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The Benefits of Studying with Music

June 07, 2019 - 06:48 PM Does Music Help You Study? With that highly detailed Biology exam just around the corner, you have been hitting the books with every spare second you have. During nightly, starlit studying sessions, you continuously trudge past midnight, and the hours multiply. What if there was a more beneficial practice rather than spending hours upon hours of silence in your bedroom? The Theory You have likely heard before that music helps you study. But, do you know why parents and professors alike are urging you to tune to iTunes? Studies have shown that music produces several positive effects on a human’s body and brain. Find out music’s effect on your body and brain, and see......

Ageing in harmony: why the third act of life should be musical

June 07, 2019 - 11:58 AM It’s never too late to pick up a musical instrument. In fact there are many reasons why it’s a great idea, particularly in old age. We normally hear about reasons to increase music education for children, and for good cause. There are many cognitive and social benefits to playing an instrument that aid a child’s development. Consequently, as an older adult, there are long-term effects of having taken part in these musical activities, as it can limit cognitive decline. Even a small amount of training can have long lasting effects. But this doesn’t mean that those who have never played an instrument in childhood have missed the boat. The......

Is there a link between music and happiness?

May 14, 2019 - 10:04 PM BY MOLLY EDMONDS Enjoying a musical like "West Side Story" or "Singin' in the Rain" requires believing that it's perfectly plausible for people to begin singing and dancing during moments of extreme emotion. Be it the highs and lows of teenage love in "Grease" or the determination of a plucky orphan in "Annie," musical numbers provide insight into a character's state of mind. Take "The Sound of Music," in which twirling and singing atop a mountain is enough to help a potential nun who doesn't fit in at the convent find her bliss. That character would go on to teach the miracle of singing to seven unhappy children, and not even the dastardly deeds of the Nazis could get that family......

How Music Activates Our Brain's Reward Center

April 08, 2019 - 07:00 AM Researchers found that reward prediction errors from music correlated with activity in the nucleus accumbens, a brain region that in previous studies has been shown to activate when the subject is experiencing musical pleasure. Credit: Ben Gold If you love it when a musician strikes that unexpected but perfect chord, you are not alone. New research shows the musically unexpected activates the reward center of our brains, and makes us learn about the music as we listen. Researchers led by Ben Gold, a PhD candidate in the lab of Robert Zatorre at The Neuro (Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital), of McGill University, put 20 volunteers through a musical reward learning task. Each......

How can music help people who have Alzheimer's disease?

April 02, 2019 - 07:00 AM Research suggests that listening to or singing songs can provide emotional and behavioral benefits for people with Alzheimer's disease and other types of dementia. Musical memories are often preserved in Alzheimer's disease because key brain areas linked to musical memory are relatively undamaged by the disease. For example, music can: Relieve stress Reduce anxiety and depression Reduce agitation Music can also benefit caregivers by reducing anxiety and distress, lightening the mood, and providing a way to connect with loved ones who have Alzheimer's disease — especially those who have difficulty communicating. If you'd like to use music to help a loved one who has......

How music can help dementia patients recover some memory

March 26, 2019 - 07:00 AM ORLANDO, Fla. - Researchers found that music helps dementia patients recall emotions and memories. Alzheimers.net says by pairing music with everyday activities, patients can develop a rhythm to recall the memory of that activity, improving cognitive ability over time. A new case of dementia is diagnosed every three seconds, and doctors are still searching for answers. Dr. James Galvin, MPH, director of the Comprehensive Center for Brain Health at Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine explained to Ivanhoe, “If you look at all the things we know that may be associated with the risk of developing dementia, the two strongest are age and family history, and I can’t......

Wounded warriors 'SOAR,' find strength through music therapy

March 19, 2019 - 07:00 AM FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. -- To many Soldiers, the acronym SOAR represents Special Operations Aviation Regiment. For Soldiers in the Wounded Transition Battalion it is the Sounds of Acoustic Recovery music program.In an eight-week program, Wounded Warriors learn the basic music theory of voice lessons, guitar and piano, with an option of taking a beginner or intermediate course. "We aren't a type of program that pushes a lot of big numbers through," said 101st Airborne Division band member and SOAR instructor Sgt. Lee Lamb. "We're about finding those Soldiers that really connects with what we're doing and really benefits from it."Lamb said that learning to play an instrument helps Soldiers'......

Music Therapy and Military Populations

March 14, 2019 - 10:27 PM The profession of music therapy is rooted in service to America’s service members and veterans. As a professional organization representing 6,000+ music therapists nationwide and in some thirty countries around the world, AMTA has a tradition and steadfast commitment to providing service members access to high quality music therapy services and research. This commitment spans all phases of military service. In 1945, the U.S. War Department issued Technical Bulletin 187 detailing a program on the use of music for reconditioning among service members convalescing in Army hospitals. This program demonstrated how music could be incorporated in multiple therapeutic services including......

The Benefits of Playing Music Help Your Brain More Than Any Other Activity

February 14, 2019 - 09:50 PM Brain training is big business. Companies like BrainHQ, Luminosity, and Cogmed are part of a multimillion-dollar business that is expected to surpass $3 billion by 2020. But does what they offer actually benefit your brain? Researchers don't believe so. In fact, the University of Illinois determined that there's little or no evidence that these games improve anything more than the specific tasks being trained. Luminosity was even fined $2 million for false claims. So, if these brain games don't work, then what will keep your brain sharp? The answer? Learning to play a musical instrument. Why Being a Musician Is Good for Your Brain Science has shown that musical......

How and Why Music Therapy Promotes Health How and Why Is Music A Good Tool For Health?

February 06, 2019 - 08:00 AM By Elizabeth Scott, MS Listening to music can be a quick route to getting yourself into a better mood, but it's becoming increasingly clear that there's much more to the benefits of music than just a quick boost for your outlook. Research has shown that music has a profound effect on your body and psyche. In fact, there’s a growing field of healthcare known as music therapy, which uses music to heal. Those who practice music therapy are finding a benefit in using music to help cancer patients, children with ADD, and others, and even hospitals are beginning to use music and music therapy to help with pain management, to help ward off depression, to promote movement, to calm......

News

The Benefits of Studying with Music

Ageing in harmony: why the third act of life should be musical

Is there a link between music and happiness?

How Music Activates Our Brain's Reward Center

How can music help people who have Alzheimer's disease?

How music can help dementia patients recover some memory

Wounded warriors 'SOAR,' find strength through music therapy

Music Therapy and Military Populations

The Benefits of Playing Music Help Your Brain More Than Any Other Activity

How and Why Music Therapy Promotes Health How and Why Is Music A Good Tool For Health?

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