While music has been a historical hit parade since ancient times, modern science testifies to the fact that some of the networks in the human brain seem to be solely dedicated to music. This has prompted neuroscientists to rethink their ideas on the nature of intelligence. To highlight a common example - listening to one's favourite tune can help kids and adults work better with words, maths, and also make an amplified effort in sports. What has been most exciting, today, is the discovery of music's neural upshot, or priming - its harmonious, integrated impact on our mind, body, and soul. Music, as research suggests, helps us 'up' our cognitive ability, thanks to its unique capacity to 'tap' both the left and right hemispheres of the brain. Says Elizabeth Miles, an ethnomusicologist, 'Maybe, you think of yourself as left-brained, if you're analytical, or word-driven type, or right-brained, if you're creative, or visual. In general, the left brain handles symbolic activities, like language and logic, while the right brain is responsible for direct perception, including spatial tasks and abstract intuitive leaps.' She explains, 'Listening to music actually taps both sides, potentially uniting creative and analytical functions in the mind.' New studies have shown that listening to music increases the coherence between different areas of the brain. As physicist and Nobel laureate Brian Josephson outlined, 'Music is like atoms in terms of quantum theory.' He proposed parallels between DNA and music ideas and theorised that music stimulates the primary level of consciousness. Not only that. Josephson likened balance-imbalance conditions in bio-systems to the tension and release patterns found in music - and, suggested that music 'models' could help maintain balance in the human organism. As Muriel Zaatar, an associate professor of biology, and colleagues, articulate in 'Brain, Behavior & Immunity Health,' 'The transformative power of music is due to its ability to influence the brain, promoting neuroplasticity, and bringing about changes that can benefit health and well-being. From pregnancy to old age, music can improve cognitive, emotional, physical, and social domains, making it a valuable tool for promoting health and treating disease. The potential of music to impact the brain in a positive way has led to the development of music therapy as a non-pharmacological intervention for treating various diseases.' Such insights, gained over time, have apparently led to the expansion of effective music-based interventions that promote health and treat disease. According to a paper published by Madison Givens, and colleagues, in 'Intensive and Critical Care Nursing,' 'Music can truly impact recovery, resilience, and also the chance of survival. Yet, when it comes to using music in medicine, there is a 'divide' that undermines patient improvement. Although closely related, therapeutic music and music therapy differ in definition and practice. Music therapy is delivered by trained clinicians with structured, goal-oriented methods, as seen in intensive care units (ICU) and other patient programmes. In contrast, therapeutic music tends to include 'less formal' approaches, such as passive listening, or personalised concerts, which enhance patient engagement and emotional well-being.' Appropriate music, especially the classical genre, as research suggests, can actually enhance reading and comprehension in children and adults. Reason? Music plumbs our mental potential like no other. It can significantly raise spatial and temporal reasoning, vocabulary, facts, formulae skills, and concentration. The idea is self-explanatory. Music, played at the 'backdrop' of your mind's ear, especially when your kids study, or you work, can add energy to your efforts. Interestingly, the ear is the first sensory organ that develops in the mother's womb, preceding the nervous system. Hence, sound is our first source of information about the world. After we are born, the primary function of the auditory system is orientation and self-defence - one that is designed to detect, locate, and identify sound, and also integrate such signals into propulsive behaviour for self-preservation. Example - fleeing from an infuriated bee that you hear charging from the rear. From an evolutionary standpoint, hearing is life itself. This explains why nature has given us a sophisticated system for processing sound in the brain, body, and nervous system. This also suggests that nature and nurture are necessary for our ken for music to be tapped and used with good effect. There are other advantages too. Music is more powerful than herbs; it has great healing properties. Music not only stimulates the emotional centre of our brains, but also our long-term memory. Playing soft background music - or, what is called 'Focus Music' - especially quiet classical melodies, with not more than 60 beats per minute, at the work desk, or, while studying - is a naturally effective strategy for most people. It helps us not only to relax, but also cope with stressful situations - with enhanced effect. This is not all. Studies have demonstrated the mind-altering power of music - the all-natural alternative for mastering your disposition and making the most of your life. Science, as a matter of fact, is convinced about the power of sonic energy - the power of sound that can play a big part in fine-tuning our moods, motivation levels, and improved workout at the gym. It's suggested too that one can, with great advantage, use music as a mind-enhancement tool, with the right soundtrack - a sort of therapeutic model that can help us handle anxiety, boost our creativity, intelligence and emotional quotient, control pain, get energised, relaxed, and have a better work, home and marital life.

Nidamboor is a wellness physician, independent researcher, and author