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8 Amazing, Little-Known Ways Music Affects the Brain
Ambient noise can improve creativity
A moderate noise level is ideal to improve our creativity. It increases the processing difficulty which stimulates abstract processing, leading to higher creativity.
High noise levels impair our creative thinking because we feel overwhelmed and struggle to process information properly.
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Happy/sad music
Our brains respond differently to happy or sad music.
One study revealed that participants interpreted a neutral expression as happy or sad to match the tone of the music they heard.
Ambient noise can improve creativity
A moderate noise level is ideal to improve our creativity. It increases the processing difficulty which stimulates abstract processing, leading to higher creativity.
High noise levels impair our creative thinking because we feel overwhelmed and struggle to process information properly.
Music and personality
Different genres correspond to our personality. For instance:
- Blues and Jazz fans have high self-esteem, are creative, outgoing, gentle and at ease
- Classical music fans have high self-esteem, are creative, introvert and at ease
- Opera fans have high self-esteem, are creative and gentle
- Rock/heavy metal fans have low self-esteem, are creative, not hard-working, not outgoing, gentle, and at ease
Music can distract our driving
Another study tested drivers while listening to their own choice of music, silence or “safe” music provided by the researchers. The results showed that drivers made more mistakes and drove more aggressively when listening to their own choice of music. Unfamiliar music resulted in safer driving.
Motor and reasoning skills
One study indicated that children who had three years or more of musical instrument training performed better in:
- auditory discrimination abilities
- fine motor skills
- vocabulary
- nonverbal reasoning skills
Classical music
In one small study, stroke patients showed improved visual attention while listening to classical music. Silence resulted in lower scores.
Music helps us exercise
An American researcher, Leonard Ayres, found that cyclists pedaled faster while listening to music than they did in silence.
This is because music overrides the signals of fatigue while we are exercising, and our bodies do not realize we are tired.
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Music and memory
Music helps with making memories from long ago feel relevant again. When you hear a song that had specific meaning to you in the past, the memory of that moment will come back with unbelievable ...
Music improves your focus
This happens because music stimulates the entire brain and not just segments of it. Using this knowledge can help you in various ways.
- Meditation. Some people use music to help them clear their minds.
- Listening to music while studying or working can help you remember more of the information.
- During exercise. It takes the mind’s focus off of fatigue.
- Focus on sleep. Music calms the mind and causes you to focus on your rest.
Music increases your creativity
Ambient music at 70 decibels will increase specific creative tasks by activating the parts of the brain that think in abstract ways.
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Effects of music on productivity
- Listening to music with lyrics is distracting for most people. It’s best to avoid it when working on tasks that require focus or the learning of new information.
- Listening to
Music and the brain
Music has a real impact on human emotions and perception. Music activates different areas of the brain in different people, but there are general brain and mood patterns revealed by music research.
For the most part, research suggests that listening to music can improve your efficiency, creativity and happiness in terms of work-related tasks.
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Music and work
Music and repetitive tasks
When a task is clearly defined and repetitive in nature, music makes it more enjoyable.
It isn’t the music itself, but rather the improved mood your favorite music brings that will give a boost in productivity.
Ambient noise
Moderate noise level can get creative juices flowing, but the line is easily crossed; loud noises made it incredibly difficult to concentrate.
Bellowing basses and screeching synths will do you more harm than good when engaging in deep work.
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