Music is such a huge part of our lives, and it can have a massive effect on our emotions and how we feel. Some people really connect with music through spending their time mastering instruments and melodies, and others show their appreciation by listening to the sounds and lyrics. The fact that music has an effect on people isn’t doubted, but what actually are the benefits of listening to music on your brain and performance?
Working Memory
Music is memorable, especially some of the current pop songs; they get stuck in your head for days on end. But across all genres, listening to or playing music can help improve your memory. Music can trigger an emotional response and cause you to remember a specific time or event with which you associate the sounds, but playing requires you to actively remember the notes, tunes and melodies to perform.
Concentration and Focus
A lot of people find that they work much better when they are listening to music. It helps them concentrate and focus on what they are doing. But this isn’t just the case for professional work. A lot of entertainment also includes music to improve concentration and focus, especially in the gaming industry. Even all the sites listed at Maple Casino include sounds and music to entice their players and make the whole experience more enjoyable.
Mood and Stress
Certain songs have such an emotional effect on us that they can change your mood entirely within a few seconds. Notice how you feel energised and happy when listening to cheery upbeat songs. This is why movies use sad music during emotional scenes, to make the audience really feel the character’s pain. When you are feeling down and stressed, taking yourself off to a quiet place to listen to some music is an effective way of processing and dealing with your feelings.
Motivational Boost
In the gym, everyone has their headphones in. This is because listening to music can massively increase your athletic performance and endurance. Music can get you pumped and feeling energised, preparing you to smash your personal bests, exceed all your targets and completely knock the ball out of the park.
A lot of people that take part in long-distance sports rely on listening to music to keep them going. Imagine starting to feel like your legs are getting weaker on the 20th mile in your marathon and then your favourite song starts booming through your headphones; you literally can’t help but pick up the pace and keep going!
Age-Related Decline
It is a fact of life that as we got older, out cognitive skills and performance begin to decline. Elderly people tend to forget things more easily and daily things become more and more difficult. Both listening to and playing music can help prevent this age-related decline and keep your brain sharp for longer. The links between music and memory, concentration, and cognitive function could prove highly beneficial in older generations.
Music creates emotional responses and is a way of expressing and connecting with our thoughts and feelings, which is why there are so many cognitive and performance benefits of music.
