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Sound of Consistency, Shaping Rhythm
of Life: Turning Music into a Habit
We have so many things to be done in our day-to-day life. Some are non-negotiable and others
could be left behind. Should listening to Music be one of the non-negotiable things to include in
your daily routine??? Together we will try to answer this question by exploring, learning, forming
an opinion and possibly gaining a positive HABIT out of this read! So let’s PLAY IN…
BACKGROUND
We all know the word “MUSIC” but let’s briefly explore the type of music and its effect on us.
When it comes to Soothing music like Jazz it helps us with distress and has healing powers.
Upbeat music releases endorphins which make us happy and increase our immune. On the
other hand, Pop music boosts energy and helps us exercise better. Rhythmic drumming helps in
meditation. Classical music helps recall memories and deters crime. Metal is good for our sense
of self and gives us a strong sense of identity. Rap music can help fight against depression.
Country music evokes feelings of internal joy. WOW! Quite a Play!!! The concept - We are What
we eat resembles very well with Our Mood is What we hear! Give your next play a mindful
thought. To understand the effect of music on humans, let’s understand some researchers in the
next section.
IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS
Let’s hear or as we should say “Let’s PLAY” it from the experts.

The following is the list of some courses offered by popular institutes on MUSIC AND BRAIN,
helping us shape our opinion on why listening to music should be a daily habit.
● Berklee College of Music – Music and the BrainHarvard University – The Neuroscience
of Music
● Stanford University – Music and Neuroscience
● Juilliard School – Music and Neuroscience
● The University of Edinburgh – Music and the Mind
● The Royal College of Music (RCM), London – Music and Brain
And the list goes on….
A lot of research has been done in different areas which shows the effect of music on the
human brain. Let’s get a deep dive into brain response to music.
Here are some insightful studies that will shape the core of this discussion.
Patrick Whelan, a Harvard Medical School lecturer in Paediatrics, part-time, at Massachusetts
General Hospital and instructor of the Harvard Extension School course Music and the Mind
refers to people sitting in a church suggesting that the music puts everyone in the same
emotional space. He gives a very interesting theory as to why music affects and leaves an
impression on us; he believes the answer lies partly in evolutionary biology. The earliest
mammals had to rely on their hearing and sense of smell as defensive mechanisms — they
were hyperfocused and hyperattentive. According to Whelan, the modern experience of
listening to live music can be viewed as a vestige of that primaeval adaptation. In a performance
venue, “there's an incredibly complex sound signature all around you,” Whelan says. “The brain
has to sift through all the ambient noise in a concert hall. It’s a much more primitive form of
listening compared to a focused conversation.”
These acoustics — just like the crescendo of an approaching predator — travel through the ear
and into the temporal lobe, which parses the soundscape, identifies sounds, and tags their
components as familiar or unfamiliar. The salience of these sounds — whether a person
responds to them emotionally and motivationally — influences the autonomic nervous system
(ANS), a network that controls certain involuntary processes like breathing and heart rate. The
valence of the music, which signals whether the music feels positive, negative, or somewhere in
between, influences the ANS, too. These factors are among the reasons why our heart rate
goes up when we hear loud experimental music or heavy metal might make us feel
uncomfortable if we’re not used to it.
Music also lights up nearly all of the brain — including the hippocampus and amygdala, which
activate emotional responses to music through memory; the limbic system, which governs
pleasure, motivation, and reward; and the body’s motor system. This is why “it’s easy to tap your
feet or clap your hands to musical rhythms,” says Andrew Budson, MD ’93, chief of cognitive
and behavioural neurology at the Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System.

Another insightful study about Alzheimer’s, Usually in the late stages, Alzheimer’s patients are
unresponsive,” neuroscientist Kiminobu Sugaya says. “But once you put in the headphones that
play [their favourite] music, their eyes light up. They start moving and sometimes singing. The
effect lasts maybe 10 minutes or so even after you turn off the music.” This can be seen on an
MRI, where “lots of different parts of the brain light up,”
Music can also help us in dealing with depression, healing, loneliness and anxiety, the following
studies suggest some fascinating facts. Berklee College of Music conducted a study on
COVID-19, where the average age of participants was 43 ± 15 years, and 37% were male.
88.9% reported that music engagement reduced loneliness. This review demonstrates that
music may have had a beneficial impact on loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their
findings suggest that the use of music is an accessible method to cope with feelings of
loneliness which can improve overall wellbeing during times of social isolation.
Another good finding was that the effect of music on our brains has clinical implications as well.
Growing evidence suggests, for example, that listening to Mozart's Sonata for Two Pianos in D
Major can reduce the frequency of seizures in some people with epilepsy. Other conditions and
diseases, ranging from Parkinson’s to depression to Alzheimer’s, could someday have
therapeutic solutions derived from an understanding of music. For instance, by identifying the
exact type of music able to provoke a particular cognitive, motor, or emotional response, there
could be progress toward healing, improving, or compensating for disrupted brain function in
various diseases. An increased understanding of brain mechanisms can facilitate this.
CONCLUSION
In today's world where REGULAR is LUXURY! The more connected we are through Social
Media, the more lonely we are! We are so busy making an earning, that we forget to live a life.
Concluding our previous discussion - if music can help us in a diseased state - have you ever
imagined what wonders it could do in a healthy mental and physical state?
Scientifically, the dorsal and ventral striatum release dopamine when listening to pleasurable
music. The activity in these structures is known to be associated with the reward system of the
human brain.
Listening to music increases blood flow to brain regions that generate and control emotions. The
limbic system which is involved in processing emotions and controlling memory, “lights up” when
our ear perceives music.
If a good habit can elevate your mood and give you the right energy, then why not?
Some inspiring Quotes to motivate you to turn Music into a Habit!
“Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life”: German poet Berthold Auerbach
"Music is the soundtrack of your life." – Dick Clark

"Music is the poetry of the air." – Richter
"Without music, life would be a mistake." – Friedrich Nietzsche
I hope this read shapes a fixed daily time, in your Life’s Rhythmic Play!!! – Happy Listening
Explore the impact of music on daily life and well-being. Join the conversation on Impaakt and
share your insights today!

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