Music is the language of emotions and thoughts that cannot be explained with words. It is the depths of the human soul coming to life with sounds. Music is the only language that everyone can understand. Music is a part of life in all societies, from the most primitive to the most developed. After all, no matter what society we live in, there is no life without music, and no matter how it is defined, music is not just music.
While listening to a song you love, you feel better, you relax, you dream, you have fun, and sometimes you dive into the past. However, music is not only food for the soul, it also nourishes the intelligence. In recent years, with the developments in neuroscience and the use of brain imaging techniques, we have begun to see inside the skull and learn what is going on in our brains while thinking, learning or dreaming, and how many things affect our brain.
According to research, classical music, in particular, enables the development of spatio-temporal skills, strengthens mathematical thinking, accelerates learning, and increases the ability to imagine an object from different perspectives. The effects of music on intelligence and learning gained great momentum in 1993. Because the research conducted in this field pointed to important information about the effects of music: The Mozart Effect. It was observed that the subjects who listened to Mozart’s piano sonatas were more successful in their studies in their fields.
After years of analysis, Tomatis determined that sounds in this frequency range were present in large numbers in Mozart’s music. Music in this frequency range slows down heartbeats and blood pressure, lowers body temperature and breaks alpha waves in the brain. As a result, we calm down, relax and the stress we experience decreases. In addition, by stimulating the right lobe of the brain, the person’s creative thinking and imagination skills improve, and it increases the IQ level by enabling concentration.
One of these structures (ventral tegmental area) and dopamine are also part of the brain’s brain system. Therefore, when we listen to music we like, we activate the reward system in our brain. In other words, we reward ourselves when we listen to music.
In addition, it seems that music plays an important role in transferring information to long-term memory. The brain encodes information with semantic content more easily through components of music such as beat, harmony and rhythm.
We see that research reveals some relationships between music, learning and the brain as follows:
⁃ Music reduces the level of stress that prevents learning and relaxes thoughts. If used effectively, it increases the brain’s alpha level, improves memory and allows increased brain capacity, and is a powerful anchor for retaining what has been learned.
⁃ Certain types of music release the peaceful endorphin hormone and create a calmness that accelerates learning.
⁃ It has a stimulating and activating effect as it increases the amount of blood and oxygen going to the brain.
⁃ Music is a mathematical fact. This activates brain circuits in a specific region; It enables complex and complicated ideas to be seen and perceived more easily.
⁃ Music is a universal language. It opens cultural barriers. No matter how different ethnic traditions and values are, their positive effects are observed on all people.
⁃ Music stimulates people to stay awake and, with its revitalizing effect, allows blood and oxygen to flow more to the brain.
⁃ Children who play musical instruments have to practice regularly over time. This brings a system and discipline to life.
⁃ It ensures the activation of the right brain during learning and the integration of both lobes of the brain.
Music has been used by many civilizations for purposes such as entertainment, expression of cultural colors and treatment since ancient times.
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