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Sarah Boyd

Dr. Pereira

LBST 1105-H71

9 October 2018

How Classical Music Comforts the Brain

Music plays a vital role in the lives of citizens from countries all over the world. It has

been an important part of traditions in various cultures and has become a universal language in

which all people can understand. Music also has a special ability to impact and connect listeners

who would not be able to relate otherwise. Music is not only enhancing the way we associate

with others, but it also benefits the individual. Science is now able to prove that there is a

psychological benefit to hearing music. Listening to music allows the brain to release chemicals

which help to improve the emotional well-being of the listener. The dispersion of dopamine,

serotonin, and oxytocin allows the listener to feel happier and less stressed. Johann Strauss’

composition, On the Beautiful Blue Danube, as well as classical music in general, has a strong

ability to affect the brain of the listener. Listening to pieces of classical music increases

happiness and concentration while it decreases anxiety and blood pressure.

In order to be able to understand how music affects the brain and impacts the listeners, it

is first important to learn some basics of how the brain functions. Psychoacoustics is the branch

of studying the way the human brain perceives sound. Due to the rise in interest on the subject

and enhanced technology, neuromusicology has recently been introduced to scientists. This is

considered to be the specific study of the way music impacts the brain. Scientists in the field of

neuromusicology have been able to discover the beneficial effects of listening to music through

research conducted with functional magnetic resonance imaging, commonly referred to as fMRI.
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During an fMRI, scientists are able to watch a change in blood flow and brain activity in real

time. In order to find the effect music has on the brain, participants volunteer to have an MRI

while listening to various types of music. The neuroscientists are then able to watch the way the

brain reacts to the sounds. The research has shown that music is one of the few things that has

the ability to activate all parts of the brain. Because the sounds within music are constantly

changing, there is no defined path that music follows as it enters the brain. Instead, it bounces

around hitting multiple sections which enables a larger effect on the listener (Lightner). Once the

music hits the amygdala, the listener begins to feel emotions. The amygdala is a tiny place

located within the core of the brain that controls our feelings. Connections are then made

between the amygdala and the cerebellum, another emotional control center located at the lower

back section of the brain, and the result from these links is the release of chemicals in the brain.

As complicated of a process as this seems, it happens in only a matter of seconds. Shortly after

hearing music, neurotransmitters release chemicals such as dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin

from the brain which all improve the mood of the listener.

The neurotransmitter, dopamine, is the center of our personal pleasure-reward system. A

rush of dopamine throughout the brain causes a large amount of pleasure. Listening to music

activates these dopamine rushes which is the reason we enjoy listening to our favorite songs. The

increase in dopamine allows for the listener to feel calm and peaceful. Serotonin is another

important chemical in the brain that is released while listening to music. Serotonin is the

neurotransmitter responsible for happiness. With a lack of serotonin, people begin to feel

depressed. However, listening to music increase the amount of serotonin in the brain, which then

helps to alleviate symptoms of depression and increase happiness. The final chemical released

while listening to music is oxytocin. Oxytocin is sometimes referred to as the “trust molecule” or
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“cuddle hormone” since it helps us to develop a trusting bond between others (Goldstein). The

increase in oxytocin within the brain inhibits listeners to feel more of a connection with others

around them (Alban). The release of these three chemicals throughout the brain benefits the

listener in a variety of ways.

The benefits of listening to music is never-ending. Playing or listening to music can

improve productivity in all aspects of life. The increased amount of serotonin, dopamine, and

oxytocin swarming around the brain has many mental and physical benefits. Music can help you

relax and concentrate, make you happier, lower your stress levels, as well as motivate and

empower you. Through good and bad moods, there are always songs to listen to. Dr. Patrick

Alban and Deane Alban, masterminds behind Be Brain Fit, wrote, “[music] can help you get in

touch with your emotions to help you heal” (Alban). No matter where you are in life, music is

always there to be listened to and even rewards your brain for the time spent listening.

Of course, all types of music can benefit the listener, but classical music has been known

to have the strongest effect. This genre of music is able to do all of the things previously

mentioned as well as a few extra. Research has shown that classical music has the ability to

“increase mental alertness” through the help of increased concentration, better memory, and

lower anxiety levels (PsycholoGenie). Shauna Joseph from Plymouth State University wrote an

article about how music affects the brain for The Odyssey. When discussing the psychological

benefits of classical music, Joseph wrote:

Classical music has been proven to improve mood and lower stress. If you are feeling

anxious, sad, or out of control, taking a few minutes to stop for a little while and listen to

music has helped to control those emotions. Studies have found that it has the same
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physiological effect of a massage. This technique causes positive chemical reactions

within your brain that help with symptoms of stress and depression. (Joseph)

The structures in the brain are able to respond to music from the classical period in a more

positive way than any other form of music. In addition to all of this, classical music has been

shown to slow down breathing and lower blood pressure. This genre of music has a stronger

effect than most when it comes to impacting the physical and emotional well-being of the

listener.

Classical composer, Johann Strauss of Austria, is the composer of the most famous waltz

in history. Strauss wrote On the Beautiful Blue Danube during the 1860’s and the piece had its

debut in Vienna in 1867. The title of his work was inspired by a poem written by Karl Isidor

Beck where each stanza ended with ‘By the Danube, beautiful blue Danube’. Strauss’ musical

composition, along with most other classical pieces, is a perfect example of how classical music

has a psychological benefit for the listener. The complexity of his waltz and other classical music

lights up the brain. As the music enters, a surplus of serotonin, oxytocin, and dopamine are let

out. As a result, the listener begins to feel happier, more relaxed, and less stressed.

While at the Youth Orchestra, the students performed On the Beautiful Blue Danube by

Johann Strauss. While listening to this classical piece, I was able to experience the enhanced

mood from the rush of chemicals released. The increased amount of serotonin and dopamine in

my brain helped me to feel very content and calm. The oxytocin helped me form a closer bond

with my classmates that would have never occurred otherwise. Listening to music truly allows

for the release of neurotransmitters in your brain which do improve your mood.

Music has almost become a universal language amongst people worldwide. It has the

ability to bring people together and benefit the well-being of the listeners. Through the release of
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dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin in the brain, the mood of the listener will improve greatly.

Listeners can expect to become happier, less stressed, and more relaxed. Although all types of

music have this ability, classical music is known for its tremendous tendencies to do so. Classical

composer, Johann Strauss and his piece, On the Beautiful Blue Danube perfectly illustrates the

potential music has to influence the mood of listeners.

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Works Cited

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Sept. 2018, bebrainfit.com/music-brain/.

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Blowing GIFs.” Mic, Mic Network Inc., 3 June 2015, mic.com/articles/119856/this-is-

what-happens-inside-your-brain-when-you-hear-a-song#.YMehfaJYh.

Biography.com Editors. “Johann Strauss.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 2 Apr.

2014, www.biography.com/people/johann-strauss-9496950.

Classic FM Contributors. “The Story Behind The Blue Danube.” Classic FM, Classic FM, 2018,

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Goldstein, Barry. “Music and the Brain: The Fascinating Ways That Music Affects Your Mood

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Lightner, Allison C. “Science in Our World: Certainty and Controversy.” SiOWfa15 Science in

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