7 Rocking Reasons To Love Music

There’s no doubt that music is popular and most people love it. Head into a coffee shop, sit in a car or walk down the street and the chances are high that you’ll hear a tune or two. Music, as well as the Earth’s gravitational pull, is what makes the world spin; however, to coin a Joe Cocker lyric – “don’t let (music) be misunderstood.”

Melodies are easy to listen to but they don’t always get taken in, which is a shame. Music has so much to offer people if we as a society are willing to listen with our minds as well as our ears. Not many people understand what they are listening to and that needs to change because music can have so many different effects.

Okay, this is beginning to sound a little “come to my commune and chill, man” but this isn’t a brainwashing programme. It’s a public service announcement to improve your life (if it needs it.) At the very least, the following will make you think a little more about the power of a good tune the next time you play your Spotify playlist. Here are eight reasons to love music.

It’s A Motivator

Think of one time you’ve hit the gym and pumped iron without music blasting through your headphones. Does one come to mind? If it does, how did it compare to the usual, tried and tested method of letting the rhythm flow through the speakers directly into your brain?

For the most part, the answer is it doesn’t compare because the beats give you a lift. When you’re about to give up, a banging, dance classic gives you the energy to lift more weights and run an extra mile. And, this phenomenon is transferable too. Try listening to music the next time you are working and feel tired and see what happens. Or, do it when you need inspiration but the creativity cork won’t pop. Music is the great equaliser and will get you out of a jam just in time to hit a deadline or burn that last calorie.

Of course, the songs you listen to influence your ability to feel motivation so choose wisely. A fantastic tip is to use specific genres for different scenarios; for example, a head pumping number for a blood pumping session.

It Boosts Your Mood

A great song isn’t only about pretension and how you think it makes you feel. Music is backed by science because the vibrations of the eardrum impact the body’s chemical balances. Not to get too bogged down in detail but the consensus is that beats encourage the brain to stimulate more endorphins, such as dopamine.

Essentially, dopamine is a neurotransmitter that controls the pleasure and reward centres in the brain. The more of it there is in your system, the more intensely you’re likely to feel positive emotions and feelings. A powerfully simple example is a smile. A song can boost your mood to the point where you smile uncontrollably. It might be a good memory or just a nice image in your mind but it happens and you can’t deny that life is better when you show your pearly whites.

Beware, though, the yin and the yang. If upbeat music boosts your mood, slow, melodic tunes can have the opposite effect. So, if you’re in a funk, don’t throw on Radiohead or Coldplay or you might spiral out of control!

It Brings Good Vibes

Go to any event and there will be music playing. It might be in the background, softly setting an atmosphere, but it’s there and everyone can hear it whether they know it or not. The result? Usually, there is an awesome atmosphere where the guests are socialising and having a good time. Even at huge festivals with a variety of people drinking and being rowdy, there isn’t much violence or many nasty incidents.

You might think you’re happy because you’re enjoying the weather or the company, and you’d be right, yet there’s no denying the impact of the music either. Considering the best songs seep into your brain and you can feel it in your bones, the music is in control of the vibes. It sets the tone for everybody to let their hair down and let loose, essentially.

The next time you go to an event without music, even if it’s a BBQ, check out how on edge people are whether they’re tense, hesitant or plain bored.

It Helps Others

One thing you might not know about the power of music is how it can help people to heal. The brain is like any other organ in the body and needs therapy once it experiences an injury. Music can help it recover by encouraging the mind to remember things it has lost, for example. If you ever suffer from amnesia, remember this: a song will trigger a neuron to fire and remember something you thought lost.

Musical therapy helps with actual pain, too. A study by the AMTA found that the patients who listened to music during their recovery were less likely to need as much pain medication. As long as they got to choose the songs, the pain was alleviated to a certain degree. That’s pretty remarkable. And, if you thought that was everything, you were wrong. Learning about new concepts from musicians can help you form an understanding of your existence. Have you heard of The Killers? It’s amazing how many of their listeners have enrolled in an online Christian psychology degree after learning about the frontman’s religious preferences.

Music is a link that connects people in a variety of ways and that’s why it helps others. It transcends boundaries and encourages new ways of thinking.

It’s Timeless

An iconic piece of music is often described as timeless because you can listen to it at any point and it never feels dated. From the Rolling Stones to the Beatles to Stevie Wonder, their songs are sure-fire hits to this day. Aside from getting people on the dancefloor at a wedding, this allows them to stay relevant regardless of the era.

As the world changes, not always for the better, good quality music becomes a major coping mechanism. You can listen to a song from five decades ago and hear words of hope which apply to today. Sure, you might feel lost and not know where to turn, yet the messages you hear in a timeless record can act a road map guiding you towards a better place.

There’s something else to consider – sheer mass. Music is a global industry with millions of musicians churning out tunes at a rate of knots. Some it is good, some of it is bad, and the rest is in the in between category. Still, it means there will always be timeless records because the volume of songs is almost limitless, and that’s worth celebrating.

It’s Expressive

Not everyone is able to open up about their feelings. Lots of people, us included, find it tough because there is nothing as queasy as vulnerability. And, it’s not as if you can stockpile your emotions and bottle them up deep down inside as they will overflow. What you need is a release and music is the perfect answer for the universally unexpressive.

Singer-songwriter-musicians can put all of their pent-up energy into their music and express it as a song. From the process of writing it on paper to performing it out loud, it’s all cathartic. What’s fantastic about music is the fact that you don’t need to play the guitar or be a good singer. Belting out a tune in the shower or crying along with a sad melody is a healthy form of expression.

Plus, let’s not forget about your motivation levels. Music encourages you to exercise, and working out is an excellent way to relieve stress and tension. Punching a bag with boxing gloves or smashing a football into a net is an expression of how you feel at that point.

It’s An Escape

Sometimes, life is difficult and you need to escape for a couple of hours to get your thoughts together. That time might not be much but it’s precious as it lets you think about things and understand them better. Music is the perfect vehicle as it instantly transports you to a new place.

You might be in your car driving down the same road, yet your mind is on a mental highway escaping reality for a moment. And, there is nothing wrong with it. As long as you don’t let it be your reality, the process is a healthy way to deal with the every day and stop life becoming monotonous. Let’s face it – there is nothing worse than when your daily routine begins to get stale.

Because music is a universal language, it’s not hard to find a song or two that lets you escape and come back refreshed and ready to rock.

How does music impact your life? How does your love for a tune affect you, positively or negatively?