Music is everywhere! Whether you listen to ballads from Singaporean artists, rock music, classical music, rap music, and whatever else, you can’t deny that music is a part of our lives. Given that, listening to songs isn’t actually just for, well, listening. There are actually a lot of benefits we can get when we listen to music. Here are a few of them:
1. Enhances your mood
It’s already been proven a lot of times that listening to music that you like can be a great mood-enhancer. This is because when you listen to music, there is an increased production of dopamine in your brain, which basically means you become happier and more excited about things. It simply makes you feel better when doing activities whether it’s easy work or something tedious. That’s the reason why a lot of people listen to music while doing work or household chores, for example.
2. Music can help with physical performance
There are two essential qualities of music that help with physical performance – tempo and rhythm. Tempo basically determines if a song is fast and upbeat or slow and calm. Generally, songs with upbeat tempos are much preferred when exercising because they are stimulating and make you feel more excited. The other quality which is rhythm is the one that makes you “vibe” to the song. It’s what makes you express the song through your body, like when you tap your feet or nod your head to the beat. Rhythm is what puts you in a better mood during your workouts so you feel less distracted.
3. Music can help you focus better
Fun fact: Surgeons actually listen to music in the operating room, most commonly classical music! This is because it is said to help them focus and it also promotes a calmer atmosphere. Because music can stimulate the brain’s left and right hemispheres, it can have a positive impact on our concentration and productivity. When you are studying, though, it is recommended to listen to songs that don’t have lyrics like pieces of classical music so as to limit any distractions.
4. Music helps with learning and memory as well
It is also said that music helps you process and recall information a lot better. This, again, has a lot to do with music stimulating the left and right hemispheres of the brain. There are also really interesting cases and studies regarding music and patients with Alzheimer’s Disease. It has been found that patients Alzheimer’s have an easier time remembering memories and experiences related to music. Music has also been seen to help with the patients’ verbal memory and enables them to still carry on conversations.