Notes of Healing

Music is something most of us cherish, holding a special place in our lives. It speaks volumes about our personality, and offers insights into our very souls. So why is listening to music so gratifying? Why does it hold so much power over our minds, influencing even our emotions? What is it about random combinations of sounds put together that leave such a striking impression?

Music has the ability to bring us joy and comfort, it motivates us and helps us relax. It has the power to transport us back to our happy places, calming our frenzied minds. On the other hand, this tricky tool has the ability to produce the most tense and coldest of emotions. This effect is best seen in the blockbuster Interstellar (2014). The scores composed bring out the most intense versions of tension and despair, making the audience squirm in their seats.

Music has always been a powerful way of communicating. Music helps provide social and cultural identities to people. Music has the power to unite, inspire, and change the experiences we undergo. For example, National anthems connect crowds at sporting events, sacred hymns build group identity in religious gatherings and the occasional neighbourhood band fosters collectiveness and teamwork.

Music psychology, a branch under the wide study of Musicology, is a field of study diving into the science of the dimensions displayed by music by searching through the human brain for answers on how humans perceive, respond and interact with music. It explores the relationship between human behaviour and emotion while composing music, playing instruments or even singing your heart out. It aims to understand how people experience music and how in turn music affects behavior. The study of music psychology also helps researchers understand the differences and effects of music in different cultures.

This application of musicology is very versatile, extending to various fields of study ranging from performance psychology - helping professional athletes train, to the use of music to enhance the concentration of surgeons, where music is played at specific tempos to enhance performance and maintain stability.

One of the most well-known uses of music psychology is Music Therapy, wherein music is used to cure ailments, both mental and physical. Researchers have determined that music can soothe upset people, motivate those in need of encouragement, and affect emotions in various other ways. Music therapists use this knowledge to prescribe certain music to help those with certain mental and cognitive health issues. For example, a music therapist working with a patient with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) might recommend the use of classical music to help the patient remain calm, while upbeat music can thwart motion sickness and nausea.

This form of therapy has been tried and tested on countless occasions, producing results that stun medical professionals, abbreviating diseases once said to be incurable. It has proven to improve cognition for patients with conditions like Retrograde Amnesia, Dementia, Alzheimer's and other autoimmune diseases with just some music that associates the patient with meaningful memories. Music can help retain essential information despite the above diseases. ‘Music memory’ is stored in the hippocampus, located in the centre of the brain.

Therefore, music memories are less likely to be negatively impacted by age or disease. It also demonstrates the effect of music on speech and language, curing stuttering and linguistic disorders. Because music is often an enjoyable activity, it can activate the release of endorphins, which creates a general feeling of well-being. Music therapy can successfully reduce post-operative pain, physical tension and influence heart and breathing rates. Fast music tends to increase pulse rate and blood pressure.

Slow music tends to decrease pulse rate and blood pressure, as well as breathing rate. This technique is used for patients posted in Intensive Care Units to support recovery. Music has a profound influence on health, culture and society. Its power to sway us to its tunes is truly marvelous. Music psychology demonstrates that music is much more than entertainment by scientifically analysing the human brain and its responses to music.

Its applications extend far beyond leisurely listening, helping professionals enhance focus, endurance and stability. Every tune transforms you, every rhythm changes you, and every melody modifies you.