We all know the rush of happiness we get when our favorite song comes on the radio. A sad song overwhelms us with nostalgia, and a happy song has the power to lift our mood in an instant. Music drives us to push ourselves through that long workout and makes us dance and sing like no one is watching, but how does it do this? Why does a new song captivate us so much that we leave it on loop for hours? How can even a simple beat have such a profound effect on us?
Our love for music is rooted in the reward centers in our brain. Specifically, music activates the nucleus accumbens, which release dopamine, the happiness chemical. Dopamine is the chemical that is released during eating, sex, and usage of drugs. It is associated with addition so that may be why some of us crave music. In addition, it activates the amygdala, which is associated with stimulating emotion, and the prefrontal cortex, which is associated with abstract decision-making. Music also activates the hippocampus, which is responsible for learning and memory. People show patterns of synchronized neural firing in their brains, but everyone's experience is unique.
This uniqueness is created by the styles of music that you are used to. Your brain creates musical memory templates, which activate the nucleus accumbens. Based on what your have heard before, your brain predicts whether you will like a certain piece. When you like it more than you predicted it results in intense pleasure, but when you don't like it as much as predicted, it results in boredom. For example, you start listening to Ed Sheeran's new songs, and as you are listening, your brain is subconsciously predicting whether or not you will like the next part of the song. The beat brings back old memories of when you were a kid or your first kiss. You can actually see it because your visual centers are also being linked.
Some scientists theorize that music taps into the parts of our brain that are responsible for evolution. As humans, we have the ability to predict based on patterns and use or imaginations like no other animals. If it is truly related to survival, it is no wonder we find satisfaction in it.
Music not only makes us happy, but also enhances our proficiency in language, reading, and math cognition when we learn to play it. When people tell you that you should learn how to play an instrument, they are actually right. Making music makes you smarter and is a magical way to express yourself.
Listening and playing music unlocks the imagination and creates true happiness through its various effects on the brain. So blast that music and try to play an instrument if you don't already because the effects are truly satisfying and worthwhile.
