Why do we enjoy music so much? Why do we enjoy singing? Does it boil down to science? Is it because we create memories through it? Even though we don’t know the precise reasons why, what we do know is that humans are hard-wired to respond to music.
Studies have shown that while listening to music, your body produces increased levels of dopamine, the pleasure chemical linked to tangible rewards like food, sex and drugs. It also triggers the release of opioids, the brain’s natural painkillers. Music and singing have the ability to affect our heart rate, pulse, body temperature and blood pressure depending on what we are listening to. The Greek philosopher Pythagoras urged his students to sing everyday as he believed it would help tame fear, anger, worry and sorrow. The benefits that come with listening to music or singing have shown to be so wildly healing that some health experts are calling for music therapy to be firmly introduced as feasible treatments in the healthcare system. Dementia is amongst the many diseases that could benefit from this treatment as music and singing help conjure up memories.
Music, singing and memories go hand in hand. We all have songs that stir up powerful emotions and bring us back in time, whether it be the song that was played at your wedding or a bad break-up you went through. Music evokes emotion, it speaks to you. Singing provides us with an emotional liberation, a way to convey our thoughts and feelings. Daniel Bernard Roumain, noted composer and performer, explains that the reason music is so powerful is because it actually penetrates our bodies: “You know when someone says ‘that piece of music touched me’ or ‘that moved me’ it’s very literal” the music enters your ear canal and moves through your eardrum, thus becoming an intimate act. The music is literally touching you. It’s speaking to you. It has the ability of making you feel understood; artist portray their emotions through their music and suddenly you realize you aren’t the only one experiencing these feelings. Most of the time you end up singing along because for the first time your feelings have been put into words. Music, like any great art, touches us and gives voice to emotions that we are unable to express, through refined textures and ambiences of the musical palette. Music has no barriers, becoming a sort of universal language that everyone can understand.
There is just something magical about how music can uplift us regardless of what is happening around us. The longing we have to sing has little to do with our actual singing ability. Many of us belt out while alone in the shower or car, but feel quite self-conscious when singing around others. If only we were all blessed with Adele’s pipes. Here at ObEN our technology gives everyone the power to sing, and sing well. Think about that one song you love and wished you could sing right, or a song that you wish you could sing to a loved one. With ObEN’s voice conversion technology you simply record your voiceprint, choose a song, and then listen to your wonderful voice singing. We believe that the human voice is the greatest instrument, and we want to make it possible for everyone to show his or hers off.
About the author: Georgina Bunn is a Corporate Communications Associate at ObEN.
Originally published at oben.me.
