On World Music Day, How important is music?

CAIRO – 21 June 2020: Because music is of great importance, it has been linked to the expression of classes, feelings and time stages, and civilizations have taken care of and developed it.

A global day has been set to celebrate music since 1982. It was launched from France at the invitation of its Minister of Culture at the time Jack Lang and Maurice Fleuret

In light of this, we address our relationship with music from an important angle, happiness, that feeling that people strive for.

There are a lot of opinions and research that have focused on this relationship, trying to explain it and prove its true nature.

Music & Happiness

In a 2017 study from Deakin University in Australian Victoria, a total of 1,000 Australian citizens were randomly selected to see if there was a connection between self-reported music consumption and happiness levels.

They found that people who actively interacted with music through dancing and attending concerts had a higher level of happiness, according to CNN. The study used data from the Australian Unit Welfare Index, an annual survey trying to measure the happiness of Australian citizens, in 2014.

Furthermore, the index paid special attention to music consumption habits through six different activities: Listening to music, singing, playing an instrument, dancing, composing music and attending music-oriented events.

Melissa Weinberg, a study co-author from Deakin University, said that certain activities seemed to be associated with higher levels of happiness, and said: "We found that there were differences in those who danced or attended musical events."

Music has a positive physical impact

Music can boost morale, as science has shown that it has a physical effect on the body as well. Music affects the autonomic nervous system, responsible for controlling blood pressure and heart rhythm, in addition to the limbic system, which is responsible for feelings and emotions in humans.

Moreover, a review of 23 studies in 2009 that included nearly 1,500 people found that music helped reduce blood pressure, heart rate, and anxiety in patients with heart problems.

Research from the University of Missouri, published in the Journal of Positive Psychology, found that music with upbeat tunes can have a very positive impact on feeling happy. "People have succeeded in boosting their moods by listening to music," said Dr. Yuna Ferguson, lead author of the research paper.

Sad music is also important

Researchers stress even sad music brings happiness and comfort to most listeners, according to a research conducted at Durham University in the United Kingdom and the University of Jyväskylä in Finland.

The study found that for some people, sad music can cause negative feelings of deep sadness. The research included three surveys of more than 2,400 people in the UK and Finland, focusing on the unforgettable emotions and experiences associated with listening to sad songs.

"The results help us determine the ways in which people regulate their mood with the help of music, as well as how to benefit from music rehabilitation and therapy in rest, relief and enjoyment processes," said lead author Thomas Airla, adding that the study may help find reasons for both listening to and avoiding sad music, according to the Hills Line website specializing in health issues.

In addition, the site mentioned in its report that a 2013 study in the Journal of Positive Psychology found that people who listened to optimistic music managed to improve their mood and enhance their happiness in just two weeks.

The study reached this conclusion by directing the participants to try to improve their sense of happiness, and they actually succeeded when they listened to the upbeat music of Copeland in contrast to the sadder tunes of Stravinsky, two opposite types of music.

Don’t mistreat your mood

Day-to-day scientific research confirms that music has a positive effect on a person's mood due to the regulation of dopamine in the brain. Recent research indicates that even sad music can play an important role in reducing anxiety and lifting the mood of the listener.

This is confirmed by a research group whose review was published in the American scientific journal, Blues, where the responses to sad music experiences were studied, where a sample of 1577 people was surveyed.

The survey explored the causes, mechanisms and emotions of such musical experiences, which were accompanied by physiological reactions and positive mood changes in about a third of the participants.