Our limbic system (an area of our brain), which is involved in processing emotions and controlling memory, becomes active and lights up when our ears hear the soothing sound of music! When chills fill your body as you hear an emotional piece of music, that is the action of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that triggers sensations of pleasure and well-being. As your brain learns and memorizes a new song, your body may release dopamine after you hear only a few notes!
All four of my children have taken piano over the past 17 years. In the beginning, there were taps on the keys that made no particular song. Over time, and with a lot of practice (and many tears and tantrums), songs begin to flow from their tiny fingers. Much of that time, I was making dinners, washing dishes, or doing some other motherly activities in the house, and I would smile big when something new clicked and they persevered and saw a taste of success. I would promptly erupt with excitement, and their faces would beam with pride and a look of “I did it”! How soothing is the sound of music…
Over the years, my frustrated little prodigies became budding pianists, and practice was no longer tedious. Piano became a soothing routine, both for my kids and for me. They became more fluent in their understanding of the art of making music, often seeing it as an outlet for processing the stresses of the day, and a way to unwind. Sometimes, they have worked together to put on a show for us, other times they have played their latest pieces when we have family or friends over for dinner. During the holidays, I have listened to familiar carols and hymns, and I have remembered my own childhood memories. Always, I have loved listening to the soothing sound of music filling every inch of our home.
What would we do without music? It is tied so intricately to our days, our life experiences, our gatherings, our celebrations, beginnings and endings, and everything in between. What a gift it is to be able to go to concerts, symphonies, recitals, and worship, to listen to birds singing and chirping, to have devices where we can find music on demand, and to allow it to soothe and comfort us, or move and motivate us. How will you celebrate and utilize the soothing sound of music today?
