For the Love of Music: Exploring Creativity, Empathy, and the Human Experience 🎶❤️🎨
A Special Valentine’s Series on Music, Creativity, and Love
However, the extent of this recognition can vary depending on the emotion and cultural context. Some studies have shown that while certain emotions are universally recognized, others may be interpreted differently across cultures. (https://ferreiralab.faculty.ucdavis.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/222/2020/05/BeierJanataHulbertFerreira2020_preprint.pdf)
These findings suggest that while there is a universal component to how we perceive emotions in music, cultural factors also play a significant role in shaping our emotional interpretations. 2. A 2017 study published in Frontiers in Psychology examined infants' sensitivity to emotional expressions in music. The researchers found that both 12- and 20-month-old infants could detect emotional congruence between musical pieces and corresponding facial expressions. This suggests that even before their second birthday, infants are attuned to the emotional content of music and can associate it with visual emotional cues. (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5289547/)
Additionally, a 2022 study published in Psychological Studies investigated newborns' reactions to happy and sad music. The findings indicated that newborns respond differently to these emotional tones, implying an innate sensitivity to the emotional nuances in music from birth. (https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12646-022-00688-1)
These studies provide evidence that the ability to perceive and respond to emotional cues in music is present from a very early age, highlighting the deep-rooted connection between music and emotion in human development. 3. A 2012 study published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience showed that when guitarists play duets, their brain waves synchronize (https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121129093417.htm). This research was conducted by scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin (https://www.mpg.de/6634785/music-connects-brains).
A 2019 study published in Scientific Reports found that music synchronizes brainwaves across listeners, with strong effects of repetition, familiarity, and training (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-40254-w).
A 2020 study reported in NeuroImage demonstrated that synchrony can be observed in the brain activities of performers and their audience (https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/music-synchronizes-the-brains-of-performers-and-their-audience/).
These studies collectively support the idea that synchronized musical activity enhances neural synchronization and social connection among musicians and listeners. 4. This experience is similar to what has been described by reading literacy advocates regarding the “empathy training” effects of reading stories and fiction. See this summary from Perplexity for a more thorough exploration. While there may be similarities in the neurological and psychological effects, I believe that music is even more powerful because it is able to connect more directly to the emotions, even without the accompanying “imagination” that readers exercise. 5. For a good overview of “protest music” see this summary from Perplexity: https://www.perplexity.ai/page/pianos-weapons-against-fascism-70jQVEuPSuGoX.Mpykkdmg