Rock On: The Health Benefits Of Listening To Your Favorite Music

Improves Memory & Speech

With its powerful connection to memories, music is also primarily known for its ability to affect memory and speech. There is some evidence to indicate that individuals who were previously only a shadow of themselves due to a traumatic life event or injury, may in a sense “come back to life” after regularly listening to their former playlists. This resurgence is the result of music’s ability to reactivate specific areas of the brain that are linked to memory, speech, reasoning, emotion, and reward.

To say music only improves memory and speech though is a gross understatement. Researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center have uncovered that singing lyrics gave patients back the ability to speak following a stroke or brain injury. This phenomenon is a result of the singing ability originating in the right side of the brain – the undamaged portion for those patients for whom this treatment has worked. Singing is also a commonly used tool to help uninjured individuals learn words, phrases, and other valuable material faster, so it’s not only beneficial to those individuals with a grave health concern but anyone wishing to improve their overall memory and speaking ability.