Musical Influence on Human Emotion

Emotions are a product of the human mind. They are the basis for many psychological studies yet are still regarded as mysteries among scholars. Every day the brain processes thousands of stimuli including sights and sounds. The majority of time these stimuli are picked up by our senses and processed by our brains without us even knowing that we encountered them. One of the major stimuli that the brain encounters is that of music. The brain processes music in many different ways but it affects how we go about our day in a major way. There is no denying the fact that different types of music alter our moods but whether it is just the tones in different genres that affects us is up for debate. I believe that some of the sounds that sooth us are instilled in us from the nights when our parents would sing us to bed. Most people would agree that the same lullabies they heard as they fell asleep would have the same impression on them today. And what effect does the piano of classical music have? What about the weeping of a blues guitar? These lullabies and other soft tones affect us differently than the bass of today’s rap music. It is evident in all facets of life that music plays an integral part in the moods we are in or want to be transplanted in. In all sports these days you see athletes wearing headphones during their warm-ups. Is it likely that the music they are listening to is the same “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” we listened to as children or is it probable that they are trying to get an adrenaline rush from something a little more up-tempo. Music is all around us and many times can change the way we feel, whether it is only for a couple of minutes or for our entire lifetime. Music is an effective tool when it comes to psychology and human