence. Similarly a research has proved that music can improve memory performance. Listening to music, facilitates the recall of information. Infact researchers have shown that information learned while listening to a particular song can often be recalled simply by “playing” the song mentally. Nadia Malik is a teacher of English comprehension of 4th grade in a private school and she told according to her experience, “it becomes very easy for me to develop the interest of the students and also helped them in recalling the previous lessons”.
Music is thus, considered a powerful tool which can be used by people to express themselves. As the effects of music on human brain are proved by all scientists and researchers, therefore, I think that every person should take out some time and listen to the music in day to day life. Though it is not easy but still it is proved by the concerned people of science that listening to music for a few minutes leaves a very positive impact on human behavior. As famous American poet of 19th century Oliver Wendell Holmes has also said:
“Take a music bath once or twice a week for a few seasons, you will find it is to the soul what a water bath is to the body.”