Actify Your Mind With Music
Yesterday, I got my new hand phone Nokia 5530 Xpress Music. The reasons for my purchase are two: this model is going to be overwritten with a new version so I thought anything that goes antique is noticeable; it is cheaper to buy now as vendors are clearing the stock vigorously. But then, there is an interesting point to note here. This is a phone compatible for music. I decided to buy as music is good to the mind.
Definition of music
If you happen to walk pass by any construction worksite you can hear the sounds of piling works. The sounds of pilings are a constant note all the way. It is not appreciated by anyone. It becomes noisy when the same “note” is played on and on continuously. The chirping of sparrows is so soothing to the mind because the notes therein are varied or in rhythmic tones. The beats have to be different in a range. Like any language, music has a grammar and grammatically correct sounds of notes are accepted or defined as music.
Archaeology has helped us understand that our ancestors were not only hunters and food gathers but were music lovers. A thin bird-bone flute carved meticulously some 35 thousand years ago was unearthed in a cave in Germany. Almost everyone loves some form of music. Even, in any religion music or rhythm is used to deliver the message. For example, in Islam the call for prayer is in rhythmic tones to summon all Muslims to remember God at a particular time. Who does not move to the beats of music or rhythm? It is because music makes us feel good, naturally.
Listening to a complex music or musical song will make the brain solve complex task
Philosophy
Philosophy has promoted music. Plato said that “music and rhythm find way into the secret places of the soul”. Science has discovered that that our inner depth of brain is activated when a person enjoys a particular music of choice. Unlike language, it activates motor control and emotions. Do you feel good whenever you listen to musical songs? Why is Michael Jackson music is so popular?
Confucius had recognised people suffering with compulsive obsessive disorder when he said that “to be wronged is nothing unless you continue to remember it”. Philosophy is something to do with words and language and it is quite evasive and complex unlike music. Philosophy identifies vaguely to a problem and offer avoidance to a problem in most cases.
Music engages much brain function
Neuroscience is on the verge of a breakthrough to learn about the effects of music to the mind. The interesting part of the learning is that your favourite music arouses many parts and the inner recesses of our brain called ‘basal ganglia’.
Like any language, music has a grammar and grammatically correct sounds of notes are accepted or definded as music
Human beings like some animals who are vocal learners move to the beat of any rhythm or music. The same activation of the “basal ganglia” region happens to the singing bird, humming birds and parrots when they try to mimic the vocal. See video below:
Music has made it helpful for certain motor disorders like Parkinson disease for it has made them walk again under music therapy.
Aphasia is a disorder of language and the affected person is not able to understand words or putting words in order to make sense. Amusia refers to a disorder and inability to recognise musical tones and or rhythms, or to reproduce them. Scientists had found out that when a person has brain damage the 3 aspects of music can be disrupted: melody perception or production; rhythm perception or production and emotional response (how you feel towards music). When a person produces music, a number of brain areas are activated including the region called the “basal ganglia”
Aphasia and Amusia share the same brain substrates circuitry and music has the answer to cure these diseases.
Music is not talent but a skill that can be learned
Like learning a language music is a skill that can be learned. The syntax of music is similar to that to any language.
Music is complex but reducible to rhythm, melody, harmony, and tempo these can be manipulated. The grammar of music is easily appreciated because of our innate nature of appreciating the order of sound. Words on the other hand are quite complicated thing to appreciate. With this simple truth, we can begin a new way of education using music rather than words for better grasp and appreciation.
In painting, the superimposing paintwork and detailing creates timeless masterpiece of artwork. If you hear any popular music you can find these qualities. Albert Einstein said that if you learn anything in 15 minutes a day you will be an expert in a year. Learning creates hundreds of thousands brain cells to replenish the dead cells. New learning creates new connections in the brain. Learning to play a musical instrument makes a child to score 50 percent higher in Intelligent Quotient and makes them excellent readers.
Last Resort – Listen To Music
Listening to a complex music or musical songs will make the brain solve complex task. The production of music creates a satisfaction to the artist mind as with all creation. But then not all are able to create in agreement to the masses. The last resort to make use of music is just to listen to what is created. There are different kinds of music: rap, country, rock, disco, slow rock, pop rock, sentimental symphony and so on.
To have your mind fully activated it is best to listen to all kinds of music. If music can reach the basal ganglia of the brain it has to activate the outer side before it reaches the inner side by ripple effect. For example, if the frontal side of the brain has less activation, the person will not make achievable goals. Even if he makes one he hesitates and procrastinates. Maximum brain activation is necessary for living.
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