Does Music Move You?
Music can stir your innermost feelings and senses, changing your mood and attitude in a matter of minutes. Have you ever been brought to tears by a sad song? Have you ever felt like dancing around when you heard a fun song that you knew as a child? Some music has the ability to help you relax or enter a deep spiritual state. Music can be more powerful and addictive than any drug.
The common thread among timeless music is that it “moves” us.
We often feel a chill when listening to Beethoven, Bach, Wagner or another favorite composer. Music stirs our emotions when the composer plays with changes in dynamics, tempo or modulation. Sometimes the changes are sudden and extreme, other times subtle and intricate. Drawing emotions from music is an art.
Times When Music Brings Chills to the Spine
– When a symphony turns from loud to quiet
– When a harpist plays glissandos up and down the harp
– Hearing carolers singing holiday songs
– Hearing the Toccata and Fugue in D Minor by Bach on an organ
– When a solo voice or instrument enters
– When two singers have contrasting voices
– When a symphony plays some of our favorite music
– Hearing music that we are familiar with, bringing up memories
Music Goes from the Ear to the Brain to the Whole Body
First, the sound waves travel through the air, then the outer ear collects the sound. Then, the middle ear sends the sound waves to the inner ear. This causes the small hairs and bones to vibrate. This creates nerve signals to the part of the brain which controls emotion, anxiety, pleasure, arousal and creativity. Next in line is the hypothalamus which controls the heart rate, respiration, blood pressure, body temperature and nerves to the skin and stomach. All this occurs in less than a second. You may find yourself “in another world” when listening to music!