Last Friday, it was the International Music Day. And what better day to get back into blogging?

Music is known to bring several benefits. Music can lift our mood, help us be more mindful. Music can help us learn. Music brings people together. And music even has a physical impact on our bodies: according to research led by Harvard, “our brain and nervous system are hard-wired to distinguish music from noise and to respond to rhythm and repetition, tones, and tunes.” Today, we’ll unveil the 3 key reasons to take music seriously.

But first, let’s take a step back.

How much does music mean to you?

Could you live without music?

Without the natural melodies of our world?

The ruffle of the wind in the leaves. The splash of the waves on the sand. The promise of change that comes with each thunderstorm. Or the music that the world makes with every sunrise, with nature’s soft waking up. I feel so energized every morning, when I step outside and I’m blessed to hear the quietness of the night gently turn into the busyness of the day: the birds chirping while the first cars go by, the random jogger with her rhythmic step, the soft voices of parents waking up their children.

But music to my ears is, without a doubt, the melodic voices of the ones dear to us - our children’s laughter, the parents’ advice, our grandparents’ storytelling voices, my husband’s heartbeat.

Honestly, how fortunate are we that music touches our life every day, in so many forms?

So many decades of different musical genres that are in our lives, that we can choose and pick from. That we can enjoy musical movies and cartoons with our kids, and sing along with them about the beauty or sadness of life - because that’s all a part of it?

Music is such a big deal of everything and helps us rejoice in the good when we are in a good mood and helps us cry when we are feeling low.

For many of us music is such a big company.

Music: where has it all begun?

It’s hard to pinpoint when humans started making music. The oldest musical instrument uncovered so far is “only” 40.000 years old. Found in Germany, the instrument is made of a vulture’s wing bone (very creative!).

The big leap in music - i.e., when music became “democratized” - happened in the 1980s, with the rise of the walkman.Before the walkman, music was only popular in certain bubbles of society, and the different groups did not really mix together yet. Now, music has become almost a commodity, with platforms such as Spotify, and Pandora making music available to anyone who has a digital device.

3 reasons to take music seriously

1- Music is good for your body

It’s common knowledge that music can improve your mood, and reduce pain and anxiety. It’s also widely known that music can create opportunities for people to better express themselves (especially for those who are on the shy/private side).

In fact, research suggests that music can benefit our physical and mental health in numerous ways,including:

Music improves your heart’s health: Did you know that blood flows more easily with music? Soft or inspirational music can also reduce heart rate, lower blood pressure, decrease cortisol levels (also known as the “stress hormone”)... and increase serotonin and endorphin levels in the blood (which is very good for you).

Music stimulates memories. How often have you “went back” to a special moment you had completely forgotten about, because of THAT specific song you’re just listening to? It was inspired by this phenomenon that scientists began testing music therapy in people with dementia or Alzheimer’s. And the results are impressive: music can relax an agitated person, improve her/his mood and open communication.

Music can help people eat less. If you’re going on a diet or just want to practice a more mindful approach to eating, playing soft music in the background during a meal can help you slow down while eating. Eating slower is also linked to eating less. So, next time you’re enjoying a meal, try disconnecting from screens (goodbye telephone, tablet and TV!) and just play soft music instead.

2 - Music is good for your soul.

Music is also good for your emotions. Music helps us keep focused, and it can inspire us to go that extra mile in our workout. It is the amygdala that processes music - the very part of our brain that plays a key role in mood and emotions.

Music boosts your mood. Music can increase your brain’s production of dopamine. This increase in dopamine production helps relieve feelings of anxiety and depression.

Music reduces stress. Last year, I met a friend who only listened to calm music. She told me that listening regularly to soft music would relax her, and enable her to better manage her stress. According to research, listening to music can relieve stress, mainly because it triggers biochemical stress reducers.It’s no wonder that there’s a flourishing market of baby sleeping aids and toys with music!

Music can also help you lead with pain. Specifically, depending on the type of music you play, it may reduce the perceived intensity of pain. Many pregnant women put together playlists for their birth, not only to expose their babies to the delights and benefits of music from early on, but especially to help them deal with the birth itself

3 - Music is fun!

It’s great to listen to music to relax, to give you that extra power on your workout, or to inspire your work… but nothing beats hearing music just for the fun of it!

A great soundtrack is all it takes for me to get up my desk and dance. And I don’t mean that dancing you do after a work dinner with your colleagues. I mean, real dancing. When no one’s watching or judging, and you just blend with the music, almost as if becoming one with the music. It’s SO much fun to dance.

Or to dance with your children. Many of the fondest memories I have with my kids are of when we were either dancing like monkeys, or singing (like crows).

Music brings a sense of connectedness, and builds a unique, shared experience. Actually,

researchers have mused that humans may have created music as a communication tool.

Bonus reason: Music can foster creativity

Ever wondered why so many artists have music as a central item in their lives? Music facilitates the interconnections in our brain, which in turn may help us connect subjects that we may have not considered related before. Because music can be a good source of inspiration, paired with the fact that music plays a key role in how we memorize things, music can be a source of creativity - both at work and in your personal life.

Conclusion

There are several good reasons to take music seriously, both physical and emotional. Music does bring people together, and can increase the feeling of cohesion and social connectedness - so important in this particular time, when most of us are still dealing with the emotional destruction brought by COVID. Above all, music boosts our mood, and there’s nothing better than dancing freely to our favorite tracks.

I’m personally a big music lover, and have soundtracks for everything: when cooking for the Real Mother’s Cooking, when waking up (hello, morning music!), for working out, to relax in the evening, and even to drive. If you have particular songs or insights you’d like to share, feel free to drop a line in the comments’ box!

3 Reasons to take music seriously