As someone who spends 90% of his time with some sort of music in his environment, it is safe to say I am well acquainted with the various reactions the human body can have to different music. You could say that all music does the same, but when you hear a violin playing in real time the hair on your neck stands up and you can just feel the music so deeply. In the last year I have come to realize that music is much more than just something we listen to or sing along to. Music is emotional and powerful, it can be the biggest, loudest, most gut-wrenching sound you’ve ever heard. or it could be the smallest, quietest, whisper, that only some can hear. Though to most music is a simple thing we enjoy, it can be so much more than that. Research has shown that listening to music can reduce anxiety, blood pressure, and pain as well as improve sleep, mood, and memory. Different receptors in our brain act differently as we listen to music: The Nucleus Accumbens which is partly responsible for the release of ‘happy chemicals’ releases dopamine when you’re listening to music, the Temporal Lobe is responsible for processing what we hear–without your temporal lobe you wouldn’t enjoy music, you’d just listen without any feeling. Other parts of the brain like the Amygdala connect us to music emotionally, this is why one could get emotional listening to certain music. The Amygdala works alongside the Hippocampus–the memory retriever–to connect certain songs or sounds to a part of your past, but what do all these fancy things have in common? All of these come together to create the experience that really is music, which is now being studied as a possible form of therapy. Music therapy has been proven to reduce anxiety, depression, and other mental illnesses, as well as help Dementia or Alzheimer's patients recover parts of their memory: All by listening to music that we connect to. Personally, music has been a way for me to just fade into my own little reality, and find a little distraction for anything that may be bothering me at the time. I’ve used it to keep myself calm and relaxed, to focus, and to improve my mood and mental state. Music is easily available to all of us, so take advantage of that. Music has helped me through various big moments in my life: a breakup, moving across a continent, bad days, and simpler everyday things: studying for that big test, walking home, while at work. Music has the power to not only connect us to ourselves, but to bring people closer. Anytime you listen to music from now on, I encourage you to think about how that music makes you feel. Are you happy? Does this remind you of something? Someone? Text that person a lyric from the song and tell them you miss them, show your friend a song you think they’ll like, and most importantly, notice how lyrics, and songs can always connect to us.
Mateo M
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From August to December of 2023, every Sunday I would volunteer my time at a senior home for around 2 hours. And to be completely candid, this is something I would have never done on my own free will. This sounds terrible but I only started volunteering because it would make my BCIT application more competitive when it came time to apply. I knew I was going to learn a few things here and there from this experience but I would've never guessed just how much I was actually going to gain. Not only did I personally develop, but I did so while giving back to the community. My favourite part of volunteering was spending one-on-one time with the residents. Hearing their stories - which was always filled with wisdom and experience - helped shift my perspective on life. They would share stories of how they majorly screwed up back in their days but 99% of the time, they would conclude their tale with it never mattering in the end. With that in mind, I stopped caring so much about things. Of course, I was still responsible but for little things like other people’s opinions of me or embarrassing moments that happened in the past, I reduced the amount of thought I put into those types of things. And because of this, I feel less anxious and more mentally energetic because a big part of my brain isn't occupied on small things like that anymore. My main task every Sunday, though, was to help residents move to the music room where they enjoyed music with Shawn, who performed every week. Shawn would play music from the 50s and 60s because that's what the residents recognize. Music from those time frames meant a lot to them and hearing it brings them back fond memories. And I am a big fan of music, I absolutely love it, like I can’t go a day without listening to it but I’m not a fan of older music. I do like a couple of classic tunes here and there but overall, I’m just not a big fan of music from that time period. But included in my volunteer was to sit and enjoy the music with the residents. At first, I kept a closed mind and kept convincing myself it was boring because I’m not used to that type of music. But I told myself that this is something I’m going to have to experience every week for the next few months, I should start being more open minded about it. As the weeks went on, I found myself starting enjoying the songs and would even look forward to Shawn singing specific ones. In the end, I’m glad I kept an open mind because it made volunteering more enjoyable. I see myself using this skill a lot in the future and I truly believe that it could not only help me become a better person but also improve the way I live my life. In conclusion, I’m proud of myself for doing something so out of my comfort zone and I’m glad I did because not only was it personally fulfilling but I was also able to positively impact the residents at Augustine House. I really encourage anyone who has extra time to volunteer. It’s extremely satisfying to know that you’re giving back to the community and while also gaining something beneficial at the same time. And the secret is; to maintain an open mind and positive attitude because doing so will make the experience 10x more enjoyable for everyone involved.
Rosetta C |
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