Popular belief has always held that music has a calming, relaxing effect, but it has never been evidenced by tangible evidence. For the first time in history, research has shown that attending a musical event can have a measurable effect on individuals’ hormone levels . Thus, the “stress hormone”, cortisol, is the one that shows the greatest reduction in this context.
It is true that previous studies have explored the psychological aspects of listening to music but a new field, called “neuromusicology” aims to answer questions about how music influences the mind, whether there are measurable changes in hormones or why music affects the mind. brain.
A team of researchers from the Center for Performance Science (UK) decided to measure the effects on hormone levels of attending a live concert. To do this, they hired 117 volunteers who would participate in a concert by the composer Eric Whitacre . Some of them attended more than 100 concerts a year; others went to the occasional concert a year; Others had never been to a concert or were very passionate about music. and a fourth group was made up of musicians with decades of experience in the industry.
Over the course of two separate concerts (of the same music and duration), the researchers took saliva samples from all participants before the performance and then 60 minutes later, during the break. The results revealed a decrease in glucocorticoids, including a significant reduction in cortisol and cortisone.
” This is the first preliminary evidence that attending a music event can have an impact on endocrine activity ,” says Daisy Fancourt, leader of the work that has been published in Public Health magazine.
Interestingly, the results were significant regardless of the age of the participants, their concert experience, or their overall musical ability. The authors note that this suggests “a universal response to concert attendance.”
In light of these conclusions, could feelings be scientifically measured in the future? Someday we will know.
