The Untapped Potential of Music

By Tyler Johnson

  
Music is a powerful tool for a stronger brain that works at any point in a person's life.


Music interacts with the human brain in a unique way. Across nearly all cultures, music is used as a way to express emotion. The "feelings" part of the brain is almost always activated when music is heard. This is even observed in infants.

At the same time, as any musician will tell you, music is extremely complex. There are many scales, keys, and chords. There is a vast array of rhythmic complexity, from the simple straight time, to the counter-intuitive poly-rhythm. This requires the "logic" portions of the brain.

Having been an avid musician my whole life, I have seen the benefits of music therapy first-hand, both as a preventative and a responsive method. On February 16, 2012 I was a pedestrian that was struck by a car going 30-35 miles per hour on impact. This resulted in a traumatic brain injury, with a fairly grim prognosis. While there were many factors that played a role in my recovery–too many to list here–I can confidently say that my involvement in music played an enormous role in my recovery. I think that we can use music as an effective tool, both for treating ailments, and creating stronger brains.

The Untapped Potential of Music

  

By Tyler Johnson

 Music is a powerful tool for a stronger brain that works at any point in a person's life.



Music interacts with the human brain in a unique way. Across nearly all cultures, music is used as a way to express emotion. The "feelings" part of the brain is almost always activated when music is heard. This is even observed in infants.

At the same time, as any musician will tell you, music is extremely complex. There are many scales, keys, and chords. There is a vast array of rhythmic complexity, from the simple straight time, to the counter-intuitive poly-rhythm. This requires the "logic" portions of the brain.

Because of this, music has been found to be a very effective treatment for a wide variety of both physical and mental ailments. It's effectiveness raises the question: Do we need to wait until after a person is sick before unlocking the power of music?

5 Theses on Potential of Music Therapy

Of all the debated issues in psychology, I would like dive a little deeper into the idea of nature vs. nurture. My personal experience and academic study has led me to the conclusion that human psychological development is strongly influenced by both nature (i.e. genetic and personality factors) and nurture (i.e. experience and exposure to ideas). There are certainly natural tendencies that every person is born with. The things a person does and learns has a tremendous impact on their development, however. 

This is what has fueled my interest in music therapy. It has already shown great promise for people recovering from trauma–particularly neurological trauma. By my own observation, I would argue that the use of music is of great benefit to a person at any time, not only following trauma.

Revisiting Hotspots in Psychology

    In my last post, I made a summary of three topics that are–and have been for some time–a matter of debate in the field of psychology. These are:

• The connection between the mind and body.
• The impact of Nature and Nurture on behavior.
• The value of reducing behavior to smaller parts vs. viewing behavior as a whole.

    How were these ideas viewed during the enlightenment, and the movement of romanticism? What effect do these ideas have in the world today?

Hot Spots in Psychology

• Mind-Body Debate

Is the mind a separate part of the body, or is the body an extension of the mind? Which is in control? Does the mind control the body via thought, or does the body control the mind via hormones? (More Info)

• Nature or Nurture

Are the behaviors of people based on genetic influences (nature) or environmental learning (nurture)? Is it a combination of the two? What is the proportion of natural and nurturing influences on people's behavior? (More Info)

• Reductionism or Holism 

Can human behavior be understood by breaking it down into smaller parts, or is it better understood as a whole? Is the best way to understand behavior looking at the smallest measurable activity and working up to the large scale? (More Info)

Testament: A Look into Motivations that Spurred the Reformation

In Martin Luther's writing, Babylonian Captivity of the Church, Luther references the account of the last supper that is given in the Bible. One of the reasons given of the why the existing practices of the Catholic Church were incorrect–particularly selling indulgences–was explained by looking into the meaning of a "testament," more specifically, the "new testament" represented by the cup in the last supper.

Luther stated, "Christ, who is the truth, truly says that this is the new testament in his blood, [...] Thus, if we inquire what a testament is, we shall learn at the same time what the mass is, what its right use and blessing, and what its wrong use." 

The Bible can be viewed as a Will and Testament of Jesus Christ

As I read this, I was struck by the connection made to the word "testament" as it is generally used. A testament states the desires of a person before their death of the distribution of their estate. It usually consists of certain properties being promised to certain individuals; it is also common for these promises to have prerequisites: the heir(s) to the estate must fulfill certain requirements to inherit the promised property.