Does music effect your brain?

I figured I would just throw this one 'out there'. Some of us may be interested in this mumbo-jumbo. This may be more interesting to some than “my CD burner doesn’t work any more how do I fix it”.

Please feel free to add extra info.

It is safe to assume listening to music effects the brain in some permenent fashion. Exactly what the effects are not clear at this time. Many studies have been able to 'prove this' but the results of subsiquent tests do not always strongly agree with previous tests.

A great general information
http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/1997/11.13/HowYourBrainLis.html

Listening to Mozart were the first studies to show listening to music can improve brain functions. Even though the testing does not always agree, it is clear to me there is a real effect.

The Mozart Effect
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/music.html

The above tests were not based on science, the below studies are based on magnetoencephalography studies of persons listening to music. This is very new but the studies are very repetable. Magnetoencephalography detects what parts of the brain are using oxygen. It is extremely cut and dry. The study shows that there are 2 groups of listeners. One listens with a doment right brain and the other with the left. The studies have discovered the different lobes analyse music differently. We know the size of the HG, Heschl's gyrus, an important part of music listening found in both lobes of the cortex, differs from the right and left side of the brain. Brain dominance affects how you listen to music and what you enjoy. At this point we do not know if that part of the brain grows with use but I am sure we will in a few years.

Do you listen to music more with your left or right brain?
http://www.zerogain.com/forum/showthread.php?t=16609&page=2

An actal study made this powerful statement about right brain listeners.

http://www.audioasylum.com/cgi/newbbs.pl?a=Y&forum=prophead&m=32336

 

wow mez there is a TON of incredibly interesting and valuable information in those links, to anybody that is an audiophile or just interested in how audio interacts with and effects the brain.

it is amazing how new technologies is allowing more in depth and detailed scientific studies in neuroscience.

thanks for the links mez. i especially like the first one from harvard university. i will most definitely start incorporating some of these studies in the audio classes i teach when we start back up again in the fall.

 

You are welcome! I also thought Harvard article was quite an informative overview. It explained away many of the differences in the various non scientific studies that I did not add because I believed they were garbage, making wild claims. Some researchers will do anything for a grant.

 

Mez- while I can see the value in studying Music and it's Neuro-psycho-physiological effects !!! I agree that some researchers will do anything for grant money ! I recall several years ago a study was done a prestigous College !I forget which but it was a Big name institution ! They were given a grant to study why Toddlers fell off of Riding toys and tricycles ? The amount of the grant was $375.000 dollars if I recall right and after 18months of study and all of that money the researchers concluded that Toddlers fall off of riding toys and trycycles because theyare Clumsy and they run into things !!!! I could have told them that for $10.00 upfront and saved them a bundle ! This story is sad but unfortunately true !!!!!!

 

Yes, that list can go on and on. Cyclomates were banned from the US because of such a study proving how dangerous it was for you. The rest of the world did not believe the study and guess what? It is as safe as sugar.

PCBs is a better one. PCBs is one of the most deadly substances to a hampster. However, it is not harmful to a mouse or humans. Yet we have spend hundreds of billions of dollars removing a perfectly save substance used extensivly through out the US. There were several cases where a person fell into a vat of PCBs and were completely submerged. 20 years later, there was still nothing wrong with them.

 

Not all type of music will affect our brain. Very fast songs or music rap and pop songs will affect our brain and its functions. In rap and pop songs also there are some music which gives us a calm mind. The Alzheimer's patients and Parkinson's patients are benefited by the music. If those patients hear melody and classical songs they will feel very fresh and calm. Few music will improve the health condition of the patients. To know more detailly about this topic please visit this site.

Brainhealthandpuzzles - effects music brain

 

As a musician I agree that music can and does have a long term affect on brain function.. Why do people like different kinds? Your average death metal listener will experience an almost uncontrollable violent response when forced to listen to watery pop or rap.

We used to deliberately go out of our way to affect the subconscious emotional and functional responses of our audience by the use of high and low frequencies.. especially effective when used to cause interference beat frequencies.. when combined with strobe lighting at the same or very close frequencies the effect could be devastating.. but not on all listeners. We used to single out one person in the audience and try to knock them over... hehehehe.

Obviously music is an art form.. and the definition of art is that it causes an emotional response.. love it or hate it.. if it achieves that then it is a success. Causing a change in the chemical balance of the brain is what we are after.. no more no less. That may have a decided effect on behaviour and certain other measurable traits like intelligence (your average rap buyer seems to get dumber over time where the thrasher may be clever but will usually seem depressed and worn down, expressing themselves in similar ways.. as they say.. the music may change but the song remains the same XD)

That's my take on this "research" having conducted my own in a real world situation for over 20 years.

 

I've heard this before. I wonder what types of music are the best to listen to... Hopefully it's not Mozart. I can't stand that stuff.

 

It's completely subjective.. They found Mozart.. quite possibly because they tested upper class university students who were brought up in houses where classical music was played when they were children... That's the danger really..

Whatever makes you feel good and what makes you happy is usually a good starting point. I happen to like Shostakovich .. not many people here do.. but then I like all kinds of music.. Some makes me angry.. some makes me dance.. and some I can feel an endorphin release.. like a drug.

Listen to as much different stuff as possible.. I will say the computerised to a formula dance music isn't going to do anything positive.. to me it sounds like a 3 year old let lose with a sampler and bleep machine.. no intelligence behind it whatsoever.. so don't waste your time with that...

Your local library or parents vinyl collections are a good place to start. Don't be scared of difference.. I will suggest putting something on and just listening.. carry on with whatever else you are doing but do listen right through.. don't stop and start.. especially if it's something like Tom Waites.. Now I discovered him by total chance... somebody left a record at my house and one day I played it.

Now call me weird.. I have early music.. solo lute pieces and all kinds of classical records (yeah.. I have a lot of vinyl) through the general classics.. beethoven and bach I particularly like.. to flamenco and and then into the 50's swing stuff.. right through to Marilyn Manson and Eminem.. I don't care what it is.. if it is intelligent and speaks to me I will listen.

You can find some of my music for free download on my profile.. hows that?

 

Greeks were the first to be on record saying music is a window into the soul. Even animals are effected by music.

Mozart was the first music to demonstrate that it effected the mind. The study was not scientific.

It has been acertained that musicians that have more tallent use more Oxygen in the music center of the brain than less talented musicians. It is unknown if the the increase power is due to practice or if they were born with the ability.

I figure some of it is learened. Children like simple music. Teenagers prefer more complex and some adults prefer very complex. I believe their is a violent factor as well. I believe there are two types of persons non violent and violent enabled persons. The violent enabled person can be violent in the proper setting. For some an insult will do for the mature, controled person only a serious physical threat may warrent violence.

My wife gets ill if she watches a violent movie. She likes light music. I enjoy violent movies and prefer more powerful music. I am not a violent person but it is normally in my list of options in responce something that angers me to be discarded as a stupid idea. My wife would never think punching someone out as a solution to a problem.

I am sure tastes are far more complex than that. Yes, music is art and enjoyment of art is highly subjective.