Why Does Live Music Make Us Feel So Happy?
I went to a music festival recently. I love watching live music, but my last concert was over a year ago.
Part of the reason is probably due to a kind of Covid hangover where I’m still out of sync with social activities and getting out into the world. Part of it is the cost of tickets and the simple fact of having less disposable income these days.
But the moment the music starts and the audience lift their arms and roar in approval, I’m right back in that zone.
What is that zone?
Whatever might be going on in your life right now, whatever worries you have, are left outside. It’s a feeling of being uplifted by the music and the people around you. It’s the complete abandonment of singing loudly to one of your favourite songs, not caring you’re out of tune or that you’ll have no voice tomorrow. It’s being part of the rippling crowd, jumping up and down like a human ocean. It’s a state of pure joy.
Why do live music events have such a positive effect on me and other concertgoers? I wondered if there was a term for articulating the euphoric feeling I seem to tune into.
I jumped onto Google, and the search results came up with the term collective effervescence.
“That’s it!” I thought to myself. Then I decided I should probably read more about it before concluding if it definitely was it.
Defining Collective Effervescence
The term collective effervescence is attributed to French sociologist Emile Durkheim, who wrote about it early in the twentieth century. Durkheim referred to events when people come together and feel a connection and synchronicity to each other and the moment. This experience can create a collective energy and euphoria for the people involved.
This seems right for what I experience during a concert, but the music must also play a part.
The Power of Music
We know music has an emotional effect on us. It’s why film and television series cleverly use music to heighten emotion in a sad scene or build tension towards the climax of a horror film. As a child, I’d only have to hear the first two notes of the Jaws theme tune before hiding behind a cushion.
Music can stir up memories. It can motivate us in our morning workout. The raw beauty of a piece can bring tears to our eyes.
But a live music event takes it to another level. You’re in the same space as the performer. There is interaction between the stage and the audience. Performers can feed off the energy from the cheering fans. There is a feeling of togetherness and sharing common ground.
Let’s Talk Chemistry
External influences will cause different reactions in our bodies, so what’s happening inside us when we’re enjoying a live music event?
Oxytocin
Oxytocin is produced in various scenarios, including during childbirth and in nursing mothers. But oxytocin is also known as the bonding hormone. Human contact and social interaction can help these little hormones burst into life. Like endorphins or serotonin, oxytocin makes us feel good.
One study shows a link between oxytocin and listening to live music. Concertgoers were asked to wear an EEG headband to measure their bodies’ response to the performance. The results showed increased levels of oxytocin.
These results make sense when you think of a live music event. A mutual appreciation of a band or artist can bond a group of strangers in that moment.
What brings sex, drugs and rock-n-roll together?
You can probably think of a few rock stars over the decades whose lives are the epitome of this lifestyle, but what else do these things have in common? They hit you with dopamine — The neurotransmitter of happy feelings, so intoxicating that it lures you back for more.
Think of when you’ve been to a concert of one of your favourite groups. It’s the encore. Do you remember that rush when they play the first few chords of the song you’d been waiting to hear all night? Pure dopamine high.
There’s something special about being at a live music event that doesn’t happen when we listen to an album at home. That’s why we’ll spend ages waiting in a queue to bag tickets, paying for overpriced drinks at the venue, or braving the grim portaloos!
A Shared Experience
Collective effervescence manifests beyond live music. I remember in 2012 envying the jubilant crowd watching Team GB in the Olympic stadium on Super Saturday. The atmosphere must have been electric for those lucky ticketholders. Though not quite the same, watching it at home with friends and family still gave a sense of being involved.
Think of events you’ve attended. It might be watching your team win the penalty shootout, or perhaps you were part of the thousands of people lining the London streets, waiting to watch the procession on coronation day. These occasions bring a feeling of connection and belonging.
Collective effervescence won’t just pop up anywhere. It takes more than a crowd of people. I don’t remember ever getting this feeling in a busy supermarket. In fact, some mass situations like a jam-packed train platform will make us feel more uneasy than euphoric.
Witnessing a Moment
It happens when we know we are witnessing something special. These are the camera-click moments that will imprint on our memories. It’s not just about the event. It’s the emotions generated by it.
It’s that feeling of being part of something bigger than us. We’re connected by a moment that we know is fleeting, but we hope to tap into a similar energy again one day.
The Reverse of Fight or Flight
The body’s fight or flight response is an instinct that kicks in to prepare us for a perceived danger. Can our body also prepare us for joy?
If you’re a chocoholic like me, think about when you’re craving a bar of chocolate and the feeling of satisfaction once you peel open the wrapper and sink your teeth into that sweet, velvety deliciousness. That’s the dopamine effect.
Can experiences work in the same way as a bar of chocolate? If our mind already associates watching a concert as a pleasurable event, there will be expectations for the next time. And so, just like the chocolate craving, we’re rewarded with a dopamine hit when the expectation is fulfilled.
Rewarding Our Physical and Mental Health
When I’m at a great concert, I can forget about everything else for a while and be fully present in the now. According to a survey conducted by Live Nation, 87% of those questioned said they left a live music event in a better mood than when they arrived.
A study has also shown that going to a concert can lower stress hormones, such as cortisol. When cortisol levels are high for a prolonged period, it increases the chances of health issues resulting from high blood pressure, inflammation and glucose imbalances.
Until the Next Time
So, I now know the term for the joy I encounter at concerts and live events. Collective Effervescence comes from tuning into an energy and a sense of togetherness in sharing the experience with other people. It’s about anticipation, reward and being in the moment.
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve started appreciating experiences over material things. When these experiences can benefit my wellbeing, I want to prioritise them, but concert tickets aren’t cheap. If only they could be prescribed on the NHS! I might have to wait a little longer for the next one, but it will make the reward much sweeter.
