Why Music Stimulates the Human Brain
Music affects everyone in a different way. Some people find it to be entertaining, others are intrigued by its content, and some find it to be nothing more than pleasurable background noise. In my personal life, I have found music to be inspirational, compelling, and a source of happiness. Music is a venue through which I am able to express emotion, and at times it has become significant to my memory because a song or melody will remind me of periods in my life.
Regardless of how a person perceives music, it seems to have globally affected our world. Few people on this planet can say that they have never personally participated in an activity involving music. There must be something exceptional about the vast areas of this art form for it to have such an impact on our universe. The fact that it is just about everywhere – the streets, the media, restaurants and stores, demonstrates the significance of the role music plays in our lives.
It is curious to think about the reasoning behind the enjoyment of music. In the Science Times article “We got Rhythm” by Nicholas Wade, there is a discussion of the many different theories scientists have developed on the subject. Dr. Steven Pinker of Harvard University believes that it is simply a “happy accident” that we are able to enjoy music. His feeling is that “it just happens to tickle several important parts of the brain in a highly pleasurable way.”(Pg. F1) Dr. Anne Blood and Dr. Robert Zatorre, on the other hand, suggest that our brain may have very specific receptors that are used in our reaction to music. Another theory even suggests that our enjoyment is the result of evolution.
The underlying theme of “We got Rhythm,” however, is not the discussion of why we enjoy music but to reiterate its impact on society. Wade writes, “all societies have music, all sing lullaby-like songs to their infants, and most produce tonal music…” (Pg. F4) It seems that although the author may not be convinced of one theory in particular, he is undoubtedly certain of its powerful role throughout our history.
While it is clear that music is a powerful force here on earth, on September 16, 2003 the New York Times published an article appropriately entitled “Music of the Heavens” by Dennis Overbye, discussing the part ‘music’ plays beyond our planet. The article discussed sounds being projected from black holes “that fill the Perseus cluster of galaxies, 250 million light-years distant.” (Pg. F4) The sound being projected sounds much like the B flat we know on earth.
It is a significant discovery to find that sounds are not only detectable on earth, and scientists are now making speculations as to how long the sound has been around. Dr. Fabian, who lead the team researching the sound, suggested that “If the black hole blows such bubbles continuously and it is this energy that has been keeping Perseus hot, then the black hole in Perseus must have been playing a steady B flat for a long time.” (Pg. F4) According to the article, scientists are calling this discovery “beautiful.”
Perhaps it is the discovery of the B-flat sound in space that creates a connection with the scientist’s theories, and our personal lives. The fact that a simple monotone sound so far away from our planet has become an intriguing piece of information to the public alludes to more than just an interest in what is beyond earth. If Dr. Pinker’s theory that suggested our interest in music is nothing more than a happy accident, it is an accident that has unbelievably prompted people to endure a task as large as leaving our planet in order to learn more about it.
