Can Music Affect Living Things?

A friend once called the brain, the final frontier and I think she is right. While all the DNA links have been identified, not all of them are understood; however, the brain is still not totally identified.

For example, some scientists think that certain sound waves that mimic brainwaves can increase creativity, intelligence, control pain or alter psychological states. But the question remains. Can music and sound waves affect living things?

1. Yes. Using sound waves sounds crazy. We all listen to music and love it, but none of us claim that it can make us smarter. Or can it? Studies have been done with children listening to Mozart and have conclusively proven that Mozart improves IQ if only for 10 to 15 minutes. Children who listen to Mozart prior to taking a test tend to score better than those who don’t have a musical test introduction.

2. Yes. Studies with music have also included animals. The right kind of music can get hens to lay more eggs, cows to produce more milk and even affects rats. Music was played in two rat boxes. Researchers played rock music in one box and in the other box the music was Bach. The rats had a tunnel between the two boxes so they could “vote” on the music of their choice. The rats went with Bach no matter which box they played him in.

3. Yes. Music even affects plants. A researcher in 1968 did an experiment to see the effects of music on plant growth. She used many musical styles including classical, jazz, pop, rock, acid rock, East Indian and country. The plants grew well in every type of music except the rock and acid rock. Those plants withered and died. Did the plants respond to the music or just the sound waves each type of music produced? Does it matter?

Music is made up of sound waves. These are travelling waves that are an oscillation of pressure transmitted through air. They are composed of frequencies within the range of hearing and of a level sufficiently strong to be heard. So it appears that even plants that don’t show obvious choice when it comes to sound waves respond to certain music positively or negatively. Nonhuman animals make choices as well. Even children respond in positive ways to Mozart.

It would appear that sound waves and hence music have affects on living beings.