Thank You for the Music

Dear all

Tomorrow is World Mental Health Day, the purpose of which is to promote the importance of positive mental health.  One thing that has been scientifically proven to have a positive impact on our wellbeing is Music, which was the subject of our assembly reading on Monday:

‘Take a moment to think of your favourite piece of music – it might be an upbeat pop anthem, the soundtrack from your favourite film, or a piece of classical music. If you have ever listened to a song and suddenly felt a shiver down your spine, a lump in your throat, or goosebumps on your arms, you have experienced what scientists call frisson, which translates from French as a ‘shiver’.

The late neuroscientist Jack Panksepp famously said that sound is ‘a special form of touch’. When we listen to music, the sound signals travel through the brain’s limbic system, including the amygdala, before they ever reach the auditory cortex. The limbic system is the part of our brain that processes human emotions and memories, which means that we literally feel music before we even hear it.

If you regularly get goosebumps from a great playlist, you might have a higher volume of white matter fibres connecting your auditory cortex directly to the emotional processing areas of your brain. If so, you may possess an enhanced ability to experience intense emotions from music and a stronger ability to interpret the deeper meaning behind a song. Frisson is most often triggered when music plays with your brain’s expectations. If a song features a sudden loud dynamic, a dramatic crescendo, or a moment of virtuosic skill from a performer, it surprises your brain. This excites your sympathetic nervous system, which gives you goosebumps and lights up your brain’s reward system, producing a rush of positive feelings.

But why is engaging with music so good for us? Our physiological reaction to music has evolved such that it now plays an important role in bonding and social connection, starting from the way parents instinctively sing to their babies. Furthermore, studies have shown that people with musical training are more likely to score highly in tests relating to empathy and being open to new experiences.

So, whether it’s singing in a choir, learning to play an instrument or just listening to your favourite artist on your headphones, you are actively experiencing the profound emotional power of human connection.’

Friedrich Nietzsche once said that ‘those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music’. A great deal of research has been done into the benefits of music in general and singing in particular, which range from the social to the physiological. In Monday’s assembly, I encouraged all our students – whether they are already accomplished musicians or complete novices – to think about how they might benefit from the wonderful world of music. I also shared with them a link to the ‘Sing Up’ Foundation website, which has a lot of interesting information.

Have a great weekend

Best wishes

Michael Bond