Page 21 - Seniors Today - February Issue
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My long-standing affair with music Some of the things you can do to up your
started at a very young age. music quotient:
Every situation was matched with a song; Group singing:
In love… dedicate a song The act of singing sends vibrations
Argument… dedicate a song through the body that simultaneously lower
Out of love … dedicate a song the level of cortisol (the stress hormone)
Achievements at work... also have a song. and release endorphins, making us feel
happy and content. The anticipation of a
How can we harness the soothing power singing group’s melodic changes floods the
of music? body with dopamine, resulting in a sense of
Sound can travel to a baby right from the euphoria.
mother’s womb thus exposing the baby to Learning to play a musical instrument
music can speed up their development. In boosts memory:
a study of “the effect of exposure to music Learning a musical instrument is like an
on 9-month-old babies’ brains,” conducted Olympic Games for the mind. It teaches the
at the University of Washington, show that brain to problem-solve, people who’ve had
exposing your baby to music can speed up musical training are usually better at math,
the process of them learning to speak and science and engineering later in life. Timing
help master complex language concepts is everything, though: start young.
faster. Drumming can jumpstart brain function:
Science has shown that musical training The brain instinctively syncs to rhythm,
can change brain structure and function rhythmic music (such as drumming) taps
for the better. Musical training in general into the brain in a very special way, which
has incredible powers of regeneration explains why you’ll subconsciously walk
for the human mind. It improves long- (or run) in time to a beat.
term memory and leads to better brain Finding the right music for you:
development for those who start at a young Music comes in diverse genres and
age. languages,
Give your brain the tune-up it deserves! According to the popular music streaming
Get musical! service Spotify, “there are over 1,300 music
Use music as therapy! genres in the world”.
The most popular being:
• Country
• Electronic dance music (EDM)
• Hip-hop
• Indie rock
• Jazz
• K-pop
• Metal
• Oldies
• Gospel
Indian music includes multiple varieties of
Music can help bring about a sense of calmness and
relaxation Punjabi Music, Classical Music, Folk Music,
SENIORS TODAY | ISSUE #20 | FEBRUARY 2021 21
