In the Western world, individuals on average choose to listen to around 27 hours of music per week. Music provides a means by which people can share emotions, intentions, and meanings. Here are several reasons why we find music rewarding as shown in a recent book authored by Zatorre (2023).

In sum, we listen to music for various reasons—including enjoyment, emotion regulation, social bonding, evoking memories, and expressing our cultural identity—that seem beneficial to our quality of life. Evidence shows that music can provide a strong pathway to well-being. Listening to music is an easy way to alter mood via distraction and shifting thought patterns.

References

Hargreaves, D. J., MacDonald, R., & Miell, D. (2017). The changing identity of musical identities. In R. MacDonald, D. J. Hargreaves, & D. Miell (Eds.), Handbook of Musical Identities (pp. 3–23). Oxford University Press.

Huron DB. (2006), Sweet Anticipation: Music and the Psychology of Expectation. MIT Press.

Zatorre, Robert (2023), From Perception to Pleasure: The Neuroscience of Music and Why We Love It. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

QOSHE - The Joy of Music - Shahram Heshmat Ph.d
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The Joy of Music

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28.03.2024

In the Western world, individuals on average choose to listen to around 27 hours of music per week. Music provides a means by which people can share emotions, intentions, and meanings. Here are several reasons why we find music rewarding as shown in a recent book authored by Zatorre........

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