"Life seems to go on without effort when I am filled with music."

These delightful words by the English writer George Eliot capture the inexplicable joy we experience when we listen to music. Beyond a burst of happiness, music can evoke a plethora of other emotions, such as melancholy, nostalgia, calmness, anger, and even fear. Music can also affect us intellectually, altering our cognitive abilities in the short term. While the effects of music can be felt effortlessly, the science of music is far more complex. The elusive term “music” can be broken down into a combination of musical elements, such as pitch, rhythm, dynamics, timbre, texture, and form. Scientists have long studied these components in pursuit of a great mystery: How does music impact the human brain? While there is no clear answer, research has progressed enough to grant us an insightful and worthwhile discussion on this question. This article will look into the effects of music on the brain, examining the cognitive and emotional benefits of music, as well as how music can be used politically to influence public sentiment.

The cognitive benefits of music were a long-standing myth for much of history. For example, during the early 1990s, there was a common belief that listening to Mozart could boost brain function, a phenomenon known as the "Mozart effect." This popular perception was sparked by a 1993 study published in the journal Nature, which claimed that exposure to classical music could enhance spatial reasoning. The publication of the study led to a surge in parents playing Mozart for their children. By 1998, the enthusiasm had grown so pervasive that the US governor of Georgia at the time, Zell Miller, proposed state funding to distribute classical music CDs to newborns. The "Mozart effect" was also believed to extend to animal behaviour as well, with some Mozart enthusiasts even claiming that it could improve animal husbandry. For example, psychologist Sergio Della Sala reported that a mozzarella farmer in Italy was playing Mozart to buffalos to improve milk quality.

The actual research on the Mozart effect presented a view far more nuanced than public opinion. Researchers Rauscher, Shaw, and Ky, who published their study in Nature, found that listening to a Mozart sonata for 10 minutes increased spatial reasoning temporarily. This is marked by a mean increase of spatial IQ scores of eight and nine points. However, these benefits did not extend beyond 10 to 15 minutes after listening. This intriguing finding led to further studies, yet none could conclusively link long-term cognitive enhancements to listening to Mozart, or any specific type of music. This resulted in the broader understanding that while music does influence cognitive function, the effects might be short-lived and not as universally applicable as once thought.

This brings us to the current philosophy that the cognitive effects of music are not a "one-size-fits-all" phenomenon. According to Dr. Masha Godkin from National University, "Music activates both the left and right brain at the same time, and the activation of both hemispheres can maximize learning and improve memory." However, this effect varies widely among individuals, influenced by personal preferences, cultural background, and the specific task at hand. This variability suggests that the impact of music on cognition can be deeply personal and context dependent, making it a highly complex field of study. Despite these challenges, listening to music can still be a great way to boost cognitive function if done correctly. For example, a specific kind of music can help increase focus and relaxation, promoting an ideal environment for studying. Music that contains unpredictable patterns and lacks a beat to which one can tap tends to be less distracting, making genres like classical, electronic, lo-fi, jazz, and film soundtracks popular choices. Specifically, music with a tempo of around 60 to 70 beats per minute can induce a state of relaxed alertness ideal for studying. Ultimately, the effectiveness of music in enhancing cognitive function during study sessions depends on how well the music aligns with the listener's personal study environment and their cognitive processes.

The emotional impacts of music may be far more obvious and familiar to us. According to Dr. McCrary from UNSW, music involves "the creation of an emotional connection between musicians, who create sound with an emotional intention, and listeners, who receive this emotional information." This dynamic interaction means that engaging with music can mirror the physical effects of exercise on the body, including similar activation patterns in the autonomic nervous system. Sometimes, the emotional response to music can be so intense that it induces physical sensations like chills, which are a result of dopamine release — a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure. Thus, listening to music is not merely an auditory experience but an emotional exchange that can enhance our emotional well-being.

Historically, music has played a significant role in shaping cultural identities and uniting people for common causes. From national anthems to protest songs, music can serve as a powerful tool for fostering solidarity and strengthening group bonds. This can be a positive force — it has been used extensively in various human rights movements and protests, such as “From Little Things Big Things Grow.” Released in 1991 by Paul Kelly and Kev Carmody, this song represents the movement for land rights of the Gurindji people of Australia and has become an anthem for the broader movement for Indigenous equality and land rights in Australia. It is often performed at rallies and protests, and is an example of how music can inspire, unite, and catalyze social change by fostering understanding and connection across diverse communities.

However, music’s uniting force can also be used for manipulation or as propaganda. As the Oxford Dictionary defines it, propaganda is information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view. It has been used throughout history both in times of war and peace to boost morale among soldiers, as well as to increase nationalist sentiment within civilians. In fact, propaganda has been used to inspire and influence the population in times of unrest for thousands of years, with Virgil being commissioned by Emperor Augustus in 30 BC to write the Aeneid, an epic poem, which glorified Rome's origins and justified Augustus’ rule.

One of the most upsetting examples of using propaganda to control nations of people is the Nazi’s use of music in Germany during the Second World War. At the time, Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels stated, “Music affects the heart and emotions more than the intellect. Where then could the heart of a nation beat stronger than in the huge masses, in which the heart of a nation has found its true home?” Throughout Hitler’s regime, there were efforts to “cleanse” German culture of popular music by African-American and Jewish musicians, which was viewed as incompatible with the Nazi ideology. During the Nazis’ time in power, a propaganda song, “Horst Wessel Lied” (the Horst Wessel song), which depicted the marching of Nazi troops and the “hope” represented by the swastika, gained popularity and was made the national anthem of Germany in 1933. The anthem was then played at public events, rallies, and ceremonies, reinforcing the party’s values, and creating a sense of solidarity among German citizens. Through constant repetition and association with Nazi rituals, the song became ingrained in the psyche of the nation, and served as a tool of both motivation and intimidation.

In modern times, music’s influence extends beyond traditional political and social spheres. On social media platforms, music is used to create viral trends and movements. Lip-syncing to songs has become an act of expression, allowing people to communicate their feelings or opinions in a way that transcends language.

While this can be an empowering form of self-expression, it also raises questions about the commercialization of emotional content and the way certain musical trends can be manipulated to promote specific behaviours, products, or ideologies. Record labels, brands, and influencers frequently capitalize on musical trends, using catchy songs and relatable lyrics to promote products or lifestyles. Coca-Cola has collaborated with many global stars to create music to promote their products, such as “Taste The Feeling” by Avicii and “Colors” by Jason Derulo. Such collaborations — music produced with the aim of advertisement and increasing Coca-Cola product sales — create a strong association between the brand, the song, and the artist. The omnipresence of branded music in online spaces sees the merging of art and advertisement, blurring the line between genuine emotional expression and strategic marketing by subtly embedding commercial messages within content that feels personal and relatable.

Thus music’s influence extends far beyond simple enjoyment. When well harnessed, it has the power to enhance cognition and inspire personal growth, as well as bring communities together, both on a large scale, like uniting peoples in protest, and on a more personal scale, with young people bonding and uniting over their favorite pop stars and boy bands since The Beatles and earlier. But when listening to music we should also be aware that it can be used to influence and manipulate public opinion, as well as promote specific behaviors, products, and ideologies without our best interests at heart. As more research is conducted on the field, the facts and statistics about music’s effect on the brain may shift, but ultimately music has been and will always be defined by the relationship between its makers and its listeners — a connection that brings joy, inspires change, and underscores the universal human experience.

Sources:

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Hammond, Claudia. “Does Listening to Mozart Really Boost Your Brainpower?” BBC, January 8, 2013. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20130107-can-mozart-boost-brainpower.

Jenkins, J S. “The Mozart effect.” Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine vol. 94,4 (2001): 170-2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1281386/.

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National University Blog. “Can Music Help You Study and Focus?” National University. https://www.nu.edu/blog/can-music-help-you-study-and-focus.

Wikipedia “Horst-Wessel-Lied.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horst-Wessel-Lied.