Recently I heard a podcast featuring Daniel Levitin and Adam Gopnik discussing the neuroscience behind our emotional responses to music and individual taste in music. Our brains are amazing, complex creations which help us to negotiate and experience the world. Whenever I read or explore more about the growing brain and music, I am amazed at how little we really know about it.
One point that continually resurfaced in this particular show was that when music hits a great balance between the known and familiar and the new and unexpected, it is most rewarded with “happy hormones”. This is why it is so important that our children are fed a beautiful well-rounded diet of music, so that their frames of reference for the familiar is a high-quality. This does not even take into account other studies which link the effects of certain music to improved or reduced brain development.
In the end, watching our children take pleasure in music is exciting. It connects them to us, as we watch them respond in this very human way. It reminds us that this little person who doesn’t yet quite act like us really is one of us and is going to show us more and more of himself as he grows.
Think of a song or piece of music that fills you with pleasure. I love Macolm Dalglish and the Ooolites aptly named album, Pleasure. This take on traditional folk music just makes me happy. I can dissect the song and point out the familiar and unique that is likely eliciting this response in my brain, but why? It makes me feel good. It is beautiful music with fine musicianship and lovely tonal singing. Why not just enjoy it?
So while we strive to provide our children with the very best, let us take time to relish in the very pleasure of listening. Remember to show your children that music isn’t just for the background, but listening is an active, engaging endeavor.
