“Music gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything”
– Plato

Music. Melody. Harmony. Rap. Pop. Rock. The universal language. We all listen to music, no matter what genre, but what exactly are the benefits we’ve been receiving from it?

First things first, this is an obvious one – music makes you happier. I’m sure we’ve all had that moment when we are down and we put in some earbuds and blast our favorite songs to forget the world. So I assume you’ve experienced first hand the magic of music boosting your mood. Though, you may be wondering, why does it make me happier? Is it just because I enjoy the songs? Actually yes, it is because you enjoy the songs but there is much more to it. Music, along with anything you enjoy causes a chemical release of dopamine, and every time you listen to it more dopamine is released making you happy each time.

What else does it do? You may be asking, well for starters, it helps running. Whether you enjoy running and the natural high it gives you or you hate it, and would rather take a nap, music makes the experience a whole lot better. Music increases your motivation and makes you more pumped and ready to run. A study showed that people who run while listening to music do way better then people who run without it.

That’s not all. Picture this, you’re lying awake at night, staring at your ceiling, unable to sleep, and you can’t think of any way to get some rest. Well, one thing that could help is listening to classical music. Just laying down, and putting on some Bach or Beethoven can help you get the z’s that you need.

Music decreases depression, which is an epidemic that affects many innocent people across the country. If you don’t know a thing or two about depression, it is a horrible curse that affects people who have done nothing wrong and often the person suffering from it doesn’t have many tools at their disposal to help heal the curse that plagues millions, and music is an actual relief to them. That is major, considering that even therapy doesn’t even help much. Yet, music helps over 350 million people who suffer from depression around the world.

“There’s a friendly tie of some sort between music and eating.” – Thomas Hardy

Thomas Hardy was correct in saying that. When listening to music and creating a softer lighting in the room, it helps you consume fewer calories, and enjoy your meals more.

If you’re familiar with the popular band ‘twenty one pilots’ then you are also familiar with the song “Car Radio” which is about going through the thoughts of a person struggling to not have a car radio but what are the benefits of actually having a car radio? A study in the Netherlands discovered that listening to music in the car increases your mood in a very positive way. Which may even help you drive safer.

Are you or anyone you know going into surgery soon? It’s a scary thought. Anxiety may even start kicking in before the surgery for everyone involved. In most cases, Midazolam is used which often just makes patients have nasty side affects like coughing and vomiting so not only does music often work better than that but doesn’t cause terrible side affects. If you still have some unresolved emotions after the surgery music also helps with after surgery.

Music. Melody. Harmony. Rap. Pop. Rock. The universal language. So next time you listen to your favorite music think about the benefits you are receiving from it.

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Work Cited

“Scientists Find 15 Amazing Benefits Of Listening To Music.” Lifehack. N.p., 15 Oct. 2015. Web. 28 July 2017.

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