Have you ever listened to a song that sent chills down your spine? Or maybe you listened to a song that caught your attention with its catchy lyricism and great accompanying tune. Chances are that you were unaware of the areas in your brain that are reached when you listen to music. This activity isn’t just about responding to a particular beat that you like, but the science of it all lies in how active our brains become while we take every note in.
This is the only activity that uses all of our brain, as it stimulates the whole brain.
It does not only activate the auditory areas of the brain. Other areas that are stimulated include the motor and limbic regions in the brain when listening to music.
Music and movement may be closely intertwined as a result of a study that showed that musical pulses processing leads to activation of motor areas. It’s no surprise that when you listen to Whitney Houston belt out her remake of the Chaka Khan original “I’m Every Woman” and the tempo speeds up you instinctively start tapping your feet or dancing.
Musicians have been shown to have a more developed callosum- which is the band of nerve fibres connecting the two sides of the brain.
Listening to music is the only activity that uses all of our brain and it has been shown to enhance reading and literacy skills, reasoning as well as mathematical abilities.
When listening to music, the nucleus accumbens is also triggered, which leads to the release of dopamine. Higher levels of dopamine lead to better concentration, a better mood and enhanced memory.