Why We Appreciate Music

Music is never anything anyone dislikes. A negative reaction to music being played is either a dislike for a particular genre, or to the loudness of the sound adversely affecting the eardrums; but never to music per se.

Scientific Studies Have Proven that Music Creates Positive Effects to the Body

 

This has been scientifically proven by scientists who have performed tests on how the human body, particularly the brain responds to musical sounds. Neurotransmitters, such as dopamine and serotonin are chemical substances produced by the brain to send messages that determine how bodily nerves react.

Dopamine in Relation to Music

Once the brain releases dopamine after processing the quality of the sound received by the ears, then that sound will produce beneficial effects to the listener. After all, dopamine is a neurotransmitter that sends a message of elation, making a music listener feel enjoyment and happiness in listening to the sound. Once that feeling or emotion is processed by the brain, it releases another neurotransmitter called serotonin.

The effects of dopamine though can be altered if a dysfunction in the dopamine system exists, usually caused by pain (physical or emotional), severe stress, or trauma.

Effects of Serotonin

Serotonin are neurotransmitters like dopamine, but different because it triggers emotional responses. The brain secretes serotonin in relation to the processing of emotions, sending messages on how the body responds to what a person is currently feeling: love, hate, excitement, anger, fear, just to name examples. Low levels of serotonin secretion though is liable to bring feelings of depression and over-anxiety. That is why some music listeners tend to experience a feeling of downheartedness or severe despondency.

Noise or music registering as noise to a listener’s ear can heighten feelings of stress, anxiety or even disorientation.

When Does a Person Consider Music as Noise

First off, noise is not at all categorized as music, because unlike music, noise is random where one sound frequency dominates a mixture of different sound waves to the point of causing disharmony. A person may only use the term noise, as an expression of dislike for a particular type of music; especially if the sound has a different tonal quality or pattern from that ordinarily interpreted as music by a person’s brain. Noise, however, can be blocked with soundproof windows that Cleveland windows offer as a service.

One or two crickets chirping in the background is not considered noise because it is not capable of dominating all other sound waves currently produced by the environment. However, if a swarm of crickets gather in the yard to the point of dominating all other sound wave frequencies present, then that will register in the brain as noise.

Moreover, noise produced by a swarm of crickets may trigger feelings of stress and anxiety that leads to a fight or flight response. A person may overly react by dousing the yard with chemicals to remove crickets from the yard or simply call a professional exterminator to do the job.

Noise therefore is from the start a negative mixture of irregular and differing sound wave frequencies that does not produce a harmonious sound.

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