Friday, October 10, 2025

Your Brain on Art- Day 10




“Music is the only thing we can engage with that activates every part of the brain.” Dr. Annie Heiderscheit


I remember as a young teen falling in love with music. I spent many hours listening to my beloved 45s on the record player in my bedroom. In fact, two of my neighborhood friends and I shared our collection with each other and rotated them between the three of us. 


Carole Kings’s Tapestry was the first album I bought with my own money. For my thirteenth birthday I delved into hard rock with albums by Iron Butterfly and Led Zeppelin. It didn’t take me long to realize that Best of Bread was more my cup of tea. 


Sadly, around the early 90s music began to change and I stopped listening to it as often. Today it’s been replaced by talk radio when I’m driving in the car. 


As I began to investigate more about the brain and the arts I was curious to learn about the effects of music on the aging brain. 


I found that engagement like listening to music, singing or playing instruments all contribute to an improved quality of life. 


Music can help relaxation and improve mood. I’m looking forward to the Christmas season so I can listen and sing along to my favorite Christmas songs. I’ll probably get an early start come November. 





Playing musical instruments can improve cognitive functions. If you are adventurous you might consider investing in a keyboard and learning how to play. 


Movement, such as dancing and stretching, can be more enjoyable if done to music. Believe it or not, research has shown that music can help improve our immune system. 


Here is a list of ways to include more music in your life:


Join a church or community choir.

Participate in a karaoke night.

Make your own playlist. 

Listen to a 70s station in the car and take a walk down memory lane. 

Learn to play an instrument. 

Dance around your living room. 

Attend a concert. 


How do you incorporate music in your life?

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