If you are anything like me, the time around finals is when your immune system goes extinct. This happens every year during mid December for me. Finals start approaching and stress levels begin to rise. I have tried a variety of different things to do to avoid getting sick, but nothing has seemed to work. A recent article that we discussed in class offered a potential therapy or “treatment” to possibly help prevent this. This therapy is music.
In the article, music is talked about like it’s a special drug. The reading discussed how music helps lower stress levels and improve immune system markers. Studies showed cortisol levels before and after the listening of music. The results showed a significant decrease in cortisol. This lowers stress as cortisol represents stress levels. One musical aspect researchers looked at was group drumming. The drumming allowed for participants to engage in a rhythm based beat together. Lymphocyte numbers increased as well as immune system markers such as IL-6 during this engagement. The article also referenced positive feedback after participating in group singing. During group singing, s-Iga concentrations rose by a drastic amount.
Is it Really Music?
One big question that was common throughout the whole class was the actual power of music. In many of these studies, there were other contributing factors that may have lead to the positive feedback. Examples of the singing and group drumming are the social aspects of those. While drumming in a group or singing with your choir, you are surrounded by people who I would assume you like to be around. So we question whether it’s the actual music or the environment. In many of the individual research that our class performs, many of them hinted that music does in fact improve your stress levels by a large margin over everything else. Me being the sports junky I am would assume that playing a game of baseball would provide the same benefits as an individual singing in the choir. This however has been overturned and said that music is still much more effective when it comes to reducing stress.
Still a Right Fit for You
A large amount of these studies have to deal with classical music. Studies often involve singing or listening to classical music. For many of you, classical music may not be your type. Although more research needs to be done, research still hints at it doesn’t matter whether or not you like the music. Engaging in classical music will still perhaps benefit you whether you like the genre or not.
With finals time approaching, try something new this year. If you struggle with stress and see a decline in your immune system then you should try putting some music on. Through these studies, you can see the positive impact either listening or singing to music can play on your body.
