“When I listen to “Dress Up In You”, I feel really nostalgic, even though I haven’t exactly experienced everything the band “Belle and Sebastian” is talking about. It’s also kind of a peaceful song but it makes me sad at the same time. It’s like you’re happy and content with where you are, but there’s also something kind of rueful and sorrowful about it,” said Shae Wiley after being asked what her favorite song is and how it makes her feel.
Music has been around for about 40,000 years, there are thousands of different genres and some of the most popular ones are: heavy metal, classical, indie, folk, country, pop, jazz, blues, R&B, hip-hop(rock), and there are many more genres of music that exist.
All music gives the listener some type of feeling, if the listener is listening to cheerful music with a fun beat you will most likely be in a happy, joyful mood.
This is mostly the same for all types of music, depending on how much the listener relates to the song and what it’s saying. There is a reason for this. Dopamine plays a crucial role in our brain’s response to music, and understanding this can help us grasp the benefits of music in our daily lives.
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that is produced in the brain; it’s a chemical messenger between nerve cells and the rest of your body. It plays many roles in our bodily functions like memory, sleep, mood, and motivation. It helps you have attention and movement as well.
Dopamine is associated with the “feel-good” sensation, it gives you a sense of motivation when you are feeling pleasure. So when you do something pleasurable your brain releases a lot of dopamine, making you want to seek out more activities that make you feel good. If you enjoy listening to music in your free time your brain understands that you are feeling pleasure so it releases dopamine to act as a reward.
Listening to music can help boost our mood, reduce stress and anxiety, and improve our overall well-being. It can also be a powerful tool for motivation and productivity, as dopamine can increase our drive to complete tasks and achieve goals.
Studies have shown that listening to music can increase the amount of dopamine in the brain. When someone listens to music, our brain anticipates the peak moments and releases dopamine in response. Studies have also shown that dopamine helps us pay attention to and remember information that is associated with pleasure. When we listen to music that we enjoy, our brain is more likely to remember the lyrics, melodies, and emotions associated with it. This is why we often feel a rush of pleasure or chills when listening to our favorite songs.
The release of dopamine in response to music can also explain why we feel such strong emotions when listening to a favorite song. Dopamine is linked to our emotional responses, and when it is released into the brain, it can intensify our feelings of happiness, sadness, or nostalgia. This is why music can be such a powerful tool for evoking emotions and memories. So the next time you turn on your favorite playlist, remember that it’s not just emotions at play, but also the powerful effects of dopamine in your brain.
“My favorite song right now would have to be “Coal ” by Dylan Gossett, I first started listening to this song about a month ago and have not been able to stop. When I listen to this song I feel reflective in a deep and personal sense. I don’t have a specific memory tied to this song, but when I’m listening to it while on car rides, it’s always the best time,” said Dylan Morris after being asked what his favorite song is and how it makes him feel.
