Music Mitigates the Pandemonium of the Pandemic

The pandemic not only turned our daily lives upside down but it also brought our functioning at a hyper pace to a screeching halt. Families were directed to spend more time together at home while practicing social distancing, so that the quality of life and health which had previously assumed a back seat in our busy lives because a top priority. However, this has become an opportune time to bring music into your home where the lifetime benefits of playing music are endless, and can serve to contradict many of the stressors perpetuated by the pandemic. Consider the following health and psychological benefits as purported by multiple research studies: reduced blood pressure and heart rate, as well as lowered levels of stress, anxiety and depression. A number of research studies also suggest a correlation between higher academic success and music because music stimulates the portions of the brain which are related to math, reading, language and emotional development in addition to enhancing eye-hand coordination, fine motor skills and listening abilities. Playing music improves mental performance and memory, and participating in music at a young age improves children’s learning ability and retention because it stimulates different patterns of brain development that could be able to compensate for cognitive decline in older adults. Evidence suggests that music can assist in the recovery of an individual’s brain from a stroke as well as slow the onset of dementia and AZ (Alzheimer’s Disease). Studies have investigated the relationship between memory and the ways in which music is processed and stored in a MMA or Musical Memory Area that is completely separated from the hippocampus and temporal lobe which are required for long-term memory function. The MMA is also one of the last areas of the brain to degenerate.