The Brain and Music

Music cleanses the understanding; inspires it, and lifts it into a realm which it would not reach if it were left to itself. ~Henry Ward Beecher

There are some interesting facts on this that I am sure most people have already heard about.

Browsing through the library yesterday, I came across a book - Making a Good Brain Great by Daniel G. Amen, M.D. - and since "I am a Bear of Very Little Brain, and long words Bother Me," this book looked like it might hold some interesting keys for me.

The chapter on music talks about how the brain listens to music. It listens with it's whole self. We hear often about 'left brain' and 'right brain' but rarely 'whole brain' -- unless you mean bread. Oh wait, that's ...something else.

Anyway,
The book states that certain types of music can enhance the function of the brain, the memory, and emotion. While other types of music can help us solve problems.

And because the brain can process music with both of its sides; music is found to be healing and enhancing of any function it needs to make because music does integrate the whole brain.

Singing is supposed to be good for our brain. The book speaks to singing, not singing well. Singing stimulates the parts of the brain involved in memory. Bet you can still sing the "ABC" song, can't you? So did you know, you know Mozart? See just how cool you are?

Thomas Jefferson used music to help him write the Declaration of Independence. He wanted to use just the right wording, and if he should get stuck, he would play his violin. And voila! We are all created equal!

Music also makes you move. If you can feel it, why couldn't you heal with it? Studies say that following surgery, those patients in intensive care where background music was played needed lower doses of medication than those where no music was played at all.

I'm all for it. Music everywhere! Let Music be the Food of the world -- It's good whole brain substance.

So, go listen to your favorite stuff. Take your newfound or rediscovered calmness, happiness and less stressful being out into the world tomorrow and make this a better place! And I will do the same.

Tu Tranquilo,


Miss Roxie

Music, once admitted to the soul, becomes a sort of spirit, and never dies.
~Edward George Bulwer-Lytton