Better Practice Blog- What is the Joy Of Music?
What is the Joy Of Music?
Why do we as humans spend so much time listening to music? A recent study by Edison revealed that Americans spend an average of 13 years of their life listening to music.
Music is everywhere - you’ll hear it in every store, car, event, or elevator. You’ll hear music in the commercials that segue into your scheduled TV show - which of course, also utilizes music. It’s unavoidable.
Interestingly, for something this prevalent, music isn’t tangible. It doesn’t help society in ways like money and food do. Yet, it’s just as desired and a necessary part of life today.
What is the Joy of Music?
A ground-breaking study by Salimpoor et al (2011) found that at “peak emotional moments”, or moments in music where it’s so good you get chills, dopamine is released in the reward system of the brain - the same reward system that makes it feel so great to eat and, unfortunately, gets people addicted to drugs. This system is mainly used to encourage behaviors that help, assist, encourage our survival, but has also somehow kept music an integral part of life for thousands of years. This brings into view countless other studies that show positive effects of music, like in treating depression, reducing stress, and even helping to facilitate cognitive functions of those suffering from dementia.
This explains why we like hearing music so much: our body tells us we need it - and we do!
These discoveries have led to huge advancements for the uses of music - a lot of which are the bases of music therapy today. Filmmakers and advertisers have also learned what sounds we find most pleasing to evoke certain emotions or get us to like a product more!
How does this relate to Practice?
We believe that there are two parts to learning music. There’s the technical part (the how), but there is an often-overlooked, equally important part: the motivation (the why). How many adults do you know that have the skills to play an instrument but never do? How many people do you know who love music, constantly buy albums, listen to music, and attend concerts - but have tried and failed at learning an instrument? With a great teacher, most anyone can be taught the how. But to get students to work through difficult stages and continue being engaged - that requires focusing on the why. You've got to bring the Joy of Music into the practicing and learning process.
This is our goal with Better Practice. We are providing the tools for teachers to create a practice experience where students get lost in the moment, taking a mental bath in dopamine as if they were playing a video game. For example, we have students around the world who have practiced over 100 assignments a day, or 3+ hours in a single session. These are not advanced musicians studying for Juilliard, but rather beginner-intermediate students who are having a lot of fun developing skills!
Quick Assessments for Teachers
What parts of your lesson brings joy to your students? In your typical student’s practice session, how much joy is there?
If you have stories or tips on incorporating joy into your student’s lesson or practice, please share in the comments below!