Music, emotion and language prove to be united and directly related. Always in the spotlight of scientific research... why is that? How can we doubt the power of music in the role of language and communication, isn't it pure emotion? We study musical stimuli.

A study at the University of California used the “priming” paradigm to study how the process of memorizing language and emotions works to measure the effectiveness of the potential of musical stimuli. Music has the power to affect emotional processing in its linguistic and expressive modality. They were able to show that musical stimuli affect the emotional processing of words and facial expressions.

It was evaluated through two experiments; the first experiment presented words and the second experiment presented facial expressions (emotions). They evaluated:

• Objective processing of words compared to facial expressions in the presence and absence of music.
• The impact of word and face processing with affectively congruent chord progressions with affectively incongruent chords.

The results again suggest that music facilitates emotional processing as long as it has an affective musical congruence with what is presented. This determines the importance of musical intervention on the emotional attention potential in the processing of word acquisition and facial expressions. .

«Music is the most direct art, it enters the ear and goes to the heart.» -Magdalena Martínez-

The ability of music to act as a therapeutic discipline is undeniable and allows:

• Improve the level of affectivity and behavior.
• Develop communication and means of expression.
• Release repressed energy.
• Develop affective-emotional awareness.
• Provide people with enriching musical experiences that help motivate them.
• Strengthen self-esteem and personality.
• Rehabilitate, socialize and educate.

Sound and music produce emotions , and these modify physiology, our hormones, alter heart rate and pulse. Also keep in mind that the brain areas that activate music and emotions are practically the same . When the brain perceives sound waves, certain psychophysiological reactions occur. We respond with emotions and these cause physiological alterations such as increased secretion of neurotransmitters and other hormones, which act on the central nervous system.

Music can modify our physiological rhythms, alter our emotional state and be able to change our mental attitude, bringing peace and harmony to our spirit. Music exerts a powerful influence on human beings at all levels.

Music, emotion and language seem to be responsible for activating memory in learning and stimulation. Musical memory is processed in brain areas that are not those usually associated with episodic, semantic or autobiographical memory . Who doesn't remember school songs, even if they have to do with prepositions with a catchy melody that accompanied their learning process?

« The memories that last the most are those that are linked to an intense emotional experience and what music is most linked to is emotions and emotion is a door to memory.» (F., Perez-Robledo)

Links of interest:

Applications of neurological music therapy in cognitive neurorehabilitation.

Autism_ Relational factors in Music Therapy.

Musically speaking: Autism, Music and Technology.

Music therapy helps a child with autism speak.

Jauset Berrocal, Jordi A. (2008). Music and neuroscience: music therapy. Its foundations, effects and therapeutic applications. Barcelona: UOC Publishing.

Music and emotions