The Positive Effects that Music has on the Mind

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The Positive Effects that Music has on the Mind
How exactly does music have the ability to positively affect the mind? It is a question that is rarely contemplated. The beneficial influences that harmonies, instruments, and other musical forms possess on the mind are not widely acknowledged. Few have the capability to comprehend the importance of a simple rhythm and what it can accomplish. The emotional state, concentration, and memory are just a few of the many aspects of the mind that can be effectively altered by music.
There are two potential ways that justify an attitude change with music; general observation and scientific approach. The emotional state of a person is considerably influenced by multiple means and music happens to be one of them. Research has proven that listening to music can notably enhance your mood. In an observation performed by Valerie N. Stratton, PhD along with Annette H. Zalanowski, college students in Penn State University were studied regarding their reaction to music. The results were published in an issue of Psychology and Education: An Interdisciplinary Journal. Stratton commented, "Not only did our sample of students report more positive emotions after listening to music, but their already positive emotions were intensified by listening to music." Confidence, serenity, and contentment were few of the many factors that were boosted during this study.
Along with examinations of the human mind and how it affects behavior, scientific proof has been capable of verifying the same concepts. The brain is a very complex and vital part of the body whose chemistry can be altered by such a vigorous tool like music. Substantial chemicals such as serotonin increase when exposed to sound. This ne...

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...nor and Takako Fujioka, a scientist at the Rotman Research Institute in Toronto, was further explained. Trainor stated that, “Music training could lead to improvements in literacy, verbal memory, visuospatial processing, mathematics and IQ”

Works Cited

Boothby, Suzanne. "How Music Affects Our Moods." Healthlines RSS News. N.p., 17 May 2013. Web. 19 Mar. 2014.
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Feature, Colette BouchezWebMD. "Serotonin and Depression: 9 Questions and Answers." WebMD. WebMD, n.d. Web. 20 Mar. 2014.
Padnani, Amisha. "The Power of Music, Tapped in a Cubicle." The New York Times. The New York Times, 11 Aug. 2012. Web. 22 Mar. 2014.
Press, The Canadian. "Music Lessons Improve Kids' Brain Development, Memory: Study - Technology & Science - CBC News." CBCnews. CBC/Radio Canada, 20 Sept. 2006. Web. 25 Mar. 2014.

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