Every heart has a song
Every soul, a melody
A yearning so long
To find true serenity.
And one fine day
After the longest wait
Comes knocking along
An Angel with a harp
Turning their lives
Into a beautiful song.

The word ‘music’ originates from the Greek term Mousikē, which also includes drama, dance and poetry. Singing has been scientifically proven to soothe and raise your mood. However, singing in a group is even more beneficial because it releases hormones like oxytocin that make you feel good and also reduces stress hormones like cortisol.

Dopamine being the key, studies show that if you listen to music you enjoy, while getting your heart rate up, you can achieve more with less effort. The pain sensitivity can decrease in the aftermath of exercising with music, so when you’re done, you may not feel as exhausted as you would have otherwise. Listening to music before you do something can put you in the right frame of mind for the task at hand.

Listening to 5-10 songs daily helps improve memory and strength and boosts the immune system by 80%. Song lyrics are believed to have a stronger impact on human minds when an individual is sad. Though it can affect your mood, it turns out that it can also have a significant effect on your perception of the world. That is why the type of music you listen to plays a vital role in how you feel, what kind of thoughts you invite and your response to the situations around you!

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Grooving with green friends

Gardening gloves? Ready. Watering can? Ready. What about your device with some peppy music loaded in it? Adding a musical touch to your gardening hobby can make plants thrive. Before you set up a DJ party in the garden, let’s take a look at what makes plants rock in rhythm.

Turns out, it’s not just any old tunes that make plants thrive; it’s the sound waves themselves! Frequencies like 125 Hz and 250 Hz have been found to help with photosynthesis, the process by which plants convert light into energy. And more energy means more growth — a fascinating link between music and magical growth!

But here’s where it gets really interesting. It’s not just the frequencies themselves that matter; it is also the type of music. Soothing sounds like rainfall and birdsong or classical melodies don’t just make humans happy — they delight plants, too! They’ve been shown to promote seed sprouting, stress relief, and even bumper crop yields. Don’t be surprised the next time you find your plants shaking and grooving when there’s music playing!

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“Music is the wine that fills the cup of silence.”

World Music Day or Fête de la Musique is an annual celebration that takes place on 21 June every year to honour amateur and professional musicians. On this occasion, how about taking up the hobby of either playing a musical instrument or listening to music?

Playing a musical instrument, especially the guitar, is one of the most popular hobbies worldwide. Millions play the guitar as a leisure activity, as it is one of the easiest musical instruments to learn.

According to research conducted by Fred Cicetti of Live Science, playing the guitar lowers blood pressure, decreases the heart rate, reduces stress and lessens anxiety and depression. Researchers suggest that both listening and playing any musical instrument can improve our memory capacity. There is also emerging evidence that playing music can improve our immunological response to viruses and bacteria. Isn’t this very important in this current scenario?

Playing a musical instrument is a great hobby to have. So if you are thinking of taking on a new hobby this year, music lessons are a great option. A few of the musical instruments one can easily learn and play are: keyboard, piano, recorder, classical guitar, drums, electric guitar and violin.

Five benefits of playing a musical instrument

1. It is a form of therapy.
2. It is good for the heart.
3. It enhances creativity.
4. It can future-proof the brain.
5. It enables us to express our feelings.

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