Our brains are made up of complex and specialized parts that controls most of the activities in the body. These activities include breathing, thinking, emotions, movement, touch, language, sleep, and many other functions. It is such a magnificent and intriguing organ that it has been researched and studied for over 2000 years. One of the fascinating studies throughout the years has been how music effects the brain. One area that is positively affected when we listen to music is the Hippocampus. The Hippocampus is the part of the brain that makes new memories and connects our memories to information that we already know. According to a study by Jonides, (2008), the Hippocampus allows "rehearsal skills" of instruments to help improve memory function in our brains. "Musicians showed more brain activation using rote rehearsal, while the non-musicians showed more brain activation using elaborative rehearsal...music and acting training, implements a strategy for focusing attention that enhances memory, and that this skill transfers to other cognitive functions involving memory.: (Jonides, 2008). How amazing! Just simply practicing music can improve memory, focus, and other cognitive functions. Music also affects the Amygdala; the Amygdala regulates our emotions and gives emotional meaning to memories. Music can change mood, "increase happiness...decrease anxiety, increase optimism, and decrease pain." (Parish, 2021). This is why many people use music when they are anxious or upset, because music has the power to change how we feel.
Music captured on Video!
"Music is universal across human cultures and is a source of pleasure to people of all ages, but its place in humans’ cognitive landscape is poorly understood....Many studies have documented that musically trained children and adults outperform their untrained peers on tests of academic aptitude..." (Jonides, 2008). We see that in every culture, music has its distinct place and even from infancy, we see the effects of music on children. Looking at the Beyonce video (from lecture material), music is affecting the baby's physical movements, math skills, and mood. The baby is moving parts of his body, gaining muscle strength and balance skills. We can also see the baby following the rhythm of the song, which will help with math skills and rhyming development. The baby also looks like he is enjoying the song, thus we can see emotions tied into listening to music. The video of the older man being exposed to music and seeing him really come alive showed me the power of music. His mood was elevated, speech and articulation were more developed, and he is able to move and have more joy. All of the videos, along with our lecture slides, speak to the fact that listening to music can help children develop better cognitive skills because of the connections which help to advance memory, math, and science skills. Music can also help children develop more regulation and control of their emotions because music directly affects mood and our emotions. By reciting songs and fingerplays, music can help children develop language and gross and fine motor skills, including social skills and friendships.
Reflections on Music
In thinking about my experiences with music, I first think about how I used music in my classroom when I was a preschool teacher. I can remember that most children really loved to engage with music. Children loved to get out the musical instruments and make up songs, or play along to one of their favorite songs. I remember many children loved to call their peers to large group where we would engage in fingerplays, like Four Green Speckled Frogs or the Hand Jive. Not only was music used as an activity, music was also used to help children transition, clean up, and rest. Music was also used to wake up children from nap time. All developmental areas could be addressed by one great song. I could see a child's social skills, language skills, regulation, gross and fine motor skills, cognitive skills, and knowledge of their world along with several other skills. Music was not only able to change the mood of a child who was having "a rough day," but it could change the mood of the whole class. My other experience with music would be as a parent and watching how music can change the mood of my own children. Music helps to calm them when they are anxious; it can also help them complete tasks, like chores that they don't want to do. A good song, can also bring us all together to start singing and enjoying each other's company. It seems that "“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.”.(Plato.)
ACADEMIC RESOURCES
Using Music to build connections in the NICU...
The Berklee college is studying how to "promote the use of music to address the cognitive, social, and emotional goals of individuals and groups in health care settings, including musicians and nonmusicians alike." I thought that this was a very interesting college that studies music therapy and how music positively affects the brain and improve the quality of life for people.
References -
Jonides, J. (2008). Music skill and cognition. In Learning, Arts and the Brain: The Dana Consortium Report on Arts and Cognition (pp. 11-15). [https://sites.uni.edu/gabriele/page4/files/gazzaniga-0022learning002c-arts002c-and-the-brain0022.pdf#page=21]
Music and Art on the Brain - Parish, 2021
DeCestaro, Lorenzo. “Baby Dancing to Beyonce - Original - Youtube.” YouTube, 7 Mar. 2011, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5BXdDdsPL4.
“(Original) Alive inside Clip of Henry - YouTube.” YouTube, Alive Inside Foundation, 3 July 2012, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hlm0Qd4mP-I.
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