The power of music

Music is a powerful tool that can help us to relax, lead to aggressive behavior, increase our cognitive abilities, enhance our coordination, make us want to dance, soothe us when we are sad, reduce our stress, and reduce emotional distress.  It's amazing how one mode of communication can elicit so many different responses in us.

Recent studies have proven that playing a musical instrument leads to better performance on cognitive tasks.  After 4-5 months of playing a musical instrument for an hour a week we see strong changes in the brain - the parts that control hearing, memory and the part that controls the hands, among others all become more active.  The effects are long lasting - the more years a person has spent playing an instrument, the better they performed on tests of word recall, nonverbal memory, and cognitive flexibility.  Other results have shown that playing an instrument can help your IQ increase by seven points.  (http://wxrt.cbslocal.com/2013/11/05/10-good-reasons-to-learn-a-musical-instrument-its-not-too-late/)

Research has also shown the following effects of music:
http://psychcentral.com/lib/the-power-of-music-to-reduce-stress

• Music’s form and structure can bring order and security to disabled and distressed children. It encourages coordination and communication, so improves their quality of life.
• Listening to music on headphones reduces stress and anxiety in hospital patients before and after surgery.
• Music can help reduce both the sensation and distress of both chronic pain and postoperative pain.
• Listening to music can relieve depression and increase self-esteem ratings in elderly people.
• Making music can reduce burnout and improve mood among nursing students.
• Music therapy significantly reduces emotional distress and boosts quality of life among adult cancer patients.

The soothing power of music is well-established. It has a unique link to our emotions, so can be an extremely effective stress management tool.  So, listen to music and reap all of the positive benefits that it provides.