Music. What is it?.....

Music. 

What is it?

According to recent research, music activates parts in

our brains that relates to memory, emotion and movement.

And it does so in all those parts all at once. 

Even a person lost in the ''fog'' of

dementia can be be temporarily released from that

fog with the assistance of listening to music that once

meant something to that person.

Okay, but what is music?

Some say that music is a combination of sounds, and sound is

basically vibration/s. Some say that music is the combination

of melody, harmony and rhythm.

Some say that it is sonic vibratory frequencies.

Watching a documentary on the way music and 

memory is linked I was astonished by how

people with severe dementia could be ''awakened''

with the help of music.

 Ongoing research is demonstrating that whatever we

deem as ''music'', is something that seem able to enter

into our consciousness and memory banks through a ''side-door''.

How? What side-door?

With the help of iPod's and headphones, each iPod 

programmed with playlists 

to suit each person's personal preferences, 

dormant minds seem to be able to be accessed (momentarily)

 through listening to music that

means something to each individual.

(Look up Music & Memory for more information.)

For me what perhaps fascinates me the most,

is how we decide what music we like and what we don't.

What kind of music touches us, what music we connect with,

what music we deem as ''good'' and what we deem as ''bad''.

When I worked as a music teacher, I often asked my

students what kind of music they liked. 

If I asked them why they liked it, the most common 

answer was ''I don't know, I just like it''.

If pressed further, they would often say that they

liked it because they could feel it.

That's the thing with music, it often evokes an emotional 

response of some kind, hence we have music to accompany

a multitude of different events in our lives.

Weddings, funerals, sports events, dances, parties, dates,

ceremonies, etc.etc.etc.

For many of us, ''soundtracks'' are attached to many of our memories.

''That's the music/song that was playing when.............''

Studies into the connection between music and memory

are suggesting:

Learning a new language can be easier if phrases and words
are sung rather than just spoken.

For people who have suffered traumatic brain injuries (TBIs),

music can assist in bringing back autobiographical memories.

A recent brain imaging study shows that music activates

the auditory, motor, and limbic (emotional) areas of the brain,
basically, it activates a large area of the brain.
In short, music is good (food?) for the brain.....actually,
music can help us to relax, comfort us, energize us,
improve our mood, lower our stress level, help us sleep better,
 help us cope with pain, not to mention make dancing a whole
lot easier, etc.etc.

''Music is a moral law.
It gives soul to a universe,
wings to the mind,
flight to the imagination,
charm and gaiety to life and everything.''
(Plato)