The North Carolina State University Music Department hosted the Choral Ensembles Spring Concert Friday, featuring performances by all three choirs at State: the NC State University Chorale, Vox Accalia women’s choir and Singing Statesmen men’s choir. Being extremely fond of music, it was special for me to be able to participate as a member of the women’s choir. It was a very pleasant evening, and I’m certain that everyone, including our supportive audience, went home feeling calm and peaceful, having momentarily forgotten their blues.
That’s what music does — it soothes the soul. I attend choir rehearsal at Price Music Center every Monday and Wednesday, and I go back to my dorm with a clear mind and more importantly, with high spirits, leaving me rejuvenated and able to focus efficiently on studying. Moreover, choral singing has provided me with the opportunity of singing together in a group and connecting with people who share the same interests, and making me feel a sense of pride for the team.
As students, we know that college can go from being chilled out to being overwhelming in a matter of seconds. With the constant drive of maintaining high grades, working toward career aspirations and trying to juggle a social life, the anxiety is inevitable.
Stress, as common as it is these days, is not the most pleasant feeling to handle. However, with countless things to take care of (combined with an expertise in procrastination), it’s something we eventually learn to deal with. We can take advantage of music by using it to regulate the amount of cortisol in our systems. Cortisol, also known as the stress hormone, can wreak all sorts of havoc at elevated levels.
Sound is a powerful stimulus when it comes to altering the state of mind. This is because both hemispheres of the brain are simultaneously in use when complex periodic auditory data is processed. The right side works on the melodic elements of the song, while the left side takes in linear aspects like rhythm and beat sequences. This results in a significantly larger corpus callosum, which is the bundle of nerves connecting and relaying details between the two hemispheres, enhancing overall brain function. Due to this, music therapy is now an established health profession, and it is one of the forms of treatment for many disorders like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
Studies also show that music can activate the areas of the brain responsible for dealing with emotion by releasing endorphins and a neurotransmitter called dopamine — the same chemicals associated with certain drugs. This is why it helps us think and feel profoundly, fulfilling its purpose as a stress management tool.
Our conductor emailed us a few pieces to listen to so that we could practice our parts for the concert, but I found myself listening to those songs more often, even while I studied, because I liked them, and they boosted my attention span.
Thus, listening to quiet classical music can reduce nervous tension. It relaxes the muscles and decreases blood pressure and heart rate. Since it improves concentration and productivity, it is an excellent catalyst in digesting new or complex information, especially for aural learners, by triggering a memory.
It is rightly stated that music is a universal language. It conveys what words cannot and describing what a song sounds like to someone who hasn’t heard it is difficult. Though science can list the positive effects of this intangible obsession, the love and appreciation human culture has for music and its ability to evoke intense emotions cannot be quantified.
