THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF MUSIC
Studies have shown that music can improve your mood and fend off depression. It can also improve blood flow, lower your levels of stress-related hormones like cortisol, and ease pain. Listening to music before an operation can even improve post-surgery outcomes.
How can music do so much good? Music seems to "selectively activate neurochemical systems and brain structures associated with positive mood. emotion regulation, attention and memory in ways that promote beneficial changes, says Kim Innes
Innes co-authored a 2016 study which found that listening to music could boost mood and well-being and improve stress-related problems in older adults suffering from cognitive decline. Her study compared the benefits of music to those of meditation a practice popular for its mental-health perks. She found that both practices were linked to significant improvements in mood and sleep quality. If the idea of listening to music seems a lot more practicable to you than meditating, these findings are great news.
According to another study from Finland, tracks with a slow tempo, gradual chord progressions and drawn-out notes tend to be calming, while chaotic and up-tempo music tends to have the opposite effect. But all of this is subjective because there are people who say AC/DC is their relaxation music. These are people who normally listen to, say, Swedish speed metal, so to them AC/DC is indeed soothing. There is no one piece of music that will do the same thing for everyone.
To cultivate an even deeper connection between music and your health, consider a field called music therapy, which focuses on using music to improve patient outcomes. Music therapy can take many forms. One is "guided imagery in music," where a trained therapist helps a person uncover their strengths or challenges by listening to music the patient chooses.
"Music is a way to go beyond our rational side and get in touch with the emotional life we often keep hidden," say experts. "If people are having trouble, there's usually a way that music can help."
1. Listening to music before an operation
A) can reduce stress and pain during surgery.
B) can lift your spirits and reduce bleeding.
C) can increase one's chance of recovery.
Evelin
Evelin Nikolov
fifiee
2. Music activates all brain structures in a beneficial way.
A) True
B) False
3. According to the text, which of the following statements is NOT true?
A) Music affects people differently.
B) Only slow-tempo music is soothing.
C) Slow-tempo music is often soothing.
4. "Guided imagery in music" is based on
A) music which is chosen by the therapist.
B) music which is chosen by the patient.
C) music which is challenging to the patient.
5. With the help of music, we can connect to our emotional life and
A) rise above our rational side.
B) strengthen our rational side.
C) oppose our rational side.
6. How are music and meditation related?
Mack
7. How does music therapy work?
