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How Different Genres Affect Mood: What the Science Actually Says
Sometimes, when I’ve had a rough day, I’ll turn on some happy music and all of a sudden (only 2 minutes and 36 seconds later), I feel ten times better! Has that ever happened to you? It’s a fascinating phenomenon and can be understood by the way different music genres can affect mood. Before we…
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Music and Emotional Regulation: Using Music to Manage Difficult Feelings
We’ve all done it before. Maybe you’ve had a stressful day at school and immediately put your headphones on when you got home. Maybe you’ve listened to an upbeat song before a big competition to calm your nerves, or a slow piano piece after an argument with a friend. Sometimes, we don’t even realize we’re…
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Music and Sleep: Can Music Improve Sleep Quality?
I’m sure we’ve all had some sleepless nights. Maybe even struggled with insomnia. It’s always the worst when all you want to do is sleep, but as soon as you put your head on your pillow, you’re suddenly wide awake. Researchers think that music might actually be able to help with that. Before we get…
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Can Music Help Reduce Burnout? What Researchers Are Learning
I know that sometimes, there are some days where you just can’t bring yourself to do any work. After a huge deadline, you’ve spent months working on, you suddenly can’t bring yourself to do a simple task. Even the smallest amount of work, feels daunting and absolutely exhausting. If feels as though anything might put…
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Music and Neurotransmitters Beyond Dopamine: Serotonin, Oxytocin & Endorphins
I’m sure you’ve heard of dopamine, the brain’s “reward” neurotransmitter. Dopamine plays a very important role in musical enjoyment; however, it is only one piece of a much larger picture! There are many neurotransmitters and hormones that contribute to the different psychological and physiological effects of listening to music. They are dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and…
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Music and Brain Waves: Exploring Alpha, Beta, Theta, and Gamma Activity
Have you ever noticed that certain songs make you feel calm, while others instantly make you feel energized? Maybe listening to classical music helps you concentrate while studying, or an upbeat playlist motivates you during a workout. While it may seem like music is simply changing your mood, it is actually changing something much deeper:…
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The Predictive Brain: Why Musical Surprises Feel So Good
Imagine you’re listening to your favorite song. Everything is unfolding exactly as you expected. The melody is familiar, the rhythm feels comfortable, and you already know what’s coming next. Then, suddenly, the music takes an unexpected turn. For some reason… it sounds even better? But why? If our brains like making predictions, wouldn’t it make…
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Rhythm and the Brain: Why Humans Are Wired to Keep Time
Whether you’re a musician, a dancer, or someone who only listens to music through headphones on the way to school, rhythm is everywhere. But have you ever stopped to wonder why humans are so good at recognizing a beat? Why do we instinctively tap our feet, clap along to music, or somehow know exactly when…
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Music and Attention Networks: What Happens When You Focus on Music?
Maybe you’ve been a musician your whole life. Maybe you’re an adult picking up a new instrument. Maybe, like me, you’re a teenager who started early and hopes to continue making music for years to come. Or maybe you don’t play an instrument at all. Either way, have you ever wondered what actually happens inside…
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The Hippocampus and Music: Why Songs Become Powerful Memory Cues
Have you ever heard a song you haven’t listened to in years, only to suddenly remember exactly where you were the last time you heard it? Most of us think of the hippocampus as the brain’s “memory center,” and for good reason. Located deep within the temporal lobe, the hippocampus plays a major role in…
Music is Medicine
A student led knowledge hub exploring the science of music and the brain.
