100 Fascinating Facts About Music
Music is a sound that is pleasant to hear—meaningful. This set of sounds has the power to influence the way we view life, either positive or negative, depending on the lyrics of the music. Furthermore, music comes in various forms and is composed for various reasons. Unfortunately, one person’s choice of music varies from that of another. However, irrespective of our different choice about music it’s important we know about those things that make music essential to humanity. Check out these 100 facts about music.
Fun Facts About Music
1. Music triggers the release of feel-good hormones called dopamine in the brain too. There are several dopamine pathways in the brain, one of them is responsible for the motivational component of feel-good reactions.
2. Did you know that they are people who don’t feel any emotional connection with music? They derive pleasure from other things like food or sex.
3. Listening to music enhances physical performance— Stress and anxiety decrease physical performance. However, music helps the body exhale stress and anxiety by creating a state of mindfulness.
4. Singing together in and as a group improves mood. Yes because humans are social beings by nature and need to associate to stay active. So, music creates an atmosphere for the association.
5. Individual perception of the world is influenced by the type of music they listen to. In essence, love inclined lyrics makes you care about the world and vice versa.
6. Music is a relaxing tool that helps the body exhale stress. Although this depends on the type of music, like a calm slow song.
7. Eventually all musicians have high self-confidence and are prone to taking risks. The reason is that they normally address a large number of people frequently.
8. The part of the brain responsible for motor actions, emotions, and creativity are all activated while listening to music.
9. Music promotes a healthy cardiovascular system— Faster music increases heart rate and speeds up breathing. This in turn moves more oxygen and blood to your muscles.
10. Listening to loud music causes one to drink a lot, this is the secret behind loud music at bars and their high sales of drinks.
11. Catchy music that continuously repeats itself in your mind, even after you stop listening to the song is called “Earworm”.
12. Easy listening and new age music lead to high milk production in cows. When a cow is stressed, the release of oxytocin is slow, this hormone controls milk production. But, music helps them ease stress.
13. Music is an effective tool for recalling personal memories, even with a brain injury— music serves as an effective stimulus for provoking autobiographical memories.
14. Listening to music motivates you to exercise more by increasing your stamina and improving your mood.
15. Sadly, pop musicians have shorter life spans due to excessive hard drugs consumption.
16. Research shows that unborn babies react to music by moving their mouth and tongue as if they want to sing.
17. Music helps reduce anxiety— Through the reduction of stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol.
18. Music aids quick recovery after an illness as it brightens up your mood.
19. Drummers are great at problem-solving—due to the complexity involved in playing the drums.
20. To some extent music helps you study well— It improves mindfulness.
21. The world’s longest concert by multiple artists lasted for 453 hours, 54 minutes, and 40 seconds.
22. Musical instruments are broadly classified into percussion, strings, woodwind, brass and keyboard instruments.
23. During the peak of women’s menstrual cycle, they find men who are composers of songs more attractive.
24. Jazz music has a positive effect on creative thinking and general health since it increases your body energy and excitement level.
25. Active music therapy allows patients to perform music, this is helpful for people with weak lungs or reduced physical ability.
Scientific Facts About Music
26. Receptive music therapy allows patients to listen to music, this is helpful to people with mood and anxiety problems.
27. The average song length is 3 minutes, 42 seconds.
28. It takes 15 hours to make Grammy Award trophies.
29. Radio play can be a much more effective sales tool than print reviews for a song or artist.
30. 70% of musicians suffer from mental health conditions— All musicians are emotionally attached to their music, hence, slight failure results in mental health conditions.
31. Streaming music on smartphones is big business because more people have access to smartphones.
32. Chill-inducing music makes people more generous. It triggers a nerve response causing calmness.
33. Oftentimes, goosebumps are caused by music— Goosebumps appear on the body when we experience strong emotions like when listening to music.
34. Recent research shows that plants grow faster when music is played around them— Still a controversial topic.
35. Enticing music is an effective advertising strategy, it makes people buy business products.
36. Classical music fans and heavy metal fans are somewhat alike— They are both dramatic and unpredictable.
37. Interestingly, about 40% of musicians hear music in their sleep.
38. A study shows that calming, slower, simpler music always trends before volatility occurs in the stock market.
39. MTV, was the first TV channel dedicated to playing music videos 24/7 launched August 1, 1981.
40. Listening to your best music helps relax tense muscles— You can try it out when you’re stressed.
41. Approximately, 90% of social media users engage in some kind of music-related activity through their apps or profile.
42. Listening to music at bedtime helps people fall asleep faster, especially children— Lullaby.
43. Listening to music while you work increases your productivity. Sadly, it’s tagged as a distraction in most work firms.
44. Cats enjoy music that uses similar frequencies to those with alternating frequencies.
45. The human heartbeat always mimics the beat of the music a person is listening to.
46. You prefer the original version of a song because it’s the one you first listen to and not because it’s the best.
47. People chose their favourite songs based on how it relates to an emotional event in their life.
48. Unfortunately, the original lyrics of the “Happy birthday to you” was a “Good morning to you”.
49. Babies are calmer when listening to a song compared to listening to speech.
50. Research has found that the ability to choose rhythm allows musicians to learn a language more easily than others.
Random Music Facts
51. Sady, only about 1 in every 10,000 people has a perfect pitch—the ability to identify a musical note by just hearing it with no reference note.
52. The most expensive musical instrument in the world is a Stradivarius violin, with one being sold for $15.9 million.
53. The part of the brain responsible for self-expression flow is activated when musicians improvise—the medial prefrontal cortex and the medial posterior parietal cortex.
54. The biological irritations for music are called music anhedonia.
55. The word music is from Greek mythology called muses which means goddesses of the arts.
56. Historically, music was once considered an Olympic Games.
57. About 20% of metal musicians die by suicide.
58. Babies who listen to lullabies have an enhanced mood and sense of comfort.
59. Music always strikes something in the heart that’s why it is sometimes called heartfelt music.
60. Learning an instrument improves memorization, pattern recognition and emotional development.
61. Regular music alters the brain structure physically— The brain becomes synchronized when listening to music, this results in a permanent change in the brain over time.
62. Music triggers networks of neurons into organized movement, hence, improving motor skills.
63. Learning musical instruments increases reasoning skills— The methods required in learning those instruments are often complex and technical.
64. A violin consists of 70 different types of wood—spruce, willow, maple, ebony, rosewood and more.
65. Music helps coordinate speech network in the brain and improves speech difficulties
66. Musicians can remember information about auditory signals better than anyone else— They are actively involved with sounds.
67. Listening to music helps strengthen working memory. Music boosts productivity by reducing stress and anxiety.
68. Listening to music reduces a child’s risk of developing ADHD(attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), especially calm music.
69. Musicians develop a better long-term memory, because they create lyrics and retain them for years.
70. In 2015, Astronaut Chris Hadfield released the first album of songs recorded entirely in space.
71. Listening to music helps athletes run faster— Music increases body stamina.
72. Listening to music makes musicians less prone to hearing disorders— They deal with detecting different notes and tones.
73. Research found out that people make more mistakes while listening to a familiar song compared to a song they are listening to for the first time.
74. Music training enhances more executive functioning in children, especially when learning a musical instrument.
75. Music boosts the growth of grey matters found in the brain which translates into better academic performance.
Surprising Music Facts
76. Did you know that Classical music helps in improving the IQ of the listener? This is because classical music is formed through a formal educational process, following strict rules.
77. Music lovers will excel better at Geometry because of their talents in spatial reasoning— Music helps relax the mind and brain which aids spatial reasoning.
78. The world’s oldest song was sung about 3,400 years ago.
79. A flute in the form of bird bone and mammoth ivory flutes is the oldest musical instrument on earth dating back to 42,000 and 43,000 years ago.
80. Music therapy is an accredited healthcare profession.
81. Most musicians enjoy listening to their songs more.
82. Oftentimes, musicians are prone to frustration due to the pressure of maintaining their standard.
83. Musicians are highly sensitive— everything seems to give them some sort of inspiration.
84. Musicians strangely derive their inspiration. In essence, everything makes sense to them.
85. Musicians never stop learning. All musicians want to remain top-notch, hence, the quest for more knowledge.
86. Fortunately, every noise makes sense to musicians.
87. Most music producers who play live still get nervous about shows, even after their hundredth time.
88. Did you know that the national anthem connects crowds at sporting events?
89. Protest songs stir a sense of purpose while they march. This set of songs unifies the protesters with one goal.
90. Hymns build group identity in houses of worship.
91. Love songs help prospective partners bond during courtship.
92. Lullabies enable parents and infants to develop secure attachments— Lullabies are soothing songs.
93. Did you know that listening to good music improves your personality? Songs with positive lyrics influence your thinking and vice versa.
94. Music is an expression of emotions and ideas. Oftentimes, feelings and ideas are best communicated through music.
95. Music is the basis of all electronic entertainment such as movies, video games, television serials, and its likes.
96. Soft instrumental music helps in soothing the mind. It is often used by service companies such as airlines and restaurants.
97. Music is an integral part of celebrations like weddings, birthday parties, or festivals.
98. Music is an effective means of communication—All music wordings have their various meanings and are sung for a purpose.
99. Music relaxes patients before and after surgery.
100. Music is a source of motivation. Through inspiring lyrics and sounds, you get the zest to chase your goals again.