MUSIC AND HEALTH
Music is a fundamental attribute of the human species.
Virtually all cultures, from the most primitive to the most
advanced, make music. It's been true through history, and it's
true throughout an individual's lifespan. In tune or not, we
humans sing and hum; in time or not, we clap and sway; in
step or not, we dance and bounce.
The human brain and nervous system are hard-wired to
distinguish music from noise and to respond to rhythm and
repetition, tones and tunes. Is this a biologic accident, or does
it serve a purpose? It's not possible to say. Still, a varied group
of studies suggests that music may enhance human health
and performance.
Music and the mind
The most highly publicized mental influence of music is
the "Mozart effect." Struck by the observation that many
musicians have unusual mathematical ability, researchers at
the University of California, Irvine, investigated how listening
to music affects cognitive function in general, and spatialtemporal reasoning in particular. In their first study, they
administered standard IQ test questions to three groups of
college students, comparing those who had spent 10 minutes
listening to a Mozart piano sonata with a group that had been
listening to a relaxation tape and one that had been waiting
in silence. Mozart was the winner, consistently boosting test
scores. Next, the investigators checked to see if the effect
was specific to classical music or if any form of music would
enhance mental performance. They compared Mozart's
music with repetitive music by Philip Glass; again, Mozart
seemed to help, improving spatial reasoning as measured
by complex paper cutting and folding tasks and short-term
memory as measured by a 16-item test.
Harvard Health Publishing/Harvard Medical School. Music and health. Published: July 2011. Available in: https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying- healthy/music-and-health Access: july, 18, 2020 (Adapted).
The article discusses the relation between music and
health. For that, it shows an example on the effects of
music to our minds. What is the best statement about the
example given in the text?
