Music and Nostalgia - What is it About Music that Can Transport You to a Different Time?
Have you experienced a rush of memories by listening to a familiar tune? A feeling of inexplicable sadness when listening to a melancholic song? The urge to sway and tap along to a piece of remarkably upbeat music?
You surely have, and that is the power of music! It can make you feel things that there are no words to describe. Music can sometimes even act as a portal to another world and another dimension.
There must have been times when after a particularly tiring day, you're lying down with your eyes closed and listening to music, and you are in your happy place. The happy place could be a meadow or a lit-up gazebo, or a nearby beach. It's all in your head, and the only thing that connects you to it is a tune. Such is the impact and intensity of the music!
Music has the ability to create a collective experience for us, humans!
Music not only connects us to different times, places, and imaginations, but it also provides us with links to connect with each other. We all remember the iconic song 'My Heart Will Go On' from Titanic. Every time we hear it, we are transported back to our first puppy love and innocence.
Then we grew up and started listening to Coldplay and Lana Del Ray, realizing that life, as we knew it, is changing. Similarly, 'Too Good At Goodbye' by Sam Smith taught us that we have to be strong and let go of people that are not good for us no matter how much we want to keep holding on. And not to forget all the times we grooved and partied to the music by the legendary Michael Jackson.
Music has the ability to create a collective experience for us, humans! And what if I told you that there are actually benefits to listening to music?
Music as Therapy
Yes, you read that right; music can be used as therapy. Slow and melodic music lowers your blood pressure and calms you down. Likewise, music can help you with feelings of anxiety and panic. There are apps available that have specific tunes and beats to help you lull to sleep and help you relax. Mental health professionals recommend music therapy to cure depression and feelings of stress.
In addition, music can make you feel more productive. Fast-paced and hip-hop music can bring energy to your body and make you feel active and energetic. That's because it acts as a booster for your mind and soul. This is why most people prefer listening to music when exercising, cooking, or even working on something. It lifts up your spirits and makes you feel capable of achieving anything.
Although the other side of the picture is that music can make you feel agitated or restless as well. Genres such as metal or hard rock may have a negative impact on your mood or mental state. These genres can leave you feeling aggressive and violent for no apparent reason. It can affect the way you perceive the world and the people around you. Depending on the type of music you listen to regularly, it can either connect you to your surroundings or leave you feeling disassociated.
Moreover, music creates dopamine in two primary places in the brain: the dorsal and ventral striatum. When you hear your favorite song, your brain lights up like a Christmas tree on Christmas Eve. That immense pleasure from a special song is no coincidence. How cool is that?
Music can help us recall those implicit memories buried deep in the unconscious part of the brain.
Connection Between Music And Memories
It's no secret that music can bring back memories, even memories that are long forgotten. Our long-term memory has two components. They are called implicit memory and explicit memory. Explicit memories are things we make an effort to remember, such as a lesson from school or some work that we need to do; whereas, implicit memory is actually our subconscious memory. Things that we are doing on autopilot mode, things we do not acknowledge at the moment but are stored away in our brain!
Music can help us recall those implicit memories buried deep in the unconscious part of the brain. This is why music is used to treat trauma survivors, so they can remember the events of their past. After getting out of the difficult phase in their life, when patients look back on those moments with the aid of music, it allows them to have a different perspective. They may realize things were not as bad as they thought at that moment, or it may bring them a step closer to the process of healing and making peace with turbulent thoughts.
Music Speaks to the Soul
Music lesson for kids in Winchester, MA.
Like all forms of art, music can speak to our soul. It can give us answers to questions that we did not even know we were seeking. Music acts as an escape from the monotony of our daily lives, taking us on adventures that our souls crave. Additionally, music has no language, and it's beyond borders and barriers of any sort. All over the globe, people create bonds through the rhythm of music.
A person from Europe can get lost in the flow of Indian classical music and vice versa. Music is a big part of trips and good times. Listening to that one song from a trip taken with friends long ago can bring all the memories and feelings back in a jiffy. It acts as a bridge between the past and present, besides taking us on an exquisite dive into the depth of nostalgia.
Music serves as a reminder that no matter how different we are in our cultures, thoughts, or actions, deep down in our cores, we are all the same.
All of us feel the same emotions of anger or love, which are reflected back through music. It can speak on our behalf when we're at a loss for words. It can flow effortlessly from an instrument and revolve around us, creating a harmony of magic - a much-needed sense of peace that we all need in our stressful lives.
Register Your Child for a Music Class
Now that you know the significance of music in our lives, you may want to enroll your kids in a music lesson! Stage Music Center offers instrument classes as well as voice lessons for children of all ages in Winchester, MA.
Register your child for music lessons now or contact us for more information.
Read other interesting posts from our blog:
Can You Start Taking Voice Lessons At Any Age?