sound waves contacting the eardrum as they enter the ear, creating vibrations that are then transformed into electric signals. The brainstem, which serves as the brain’s message relay center for auditory information, receives these impulses via sensory nerves. Then they scatter, stimulating the auditory (hearing) cortex as well as numerous other areas of the brain. Notably, depending on the genre of music—for instance, melodic versus dissonant—and whether we are listening, performing, studying, or making music, different areas of the brain are involved.
Music can alter brain structure and function, both after immediate and repeated exposure, according to Silbersweig. For example, musical training over time has been shown to increase the connectivity of certain brain regions. “If you play an instrument like the violin,” he said in a recent Zoom interview, “the areas in your brain that are associated with the frequencies of the violin are more stimulated and the synaptic connections are richer.”
According to Silbersweig, these modifications to brain connectivity and circuitry point to potential for enhancing healing by activating particular areas of the brain. He and Haddad are eager to expand on the existing knowledge of the therapeutic value of music for patients with dementia, depression, and other neurological diseases utilizing cutting-edge brain research. For instance, the duo points out that playing a march or other rhythmic composition to someone who has Parkinson’s disease activates the brain pathways that cause them to move. Similar to this, Haddad says that persons with Alzheimer’s disease who have short-term memory loss sometimes recognize well-known songs like “Happy Birthday” because “that memory’s encoded into their brain’s long-term memory.”
Haddad witnessed this response during high school and college while performing for patients in hospitals and assisted living facilities. “You have these patients who are essentially sedated, lying down, eyes closed, not able to communicate,” she recalls. “And when you play a song that they recognize from their youth, their eyes light up. They’re sitting up, and they’re smiling. It’s just incredible.”
