Striking a Chord: Why Music Resonates with Us

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From lullabies, to children’s songs about a dog named B-I-N-G-O and baby belugas, to the various genres of music that spoke to us in our teens and adult years – music evokes memories and emotions. We feel a deep connection, and that engagement has an enormous effect on our well-being. Music can be therapeutic, and a good dose of it can help us stay healthy just by keeping us moving and motivated.

Whoever said, life without music would be flat (), was pretty sharp ()!

Music and Alzheimer’s

Recently, the CBC reported on a study that familiar music could give Alzheimer’s patients a cognitive boost. “There’s always been this question of why music and the ability to appreciate music is preserved, even in the latest stages of Alzheimer’s disease,” said Dr. Corinne Fischer, director of the memory disorders clinic at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto and one of the researchers. “It may be not so much the music as it is that familiar aspect of the music and the fact that that’s activating parts of the brain that aren’t typically damaged by Alzheimer’s pathology… So that’s why even though you might not know your name… you may still be able to appreciate a song because it’s activating those areas that are not damaged”.

The Alzheimer Society Music Project has launched a free program available to people living with dementia within participating areas in Canada. “Listening to personalized music can be a powerful activity for those with dementia: music has the potential to increase physical and social activity; reignite older memories; and improve sleep, mood, cognition, communication, and overall quality of life”. Click here to apply now.

Music and Mental Health

A study from Western Michigan University in 2015 suggests that singing and listening to music triggers the brain to release oxytocin and dopamine, neurotransmitters and hormones tied to such emotions as joy and love. Singing together creates a sense of belonging with peers – a social bond that echoes back to parent-infant attachment. According to Daniel Levitin, a professor of psychology who researches the cognitive neuroscience of music at McGill University, “tracks with a slow tempo, gradual chord progressions and drawn-out notes tend to be calming… while chaotic and up-tempo music tends to have the opposite effect. But all of this is subjective”. While country music or heavy metal might be soothing to one person, it might be agitating to others.

Music and Mobility

Groundbreaking work is being done with patients who have suffered a brain injury that affects movement, like a stroke or Parkinson’s disease. Michael Thaut, director of the Music and Health Research Collaboratory at the University of Toronto suggests that using music with the right tempo can improve a patient’s ability to walk. “We found that the auditory system can actually make up for some of the deficiencies in a motor system, and it gives additional information that helps the brain program movement and … control the movement better”.

Making Music Accessible

Learning music, whether instrumental or vocal, should be accessible to everyone regardless of age, income and ability. Seniors centres have always incorporated sing-alongs and now some are introducing music lessons. Branches of the Toronto Public Library and the Ottawa Public Library offer a musical instrument lending library. The Lotus Centre for Special Music Education in Ottawa, offers private and group classes for children and teens with physical and cognitive challenges. Choirs Ontario promotes inclusive and accessible choral communities. And then there’s karaoke: all you need is a microphone and the passion to sing your heart out!

If you were to create your personal playlist – a soundtrack that describes your life story using 15 to 20 music selections – what songs would you choose?

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