Melodic Mess

  Music has long been recognized as a powerful medium of both emotional articulation and comfort. Most of us, including me, turn to music when we're stressed, anxious, or in need of solace, and it is an incredible & immediate mood boost we receive from listening to the music we enjoy. Funny enough, most of the music I listen to is considered emo, yet I still find it enjoyable. So what's actually happening? How does music actually impact our mental health? Researchers have found that music can make our brain release dopamine, which is a chemical linked to pleasure and reward. That's why hearing something we like can automatically put us in a better mood and ease stress. Tests showed that people who listened to their favorite music for short periods of time each day had much lower cortisol levels, the stress hormone. It's honestly an effective emotional stimulus, enabling us to deal with and communicate emotions that may otherwise go unaddressed. Some songs have a way...

 Sometimes I forget about the marvelous thing that a lot animals can actually enjoy the soothing sounds of music, especially with pets. I own a couple parrots, about 12 Budgies and 2 Cockatiels if I'm correct, and one of my cockatiels (Coco) can never stop singing the melody to September by Earth, Wind & Fire. Lucky for him, my entire family loves that band, so we pretty much tolerate it, at least he's not singing a Machine Gun Kelly song.  I've decided to explore on this topic further, just to see what other type of animals enjoy it and if they could even benefit from it like we do. Dogs, for instance, have been known to respond to classical music, with studies indicating that it can relax them in shelter environments. Strangely, as much as classical might be a hit, heavy metal might not be their thing: it's been linked to increased barking and anxiety. Cats, those strange creatures, also appreciate music. Research suggests they like species-specific music made up ...

  In this age where music is accessible at our fingertips 24/7, we also find itself at a dilemma with streaming services, promoted as the rescue of a suffering industry. Spotify, one of the largest streaming services, pays artists between $0.003 and $0.004 for each and every stream on average. For top-of-the-charts artists, this could mean enormous amounts of money, but for indie or niche artists? Not so much. From January 2025, Spotify has implemented a new policy in which artists only begin to earn money once they have earned 1,000 streams over the previous 12 months. This implies that an artist will require having between $3,000 and $4,000 in royalties for a million streams. The payment structure has created some concerning trends because quantity is preferred to quality with artists being encouraged to put out as much material as possible so that they can gain more streams. The streaming age has transformed music listening at the possible expense of artistic value. Albums as co...

     Surely I can't be the only one with this morning routine: Headphones in, world out. Your playlist becomes the soundtrack to every moment like studying, walking, gaming, breathing. But what if your musical obsession is more than just a habit? What if it's to the point where you can't seem to...put it down? Researchers at McGill University made a groundbreaking discovery: music unleashes dopamine in the same manner as addictive drugs. That euphoric feeling when your favorite song plays? Neurologically, it's the same as a chemical high. Your brain isn't capable of differentiating between a good guitar riff and a dose of dopamine. But this is where the complications begin. Unlike conventional addictions, music does not generally ruin lives; rather, it can enhance them most of the time. The boundary between passionate enjoyment and addiction is usually blurry, making a subtle psychological terrain that researchers continue to explore. There are many researchers out...