Whether we pay attention to it or not, music can change our mood. Music has a way of smoothly entering through our ears, passing through our brains, and taking over our mind.

Music gives a sensation that can be compared to weather. We may not have control over the feeling it gives us, or the fact that we are hearing it, but we are attentive to it. Music surrounds us. It plays in our car, at the gym, at restaurants, doctors and dentist offices, during movies and shows, at the grocery store, at Starbucks, at the mall… and the list could go on.

We can regulate our moods with music when we have the choice of what we want to hear. You know you are a passionate music person when you know the exact song to put on for each of your moods. Whether that song makes you sadder, happier, or calmer.

We also use music to escape our daily lives. If we cannot physically get away from the madness, we can let music take our minds away for a short period of time.

If you are reading this, you probably have some interest in music on either a small or large scale. Since I am a firm believer in incorporating music into my everyday life, and I also have a science background, I would like to share with you some research on how music truly does affect your brain. I am going to break it down as simple as possible and assume not all music fiends are science geeks.

1. Your favorite music can sometimes predict your personality;
   1. Rap – Outgoing
   2. Indie – Low self esteem, Reserved, Very creative
   3. Pop – High self esteem, Might not be creative
   4. Country – Hard worker and sociable
2. Learning an instrument can ignite areas of the brain that improve reasoning
3. Music can improve exercise
   1. Why? Because hearing a song can distract the brain from allowing feelings of fatigue to take over… like they always say “The body is much stronger than the mind”
4. You can usually tell whether a song is happy or sad right away… Personally, I like all music but I tend to listen to slower music the majority of the time. To explain this I would say that I am able to perceive the feelings of the song without actually feeling them myself. And that provides a calming sensation for me.

How do you use music to take over your mind?

Go out there and make music an important part of each day!