After viewing how Music helps veterans and people who are suffering from traumatic brain injury, college students also benefit from Music. Even listening to Music for a short period of time helps reduce stress in students. There are positive effects on students who listen to Music for a short period, as little as six minutes. In this short time frame of listening to Music, serum hormone levels are lowered, and stress can be reduced, according to studies done by Rico Mockel, a scientist at the Institute of Neuroinformatics. For both college students and high school students who are stressed every day, listening to Music is a seamless way to relieve stress.
It is also one less stress because it is free and accessible to almost all of us. When I listen to instrumentals, it helps me feel more relaxed and less stressed. Music does not only help college and high school students but also those under stress. There was a study done by colleagues at the School of Kinesiology on rats that had increased corticosterone levels. This is a chemical that causes stress, and then the rats were exposed to Music. Once the rats heard the Music, their levels of corticosterone went back down to normal. If it helped lower the rat’s corticosterone levels, just think how much it can help a college or high school student or anyone with high stress levels.
Music therapy, or even just listening to Music, can have positive effects on the mind and body. While listening to Music, we now know that it helps veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and people who suffer from Traumatic Brain Injuries and how it helps them improve their everyday functions. We also know now how it can help college and high school students reduce stress levels and just people in general. So, the next time that you are listening to Music, whether that be when you are getting ready, in the car, or having a study session, just remember how much Music can really do.
References:
- American Music Therapy Association. (n.d.). What is Music Therapy? Retrieved from https://www.musictherapy.org/about/musictherapy/
- American Association of Music Therapy. (n.d.). Music Therapy and Military Populations: A Status Report and Recommendations on Music Therapy Treatment, Programs, Research, and Practice Policy. Retrieved from