How Much Does Music Affect You?

It’s not only me, or you, who dance to the music or tap our feet to the beat. Our heart, muscles, brain, lung, and every cell for that matter, dances to the music. It could be you listening to something on your iPod, music playing on your computer while reading this post, background music at restaurants and shops, or sound of Aima band playing a musical while erecting a new building right next door.  Music has a significant effect on your mood.

Music does so many things to our body like equalizing brainwaves, affecting blood pressure, heartbeat, respiration, pulse rate, body temperature, and masking unpleasant sounds. It changes our perception of time and space, strengthens learning and memory, and stimulates digestion. Music affects our body in such a large way, though we aren’t aware of it, or maybe some of us know and don’t really appreciate. It enhances your romance and sexuality, fosters endurance, and generates a sense of well-being. It affects kids a lot. While the baby is growing in the womb, music can help. I found an interesting article about that.

Our brain has 4 kind of waves; Beta waves (14-20 Hz), Alpha waves (9-13 Hz), Theta waves (4-7 Hz), and Delta waves (0.5-3 Hz). Beta waves occur when we focus on daily activities or have strong emotions. Alpha waves occur when we’re calm and are in a state of heightened awareness. When we’re sleeping, meditating or in an inspiring mood, that’s when Theta waves occur. That’s the state when we can do creative things. In DEEP sleep or DEEP meditation, Delta waves occur. I wonder what happens when I sleep. I don’t sleep - hibernate instead. What waves would my brain produce then?

Many professors have done research and published findings about this. They say that, the slower the brain waves, the more relaxed, contended and peaceful we feel. Different type of music alerts different waves, and it depends on the person as well. Mozart could help, if you’re in a daydreaming, unfocused or emotional mood. We breathe to a rhythm and it does change depending on the music we’re listening to. When you breathe deep and slow, you have better control of emotions, think deeply, and it even does speed up metabolism. When you listen to fast paced music (eg, heavy metal), you breath is short and fast, and you’ve a tendency to make mistakes while banging your head. But that depends on how you react to heavy metal. I don’t have a problem studying while listening to that.

Our heart picks up frequency, tempo and volume of sounds and reacts to it. It changes pace accordingly and effects pulse rate. This is subtle. Yet it reacts to music. As a result of all these minor changes, the body temperature varies accordingly. Vibrations caused by earthquakes create tsunami. Music produces the same kind of vibrations; much lower than that though.

I was listening to Megadeth for continuous 3 days, about 2 weeks back. Then I changed to Metallica. After 4 days, I started listening to a country radio, and for the past few days, I have being listening to James Blunt. I could never stay on the same pace for long.

I have this assignment due next week. I wrote a few pages about 3 weeks back and this week I couldn’t focus on it at all. Whenever I open the document and start thinking, I find myself doing something else. And last night I was wondering; what’s going on with me? I wrote like 1500 words in 3 days before. Why can’t I do it now? Suddenly I thought of changing music. Resuming  Joe Satriani’s musicals, which I listen to most of the time, I found myself writing again.

I have a strange taste of music. I listen to everything, now and then. But mostly, I listen to Satriani, Steve Vai or Metallica. I listen to heavy metal, DJ, electronic and other stuff with fast beats, when I’m on-the-go. I enjoy iWalking to the beat. You should try it, if you already don’t. 

I can’t stay alone without music. It seems as if the silence would entangle and harm me in some way. I know, it's stupid!! Does that happen to you guys? Appreciate music. Listen to different kinds of music and see how much wonders it can do. It’s the ‘International Language’. You might not understand the words, but, definitely, you can dance (doesn’t matter how) to the tune. What are you listening to now? I was listening to Mozart while writing this article. Mozart, huh?! It’s time for some more Satriani. :)

Cheers!!
Hammett

Image taken from here.