The relationship between music and emotions has been explored by thousands of people in various ways, with a multitude of results. Regardless of scientific explanation, it’s self-evident that music has the capacity to change our emotions. When was the last time you listened to ‘Oh Fortuna’ without feeling the tension? Does your heart not skip a beat at the sadness surrounding ‘My Heart Will Go On’? How can you listen to ‘Uptown Funk’ without getting the urge to dance or at least tap your feet along to the beat?
Who can live without it, I ask in all honesty
What would life be?
Without a song or a dance what are we?
– ABBA
So why does this happen? Neurological scientists from different parts of the world have been looking into how and why we react to music the way we do. A study at Brigham Young University have found that babies as young as five months old can react to happy songs and by nine months are affected by sad music. Obviously at this point the babies are still unable to interpret the lyrics and are reacting purely to musical tone and melody. Regardless of this, lyrics are still highly influential in how we read music, an example can be seen in the film ‘Forgetting Sarah Marshall’ where Jason Segel performs a ballad song which embellished lyrics on the love issues of a vampire. The juxtaposition between the comedic lyrics and melody creates humour for the audience as we would expect melancholy lyrics. If a baby were to listen to this they would not find it funny, but merely hear the woeful music.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5ZtwbzUFZE?rel=0]
Happy music is usually accompanied with a fast tempo and written in major key which physically quickens your breathing and creates a rise in heartbeat. So there is a physical explanation as to why we react like this, the sad slower musical tone ensures our pulse slows and our blood pressure rises. Although this could imply that only happy music is beneficial to listen too the sad music can work in a cathartic way, or make us feel better that somebody else is having a worse time that we are. The music releases two hormones in your body, a release of Serotonin and Dopamine (both happiness hormones) are flooded into the body. Norepinephrine is another hormone that music encourages, a hormone that brings euphoria and elation.
Another study by a Missouri University Scientist, Ferguson, has suggested that we can only be affected by the music if we’re conscious about it. So if a happy song is just playing in the background of a shop then you won’t be affected whereas if you put happy music through your headphones with the intention to become happier then that’s when you’re affected. This affects how we use – and abuse – music for motivation. Motivational music dates so far back into history, such as using such as Military formations alongside a drum beat which has now grown into the full military bands we now can recognise. The music can also be manipulated to help you exercise, when performing exercises people will often find themselves doing it to the beat of the music. So if you want to run fast then plug in so quick tempo dance music and if you’re feeling a slow jog them play more ballady soul music.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIf3b6meriM?rel=0]
Pop music is a concept that could potentially start World War Three with all the divides it creates between people. Essentially pop music works like a mental drug; your brain gets so worked up about it that maybe it doesn’t really matter if you like the music or not. According to study where a collection of people got hooked up onto an MRI scanner the pleasure part of your brain goes mental, however when asked verbally about the music the participants weren’t as keen as the brain implied they would be. One thesis is that pop music is predictable, it’s easy to learn both in terms of melody and lyrics and your brain derives enjoyment out of predicting the song.
So you’re welcome to maintain your hipster tumblr and make sure that everybody knows you’re a hardcore indie fan but at the end of the day, your brain still loves a bit of Bieber. Sorry.
Words by Megan