If your answer is yes, you are not alone. It is amazing how many people (who aren’t even emotional by nature) can be inexplicably moved to tears by a song. Even weirder? It may be that while one individual is weeping from hearing the tones of Someone Like You over a loudspeaker, another can stand there completely unfazed. Coincidence? I think not. Music plays a large part in our everyday life. You can’t even make it through the mall without hearing a popular song playing over the speakers. With all this constant exposure, it’s no wonder that the general population (especially kids our age) love listening to music. So much so, that we begin to formulate our own preferences and opinions on it. Sometimes to the point where we can even begin defending a certain genre or artist. This is a frequent debate between my sister and I.

It is undeniable, music has an influence on our lives, whether we want it to or not. That is why I decided to focus this second article in my series on coping skills with another form of art that greatly impacts our lives; music.

Let me preface this article by saying, I LOVE music. I don’t mean, I listen to it here and there. No! This is coming from a person who wants to start her own collection of vinyl, is currently saving up for a record player, and has a list of all the artists she wants to see in concert before they stop touring. Yes, I know there are more die-hard music fanatics than me, but what I am trying to say is that I take the content of this article seriously. I want to do justice to the amazing healing powers of music while also bringing attention to the possible pitfalls that can come with music, if we are not careful.

Music and its Positive Effects

Have you ever had a music jam session alone in your room? We’re talking the turned up to max volume, screaming along with the lyrics and dancing like no one is watching kind of experience. If you have not done this, I highly suggest you try it out. If you have, chances are after this exhilarating event, that you felt even more energized yet relaxed than you did before your musical worthy moment. This feeling isn’t some unexplained phenomenon that only happens to a chosen few. Instead, it’s something that even science has been able to prove. It is music’s superpower; the ability to ease any anxiety, stress or tension we may have and replace it with a light, airy feel that can turn a bad mood around completely.

You see, when we listen to music our brain releases neurochemicals like dopamine (a chemical that releases feelings of pleasure and reward) and oxytocin (the chemical that helps us in connecting with others). Music can also play a crucial part in our memories. That is why when a nostalgic song comes on, we usually respond emotionally. Of course, research continues when it comes to discoveries like this, but the breakthroughs made concerning the effects of music have had an overwhelming success rate when it comes to helping individuals.

There are now forms of music therapy that have been shown to help patients recovering from strokes and those suffering from anxiety and depression. So, the urge to queue up your perfectly made Spotify playlist after an especially stressful day at school or in response to stressful events at home is a normal response to the ease music can bring. That is why I thought this was the perfect topic for this series. As kids and teens dealing with the amount of stress and responsibilities thrown at us because of the struggles our injured veteran parent/s endure, it is crucial that we build a sort of coping “toolbox” with healthy coping strategies that we can easily pull out when the need for one arises.

 Music and Its Potential Negative Effects

As with practically everything else in life, music is not one-sided. With its potential to heal and aid stress and relieve symptoms of anxiety, it can also be the cause of depression, rumination (repetitive thoughts of negative past or present events) and desensitization. This chart provided on an article about music by the National Library of Medicine gives a stellar visual of the pros and cons of music: