Music is one of the universal things in the world. i.e. it is found in all cultures. Creating beautiful sounds through mouths and objects was one of the first innovations by humankind. As a matter of fact, Archaeologists have unearthed musical instruments which date back to the era of Neanderthals.
So powerful is music that it has played its role in toppling empires. The song ‘Bella Ciao’ was originally written as a protest song to oppose the harsh working conditions. It was later adopted as a rallying cry by the Italian Resistance Movement to rebel against Nazism and Fascism.
Even in India, ‘Bande Mataram’ aka ‘Vande Mataram’ was adopted as the National Song of India, to inspire the people to strive for freedom.
Even today one cannot pass a day without listening to some form of music. So, how did the simple arrangement of words and rhythm become such a powerful force in our daily lives? The answer lies in the workings of our brains.
It has been found that music increases our blood flow to brain regions that generate and control emotions. It also releases dopamine in the brain, which makes listening to music pleasurable.
To celebrate music, 21st June has been selected as ‘World Music Day’, and on this day people are encouraged to use music to bring people together and enjoy themselves.
While snobs might think of music as an un-intellectual, non-contributing, dumb, and hedonistic pastime, the reality presents a stark contrast. This article is an answer to those cynics and nihilists, to prove that music has an important effect, even when we don’t have any empires to topple.
The most important role that music plays in our society is that it brings people together. Going to a concert, you find yourselves surrounded by people who are completely different from you. They come from different ethnicity, class, religion, caste, and gender, and that doesn’t matter. Because you have united for your shared passion for music.
Music also helps in maintaining our physical and mental health. It has been found in a Harvard Study , that music reduces blood pressure and relaxes the heart rate as well. As mentioned above, music brings people together which makes them feel less lonely. In fact, it can also reduce anxiety . Music Therapy is also used by doctors to help people with Dementia and Parkinson’s disease .
Learning to play a musical instrument has also been linked to increased cognitive ability, improved memory, and higher creative output. In other words, it is an exercise for your brain. Learning to play an instrument requires you to remember the right chords and notes. It also encourages you to innovate when you are trying to create your own music.
Child Help Foundation has conducted activities in the past with children, some of which involved music. In our RRR campaign, we encouraged the masses to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle waste through the use of song and dance. During Tata Mumbai Marathon, we have used slogans to promote our causes.
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