The Benefits of Listening to Classical Music
Written by Jenny Zhang October 24th 2021
What is so special about classical music? One of the main characteristics of classical music is having a light, clear texture with little complexity. Because of its simplicity, it's a genre that releases a calming effect, a sense of relaxation. Especially during the pandemic, it's difficult to silence our world from technology and stress, but having just a few minutes to listen to classical music can not only allow us to feel more relaxed, but can improve both our physical and mental health. Having a serene piece lingering as our background music can allow our mind to rest, opening our ears to a new, calming tone.
One of the major advantages of listening to classical music is the feeling of becoming more relaxed, gaining confidence, and performing a task better, also known as the Mozart Effect. The Mozart Effect, popularized by a 1993 study, is a study analyzed by researchers in which students who listened to classical music before a test performed better when answering questions during the test. Although listening to classical music will not make you smarter, the melodic harmonies of classical music allow people to feel more relaxed, permitting us to focus on a task better, and improve memory retention.
Listening to classical music also brings shocking benefits to our overall health as well. Not only does it allow our body to calm down, but according to much scientific research, listening to classical music improves our physical and mental health. An article from ''the Healthy'', claims that listening to classical music not only provides physiological benefits such as decreasing cortisol levels and lowering blood pressure, but it can also release the “feel-good” neurotransmitter dopamine in our brains, which can reduce stress. Apart from improving our overall health, listening to peaceful melodies such as classical piano pieces can boost one’s overall sleep quality, and most importantly, our overall mood and productivity throughout our daily routine can improve as well.
Listening to music brings inspiration and wonder to our world: it activates the creativity inside of us, allowing our brain to unravel the beauty on its own. Classical music isn’t just a medicine that cures the mind, nor is it the key to success: classical music is a beautiful genre hidden from society that many are not exposed to. Today, try to listen to a classic piano piece, or any sort of classical music. The possibilities of what classical music can provide to us is infinite: and it may be just what you needed today.
Works Cited
“10 Wondrous Things That Happen to Your Body When You Listen to Classical Music.” The Healthy,
www.thehealthy.com/mental-health/classical-music-effects/#:~:text=Listening%2 0to%20classical%20music%20can.
“A Fifth of Young People Enjoy Listening to Classical Music.” Classic FM, www.classicfm.com/music-news/fifth-young-listen-classical-music/. “Benefits of Classical Music on the Body and Brain | AIRE Magazine.” Beaire.com, beaire.com/en/aire-magazine/classical-music-and-relaxation.
Burton-Hill, Clemency. “Can Listening to Classical Music Improve Your Life?” Www.bbc.com,
www.bbc.com/culture/article/20180116-can-listening-to-classical-music-improve your-life.
Jenkins, J S. “The Mozart Effect.” Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, vol. 94, no. 4, 2001, pp. 170–2, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1281386/. School, Minute. “The Importance of Classical Music in a Modern World.” Minute School, 14 Aug. 2017,
www.minuteschool.com/2017/08/the-importance-of-classical-music-in-a-modern world/.
“What Is Classical Music?” Www.yourclassical.org,
www.yourclassical.org/story/2013/10/15/what-is-classical-music.