Your Brain on Music
In our home, it is commonplace to feel the beat of a song pulsating through the house. Invariably, I will find myself drawn from the warmth of the house into the cold garage in a quest to discover the lyrics which accompany the vibrations of a particular tune. Often, our one-year-old son comes along on the adventure and we have a little dance party while we watch daddy happily at work amongst stacks of wood, mounds of wood chips and well-worn machinery.
Later, when I hear these songs again my memory assails me, and I can smell the sawdust, hear the grinding high-pitched shrill of the table saw, see the millions of wood remnants clinging onto any available surface of my husband’s body, and visualize the look of pure delight in my young son’s eyes.
This magical ability of a song to encapsulate a memory so completely in our minds that it brings us back again and again to that moment, despite seemingly insurmountable odds, has captured the attention of much research. In particular, many studies have been conducted on music’s effect on those with diseases that damage the chemistry of the brain.
Even though diseases, such as individuals suffering from dementia and Alzheimer’s, have compromised memories for items such as a name, certain facts, or a place, memories from their long ago teenage years may still be preserved. When a beloved song is played, these happy memories are surfaced, allowing a calm to replace the normal chaotic brain activity, which in turn provides an opportunity for the listener to focus on their current environment, and connect with the loved ones surrounding them.[1]
Many nursing homes are utilizing this research to help connect with their residents; and the results are amazing! A non-profit organization, known as “The Alive Inside Foundation”, is bridging a gap between the youth and elderly through music. Once these youth volunteers discover the type of music their elderly friends enjoy, the magic begins. This simple new therapy is changing countless lives for the better. Not only has music helped restore memory in the elderly, but it has also drastically reduced the amounts of antipsychotic medication administered to residents.
In similar ways, the song of a bird also has an amazing ability to calm the brain, and connect us with the astounding beauty and wonderment of nature. Just like I am grateful for the happy memories that my husband’s love of music has created for our family, I also am thrilled to sit outside and feel the tension release from my body as the trills and whistles of the birds fills my soul with joyous new memories.
[1] “Brain-Music Connection – Music and Memory.” Music and Memory. Web. 5 Dec. 2015.
