By Elizabeth Van Sant
The simple act of listening to music can have powerful impacts, but by actively making music, both your physical and mental health can improve tremendously.
When you listen to a song, various parts of your brain start lighting up. Your temporal lobe helps process tone and pitch while your cerebellum aids in processing rhythm and timing. Your amygdala and hippocampus also activate by tugging on your emotions and memories. These different parts of the brain work together to help you make sense of the auditory stimulus that is your favorite summer jam.
If that’s already at work when listening to music, think about all the other parts of the brain that light up when you pick up an instrument or start singing. For example, your motor cortex goes crazy to help sweep a bow across a violin or move your fingers on a keyboard. I could get lost down a rabbit hole when thinking about how amazing the brain is when stimulated by music, so let’s instead dive into why music makes you feel the way it does.
Music and emotions are intrinsically entwined. Think back to this morning’s workout routine: Were you listening to music? Was that music upbeat or slow and contemplative? Chances are, it was “pump up” music that made you want to keep going. Had you put on a sad song you likely may have either a) quickly changed tunes or b) decided working out wasn’t in the cards for you today. If just listening to a song can evoke such reactions, pretend you’re now actively creating music. Suddenly, you have a new, creative way to express how you are feeling.
You may want to relax and unwind so you play some slow, meditative music. Or perhaps you want to process what you experienced during the day so you create something to evoke those feelings: it might be fast to evoke a hurriedness or anxiety you felt, or it may be incredibly slow to portray a sloth-like mood you experienced.
There is another huge impact for health—having a community! Being part of a band or choir is an easy way to create a network of like-minded individuals. This has been extremely difficult to achieve during the pandemic, but once people are able to safely gather and create music, I encourage everyone to join a group, or even just go see a show. The mutual love for music will likely lift your spirits in just a few minutes.
We’ve discussed the benefits that music provides for improving mental health, but did you know that listening to or playing music can also aid you physically? Let’s do an experiment: I want you to go on a walk and listen to music. Put your favorite playlist or album on and just walk. Now, notice your pace in relation to the music you’re hearing.
Chances are, you are matching your gait pattern to the tempo, or speed of the song. If your body can adjust and move itself to the beat, think about what it does on a deeper level. Your breathing and heart rates can also adjust based on the outside, rhythmic stimulus. This can be a game changer when it comes to chronic pain because it allows you to just be present with the music instead of putting focus on slowing your heart and breathing rate.
Now that you’ve read some of the mental and physical benefits that both listening to and playing music can have, I encourage you to turn up the tunes or pick up an instrument. Enjoy the creative process, and move your body to something groovy!
About Elizabeth VanSant, MT-BC
Elizabeth is a board-certified music therapist who primarily works with neurodivergent and disabled people in Seattle, Washington. When not making music, Elizabeth can be found on hiking trails, baking something delicious, or snuggled up on the couch with her cats.
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