What’s your favorite song?
Without knowing you, it would be almost impossible for me to guess, due to the number and diversity of music genres. But it would be safe to assume that your favorite song most likely brings about an intense emotional response.
When people talk about their favorite music, they tend to describe it as sometimes giving them “the chills.” You’ve probably observed this with your favorite music. But the interesting part is that experiencing this sensation is not reliant on any one kind of music.
Researchers at the Montreal Neurological Institute had participants bring in their favorite music. While each participant documented an intense emotional reaction, the music genres themselves ranged from classical to jazz to punk rock. With so much variety, what was responsible for this underlying emotional response?
The answer, as it turns out, is dopamine. Scientists at McGill University discovered a direct connection between the elation created by music and the release of the neurotransmitter dopamine.
Dopamine is a chemical released in the brain that influences emotional regulation, pleasure, and rewards. As reported by Richard Depue, professor at Cornell University: “When our dopamine system is activated, we are more positive, excited and eager to go after goals or rewards, such as food, sex, money, education or professional achievements.”
So music is associated with dopamine, and dopamine to motivation, but the music itself is less significant than the psychological reaction it creates. This leads to some potent implications.
Let’s return to your favorite song. Has it ever given you “the chills” or created a strong emotional response? If so, you’ve just discovered one of the most effective ways to release more dopamine into your system, which is a brain hack for positivity and motivation.
So what type of music should you listen to achieve these positive emotional reactions? The chief insight from the above research is that it is dependent solely on your tastes. The music can be happy, sad, upbeat, slow, instrumental, classical, rock, or rap. The secret is taking stock of the emotional reactions you obtain from various songs and genres.
Once you understand how you respond viscerally to particular songs, you can use those songs to elicit the sought after emotional reaction, producing the most effective emotional state for each scenario.
For instance, if rock ‘n’ roll gets you pumped up and stimulated for a gym session, you may want to listen to your favorite Metallica CD while heading to the gym. On the other hand, if you’re trying to relax after a busy day at the office, perhaps the best of Beethoven is the way to go.
And last, if you have hearing loss, consider that the latest hearing aid technology that can stream music wirelessly from portable devices directly to your hearing aids. This puts you in a unique position to make the most of this research.
Simply dial in your favorite music on your phone or portable device, deliver it wirelessly to your hearing aids, and let the dopamine start flowing.
By the way, what is your favorite song? And which songs or music genres elicit strong responses or particular moods for you?